PubsandBeer
Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Porter |  | 2 |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | | 2 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter |  | 5 |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | | 7 |
| Harvey's - Olympia | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Wharf IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Christmas Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Goose Shoreditch - Harvest Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - In Harmony Pale Ale (in collaboration with Burning Sky) | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
07 Sep 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Front room was quiz busy, we used the upstairs meeting room.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Probably as good as you'll usually get |
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | New cask on - best beer of evening |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | Good on taste but did lose head quite quickly |
| Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried | Confusingly the IPA pumpclip clip was in use in the other bar - same beer of course |
| Harvey's - In Harmony Pale Ale (in collaboration with Burning Sky) | 4.20 | Not Tried | Pumpclip implied a citrus beer so, to me, a waste of time |
27 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. A noise shop tonight, unpleasantly so, so pleased to drink up and skedaddle.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 |  | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried |
06 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit for presentation of local CAMRA branch runner-up Pub of the Year 2022 award.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | Long wait whilst cask changed. Found new one fresh and rather thin |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Olympia | 4.30 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried |
27 May 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Good chat with the barman about Harvey's beer of late and included a teeny sip sample of the Jubilee ale now in the cellar probably on tomorrow.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | Best of tonight's bunch |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | Very refreshing first pint, did dissipate on condition a tad as the glass emptied |
| Harvey's - Olympia | 4.30 | Not Tried | Saw none sold whilst there |
| Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried |
14 May 2022 (Wittenden)
I arranged to meet some old friends here, early doors on a sunny cup final Saturday.My first visit here: I really enjoyed this pub.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | Delicious on a warm day. |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | SBB's suave elder brother.Oatty. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Olympia | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale | 3.90 | Not Tried |
09 Mar 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | In fine form |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | Good starter ale |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wharf IPA | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried | Ran out |
27 Jan 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Quick evening in and out to collect supply of latest London Drinker magazine. Not time to dally. Good numbers in both bars.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Christmas Ale | 7.50 | Not Tried | |
| Goose Shoreditch - Harvest Mild | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried |
17 Jan 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Dryanuary and a Monday meant only half a dozen in between the two bars.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | £3 a pint on Mondays apparently, after I had ordered A N Other |
| Harvey's - Christmas Ale | 7.50 | Not Tried | Tempting, another day perhaps |
24 Nov 2021 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening visit. The Wednesday pub quiz is very intrusive for non participants so did not linger after one pint.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | A very refreshing low gravity job - just what I needed |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried | Re-badged IPA |
21 Aug 2021 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until last orders bell. The back room has been denuded of all trinkets and felt depressingly austere and soul-less.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Just a tad too chilled |
| Harvey's - Olympia | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wharf IPA | 4.80 | Not Tried |
About the Royal Oak
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 138 |
| 107 |
| 33 |
 | 4 |
The pub is found in Borough, Central London, SE1 4JU.
Harvey's first tied pub in the capital. Corner pub in Tabard Street, near Borough Underground station. Feels like an oasis from the bustle of London Bridge / Borough High Street. Two bare-boarded rooms in a pub with a central bar and an off-sales hatch. Superb John Harvey Room upstairs may be used for meetings and functions and is freely available. Lots of dark wood and cream walls. 4 handpumps on each bar counter so 8 in all. Comfortable atmosphere. Also has comprehensive selection of Harvey's beer in bottles. Became a managed house after the departure, to retirement, of long term tenant licensees in January 2019. Local CAMRA branch Overall Pub of the Year 2023 and 2025, having been runner-up in 2022.
We have visited this pub 165 times, seen 54 different beers and tried 31 of them.
Postcode: SE1 4JU