PubsandBeer
Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Champion |  | 1 |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | | 2 |
| Harvey's - Christmas Ale | | 1 |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | | 4 |
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | | 2 |
| Harvey's - Southdown Harvest Ale |  | 1 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | | 3 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | | 6 |
| Harvey's - Porter | | 2 |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Bonfire Boy | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Knots of May Light Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
27 Sep 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until 11pm close. London Drinker magazine pick up day.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | |
| Harvey's - Southdown Harvest Ale | 5.00 | | Initially quite unusual hop taste after the Best. Rather too chilled |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried |
26 Jul 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until 11pm close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | 5.50 | | Getting expensive at £4.50pp |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried |
31 May 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid-evening visit with the hope of meeting a man about a dog, successfully.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | Temporarily re-named here as "Archivist Ale" in memory of a recently lost local Stephen Humphrey |
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Knots of May Light Mild | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried | Never see anyone buy any of the Fuller's beers when on the pump here! No need |
30 Mar 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Late night London Drinker magazine pick up visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried |
25 Jan 2017 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until 11pm close. High power all around with a CAMRA RD in regular attendance and a CAMRA NE man making a guest appearance. Mild and Old had run out.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Back to form? |
| Harvey's - Christmas Ale | 7.50 | | Very innocent in taste |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | Not too much to it |
| Harvey's - Bonfire Boy | 5.80 | Not Tried |
20 Jan 2017 (Stephen Harris)
Friday evening busy in here. A remarkable number of familiar faces present.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | A very nice pint, in immaculate condition. |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | A long-time favourite of mine, in faultless condition. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried |
30 Nov 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until 11pm close. CAMRA's London top of the hierarchy was drinking in the rear bar.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Bonfire Boy | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried |
28 Sep 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until 11pm close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 |  | Tired |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 |  | A nasty metallic smell and taste with haze. I gave up a fifth of way down the pint. Exchanged for a Pale Ale |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Southdown Harvest Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried |
10 Aug 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until 11pm close. Very very slow business tonight, soon became two ladies drinking wine outside and myself discussing Brittany with the barman inside.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Superb lip bitterness |
| Harvey's - Sussex Champion | 5.00 | | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | 5.50 | Not Tried |
27 Jul 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until 11pm close. London Drinker pick-up night so lots of CAMRA bigwigs in the rear bar.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | |
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | 5.50 | | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | A tad fresh |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried |
About the Royal Oak
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 141 |
| 120 |
| 37 |
 | 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 179 times, seen 54 different beers and tried 30 of them.
Postcode: SE1 4JU