Royal Oak in Stroud

A cosy pub with a great atmosphere. The staff are always very pleasant and helpful. There is a small patio garden at the back, which is a nice place to sit when the weather's good. The food is good, especially the scampi.

I'm staying at the Falcon for three nights, but sensing that something is awry. So I popped into the Oak, mid-afternoon, and the contrast was immediate, and palpable. In the end, I cancelled my dinner reservation at the Falcon, went back to the Oak later, and whilst waiting for a table, because the place was packed, wondered what the Falcon is doing so badly wrong. Firstly, it's not the staff. I get on fine with them all. Secondly, it's not the food. The lads in the kitchen are doing a fine job. So, I asked around, and the consensus in both places seems to be that Balfour are pushing the Falcon too far upmarket and chasing away a lot of business, especially locals. Basically, it is a country pub, and it needs to stop trying to be a posh hotel. It is the business model that is wrong, not the staff, and sacking people, and constantly re-recruiting will not solve the problem. It may well be that Balfour have to accept that they do not know how to run this place, and they may need to divest themselves of the Falcon, and find a better home for it. I only wish the Oak had rooms. I didn't want to leave this evening. There was a wonderful, warm and friendly atmosphere in the place, which, right now, the Falcon cannot match. Dr Paul Harris

Great food and service. Had the best steak sandwich in my life. Dog friendly. Prices reasonable and would definitely return.

The Royal Oak (known locally as The Oak) is an olde worlde, cosy pub with an open fire and oak beams, lovely wooden furniture completing the picture. The staff are jolly and friendly, the food well-cooked and served quickly. Lovely atmosphere. We really enjoyed our visit to the Oak. Toilets are pristine! Highly recommended!

Really nice local pub with excellent food. No set menu - just choose from 10 or so mains (plus starter & dessert if you wish) all on a blackboard.

Visited on a Saturday lunchtime. Parking is obviously difficult here with the narrow streets, but luckily someone was just leaving when we arrived. Nice inn with two real ales and a selection of lunchtime choices for food. Doesn’t seem to take bookings and it’s fairly small inside n Winter (about 10 tables) so it’s on a first come first served basis. Ham and eggs was great and a reasonable price too.

On entering The Royal Oak we immediately knew we had found the right place for dinner. Staff were friendly and welcoming and the atmosphere was warm and cosy. Food was delicious, well presented and arrived in good time.

Out for a dog walk and found this small but perfectly formed, dog friendly pub that was open for lunch on a Weds. welcomed by a warm fire, cheerful landlady and a simple but superbly well prepared menu we couldn’t have been happier. Great value, great taste and a tasty local pint of ale. All in all an excellent experience and the homemade scotch egg was to die for.

We popped in last night we were staying in the area. It’s a busy pub. We managed to get a seat and ordered the chicken supreme and gammon steak. Both of which were very tasty and excellent and was served with a smile. The pub had a good atmosphere. We would very much recommend it.

I met my niece and her partner here for lunch before a Cotswold walk and catch-up. After reading good reviews we were all disappointed with the food. The burgers were dull and had a texture that suggested defrosted quickly. The coleslaw was tired and needed throwing away. For the price we'd expected better. The location and beer was good though. We won't come back here.

If you are from the USA, do not go to the Royal Oak!! We were first in line at 6 pm when they started taking food orders. We waited for our food to come for over an hour, with the waitstaff assuring us they were working on it. Meanwhile, the tables patronized by “locals”—both inside and out—were being served their dinners, even though they put their orders in after we did. Finally, they told us our dinner would be there in 15 minutes. When that didn’t happen, we paid for our drinks and left. Thet did not seem to care at all. We went down the street to The Falcon pub, where the staff was very attentive and the food and wine was very good. I can only conclude that the Royal Oak is not fond of Americans. Worst service EVER!!!

Popped in for a quick drink after finishing a leg of the Cotswold Way. It wasn’t busy as it was mid afternoon but the landlady was very welcoming. Three pints later, I was much happier than when I arrived as I was no longer able to feel my blistered feet. Job done! Seriously, this is a great pub - just wish it was my own local!

Lovely pub, very dog friendly & the Landlord was very welcoming. Roaring fire & delicious food. Well worth a visit after a long walk.

We just popped in initially for a drink but stayed for lunch. The food was fabulous and the staff were friendly. What more could you want?

Extremely friendly staff, very helpful and welcoming, it makes all the difference these days. My dog Baxter was also very welcome and given a treat

It was crowded at the bar with lots of friendly folks. The food was not bad. A fun atmosphere. You might share a table if you go on a busy night like we did.

Only called in for a couple of beers but was very impressed. The landlord was very welcoming, and the beer was lovely. It's lovely inside too, with a huge woodburner taking centre stage.

This is a lovely traditional pub with a log fire, and a warm welcome from the owner, we called in for a pre valentine dinner drink, sat by the wood burner stove didn’t want to leave, lovely place to be, Thank You

A lovely country Pub which has obviously had a recent refurbishment. Karen who was working on the evening we visited couldn’t do enough for us both, serving drinks and loading the log burner . We didn’t realise that painswick is very limited on restaurants open...

Beautiful old school little pub with low ceilings, exposed beams and a roaring fire, exactly what we were looking for after a cold but clear day walking in the Cotswolds. Only came for a few drinks but was so nice decided to try the food...

To charge 3 pound plus for a fever tree tonic is way over the top despite the character of the pub.A pint and a gin and tonics came to £12,90 too expensive and the landlady could have let me sample the beers before trying as...

Fabulous country pub with friendly and helpful staff. Kitchen was closed on the night we were in, but bar staff coordinated deliveries from restaurants in the local area and supplied plates and cutlery. We returned twice more for pre-dinner drinks.

We were walking the Cotswold Way and having hearty pub fare and real ales became part of the joy of our adventure. Royal Oak was a highlight - a welcoming and hard-working staff, and friendly local patrons (and their dogs!).

Cracking pub, loads of character set in a beautiful Cotswolds village. Very welcoming bar lady and great courtyard to sit in amongst sun and heavy showers and great selection on gin, wine and beers. Didn’t try the food but menu looked great.

I rang the Royal Oak twice today to book a table for the evening of the 23rd of September when I was told someone we knew would be playing there that night. All I needed to know was at what time music commences there on...

Cute courtyard setting and atmospheric pub inside. Just wanted a light lunch and had the sandwich with chips - beautifully fresh. Would return on next trip and try dinner too.

Proper pub, friendly staff who made a fuss of our dog. The food was delicious and everything is reasonably priced. Great English pub.

We are staying in Painswick again for a few nights and have wanted to eat here for a while. Food was excellent - I had the chicken burger and my wife had the veg nachos. Very reasonably priced. Decent pint of ale as well and...

I had a chicken burger. About 10 minutes after I started to get very mild stomach pains and all night it got progressively worse. Very bad a stomach cramps. It’s the only meal I ate so I know for certain that meal caused it. I...

Unable to rate food/ambience/atmosphere. I can however rate the attitude/service. We were staying a few doors away and some of the family were leaving next day - so I went around at lunch time to book us a table for 8. “No need to book;...

Looking for a quick bite at lunch time with only one hour car park time we searched Painswick. Surprised at so few cafes or pubs open. This was a find and a busy one. Staff couldn’t have been more pleasant & helpful. We ordered sandwiches...

We rented a cottage in Painswick for a week and used it as our home base for exploring the Cotswalls. The Royal Oaks was within walking distance, so we ate there a couple of times in the evening after we had driven back in from...

The Royal Oak is a traditional pub in a beautiful Cotswold town. It has a good choice of beers, wines and local gins. The food looked good and affordable. It has a great mixture of locals and guests to the area, from all over the...

We popped in for a quick drink on Saturday afternoon and confirmed with the staff the opening hours on Sunday so that we could drop back in for a drink after attending a memorial service at the local church. We returned on Sunday at 6.40pm...

Popped in on the off chance of getting a roast dinner,we both had the roast beef, an excellent meal, owners were very friendly and welcoming. Definitely didn’t need a starter! Also dog friendly. A lovely very nicely decorated pub!

Warm, inviting pub. The Landlord, his family and employees were all very friendly, efficient and nothing was too much trouble. They created a very welcoming, happy and relaxed environment with a good selection of food from a light, main and dessert menus. They even have...

Nice welcoming pub. With a good atmosphere and decor. This was unfortunately dampened for 3 out of the 4 in our party. The 3 people in our party who had the Fish & Chips suffered significantly with food poisoning several hours after eating in the...

Lovely people, roaring fire, dog welcome too. Tasty curried parsnip soup. You could do a lot worse on a rainy and foggy first day of a holiday!

We were stopping locally and called in after a meal at the Painswick hotel. Fab time late on a Saturday night, got a warm welcome from the bar staff and the local crowd and it was a throwback to jukebox days with them choosing the...

We (family of 4 adults) ate lunch here on late August bank holiday Monday. The food was wholesome, freshly prepared ,and tasty. Service was a little slow, I think because there were only a few restaurants open and there were not enough staff, however the...

As the only show in town due to the impact of Covid we weren’t sure what to expect but the food was excellent and the service too.

We were recommended lunch here by the folks at Tibbiwell Alpacas (recommended!) which is also located in the very beautiful village of Painswick. We had a table in the beautiful courtyard, quite a suntrap but with umbrellas if needed. There was a good menu available...

We love the Oak! Been a couple of times whilst honeymooning in the cotswolds, and have really enjoyed our time there- beautiful food, great drinks & such lovely staff ! Couldn’t recommend it more. Thanks Karen & Elsie! ❤️

We visited for lunch after a very disappointing experience with a nearby restaurant with accommodating for allergies, and we were so glad we decided not to eat at the other place! The waiter went out of his way to accommodate mine and my daughters dietary...

This pub is dog friendly but only offers cake and drinks. The service is friendly but it doesn't feel like a country pub.

We were staying in Painswick for just 1 night and couldn't decide which (1 of 2) pub to eat, the menu outside swayed us towards the Royal Oak and we weren't disappointed.It was a little quiet when we arrived at 6.50pm but there was a...

A cold and wet February day so my wife and I stopped for lunch.... 7 hours later we finally left having stayed for an excellent scampi dinner! A roaring fire, great real ales on tap, fine wine and welcoming atmosphere for both humans and dogs...

Such a fab pub with character and food was lovely.. will deffinatly be returning in the near future,...........

Went for lunch with freinds as we do every Friday, we had a very good meal at reasonable prices a good selection of ales and cider. We will return and recomend others to do so as well.

Nice pub, very busy when we arrived (Thursday eve) with locals. Found a table easy enough, did take a bit if time to get served as the young lad seemed to be trying to cover the bar and serve food single handedly! Although he was doing his best. Food was nice although didn't seem much on the plate the cost, although tasty. Preferred the atmosphere in the falcon which we went into first but they didn't have much on the menu I could eat unfortunately!All in all nice little pub.

We enjoyed a good dinner here whilst staying in Painswick for a couple of days. The staff were friendly & the pub had a nice atmosphere.

Almorzamos aquí, tan pronto como llegamos a Painswick. Deliciosos mejillones frescos y un delicioso rissotto. El personal fue muy atento, y teníamos a nuestro perro con nosotros, y le ofrecieron agua y todos nos sentamos alrededor de un hermoso fuego. Placde realmente amigable, muy recomendable.

Called in for lunch with our little Westie today after an enjoyable walk around the Rococo Gardens. Very good food beside a welcoming log burning stove. Our host was extremely attentive and friendly. A thoroughly enjoyable visit, thank you, we’ll certainly be back.

We called in for a quick drink before dinner next door and were immediately informed that there were no tables available and we needed to vacate chairs by a certain time, not that we needed a table or intended to stay long! The young lad serving us had trouble fulfilling an order of two drinks. It was lacking any pub atmosphere that we were hoping to relax in before dinner so we drank up quickly and left, pleased ton be out.

Stopped for light lunch and shandy. Very polite young man served us. Pub was quite busy only the one table free. Service was good and we didn't have to wait long for the food.Young man was serving and waiting on the table, he seemed stretched doing both tasks but this didn't seem to phase him.Nice selection on the specials board.

We had our first visit for lunch. Very good meals our group had fish and chips and BLT. Pleasant and helpful staff. We returned for dinner very good cheese burger and bangers/mash. Then finished with sticky toffee and a berry crumble.

We enjoyed our meals there and the great atmosphere and friendly staff. Casual and good food are our aim and this did not let us down.

So the owners were away on Hols, it must be a worry as to who you leave to represent you.

We dropped into this little pub on a rainy day after walking the Cotswold way. We (4 if us) had lunch and ciders. The food was wrk proved, freshly cooked and delicious!

A very popular establishment full of walkers and cyclists when we visited. In and out door eating areas. Staff very friendly. Meals were huge and very tasty.

Got served straight away by a friendly lady ordered fish n chips had a pint sat outside, a nice chap came out laid down the cutlery and bits and bobs food came 10 minutes later with the best chips I have had in years and a nice bit of fish the mushy peas looked great but even the thought freaks me out so I left them but I am sure if your from oop norf you’ll lobe them.

A ver este pub lo tiene todo. Simpatía de la camarera. Cocinera buena porque la comida está rica, buena cerveza y combinados.... Además cierra tarde.Que para un día de diario en un pueblo pequeño son las 23:00. Que más se puede pedir. Raciones generosas. Pedimos ensalada de calabaza, la cual también lleva rúcula, jamón de Parma y parmesano.. muy rica sobre todo la calabaza. Entrecot también buena la carne, así como la hamburguesa. Lo recomiendo totalmente y seguro que mañana volvemos.

Our family of 5 stopped by on a couple different occasions for pizza and beer while we were visiting Painswick. The service was friendly and the atmosphere was fun! The menu is limited but tasty! We enjoyed the pizzas which are very reasonably priced.

Outdoor seating in the courtyard. The choice at the bar is good. The food average. I don't recomend the fish & chips, this was very bland. Staff friendly. 90% of the clientele was tourists.

Recommended by the people we were staying with, we arrived hungry to a busy pub. We managed to find a table, and were served promptly. The menu was simple, with limited options, but when our food arrived it was very good. Don't be put off by the small menu, it is worth it. We enjoyed our mains so much, that we ordered pudding and again it was fantastic. The owners were very friendly, and the ales and ciders we very nice. They were also a family friendly pub.

We went on a Saturday night during a time they were doing a (reggae themed) music, beer & cider festival and there was a brilliant duo playing in the courtyard out the back. Sadly it rained but the boys played on and we carried on dancing and enjoying ourselves. Well done band & pub for defying the British summertime! This is a really great Cotswold pub and very friendly (we met some new friends that night that we have stayed in touch with). The food is excellent and is 5 star rated. Plenty of good drinks and prices are pretty good too. We will definitely return!

Having read some of the 'excellent' reviews it was as if we had eaten in a different pub. If you are going to charge £13-50 for fish and chips it should be good, especially if you have to wait an hour for it to be served. What is not acceptable is grey, dry, tough fish served with cold peas, wilting watercess and just average quality chips.

A really friendly place in the heart of Painswick. You can either eat in the pub itself or there is a lovely little beer garden behind. The food is a typical pub grub style, but a lot more expensive than what I am used to ( probably double)-I expect it’s because we are essentially in the stock broker belt of the country. We both had the gammon and it was really nice

The fella at the visitor information centre recommended the Oak so we tried it for dinner and were greeted by a hard working friendly young fella at the bar.

We stumbled across the Royal Oak having been told is was dog friendly! We arrived late in the afternoon and they were still serving food - bonus! We headed out to the courtyard where our dog was welcome. Well priced and good selection of light lunch bites were on the menu! I had the bacon & avocado sandwich with fries which was really tasty! A really nice little pub for a cheeky pint with your pup!

During the course of our family weekend in Painswick we popped into the Royal Oak for drinks regularly.

Went in as I was on my own on a business trip and as it was a Monday night, no other places were open. What a treat! Sausage and mash followed by crumble and custard- 10/10

Visité para una bebida anoche antes de comer en otro lugar. Agradable pub agradable con buenas cervezas y ambiente agradable.

Celebramos nuestra recepción de boda por la noche en el Royal Oak y fue excelente. Charlie y su equipo no pudieron hacer lo suficiente. Proporcionaron un ambiente agradable y acogedor para nuestros huéspedes y la comida y el servicio fueron excelentes. Recomendaríamos el Royal Oak para comidas y bebidas a cualquiera. No podemos agradecerles lo suficiente.

Paré aquí con mi amigo a pie y tenía una muy buena hamburguesa de frijoles y sándwich de tocino entre nosotros. Ambos estaban bien cocinados, de buen tamaño y muy sabroso. Pub estaba lleno de turistas y lugareños y el personal era muy amable y servicial. Buena variedad de cervezas y vinos. Pub tiene una terraza atrás y definitivamente vale la pena una visita.

A bright airy if somewhat small place that serves food at reasonable prices. Perhaps not the place for a quiet dinner as it fills up with locals and is busy.

Enjoyed my pint at mid afternoon on 1 April. Friendly bartender, great music, and an overall delightful pub. Returned that evening for dinner. The fish and chips hit the spot. I’ll be back next time I’m in England.

Visited on the night before Cheltenham with a group of friends. Good selection of drinks and reasonably priced. Staff very friendly and on hand to assist in getting into Cheltenham the following morning. Would recommend and would come back if staying in Painswick.

We popped into this pub for a quick drink as we were staying next door for a few nights. It was so good we returned the two evenings to have food. Very cosy and Freindly pub. The food was outstanding!!

Unable to rate as a restaurant because i only drop in every other Wednesday for a drink with friends after a meeting at the Painswick Centre. Iit is owned by the landlord of the Falcon, Neil, where we found parking difficult. At the end of the day all our contributions go into Neil's till. The staff running the Royal oak are consistantly pleasant andf helpful/

We had the fish and chips which were well presented but the dining room area lacks atmosphere, as did the whole pub. Sweet menu needs more pizzaz. Good beer.

...serving traditional English pub food. We had the Venison cottage pie, the grilled half chicken and the CheeseBurger. All well presented and a really generous size.

We were staying near by and decided to eat here one evening. Cosy little pub! Lovely food! We probably wouldn’t have chosen it if we’d know the rugby had just finished! It was VERY noisy but we’d already ordered by the time the singing started!

Having visited for the first time in the summer for the first and only time when we needed a cold beer on a warm day, my wife and I were charmed by the building and the service. So when we took my parents on a day out in the Cotswolds we wanted an English pub experience to make the day complete and we immediately remembered the Royal Oak. Fortunately the same excellent guy was working who was still friendly and professional and he deftly managed all operations on the day we visited ensuring beer was poured, food orders were taken and meals delivered to the tables in good time. The food was beautiful and plentiful and the pub was warm, cosy and ticked all the boxes of the experience we were after. Then, when the pub emptied after the lunch rush we were treated to a peerless selection of reggae that was yet another reason we remembered loving our summer visit. We will be back to enjoy the courtyard once more when the mercury rises.

Just wanted a snack Had nice sandwich with chips Good quality Lovely real fire Clean and well cooked food

Has a very nice lunch in this lovely pub currently undergoing renovation. Staff were great, thank you

I love that this ‘pub’ is stylish, welcoming and cosy. It doesn’t pretend to offer fancy food. But the food was lovely. Just what was needed after a long drive to the Cotswolds.

Had a very enjoyable lunch at this small and unpretentious but comfortable pub. Tasty food, good pint and very pleasant service. It was quiet on an early December weekday lunchtime. Hope to visit again soon.

Was quiet when we visited but was given a warm welcome. A really lovely place and the food was excellent. Serves local real ale too.

Hace poco estuve aquí para una cena con mi compañero, ya que ambos estaban esperando comida de pub, pero obtuvimos mucho más jamón que esperábamos. La comida era excelente, ambos tuvimos las hamburguesas de carne picada que estaban adornadas con ensalada de col y papas fritas. Los crujientes y enormes aros de cebolla eran deliciosos, no como los congelados de McCain. El hombre que nos sirvió fue servicial y amable. Tampoco hubo una larga espera para nuestra comida, que también fue una ventaja! Sin duda volveremos cuando en Painswick siguiente.

Här får du trängas med lokalbefolkningen och deras hundar kring en mysig öppen fireplace. Maten är mustig och med generösa portioner till rimliga priser. Vill du prova på en god Sunday roast bör du vara ute i tid innan det blir fullsatt med köbildning.

La comida superó nuestras expectativas, tanto mi pareja como yo tuvimos las hamburguesas de carne, que pensamos que sería simplemente comida típica de pub. Sin embargo, la calidad de la carne era porciones magníficas y generosas. El muchacho que nos servía era amable y no podía hacer lo suficiente.

Went for some drinks with some friends as a group of five, we happened to go when the annual halloween party. The locals were very welcoming and friendly as well as the setting and ambience of the pub being lovely.

very friendly welcoming pub with good beer and the food is excellent. the service was excellent will definetly be returning.

Stayed in Painswick on our Cotswold Way walk. The Royal Oak is a "locals" pub. It was busy, lots of friendly people, the food was very good. Reasonably priced and good food. The staff are very nice, helpful We enjoyed our drinks and meal here - can be busy....

Grabbed dinner at this great little (and old) pub - enjoyed the fish pie and great wedge of bread; cheese board and port for dessert. Very friendly and highly frequented by locals.

An interesting pub located in the middle of Painswick. It offers a good choice of beers and typical pub food. There was a friendly welcome and an efficient, swift meal service. Nice setting in an old building. Expect this and you will not be disappointed - it does not pretend to offer fine dining. Prices are reasonable - for the Cotswolds!

Okay, ein Pub ist kein Feinschmecker-Restaurant. Aber das Essen im Royal Oak ist grundsolide und schmackhaft, die Atmosphäre ist gemütlich und sehr urig, die Bedienung extrem freundlich. Man erlebt noch einen Rest von the local colour. Wir haben hier einen entspannten, zwanglosen Abend verbracht und uns sehr wohl gefühlt.

We were staying at a B & B in Painswick and popped into the Oak on the first night to try the local food and drink. We wished we hadn't bothered. My wife had the Ceasar salad which was lacking in everything and very small. I had the fish and chips nad it was barely edible. The fish was stale , poorly cooked, very small and covered in thick half cooked batter. We only got both dishes after a 50 minute wait from placing our order. Go somewhere else if you want decent food at a reasonable cost

Nice local ale and felt like a place you could put your feet up in. Stayed open later than the others and the garden was nice. ...Don't go in smelling of coconuts