Royal Oak in York

Great wee pub, decent food but if ye want a drink fae the bar, ye'll have a long wait, one barman great the other useless, easy order but took forever to get our drinks, 1st guy brilliant, what can I say, there's always yin that lets the sude doon......

Popped into this pub after seeing the lunch deal advertised outside, lunch menu and a drink for £12. Pub had a really nice vibe, quick, attentive, friendly service and the food was tasty and good value

Great ales, fab food, lovely staff. Thank you

Just went in for a couple of drinks this evening. Always like to call when I'm in York. Beautiful traditional pub, the cosy front room had a real fire lit today.

Decent pub with decent food. Nothing great but it did hit the spot for lunch.

Very warm welcome from friendly and engaging barman ( which a lot of pubs in York could learn from!). Beers were great too. Will be happy to visit again.

Never eaten here just love going as its a great old pub. Fire gorgeous and warm in winter. Cosy bar area and dogs are allowed. In there one time and the dogs outnumbered customers. Lovely city pub. Staff very good.

The food was delicious...service fantastic

Warm welcoming. Perfect lunch portions. Gareth provided amazing service and made us feel right at home.

Proper drinking pub. Open fire, good choice of hand pulled ales, usually have T.Taylors Landlord, very well kept. Love it.

Food was excellent. Staff was friendly. The local brown ale was amazing. No complaints at all. Would highly reccomend

Gorgeous Sunday roast! Reasonable and huge portion. Extra gravy when asked for and lovely, friendly staff. Would deffo recommend and can’t wait to go back!

Cosy and a great place to end a long day.

Lovely pub set in an old building with lots of charming characters. The drinks were nice as was the food and very reasonably priced. The staff that were there were lovely. A nice place to sit and spend an hour

Lovely lunch menu the guy was busy but very helpful

One of the best Sunday roasts I've had. Generous portion of veg along with the meat and Yorkshire puddings. Lashings of gravy with more on the side. Delicious and was so full by the end we had no room for dessert. Was a bit cramped inside, but that's a minor complaint. Overall, a great place to have a roast on a rainy Yorkshire Sunday.

A fantastic evening with great entertainment, thanks to the Beardy Busker!

Very old pub in centre of York. Dark wood panels and beams. Toilets upstairs, with extra seating upstairs.

Meals were very good although the chips were a little greasy. Apple and raspberry crumble excellent. Bar staff very good.

Always a delightful pub and the ales are top notch .. entertainment most nights.very friendly bar staff .well worth a visit when in York ..not eaten in there since last year but the foods always been great

Good selection of real ales. Food very average overcooked fish which was replaced. Chips undercooked for my wife. We were directed to the first floor tables. Hygiene questionable. The pub superficially looks olde worlde. Too few staff for number of customers. I would not recommend.

Great traditional pub. Great beers and service.

Had dinner here wow. Fantastic meal trio of roast meat. It was delicious and huge we both couldn't eat it, after having chicken strip's for starters. The best meal we have had in the last 4 weeks in Europe. Potatoes gravy carrots Yorkshire pudding cabbage, parsnip strips and extra gravy and cauliflower in cheese sauce. Beautiful meal in such a lovely place, if you want a Sunday roast this is a must.

Excellent little pub and the food is outstanding, I went for the mixed grill and can not fault it, steak cooked to perfection and delicious eggs, I would like to personally thank the chef as he/she is doing a great job, desserts were amazing and pints were lovely would definitely recommend, not too busy at peak times either

I had scampi tonight and they were purely awful. I had to spit the 2nd one as it was like rotten and had the whole dish thrown away. Worse the bill was wrong by more than 25% The waitress seemed sorry but who knows finally? Overall, very expensive and disappointing

Stopped there for dinner yesterday, very nice staff and good food. Small traditional pub which means it wasn t too noisy and we really enjoyed our visit. Our cider was fruity and excellent.

Nice pub with good food. I had a pie myself which was good but not fantastic

Excellent food, lots of choices and beautifully presented. Can't wait to go back.

I popped in here with my wife for a drink last night only to be treated with utter contempt and have absolutely no idea why! I walked out!

A lovely friendly atmosphere in a very traditional pub setting. Really relaxing and chilled.

Lovely, friendly staff, even last thing. A well served pint too.

Just popped in for a beer service was good beer excellent

Stunning place! Authentic, cozy and exceptionally delicious food. The chips with the shell - the best!!! The service is kind, kind and cordial.

Our salad and aoli were served on same plate as the fritata and it was so HOT we couldn't touch it! Hot floppy lettuce is not good! Fritata was only about 5 inch diameter. Big disappointment. Lager and atmosphere is good. Still here.

Pleasant service in a local with air conditioning and multiple rooms. Magnificent food

Lovely traditional pub, with a good range of food and drink. Decent value.

Didn't eat but the staff were amazingly polite and welcoming x

Beer was nice. Didn't have food. Live entertainment was, entertaining.

This is a beautiful listed property, built in the 17th century with quirky seating areas and huge appeal... Nestled in the busy streets of York (town center) amongst the many shops and boutiques this pub offers some really great looking food... I never ate here but I saw what others had ordered and it did look really good. Gareth has been landlord here for many many years, very welcoming and hospitable... Thank you 👍 Upstairs is an additional seating / eating room which can be used as a private function area... ( The Video shows this room ) A great place to eat and drink if in York for a visit. No parking as in the town centre 😎

Excellent Sunday roast. Friendly service in a comfortable environment. Had a lovely lunch. Nicest we've had in a long time !

Had a great time here, staff are very friendly. Entertainment was brilliant.

Pretty poor. Went in Saturday night. Chips were obvs left over and reheated from lunch - were really dark and a bit greasy. Burger bun was stale and had been toasted so it was crispy. Fish batter was really greasy and the fish itself was not cooked very well on the inside. The people on the table next to us had the same problem with chips and fish, and had asked for shepherds pie and got lasagne. So, a bit rubbish really. Service was ok though.

35 years of loyalty to this place, doesn't that rate the place. Awesome.

We had the Sunday roast here yesterday evening. It was delicious! The vegetables were all fresh and cooked beautifully and the beef was tender and tasty. Proper Yorkshire puddings too - none of your Aunt Bessie’s! Only one small complaint - not enough roasties but that’s just because they were so nice I wanted more! Nice raspberry snd apple crumble to finish off - a hint of coconut in the tipping was a nice touch. Staff were friendly and efficient and the cost was reasonable. We pay more for a Sunday roast down south that isn’t half as nice.

Has Sunday lunch. Nothing special, in fact a bit disappointing, veg ok but let down by the meat.

Excellent and tasty food ! Perfect Fish and chip. Lunch menu 12£ with High variety of dishes . Great service. Perfect place to have a lunch.

We have lived in york for a very long time but never thought to go here for food. We wernt disappointed what a lovely meal and i am a fussey type. Staff lovely place lovely food lovely no complaints.

Found a lovely quiet space for our family catch up - ideal. Beer was pretty good too.

Worst Sunday Roast I've ever had. I wouldn't know where to start to tell you how bad it was..Just avoid is my advice..

My breakfast pancakes were cold and hard, not edible. Very disappointed

Quaint place with great food. My biggest complaint was that service was slow - though incredibly friendly, and they weren't trained on how to make cocktails and therefore not making any unless you wanted a simple liquor and juice. That aside, it was certainly worth a visit. Might swing in again for more of the pork belly, honestly.

Very quaint pub in the middle of York. Excellent service and the meal was lovely. Made to feel very welcome by the staff that was on duty.

The Yorkshire puddings were as flat as a flip flop (but were delicious) the roast potatoes were superb, the veg was pretty average. Unfortunately, the beef was dreadful. It was incredibly difficult to cut. I was going to complain, but my daughter insisted that I didn’t. The portion size wasn’t great either. Nice staff, lovely looking pub in a great part of York. More effort with the meat and overall look of your dinners? Not a bad experience but could be much better.

Poor service. Our second visit was so disappointing. The first meal was lovely and service was friendly and prompt. The second time my husband was served the wrong meal three times. First totally wrong, second pie on its own, third right pie wrong veg, obviously pushed on the initial plate. He gave up.at that point and went home hungry 😕

Brilliant Indie music great service by max brilliant food and great range of ales and drink would definitely recommend

Friendly old fashioned English pub.

Excellent place to stop for dinner or lunch if you prefer.

First time in York in over 20 years great day out .called in the Royal oak for lunch was not disappointed .I had the steak&ale pie with chips and peas I must say the biggest and chunky ive ever had.my partner had the 3oz Burger with all the trimmings she was not disappointed either .the staff were very pleasant and professional .I would recommended if you are in York call in for lunch.

Superb. We went looking for a good pub burger and absolutely nailed it. Service is friendly, beer choice is great and the food is top notch. And gluten free by default!

Lovely chicken burger. The food was fresh and hot.

Lovely spot in York. My parents tried the Sunday Roast for the first time and they loved it, my girlfriend and I had the homemade vegan alternative and it was delicious too. The staff was very attentive and nice. Highly recommend

Nice old York pub. Staff friendly and helpful. We called in at 1415 and were pleasantly surprised. Nice beer too!

We had a spontaneous visit to the Royal Oak on Sunday during an impromptu trip to York with our young son. We were grateful to be seated and this was in the upstairs parlour room. Great environment with welcoming staff. Great Sunday menu. Food was tasty.

Just around the corner from the Minster, this place is surprisingly local and friendly. The barroom was full of regulars enjoying pints with the newspaper or a book (and even a dog). The fire was going. Had a tasty plate of bangers and mash to to enjoy with a pint of cask ale. They had several solid handles along with the trusty Landlord. A couple different rooms with different vibes and a really nice dining room upstairs. Menu was all quality offerings. Bar staff were friendly. Great pub!

Really nice place. We met friends there for a drink and stayed for a meal. The food and service were great.

Friendly and helpful staff. Enormous tasty portions.

Enjoyed the Roast Beef. A unique twist on the quintessential Northern Sunday roast. Star anise in the Beef bullion gravy, crispy kale (I think) and excellent, roast potatoes. Beef cooked to perfection. I'd recommendes thr place to anyone. Traditional, comfortable atmosphere with contemporary food and drink. One of the best places in York.

The fish finger sandwich and chips were delicious

Turned up for lunch, seated within 5 minutes, ordered, and asked numerous times if we needed condiments, drinks, if everything was OK. Delicious steak baguette cooked to perfection and fish and chips for mum. Couldn't fault anything at all. I'll definitely return.

This is one excellent pub! The upstairs in particular is lovely and even private! Food is excellent! West Ham fan behind the bar though so as a Leeds fan always a bit of friendly banter 😉

Went there with a group on Sunday and can say the food has much improved. I believe new Chefs have been recruited and it was immediately apparent in the quality of the cooking and presentation. Service is always great and team are always helpful and friendly. Will be back. Great local pub feel with good, fresh food prepared by chefs.

Lovely cosy pub in the heart of York.

I came today (mothers day) to treat my mum. A guy called Ryan went above and beyond to make the experience exceptional,all the serving staff was great too. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was relaxing. It was cosy with the fire on. Well worth the money. I will definitely be returning.

Another fantastic, traditional boozer in the heart of York. My Theakston's was beautiful.

Old, classic, vintage- traditional old fashioned pub( untouched), took a while to receive the lunch order,but it was a Saturday

Cracking pub with quality York- Brewed Beers 😉

Excellent pub ,great friendly staff and good food,best skin on chips and homemade onion rings,

It was a great place for food and entertainment. Popped in on a rainy night for dinner and Quizzo. Did fairly well for a couple of Yanks. Seemed like there was a good number of local customers that made me feel welcomed.

We sat in the snug (it was just our little family & it felt like we had our own pub!) The food was excellent - was perfectly executed & arrived in a timely manner - which is a bonus when you have two hungry kids! Highly recommend the steak & ale pie 😋 service was great & prices were reasonable considering the location ❤️

Enjoyed the music, but the pints were bitter (neck oil and moretti).

Second night in York and had an amazing southern fried chicken burger here. Big thanks to our server Sam who managed to squeeze us in without a booking. Prompt service, hot food and left very satisfied

We love this pub & come here every time we visit our daughter in uni. The staff as so very accommodating- nothing is too much trouble for them. The food is delicious with a good choice on the menu. Thankyou for another lovely meal👍😊

Our favourite pub in York,cosy small friendly bar, food we had was excellent and really friendly staff

Very pleasant, nice experience and reasonably priced.

Valentines meal was amazing, really tasty & served quickly. Couldnt fault it. All the staff really helpfull. Live music was really good. All in all a 5 star from us.

Another great pub in york, nice selection of drinks and bar snacks. I haven't tried the food, but it looked znd smelt nice. The staff are friendly, and you're made to feel very welcome, highly recommended to try this pub

The cask ales and braised beef pie are to die for. And I could've sat for hours in the comfy seat in front of the fire. Great, friendly service too!

Nice warm pub with cask ales and coal fire

Stopped for a few beers and enjoyed my visit!

The Sunday roast was absolutely awful, veg not washed or cut , beef was tough as old boots , potatoes not cooked inside , never had a worse dinner in my life and I'm 57 years of age .

Loved the snug friendly dog friendly pub will visit again

My wife and I stayed over in York for the weekend and we decided 2 weeks ago that we would book in at the Royal Oak for Sunday lunch, on booking our reservation my wife asked for a table on the ground floor. When we got to the Royal Oak we stood and waited to be taken to our table the assistant asked what name we were booked under, she looked confused as if she did not recognise our name and said I won’t be a minute disappeared then came back and said your dinning upstairs. Disappointingly we followed her up stairs without making a fuse and she pointed us to a very small round table which backed on to a very loud table of 8. She passed us 2 menus and said I will be back to take your orders, we both sat down and looked around our table was not even set so I am guessing they must have mistakenly lost our reservation? As I said we were sat at this very small table in the middle of a small compact room and the assistant went to the table of 8 a number of times to tell them they had run out of what they had ordered. (Disappointing for them and it was only 13:00) After 10 minutes of waiting, no drink orders taken, no food orders taken, apart from seeing the assistant on arrival that was it! At this point we decided to leave, on leaving the pub we noticed it was empty so do not understand why we were seated upstairs along with the poorest service in York! A really disappointed customer that will not be coming back…

Arrived at 5pm for are booked table, only to be given a blank look from the barmaid who then spoke to another barmaid who also gave us a blank look and told us they had no table booking for us. the wife told them that she had personally phoned on the 11th of December for are table on the 29th. neither had any idea why the booking was not made. luckily we got a table upstairs which was fine, 2 of us opted for the home made short crust pie, which was nice but very small, was not golden in colour as it had not seen any egg brushed over it and finally once again a short crust pie with soft gluey pastry clearly not oven cooked, beer was very good as always here

2 weeks on trott now cant get served unless you have a booking?? No one was in and i was on my own...sort yoirself out i wont be back

It's a nice-looking pub, great location and the roast was okay - good-quality meat, decent veg (roast potatoes weren't great) but avoid this place if you have young children as it's not family friendly. We had to leave the buggy in the disabled loo and the staff weren't very friendly once they saw we had young kids with us.

Warm welcome had the steak and ale pie with the wife 5 star food and service .

Dropped our daughter back to York for Uni after Christmas and popped in here for late lunch. Had read the reviews, a bit mixed but liked the look of the pub. Hubby had steak n ale pie, I had Sunday lunch (chicken and beef), daughter had the vegan burger. Food came in good time and it was really nice. Fab Yorkshire pudding and lovely cooked veg (green beans, leeks and carrots. Hubby said the pie was good and served with fat chunky chips. Only negative, no-one checked if everything was ok with the meal and no offer of sauces like mint/mustard. I would return though 🙂

Works do. 30 attended for a works meal. Good service, fantastic food, no issues. Would we return: Yes definitely. Thank you

Dissapointed that we went there as left hungry! Specifically asked the bar maid is the meat served at different levels of rareness as i wanted the beef dinner, she said no its all well done! Well it came out and the burned yorkshire overtook the plate but the beef was literally bleeding! I was fuming, my fiance said here have my beef its less bloody. He had beef chicken and gammon as there was no pork! To be honest the beef was chewy, the veg was rock hard also the potatoes, they tasted nice but needed another 20 mins cooking! We paid alnost a fiver for a tiny portion of cauliflower cheese and that was literally all i could eat!! The bar staff are not overly friendly no one came to check if the meals were ok. And the jist i got was that the bar is been run by students who literally have no idea how to deal with customers! I refused to pay for my meal after the young lass said all i can do is take 25% off the bill! I said actually no you can take my meal off considering it was horrible raw meat and veg and a burned to a crisp yorkshire!! Wouldnt bother going also very limited on drinks. As its real ale. Some of us like a better choice

Visited for a family meal, the food, drinks, and service from waitresses was excellent. Would definitely return.