Royal Oak in York

What a lovely find this was. Booked for my daughters birthday meal whilst staying in York. Very welcoming on arrival. The 2 servers were very polite, knowledgeable and efficient. 2 of us had the lamb rump and 1 the macaroni cheese. All food was cooked to perfection. Nice to see you could have a mini dessert with coffee (a lot of places don't offer this option). Would certainly recommend this place to anyone wanting good food and service.

Lovely pub with such friendly and welcoming staff! The food was absolutely delicious. Great atmosphere too.

Really nice food, cooked to order and hot. The beer was best I had in long time in any pub/restaurant. Definitely recommend this place

Spur of the moment drop-in, really enjoyed the atmosphere and the service was very good. Will definitely return, but plan it next time!

Went for Sunday lunch yesterday and was given a 'Sunday menu', the same one that is available on the website. We were then told over half the menu was unavailable because it was a Sunday and they concentrate on roasts on a Sunday 🤷🏼‍♀️. The waiter was also quite rude and exasperated when we questioned politely what was available. Food was average. Cocktails were very good and excellent value.

Good traditional pub with quality ales.

Simply a great, traditional pub. I was looking for pubs with good reviews around york for dinner and decided on this one. Set menu has all kinds of traditional dishes at a reasonable price, of which we had the Fish and Chips and the steak ale pie, which were both simple, hearty meals using good quality ingredients. The service was also nice, welcoming, fast and respectful. Overall would highly recommend for anyone looking for a pub to go to during their stay in York.

Very helpfull staff. Very quick service. Quality of food good.

Nice pub - well kept beer and tasty food

Really disappointed to be honest. Read this was a good place for a Sunday roast. Booked well in advance for Easter Sunday. Arrived... given a table for 4 for 5 people, "sorry we are busy today". Cut down menu, fine it's Easter Sunday, but what we got was mediocre to say the least. Cold veg, lots of missing elements, pork was mostly fat and cold, gravy was watery and fatty. Service was grand, nice place but just underwhelming food.

We went to York for our Honeymoon in March. We wanted to have a good home cooked style meal for our first night and we came across The Royal Oak. The roast dinner was delicious and the portion size was very generous! Sam served us and was very kind. We told him how it was our honeymoon and he went above and beyond to make our meal special! He dimmed the lights and even brought a candle to our table. We would highly recommend a meal here and definitely recommend their Sunday roast!!

Emailed asking if the roast would be gluten free, all Gareth (landlord) had to say was that it is gluten free without Yorkshire pudding and it would have been fine, I still would have booked. But he replied saying yes it was gluten free and if I emailed with notice they could ensure gluten free Yorkshire puddings. I booked a table and emailed re Yorkshire puddings 6 days before and got a reply from Gareth saying they look forward to welcoming us. Arrived and no gluten free Yorkshire puddings. Had the roast and it was tasty but disappointed that it wasn’t a complete gluten free roast. Staff serving were lovely and apologetic.

Despite what others have put down on their reviews. I would like to say that this pub meal was excellent 👌👍. Excellent service. Nice and cosy and peaceful. Food was excellent. And thanks to the lad who served us all today. A lovely traditional Pub meal. And the pub is lovely 😍. All of us really enjoyed our meals. Everything was spot on. And we will most definitely will be visiting again...

We stopped in York for a few nights f9r my birthday, and the royal oak was recommended to us. The food wasn't hot at all. The meat was cold kinda felt re heated almost for the price we paid, which wasn't too bad. we just expected it to be hot, at least atmosphere was good friendly staff but would not go there for food again sorry

A very cozy atmosphere, the man in charge is very friendly. The tomato soup was also very delicious. The only thing was the Fish and Chips, it was not to my liking. But others may love that type of fish and style of potatoes.

Roast dinner on a Sunday is to die for.

Lovely little traditional boozer . Quaint quirky bars and snug cosy feel. Good beer selection served well. Sunday lunch was great - highly recommend the veggie Wellington- delicious! Served with a generous assortment of vegetables. The staffs were super friendly and the service excellent.

Pequeño boozer tradicional encantador. Pintorescos bares peculiares y cómodo tacto acogedor. Buena selección de cerveza sirvió bien. El almuerzo del domingo fue genial - recomiendo encarecidamente la vegetariana Wellington - delicioso! Servido con un generoso surtido de verduras. El personal era muy amable y el servicio excelente.

Tasty food and great service! I had the gammon from the £12 lunch deal - perfect portion size for me

A cracking pint of Tim Taylors.

Ale was good, food was good, and I was placed not too far away from a warming fire. I think the server may have been relatively new, but they made me feel welcome and the service was faultless. The pie was good, but I personally felt the pastry was stodgy, perhaps slightly undercooked, but the meat was well cooked and tasty. Gravy was good and mash was nice, I’ve only marked them down because the pastry wasn’t quite to my liking, but still worth the visit.

Along with my partner we had Sunday lunch at the Royal Oak. It was as good a Sunday lunch as I have ever had. We both loved the food, staff and atmosphere. What a fabulous way to round off a day in York.

Good traditional pub wide choice of ale, kid friendly, dogs accepted

We enjoyed a delicious pub lunch in this lovely historic building. Food plus a drink for £12 each was excellent value. Crispy bacon in the BLT sandwich, really nice sausage and mash. Great skin on chips too! Pint of ale, glass of wine. Prompt and friendly service too.

Mi pareja y yo fuimos rechazados hoy el 25 de febrero alrededor de la hora del almuerzo, el barman dijo que estaban muy ocupados en el salón para servir comida. 1 pequeña mesa estaba libre en el salón y 6 personas que acababan de terminar su comida estaban apenas saliendo cuando llegamos. El barman era curtido, parecía indiferente, perezoso y muy poco interesado. No volveremos.

Warm and friendly welcome, good food and beer in front of a lovely fire.

Llamé con mi esposa hoy para una cerveza y almuerzo de cumpleaños. El tipo era muy acogedor, la cerveza era buena, la comida era excelente y el pub era acogedor y acogedor.

Excellent Sunday Lunch. The roast pork was superb. Lovely olde world surroundings. Super friendly staff nothing too much trouble ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We really enjoyed our food here. Fresh, filling and the chips were delicious. The staff were really efficient and friendly and couldn't have done more. We will definitely be returning again :)

I had a Sunday roast chicken dinner, chicken didn't look very roasted and would have been better served in a salad as it was barely warm. My wife had the steak pie and thankfully it was hot but chips had obviously been prepared earlier and stored prior to serving.

Food was ok bit over priced for what it was

Nice Sunday lunch here. Service was good but a little bit slow at times hence the four stars. Great atmosphere

Stopped off here for lunch while in York today, the £12 lunch deal was great the food was tasty with a good sized portion, barman was friendly and helpful, would definitely be back in future.

Popped in to town decided on a weekday lunch which is an offer deal Glass or red wine accompanied by a lovely steak sandwich with home made chips Well worth the visit Will be going in again

For the quality of the dishes (the steak and ale pie is delicious), the speed of the service, the atmosphere of the place and the price. Definitely a solid 5/5

Visited Xmas eve. Only the small bar was open to public which meant it was very crowded and noisy. Would have stayed longer if other areas of the pub had been open

Good food, good service, enjoyable night.

Great food menu and a large section of "good old" English beer. Very dog friendly.

We arrived in time for our booking, but then had to wait in a warm crowded bar for our table which was 20 minutes late, we went upstairs and found out why! After being seated 20 minutes after our booking time, we had to wait another 20 minutes and only got served when we flagged down a passing by waiter. After this the starter arrived quite quickly, however my calamari was stone cold! I thought about putting it in my beer(which arrived 30 minutes after asking for it) to cool it down! Saying this, the mushroom and chicken skewer starter were tasty and warm. Then comes the mains, nobody finished the plates, call it big portions or poor quality, but it was not a fun dining experience. Wanting to get out quickly I repeatedly had to walk down to the main bar just to find a staff member so I could pay the bill.

Pequeño pub encantador, personal amable, clientela amable, histórico histórico. Pero la cocina es terriblemente mala. Fui a cenar a Navidad, y a una montaña de tierra empapada y dura. La peor comida de pub que hemos tenido. Y de manera única en no un brote redentor para construir. El chef simplemente no es y no debe ser permitido.

Proper pub grub, we had a reservation and were seated immediately, & served promptly. The chap knew what drinks he had and the menu. The good Food and beer was exactly what we needed after an afternoon dodging tourists tiktoking.

Lovely little pub, personable staff, friendly clientele, landmark historical. But the kitchen woefully bad. Went for Xmas dinner, and a mountain of soggy and hard shelled bland. The worst pub meal that we’ve ever had. And uniquely so in not a redeeming sprout to build on. The chef is simply not and shouldn’t be allowed.

Noisy and you can only use the front bar if you want a drink. Too restrictive and spoils the atmosphere in my opinion

Exactly what I was looking for in my short time in York. A traditional pub serving hearty meals. The food was exactly what you want if you searched for "pub grub" and it does well to steer clear of every other pub in the area's plan of serving traditional meals with a haute cuisine flair by keeping it simple. If what you're looking for is decent food at reasonable (for York centre) prices. This is the place to visit.

We went in for a Sunday Roast with a booked room and was very impressed. The portions are massive and they taste amazing! Service is really good, super friendly and very accommodating. Highly recommend!

Had dinner for two on a busy Saturday night in the lounge. Easily one of the best meals I have had in recent months. Service was friendly and excellent, with prompt delivery of both food and drinks. Excellent atmosphere, not too crowded. Food was delicious, with very large and reasonably priced portions. If I visit York again, I will definitely be eating here again.

Great food, lovely staff, beautiful city, will be back

Nice food, good drink selection, and a warm welcome from the staff. Had a steak sandwich on the lunchtime meal and it was delicious. I thought it was excellent value. Nice traditional pub inside with nice Christmas vibe.

What a fabulous pub. After a very negative experience at the pub next door we wandered into The Royal Oak and received a great welcome from Sam who went out of his way to ensure we enjoyed the rest of our night. We often visit York and will definitely be returning to the Royal Oak.

My sister and brother-in-law met us here after doing some Christmas shopping. We got there at 1300hrs. There were no tables on the ground floor so we had to go up some twisty stairs to the first floor lounge. It is small but very comfortable. We had an enjoyable meal and spent an hour or three having a drink. The Royal Oak in Goodramgate is on the edge of the tourist centre. If you want a pub that serves meals, the staff are friendly and helpful, The Royal Oak is the place to visit.

Pre booked a table for four. Really oldy pub. Great service, really friendly guy behind the bar. Good selection of ale. We had nice meals, well cooked but far too much on the plate. Could not eat it all. Recommended!

Our second visit to this lovely old pub and we weren’t disappointed. Quick service and very good portions. Food was hot and tasty and the staff were friendly and helpful. We were seated upstairs in the parlour and found this to be comfortable and welcoming.

Up from Surrey for the weekend. Had a fantastic meal. Pie was superb. The pork belly was to die for. Thank you royal oak

Needs a refurbishment. Food is good pub grub not what I was expecting hadn't researched properly. The buildin was a disappointment . Looks very grubby carpet, bathroom and upper dinning area. Table are small round to small for 2 to eat and have drinks. The food arrived well before the drinks and the water was on the table when seated but you had to ask gor glasses. Disappointed could wait to leave.

This might be hard to believe but I may have had the best fish and chips I've ever had. Next visit to your I'm coming back

Lovely food. Portions far too generous. I could not manage a starter and mains. Fryrbfly staff. Need to book.

Been today for a Sunday lunch worst Sunday lunch ever beef was just pure fat all veg and roast potatoes were frozen vegetables which was barely cooked and someone should take time out to clean the toilets

Gorgeous cosy pub in york fabulous food and great atmosphere. Staff attentive

Popped in for a quick drink and snack. Excellent friendly service with good food and beer

Visited this lively pub for a beer ahead of a meal at Little Italy. Nice old place with a lot of character and history - memorabilia and esoterica on display. The beer was Moretti. Lager for the people. I think this is more of a real ale pub though and I noticed they have Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, which always seems to be popular with ale-drinking types. Sat in the smaller bar to the front, other customers a mix of tourists and locals. A traditional pub then. Decent place to sup a drink and chat.

Only had a pint...but was a very pleasant place

Too cramped in seating..definetly not a place for taller people

In my many visits to York I must have been here but Madge forgot my list. A pleasant pub with the main drinks room to the left on entering.Snug to the right. Lovely proper pub room with bench seating and roaring log burner. Four real ales. Madge told me to have the Great Newsome Sleck Dust golden ale. She had a half of Moretti. Not the best choice for her. ( dash..had Cruzcampo on back bar.) The background music made up for it..Kinks, Cat Stevens, America, early Bowie etc. Lovely dining room to the year. Tiny rear patio. Cask Marque pub.

Met up with a old friend and a great place

Great pub with decent ales and really good atmosphere

It's probably one of the nicest Steak and ale pie I've ever had. Next time we are in York visiting, we'll definitely come here again.

The food is OK, the service is OK. Atmosphere not great but OK. Booked by my wife as we wanted some good pub food. Reviews are fair, but to be honest, I was a little disappointed. We arrived in time for our table, the place wasn't particularly busy and this made me question why. I think this place is more of a lunch dining place than your evening meal. It's not that the food was bad, but it's more of a good, hearty type of food than fine dining. We ordered our food and the starter was in the table before the drinks arrived. My wife asked if they were on the way, and the waiter brought them next. The table was tiny. We struggled to fit our plates in without them hanging over the edge. Again, please don't think it's a bad place. But be certain you want pub food. The food was tasty, and we did feel full when we left, so we couldn't complain. Limited selection of beer and the one I originally ordered was run out when they came back to us. I'm not rushing back, but I may possibly try at lunchtime next time.

Great atmosphere. Staff were very accommodating and friendly. Food was delicious! Highly recommend for a traditional pub experience.

Visited around 1pm for lunch during ghost week, food was absolutely fantastic. Absolute steal at £12 for a lunch and a drink! The man who seated and served us was alone on the floor due to someone calling out and he was really attentive and absolutely smashing it! We enjoyed our meal so much, we came back the following day around 4/5 to try the dinner menu. 10/10

A traditional pokey British pub. I could almost hear the ghosts of old Yorkshiremen applaud me as I split the G on my Guinness! Would recommend.

We missed out on a table for Sunday lunch, so visited during the week. Lunch menu had a great choice, quality of food was spot on and very decent price.

Such great staff, my first time visiting York All the staff made us feel so welcome and all were happy to impart their knowledge of York and where to go. I would highly recommend this pub. Thanks to you again.

Great pub offering good quality food and drinks at reasonable prices

Good food landlord friendly service Good

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

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.

Great ales, fab food, lovely staff. Thank you

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.

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

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.

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

The food was delicious...service fantastic

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.