The Royal Oak in Watford

Came to this establishment on my birthday not knowing of the place. Superb meals and attentive staff in a particularly calm setting. Very good experience all round. Thankyou

Oasis of heath-side pub away from Watford commercial district. Excellent tasty pork belly roasts and home-made children’s goujons, friendly service, highly recommended

Superb lunch at the Royal Oak today. Great tasting food, well presented and filling. Excellent value for money, friendly staff. Will definitely be back and also recommend to others.

Popped into the Royal Oak one Wednesday lunchtime. It was fairly quiet when we got there but by the time we left nearly every table was filled. Amber was the only member of staff on duty in the bar/food area and she was amazing. She worked her socks off cheerfully and professionally. This dog friendly pub is well worth a visit. Good pub grub food with the best chips that I have tasted in a long time.

Great Sunday Roasts!! Very welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff, plus they do a great Disaronno sour!! Definitely will return.

Sunday Roast was top notch and staff were very attentive when it came to addressing my son's allergies. Lovely meal,lovely atmosphere. Enjoy 😊

Great Food! The two lovely young ladies made a great service for our family Great free parking around the corner.

My husband and I dropped in one Sunday afternoon to try to find a table for lunch. The staff kindly squeezed us in and we were very glad they did! I had a slow roasted pork belly with crackling and all the trimmings. The meat was super tasty and so tender. I loved the crackling and Yorkshire pudding. The greens were tender and the carrots were lovely. I was given extra gravy as well as apple sauce. All were delicious. My husband had a short rib 'burger' which he had expected to be a form of beefburger but what he got was much much nicer. It was a very tender cut of beef in a bun, accompanied by some of the best chips he has ever tasted! The service was impeccable. All the staff were friendly and helpful. I know the pub is in new ownership and I think they will do really well with this format.

It was the first time that we have visited the Royal Oak and can honestly say that it won’t be the last. Sunday lunch was delightful and the staff could not have done anymore for us. Looking forward to the next visit.

Blossom was very nice and all of her co-workers were too

We’ve been in a number of times for roast on Sunday and had great service and wonderful food ever time. The pork was particularly tasty and I thoroughly recommend getting the cauliflower cheese on the side!

Great Sunday lunch in this busy, but friendly pub. Food is tasty and well presented, service with a smile by everyone. Amber was our lunch waitress, so gets a mention, but everyone was great.

The food was lovely and the service from the wait staff and Blossom was exceptional. Highly recommend the Sunday Roast beef and the Pistachio Waffle!

An excellent experience @ The Royal Oak! We booked the outdoor area for a family event and received fantastic food and great service. Well done to Tim, Michael and the whole team! Interaction with Tim and Michael before the event, in person and by email, was also spot on, to help us organise the event. Thank you to all at The Royal Oak!

Great burgers lovely place for a Friday night

Excellent food and great ambience on a sunny day!

We've had an amazing 5☆ Sunday Roast and Service.

Just had a superb Sunday dinner here and must say it was delicious, the pub itself is a typical of town establishment which you can't beat unlike some of these plastic pubs which have taken over our towns and cities and have no character or atmosphere, the service is also fantastic and prices are good so if your in the area for great food and an original pub get yourself down here and try it.out

Had a great party here thanks to the welcoming atmosphere, good menu and friendly staff. Thanks Royal Oak team for helping arrange the celebration

We have been past here a few times but this time we decided to come here for Sunday lunch, and so pleased we did.i can honestly say that I had the roast beef EVER . Everything was cooked to perfection and so very very tasty. The roast potatoes were cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside, and all piping hot .. my husband had the pork dog as not a roast fan and enjoyed every mouthful. we will be returning as the desserts looked amazing as well and will keep room for one next time .. nice outside seating area to enjoy the sun .. oh and dog friendly.. staff very knowledgable and friendly, just come you will love it 😊

Went for a few drinks last night. Love the pub as it has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere but the staff all seem to charge different amounts for the drinks. We all stuck to the same drinks all evening but never got charged the same amount for our rounds. When we questioned this, the staff said that we must have been undercharged the previous time!!

Good food, good location and good drink

We had a lovely sunday afternoon at The Royal Oak. Great friendly bubbly service, delicious food and a lovely vibe.

Had a lovely Sunday lunch. Lovely and fresh. Wonderful service, we will be back.

If you’re looking for a small pub with a great aesthetic, friendly staff and incredible food then this is the place; both our servers Amber and Jess were so welcoming and made us feel welcome. The food was outstanding and could not have been better, everything about our experience was top notch. 10/10 ⭐️

When we are in Watford we go here for a drink and a bite to eat. Always a nice pub!

Thank you once again for having me yesterday. The food was excellent the staff was lovely friendly and very helpful I will be coming back.

Came for a few drinks and food on a Sunday. 1x large table seemed to mean they couldn’t handle the rest of the service. Waited an hour for a kids meal and 2x starters (one of which didn’t come out at first). When our mains eventually came, the beef on 1 of the roasts was over cooked and the 2 £15 salads should have been double the size. When we spoke to the staff about our experience, all the owner was willing to do was take off the already optional service charge. Such a shame as we’re new to the area and heard good things. The atmosphere, food and drink was nice but don’t think we’ll be returning as it’s not enough to make up for the cost, wait time and bad vibes of the owner.

Amazing food! Holly and the rest of team were super nice. Amazing service and incredible food 10 out of 10 highly recommend

We've been twice since the new management came in and we love it! The best chips I've eaten. Atmosphere is amazing it's brilliant for kids and the food is fantastic. Thanks so much guys we will be back.. Again and again! X

Lovely friendly staff very helpful and accommodating food is amazing the portion size is incredible and they serve the best chips ever really lovely pub

Lovely pub with the massive benefit of having bushey green right in front of it. Quite pricey but location makes up for that.

The chefs who've been in the kitchen for eleven years under three different operators have taken over. Really good news this place is in safe hands. Dinner was excellent 👍

Left a little unsatisfied enjoyed the food the roast had my first drink a coke when clearly was asked by waitress if I wanted a pint or half for my coke and I said half and it was then a pint which i did not ask for i will come again but i think the waitress with dark hair needs more training when i ordered my 2nd drink everything which was my beer that came out as a half which i asked for

We were here for Sunday lunch and both had roast beef and apple crumble with custard, The beef was excellent and a generous portion with Yorkshire Pudding and usual vegetables was served but on the expensive side at £23 each. At over £7 per portion, the apple crumble's price was very far from being justified, consisting, as it did, of only a type of thin apple puree with crumble sprinkled on top suspiciously both from packets I would surmise. There were no slices of natural apple present, nor any sign of an original, unprocessed fruit having been used to make the dish. Indeed no chef level skill would have been required. Frankly it was a 'rip off'! So-called 'optional' 10% service charges are also signs of a bad attitude. Tips should be at the discretion of the customer - always.

Treated my nan to abit of lunch, and popped over to the Royal Oak. Initially I thought it would be standard pub grub, but I was pleasantly surprised with their dishes. I went for the Cod and Calamari combo, and boy that dish was good. Beautifully presented, and the flavours were extraordinary. Thumbs up from me, will definitely visit again! 💯

We went as a group of 12 ladies to celebrate my nieces 40th birthday, they allowed us to take Banners/balloons. When we ordered food they took our name and we paid at the bar so no splitting the bill at the end of the night. All the food came out within a couple of minutes of each other, piping hot. Can't recommend it highly enough. Thank you

Didn't eat food, don't have any ideas

Great local pub. Best this side of the river Colne and that's a lot.

Very decent pub with a community feel and lovely owners although sadly the owners are moving on! Hopefully it can keep the great vibe and togetherness. Friendly locals, pet and child friendly!

An exceptional pub which really needs to be visited, great food and beer and the wine isn't bad either. Staff and owners brilliant so sad their moving on, all the very best Sue and Lee. Also like toadd music is spot on.

I went to The Royal Oak to celebrating my friend's birthday, it was nice and pleasant place to go and spend time with family and friends.I will back again...

The staff was very friendly and the atmosphere was great. We ordered roast beef and lamb, I loved my beef very much, but my wife's lamb was a bit too lean. We enjoyed the time there and will come again later.

Delicious food, great service and a lively location!

Nice local pub, which gets quite busy on Friday nights as it's small inside, however they have a really big outdoor area which is ideal for when it gets warmer

We were welcomed warmly, Tom made a great old fashioned! He was so welcoming and knowledgeable about the range of beers too, even offering myself a GF beer! All around a great experience, friendly and knowledgeable team, and good atmosphere. Perfect for a first date! Big thank you to Tom for making our evening. Looking forward to our next visit.

Had really good Bang Bang cauliflower and burgers at the Royal Oak in Watford. Dog-friendly restaurant too. Looks like it would be nice of an evening

Was a Singles Night Event - Nice crowd, excellent DJ and OMG, the Chips 🍟 are simply delicious 👌 😋 5️⃣⭐️

Lovely family and dog friendly pub

Was pleasantly surprised by this place, had a lovely birthday meal here today! Vibe inside is lovely, you can tell it's a family run business and we felt our server actually enjoyed working there/cared whether we were enjoying the meal. We ordered the chilli beef nachos, the bang bang cauliflower (as recommended by our server) and I went for the mac and cheese with buffalo chicken for my main, whilst my partner opted for the burger of the day. The nachos and the bang bang cauliflower were my personal highlights, however, every single dish was absolutely amazing. People had told me the food was great before I came here and they really weren't lying! Portions were generous too. The service was also wonderful, they only had one person behind the bar/taking orders/bringing food out as it was a quieter weekday lunchtime, but he really knew his stuff, and was super helpful, attentive and happy to go the extra mile for us throughout the whole meal. He also, very thoughtfully, saw my partner had booked the table as a birthday occasion and brought out a complimentary brownie & icecream with a candle in to our surprise! I've eaten in expensive restaurants in previous years on my birthday and haven't even gotten a happy birthday from the server, let alone a free dessert, so was incredibly generous of them and of course, it tasted delicious and was a great portion! We will definitely be back and can't wait to try everything else on the menu!!!

Beautiful old pub, atmospheric and quant. Lovely staff and very dog friendly

Lovely roast dinner. Even the sprouts!

Easily best value pub around. simple food on offer at really reasonable cost if you want that and continue to keep prices down in spite of cost of living. Also good pint of San Miguel. Food is of a good standard. Nice bar staff atmosphere.

This place is wonderful 😊 the staff are friendly and prompt. The food is delicious and a nice menu to choose from. They have a great area outside for kids and dogs as they are pet friendly to! LOVE this place deffo recommend!

Very tasty mutton curry beers were very good good atmosphere staff very friendly and welcoming definitely worth a visit

Went by accident but loved it. Needs more parking though

Our first time visiting and it won’t be our last. Just not sure why it’s taken us so long to discover this pub. Sue and Lee are fantastic hosts, we were welcomed the minute we arrived and they had thoughtfully given us a table that was suitable for our dog. The food exceeded our expectations and was in our opinion excellent. Super busy on a Friday which gave it a fantastic atmosphere but did not distract from the service which was great. We would throughly recommend this pub.

The perfect place for a cosy Sunday lunch. The pork belly is next level. Staff really friendly and attentive.

Came here with a friend for pizza on a Tuesday Made outside the pub in pizza oven- lovely Definitely recommend We were able to take the pizza into the pub to eat it there with our drinks

We’ve never been disappointed with the food at the Royal Oak. We had a mixture of Cajun chicken kebabs and nachos this time which were well cooked and very tasty. We found out after entering that Thursday nights belong to DJ Vinyl Denzil. A small indoors pub area with loud music and not many customers, probably keeping away from the loud music. I don’t see the point in a foody pub. We’ll be back but not on a Thursday night.

We visit on our own as a couple and we visit with friends and family. Always delicious food and lovely staff. We will be returning again very soon. Thank you.

Absolutely fantastic service and great food! The garlic bread was amazing! Thank you for your hospitality!

Lovely pub. Good atmosphere and great staff

We were passing The Green on our way into Watford and saw the pub so pulled in on the off chance of getting a table for Sunday Lunch. We were very early and the staff were so obliging and accommodating. The roast beef was cooked to perfection, as were the fresh vegetables. Easy know there was a chef in the kitchen! It was our first time in the Royal Oak but it won't be our last, we will be back. Thanks to all the staff for making our Sunday so special.

Nice for an afternoon pint on the grass. Not the biggest menu but all good. The menu has changed for the better and the portions are massive. Best steak in the area. Excellent burgers and the beer is well kept, staff friendly and good. Chicken skewers are good.

Nice pub ,food ok nice out door seating area very good service

Reserved the tent for my son's 21st . Had a wonderful evening, everyone said how lovely the pub and the tent was. Food was great, staff were amazing, nothing was too much trouble and they were all so friendly all night. Thank you for an amazing evening.

We live in North Wales and are staying with family in Watford, we visited The Royal Oak for Sunday lunch. We can honestly say that our meal was the nicest Sunday Roast that we have had. We were made very welcome by all the staff and would thoroughly recommend this pub to anyone. Can't wait till we come back for a repeat visit.

Nice quaint well run pub with great food we'll be back but will book 1st 😊

local pub you can always rely on for good food and an relaxed atmosphere 😊❤️

Lovely pub but my beer was flat

Stopped off here for lunch with my ladies cycling group - staff very helpful, they opened the back gate for us so we could lock our bikes securely behind the kitchen. Food arrived promptly and was very tasty. My first visit to this place but I will be back.

Expensive and ants on the table (indoors). Otherwise, good!

Nice place, we went mid week in the evening, beer was good, chips were tasty and staff friendly. Only downside was the minimal parking. Would be happy to return again. 👍

Fantastic cosy little pub with food to die for!! Ordered the tomahawk steak for 2 plus one chips, salad and roasted tomatoes and there was plenty of food - enough for 3. Super attentive service and the tomahawk carved at our table! Absolutely loved it and the food was divine! Superb value for money too!!

Party of six on Saturday night. Our second visit but our friends who are local visit more frequently. My wife and I chose to come back with them. Really good again. Five burgers and my cauliflower and mussels - delicious. The waitress was charming, friendly and professional. The owner? Very friendly to our two dogs! This really is a lovely setting with the “village green”. A final word for the musician. Nice set. He deserved more applause than he got. Wish we had a pub as good as this in St. Albans. RECOMMENDED HIGHLY.

Best pub ever. I love this place. A great little local pub which is friendly and welcoming, with awesome hosts and great food!

Absolutely wonderful food, excellent service and super dog friendly to boot. They even have Doggie Sausages on the printed menu's, which I loved, as did my dog!!! I would highly recommend this place :o)

Mothers Day dinner for four. Seated outside in the tent under a heater and it was lovely, not draughty at all. The staff were lovely, service was good. The food was exceptional, high quality and good portion sizes. Three of us had roasts (beef, pork and lamb) the others had a burger and the sausage and mash. Highly recommended

Good to go when you want to feel warm welcome by locals. Everyone is friendly. Only cons. Limited range of beers available.

Lovely little pub with undercover outside seating and also the ability to sit on the Heath (during warmer weather) with drinks bought from them but in plastic cups (gotta protect the dogs/kids!). Their food is lovely, they make a mean Sunday Roast and the staff are always friendly and very accomodating. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Very impressed with the curry at the Royal Oak. Delicious and substantial. A great selection of beers too. The pub has a nice, relaxed, cosy atmosphere. A most enjoyable evening.

Fantastic lunch for four! (Saturday)) Our friends are local and recommended this. This was the best pub lunch I’ve had in ages. My company had burgers (chicken, meat and vegan) all good. I had two starters - chilli cauliflower and calamari. Absolutely brilliant. The chips that accompanied my fellow diner’s burgers were the best ! Normally, my friends come to St Albans. Not anymore. A big thank you to Ethan - manager/host. Friendly, helpful, attentive and professional. We’ve never been to Watford Heath before. Lovely setting. RECOMMEND.

Always good. Food is very nice, great beers and the ambient is just inviting.

Very good meal , lovely staff Really enjoyed the tasty Durban style curry

Visited here for the wake of a good friend. A warm welcome and a superb spread of South African flavoured food. The afternoon went by very quickly and will live long in the memory. There was a pleasant atmosphere in the pub. The only down side is there is not much parking outside, but less than 100 metres away is a small car park for Oxhey Grange Playing Fields and Bowls Club.

We love the Royal Oak for many reasons, the staff are incredibly friendly and attentive. The drinks selection is spot on, the food is amazing and the location on the green is fantastic! Outdoor area with heaters, places to park motorcycles and cars plus, they show the latest sports as well as have bands and events throughout the year. If you're considering going, GO! We will be coming again (and again) Harley-Davidson and Triumph Team

Absolutely brilliant, better than any Indian curry or Jamaican curry I’ve had before highly recommend the curry and the Nan bred is on a different level

Outstanding!! Fantastic food and great value for money. Staff were friendly and helpful. Lovely family atmosphere!! Can't rate this place highly enough!!

Spent an enjoyable evening here on Saturday night. Live music, delicious food, great atmosphere and fantastic staff. Bravo.

We arrived 30 mins after the kitchen closed and they opened it up again for us. Food was delicious

We were caught out in between shopping and eating times so ended up here for lunch but more by chance than luck. However we we very pleased with our choice. I ordered the fried chicken wings with chips and I have say they were made with love! Often chips don't have much taste but these were very good. My wife enjoyed her Mac & Cheese too. It did the trick. We will definitely be returning.

This is our local pub Good friendly service and our dog is welcome

nice pub restaurant overall good food Good service by staff Helpful and very friendly easy parking which is always good

Lovely food and good service even on a busy Sunday lunch.

Friendly pub run by South Africans, in a lovely setting, overlooking a green.

Very pleasant vibe and friendly staff in a cosy pub located on Watford Heath. They have a good selection of beers, ciders & spirits. They also serve food. I didn't see the menu, but what I saw being served looked really nice. One of Oxhey Village's nicest pubs in my opinion

Hosted a baby shower here yesterday and it couldn’t have been better. I first asked George the day before as we had a problem with our other venue and she got it sorted for me to use the outside area so fast! When we arrived,...

I booked to come to the Royal Oak a week or so before our trip. On the online booking system I booked the slot of ‘Tuesday to Saturday menu’. We had all looked at the menu online which very clearly said that they serve food...

Went with a friend as it is local to our home. We each had different burger meals which were ok apart from my burger bun which was completely burnt black. To be fair they came to ask if everything was ok but due to jet-lag...