The Royal Oak in Watford

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.

Good food, good location and good drink

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

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

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.

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!!

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. 👍

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.

Great local pub. Best this side of the river Chess. And belive me there's not many of them.

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

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...

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,...

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...

The Lamb was great! Staff friendly, just a little long to get a drink. Lovely location and settings !!

We were staying locally for a couple of nights and this was a recommendation from the information in the apartment. It is a very attractive location with a lovely heath in front to sit and eat and drink as well as a tent erected next...

We booked the day before and there were only a few indoor early slots left. We didn’t fancy eating outdoors as the forecasts were for cooler weather. Their roast lamb with seriously good gravy is phenomenal. In fact I was disappointed that I’d ordered the...

In the past few years, I have had several really good, and unusual curries in this pub. They have a South African inspired menu, which includes excellent chicken wings and the best I had was a spicy duck curry. However, I feel let down, and...

Lovely setting. Good food and drinks. Friendly staff. Try the Biltong its home made. Fantastic setting and a personalised experience also dog friendly. Love this place.

Had a great fun evening at the Wednesday quiz night with a group of freinds. We all ate before the quiz. Varied menu, food superb and generous portions Had a really good night out We are all looking forward to going again

Service was quick and friendly. Food was amazing. Varied menu with lots of choice, went for mac and cheese which was lovely. Couldn't fault it.

Went for a roast on my birthday and it was lovely. Absolutely amazing service, phenomenal food and great portion sizes for the money. Would highly recommend.

Good selection of beers, food even better. Could tell everything was freshly made, amazing bean burger and chips. Good atmosphere with a nice little heated tent out back.

A nice place with lovely staff although mostly inexperienced, good food and usually a relaxed and chilled atmosphere.

Booked for a Sunday roast here as our first outing to restaurant/pub after COVID restrictions were lifted. Unfortunately they sat us outside in a tent in the freezing cold. No heaters. By the time we got the food it was cold. Popping into the loos,...

We fancied a Sunday roast without cooking it. We ordered it the day before with a set collection time. The roasted lamb was slow cooked, amazing taste, piping hot and lots of it with gravy and mint sauce. It wasn’t cheap but the kitchen had...

happened to pass this on the way back to our hotel. had a lovely local ale and decided to see if we could book in for a meal that evening. Even though the pub was fully booked the owner promised hed find a way to get us in when we returned.Meal was very nice, lovely and cosy inside, Very well organised re Covid!all the staff were lovely, especially the lady with blue ish hair who was extra helpful and pleasant>If your in the area give it a go, you wont be disappointed !!

Well set up re COVID restrictions food very good very child friendly staff are well trained and attentive to your needs Sunday lunch was nicely presented all home made

My boyfriend and I often come to the Royal Oak, and have always had a great time. After shielding a family member for near enough 6 months, we took a trip here for our first drink/food out, since Covid. We couldn't have felt more at ease with the way things were handled and run, to try and protect both the safety of customers, and the safety of staff. We both sat outside, and you could only go in to get a drink, once the bar inside was clear. Hand gel stations, markings, etc. The staff as always, were really friendly and we can't wait to go back! One thing I will say though, is if the outside area will continue through the winter (I hope so, it's actually really lovely with all the lights!), then it would be great to get a few outdoor heaters, as it did get cold when the sun went down.

Stopped here for a drink while waiting for a take away pizza nearby. Spent £30 in half hour while drinking outside in the cold. After picking up pizza and returning to meet friends to leave. Manager came over really abruptly and started shouting at us. He jumped to the wrong conclusion that we were going to eat the pizzas in the cold outside. He didn’t give us the opportunity to explain. He said it’s unacceptable and out of order and they have a kitchen. Just quite bizarre and really rude. He left he is humiliated. We shan’t be returning.

Had a fab Sunday lunch here today. Went here a few years ago and didn’t have the best experience but new owners seemed to have breathed new life into the place , so give it another go - really super service and very friendly! It was totally Covid safe and a lot of thought and care had gone into keeping everybody safe. All in all a really excellent experience and we’ll certainly be back

Scottie, Lee & Sue always give a warm Welcome at our local pub. The food is freshly prepared - try the Durban curry - it’s my favourite

If you thought Charlize Theron was the most beautiful creation of South Africa then eat the bacon and cheeseburger here. It’s not 5 stars. It’s 3 Michelin.

Great Food, Great Atmosphere, Great Service. Used to live in the area, now live in Bushey, but was invited back to this little gem just before Xmas with some friends. Well, we've been back most weeks since. The food is amazing, and the attentiveness of the staff is brilliant. Nothing is too much trouble. 100% recommend the Sunday Roasts, they are to die for and the best in the area in our opinion.

Frequently visit this pub as its my local and they have a fab quiz night on a wednesday evening. I went for valentines meal and have to say it was exceptional. The food was to die for. I want to eat it every day of the week! I have seen quite a few new owners of this pub and have to say that the current owners are by far the best. They have made the pub a fantastic place to be with a great friendly atmosphere. Just what your local should be.

Had a great Valentines dinner tonight at The Royal Oak. The food and service was brilliant. The new owners have got it spot on, well worth a visit.

Having visited this place many times in the last 15 years, I can now say the new management seem to have cracked it. Really good pub grub and friendly service. Would recommend.

Omg this place is fantastic...the food is so awesome..The staff are totally amazing and so friendly..The pub is small but it has a great atmosphere..If your in watford please take a visit to the royal oak for lunch or dinner..only a short taxi ride from watford junction..So if you visit harry potter studios then please head to the royal oak after...Looking forward to my next visit

Great South African pub that some of my colleagues told me about. I had vegetarian nachos that was so tasty and my hubby and friend had a curry that they really enjoyed. The owners are from Durban in SA and make really good biltong as well.

My partner and I were unsure of where to have lunch and fortunately stumbled across The Royal Oak on the internet. What a find! The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming and the quality of the food is outstanding; a Sunday lunch cooked to perfection. The Sunday roast for vegetarians is a lentil roast with all of the usual trimmings, which provides exactly what you want on a Sunday. The service is attentive and swift and the roaring fire in the hearth makes for an altogether congenial atmosphere. There is a village green outside the pub so it is set in a delightful location. No wonder this pub has risen so fast in the ratings of the best places. to eat in Watford. We would eat there again at the drop of a hat! We wish them continued great success.

what an amazing meal at a lovely welcoming homely pub. had the cheese and bacon burger honestly melted in my mouth. never ever had such a delicious burger with the beer cheese sauce wow!!! chips fluffy on the inside and crispy on the out. what an amazing meal. will definitely be coming back. worth the money.

This is a great pub!! So friendly and welcoming. You must visit if you are in the area. If you are looking to book an Xmas dinner you will absolutely not be disappointed- the gravy is to die for! Also if you want a little snak have the nachos! Massive and Delicious. The Royal Oak is great!!! Please go.

The new owners have transformed this lovely pub. From the warm welcome upon arrival to shaking hands when leaving this was the best Sunday roast I’ve had in ages. Beautiful quality beef cooked to perfection - the chef knows how to cook veggies and roasties, topped with Yorkshire pudding and great gravy. The puddings were heaven. Lovely wines to choose from. I’ll be back!

We booked the wake for a very close family member here, we pre ordered a hot and cold buffet and cakes after. I have to say the landlord and staff were amazing and helped make this sensitive occasion a very special day. All of the food was lovely and pleanty of it.

Excellent bar, great food and even better company! Probably one of the greatest burgers I’ve had of all time and the Guinness is on point...

Best steak I've had in years. Friendly service. Good selection of beers and spirits. Recent change in ownership has focused on the food and it clearly shows. Can't fault it!

Have been enjoying the Sunday roasts for months, plenty of it and extremely well cooked! Last night, ribs, wings and cheesy chips. Brilliant. Well done the Royal Oak Watford Heath. Keep it up 👍

We stopped in on Sunday for a roast that was divine so bought a few friends for wine and nibbles. Couldn’t fault the food, drinks or service! Will definitely be back!

We came in for lunch one day and I practically haven't left since!

Came here for dinner with my wife on a saturday night whilst visiting the area. Was so Impressed with the indian style lamb shank and the tender sticky ribs that we booked for the following day for sunday roast as we presumed it was be of high quality

Outing with the family? Catching up with old friends? Looking for that perfect date night?

We came with our two young boys, enjoyed a cold beer while the kids ran around in the park ("Heath") outside. Had the "Bunny Chow" a South African curry in sliders which was awesome. Was a good vibe with a good mix a patrons.

This is a lovely little pub in a great location on Watford Heath. Manager and staff really welcoming and friendly. Great food with the highlight the South African style curry, perfectly cooked and really tasty.

We waited over an hour for our food for it to turn up cold and overcooked.