The Royal Oak in Central Bedfordshire

Friendly landlord but pub a bit dull.

Booked a meal here for the first time and have to say suited us perfectly. Beautiful proper food no stupid pretentious spiced up rubbish. Lovely service and friendly atmosphere. I could have eaten anything off this menu I’m sure. Will definitely be back soon.

Seriously shocking visit. The smell of sewerage/drains was overwhelming. Over £18 for a pint and a half, two lemonades and some crisps. Zero atmosphere and the ale wasn’t even pulled through properly. I felt I was in Royston Vasey (The League of Gentlemen) as there were two old men (the only other customers), who looked at us like we were from another planet. I can quite safely say I’ve never had a worse experience for a quick drink, and to boot it was More expensive than anywhere else in the area. They wonder why pubs go out of business these days. Do better!

That was the best meal I have had in a pub for a very long time .. I had he Trio of sausages and it came with roasted parsnips and veg.. it was all cooked fresh not a packet in sight !! Superb !

Really disappointed this eve . We were under the impression that Monday Eve is for burgers and pizzas on a deal . Having phoned up and my order taken for 3 burgers . We went around to collect them there was no one behind the bar and We stood waiting for ages. one of the entrances was closed off the place was dead and finally when the waitress came out of the kitchen we were told the chefs that were on this eve couldn’t cook the burgers ??? Seriously poor , Tho we could have pizzas to which we said no ? It’s so hot today and we couldn’t be bothered . The waitress said that she had been ringing me tho there was no missed call . Be sure when you order that the chef can cook it ! POOR

Great food outstanding service, reccomend it to anyone local or passing through...I've given it 5 stars...and I've been in the catering trade for 50 years and very hard to please, staff are a credit to their trade.....

Great service and food at this pub in Potton Went here for a wedding and everyone had a great time. The staff worked very hard to make sure all had a good time. Definitely would recommend this place for a party or wedding meal

The pub has been refurbished since my last visit. It looks very stylish and clean now. Excellent food choices all served to our group at the same time. Lovely young waiting staff.

Had Sunday lunch today at The Royal Oak POTTON, was impressed with the food & service. The presentation of food was very good. Rich T

Lovely friendly service here the waitress was attentive and thoughtful and the food was very tasty. Clean and very well presented inside 👌

A friend booked a table for 5 people and 2/3 dogs (all pub friendly dogs). We went to the bar and were lead to a barn out the back. We were seated, given menus, had the specials explained and were ordering drinks when another waitress appeared and screeched at us that we weren’t allowed dogs and had to leave. We explained that we had said we had dogs when we booked but she blamed us for not reading the website (can’t find anything on the website about dogs not being allowed). A group of other staff turned up and ganged round us as we left. Absolutely disgraceful customer service. This was Easter Sunday so we were worried we wouldn’t find a table elsewhere but thankfully one of the other pubs in Potton were welcoming.

So we booked a table for 5 with 3 dogs - We have proof of the booking and it was accpeted, We got led to our table - Told the specials and what was not available offered drinks all going well - Then told we had to leave as we had dogs with us - Basically called liars by one of the waitressess and said we have not told them we had dogs. Half the staff turned up to escort us out and said we could eat in the Garden. So we check our booking - Clearly says on our booking we had dogs with us. The Barmaid seemed shocked we were leaving. The most positve thing to come out of this - There is a wonderful pub called the Coachhouse in the Town Square that has very friendly staff and accomodated us with great food and atmosphere . Go to the Coach house or Risng sun in Potton avoid the Royal Oak

So we booked a table for 5 with 3 dogs - We have proof of the booking and it was accpeted, We got led to our table - Told the specials and what was not available offered drinks all going well - Then told we had to leave as we had dogs with us - Basically called liars by one of the waitressess and said we have not told them we had dogs. Half the staff turned up to escort us out and said we could eat in the Garden. So we check our booking - Clearly says on our booking we had dogs with us. The Barmaid seemed shocked we were leaving. The most positve thing to come out of this - There is a wonderful pub called the Coachhouse in the Town Square that has very friendly staff and accomodated us with great food and atmosphere . Go to the Coach house or Risng sun in Potton avoid the Royal Oak

We visited on Easter Sunday and were a party of 7 including my 3 year old granddaughter - we did eat in the function room which was at the back of the pub and was lovely with its own bar The service was brilliant, our waiter was really helpful and explained the specials on offer, our food was delicious and good value for money Our granddaughter was given a colouring book and crayons which she loved We really enjoyed our visit and would thoroughly recommend the pub and restaurant

We had a lovely pizza in Monday the 5th of February. Delicious and great atmosphere and great service. Great price for food quality

Sold out of desserts I chose but othwise a good Sunday lunch

Best Sunday roast in the area. Great service too

Nice friendly pub with good food

Great food, really friendly staff. There was a bit of a delay with our main meal and without us saying anything they took the cost off dessert off our menu. I appreciate that preemptive customer service. Can’t wait to go back.

Today my wife and I held an 80th birthday dinner for 18 adults and 6 children. We found the whole experience brilliant, the food outstanding, in my opinion it was the nearest to a home cooked meal I have had in a pub. The food hot and plenty of it and the cost very reasonable.

Been seeing what good reviews the Royal Oak had been getting, hadn't been for a number of years, what a nice surprise, had an excellent meal, steak, home made lasagne and ham egg and chips all three meals were really good, we were all impressed with both the service and the meals. Will be returning very soon and would highly recommend.

Called in for a spot of lunch after a walk. Very pleasant lady served us. Good selection of food and drinks. Food was well prepared and presented. If going by car parking is limited . The only slight negative is I had to pick up someone else's dog poo. So, to my fellow dog owners, please clean up after your dog.

Owner seemed like a lovely chap, good beer, nice garden

Great pub with lovely staff. We held a wake here and the staff were so helpful. The buffet had a good selection.

I just had to share our experience we had out last evening. We have to say a big thank you to Louisa who was amazing. We could tell she was under a lot of pressure but still Kept her professionalism. The young man that was out in front with her was just as good. Perhaps there should be more than one person serving, we were patient but some people might have complained.

Outstanding roast dinner, four of us went in and we all had great food and very good service, Thank you.

Lovely evening, food was good, the service was really friendly.

Visited at lunch time. The restaurant seemed very quiet. Food was presented well.

Sunday afternoon lunch with friends, Yummy Yummy Yummy could not find anything to fault. Already planning next visit.

First, I VERY highly recommend this pub for the Sunday roast dinner! Especially if you're a big party. There were 18 of us in the ole barn (which has been converted) and the meals all came out quick and hot which was very impressive. There were no mistakes either, the same with the pudding. It's all fresh fresh fresh! I've never had such a delicious roast dinner from a pub before. Everything was fresh. Its nice when everything is made from scratch, rather than bought as bulk and just needs heating up. The carrots, broccoli and cauliflower cheese comes separate which is a great benefit for those who aren't keen on veg. (The picture I've attached is missing the cauliflower cheese! But damn it was GOOD and plenty of it). The sticky toffee pudding was also VERY tasty! (this is getting my hungry just talking about it) - The staff were very lovely, especially Jo! She made me feel very welcome which was great! - Good job to the chef - Mat! I'll definitely be back! (TIP: If you're a big hungry lad, I highly recommend the Large roast)

Food was ok but roast could do with more veg, service seemed rushed. Not a place I would go back to

Absolutely lovely and very tasty Sunday lunch👌👌👌. Extremely friendly and helpful staff (decoration was done so nicely). Thank you for making my sons Holly Communion venue so special😊😊😊 Definitely fully recommended.

Recently had a meal in the Royal Oak and the welcome and atmosphere was great. We didn’t book but a table for two was available immediately with no waiting around. The waitress gave us options of where to sit which was great. The food was incredible and the service was excellent. Good prices too. Will definitely return again. Big thank you to all the staff at The Royal Oak; it was a fantastic evening all round. 5 stars!

We visited for Sunday lunch (4 of us) What started as a pleasant meal soon went down hill, we enjoyed our main meal, but then had a very long wait to order our puddings, when they finally came they were very disappointing, on commenting to the waitress, she said ‘ I don’t work in the kitchen so they are nothing to do with me’ We let it go and ordered our coffee, , two minutes after they brought the coffee the same surly waitress told us in no uncertain terms that we needed to vacate the table as they had other customers waiting, we were told ( not asked) to take our coffees to the bar, but there was nowhere to sit, so we decided to leave, We tried to say how upset we were at being treated so rudely, only to be told we had the one and half hrs allowed at the table, we didn’t even have a starters so there is no way taking account of slow service that we had enough time , It was our first and last visit, we are elderly and in all our years of visiting pubs and restaurants we have never been treated so rudely. ,

Great food friendly staff good atmosphere

Stopped off for a hearty and warming bowl of spicy tomato soup and a squint at the rugby during a walk. Just the job.

Fabulous Sunday lunch. Good servicecand hubby said beer was very good.

Friendly pub with a good selection of drinks and food.

Had a great night out with a group friends. Over 20 of us in all so we were out in the barn. It was ideal for a large group. Staff worked very hard, the food was very good (Christmas menu) and all served very quickly. Will be returning for a regular Sunday roast in the future.

Had a group Christmas party in the barn. This was particularly good as it has its own bar which was manned the entire time. The food was hot and plenty sum. The staff were helpful, friendly and always willing to accommodate any requests.

Nice friendly atmosphere, tasty food, reasonable prices.

Popped in to try them out again after quite a long time. Obviously impressed booked for a group party.

Friendly staff,good food enjoyable visit

We had a meal here with friends a couple of weeks ago. It was really good. Our friends were impressed too. We didn't try the pizza but good to have that option too. There is a nice garden with comfortable seating.

A bit of a let down today sadly. Not as good as it used to be. Scallops very over cooked and tough. Beef was ok but smallish portion and tough Yorkshire pud. Will give it a miss in future

Had a lunch there recently with the WI, the food was really good as was the service. We are planning to go there again soon *****

Proper pub, lovely decor, nice garden. Good value and great food. Sunday Roasts are fab

Very nice inside, very warm, open and inviting, lovely people behind the bar, food was really good as well, very crispy small chips at the bottom, but not complaining as the rest was lovely.

Took my wife’s mother out for birthday, very good meal indeed and staff were excellent, would highly recommend.

Sunday lunch. Absolutely great. Roast dinner served with fresh veg, huge Yorkshire pudding and beautiful gravy. Excellent service throughout.

My Daughter and her family are moving to local area so we thought we would check out her new local.We had a very friendly greeting when we arrived and were taken straight to our table by Fiona our lovely waitress. We all orderdered the roast beef which was superb and highly recommended. We then tucked in to our delicious puds.The staff were very attentive and made our Sunday lunch a very enjoyable experience.My Granddaughters particularly liked the clean plate challenge from the landlord who they thought was very funny.All in all a very enjoyable lunch on all fronts. Food, staff and ambiance. Highly recommended.

Fantastic Sunday Roast. Great Sunday roast, good service, generous potions with perfectly pink beef and giant homemade Yorkshire puddings. Finished off with puddings DELICIOUS

Popped in for a quick pint and was met with a very friendly greeting. All the staff were brilliant. Although we weren’t having a full meal we decided to try a couple of starters, which were delicious - and very well priced! We’ll definitely be back for a full meal soon!

Second time using the Royal Oak for a delicious take away roast dinner. Cannot fault it, everything cooked to perfection and brilliant portion sizes! Looking forward to many more and to dining in, hopefully in the near future!

Had the takeaway Sunday lunch from the Royal Oak today and it was fantastic.Good sized portions, well cooked veggies, awesome roast potatoes, tasty crispy Yorkshire puddings and great tasting gravy all at a reasonable price.Well worth a try if you live in the area and will definitely pay a visit for a pub meal, once lockdown is over.

Great food, half decent house champagne but service painful - on paying the bill i suggested that the service was slow and could have been better. The waitress then said someone had had to leave early and hence they were white staffed. Had this been explained when we arrived it would have been more acceptable. However having to wait / then grab the waiter’s attention after 20 mins to order a drink was not acceptable

We went here with friends the other Saturday. I had the Beef chilli that was on the specials board, which was fantastic, nice chunks of beef, rather than minced. All served with some hand made Nacho's/Taco's, Salsa and Guacamole. Wife had the vegan sausages and mash, which was good, but it could have been better if served with some vegtables.Cheese board was generous, with some good cheeses, and Wife's brownie was similarly good.Service was a little slow, but it was busy. A good night, will return.

Enjoyed a wonderful visit to the Royal Oak today the atmosphere the owners and their staff super friendly and helpful and the wonderful food from starters mains (the roast beef especially)and the dessert I could not fault! The food was Very tasty the quality was awesome! It’s the best food I’ve had for a long time! I will be back!!! Wishing you continued success!!! You so deserve it.

Sunday lunch spot on roast beef amazing pint of Abbot amazing thanks for your hospitality What a great pub will be back to tty the menu all the best Tony and Gina

Service was great food was lovely, had homemade steak and ale pie which was fantastic. Good to see this pub buzzing again. 😊

Great food, nice setting - def worth a visit and lucky to have this quality chef in Potton 👍 My wife was raving about the Norwegian cod dish all the way home!

When the waitress spills a bottle of wine over your wife's new blouse , the table , the floor and her coat on the back of the chair it's not a good start . In fairness to the waitress it was accidental and she did apologise several times . After recovering we had a nice meal but was surprised when I asked for the bill,to be charged for the wine . I would at the very least expected the manager to come over and talk to us but instead the waitress said I have spoken to the manager and he said we would only be charged for two large glasses of red instead of the bottle , a saving of £6. Maybe because my wife never made a fuss we were treated in such an off hand matter . I took some pictures of my wifes wine stained blouse and will be sure to send them to you along with the cleaning bill . The table behind us which was noisy had people who were not eating just drinking and during the evening as friends joined them they borrowed chairs from ours and other tables . Not really what I would expect in a restaurant where people go to eat . Too be honest the food was good and the restaurant lovely but for the reasons above we won't be returning.

We ( 4 adults) last visited on the spur of the moment for a late Sunday lunch just over a year ago and had a good experience. This time we booked ahead for a Sunday at about 2pm and were not disappointed. Right away we had excellent communication with our main waitress and the other 2 young ladies even though they were serving to a full capacity restaurant. In fact we found out that although they were expecting to serve 70 odd meals they ended up with about double that number which shows you this has become a popular venue.There were a few understandably disjointed servings due to the volume the chef was coping with but this didn't affect our very pleasant experience. My fish and chips was lovely and the others enjoyed their roast beef dinners. All for a very reasonable price of roughly £30 a head (ex service charge) which included 4 glasses of wine / 1 soft drink, 2 starters, 4 mains, 4 puddings, 3 coffees. If you are in the area on a Sunday you cannot go wrong at the Royal Oak

Excellent service, very friendly staff, good offers on 2 or 3 courses (2 for £10, 3 for £15) plus a la carte menu. All food very good, well cooked, although didn't like the chips - not crispy and skin on. Will definitely visit again.

Booked a table for 4 for the evening of the Xmas lights switch on. This was our first visit since the reopening. The refurbishment has been tastefully done. The pub was full and lively most having drinks. Glad we had booked a table as all reserved. The service and food was of a high professional standard. Although busy the staff had time to discuss and meet our needs.

My friend and I had lunch today sadly because we had to cook for husbands we had sandwiches and a pudding however we were extremely jealous of the people who were eating there the scallops that were coming past us quite frequently looked amazing! was listening to people round us and everyone was saying how great they were. Personally I can't wait to go back the menu may not be on the website as one reviewer said but I don't care there is something for everyone. the staff were plentiful and very helpful and friendly it makes me wonder who writes these negative things.Well done The Royal Oak long may you continue

Popped in for lunch today had a delicious steak and ale pie with fantastically fresh veg and awesome gravy. My wife is vegetarian and the chef went above and beyond to make from scratch a delicious veggie burger with lovely chips and salad.

Enjoyed a fantastic lunch today. Food was amazing, all homemade and great quality. Main courses each for around £5, excellent value. Would highly recommend

Awful food,awful service. The menu is not the one shown online and neither are the pictures, food overcooked with a ridiculously small menu of cheap offerings, do yourself a favour and dont go there

We held a large family birthday gathering here. It’s a rare occasion that the family get together so we wanted it to be special.

Have eaten here twice now and both times the food was delicious. You always get a friendly welcome and there is a reasonable range of drinks and food to choose from. Good sized car park at the rear and cosy interior.

Went for a meal with friends. We all had steak. It was OK but came with only a few veg. No offer of chips or extras. Just disappointing and rather bland. Not much atmosphere.

Lovely food, helpful and friendly staff, but very few customers. The food was a bit slow but we were not in a rush so that was ok. Could it be quiet because on Mothering Sunday with a fixed menu they were not doing food for children? Would happily go again but it would be nice with a few more people around.

Being new to the area we’ve tried most pubs but the Royal Oak is far the best we’ve been to the land lord and lady are lovely and so welcoming and the food is lovely highly recommended

We went to this Pub Restaurant from another local one which was fully booked all day and were quite supprised considering the reviews to find it empty at 13.15 hrs. We ordered Sunday Lunch and it was very good quality however we thought that for the price the portions were very small the veg in particular, served on a small dish and only 5 sprouts for two of us and no yorkshire pudding. we also thought that my wifes tea at £3.75 was expensive.

We have eaten at the Roayal Oak sometime ago. It would seem that there are new managers, new menu and no customers

Visited this pub for the first time yesterday on a spur of the moment and will definitely return! The staff were extremely friendly, food was lovely (especially the beef and the profiteroles!) service was prompt, light and airy and a generally nice atmosphere!

Friendly waiting staff but otherwise a complete farce. From the booking to the actual food, this was the oddest experience for a long time.

Without booking four of us recently dropped in for lunch. We were given a good welcome, the bar was warm and had a most inviting fire roaring away. We ordered our meal which arrived in good time followed by desserts and coffee.

The food used to be very good. That has changed based on our four meals. Salmon with a sushi centre replaced f.o.c. with more of the same. A medium-well done fillet steak brown all the way through. Bland burger. Bland risotto.

We hadn’t booked anywhere in the area and stumbled across the Royal Oak with a good rating on Trip Advisor although luckily I didn’t read the most recent reviews otherwise we may have looked elsewhere. We were made welcome and a table was set in the bar area. Yes, I did get the feeling that staff were finding their feet ( the reviews suggested a recent change of management) but service was prompt and friendly especially bearing in mind we hadn’t booked and the restaurant looked full. Food was good ( roast beef and a sea bass) although I’d say a bit too much salt in the creamed potatoe. The price was very reasonable and overall we had a good experience. My sister in law who lives locally would revisit.

We popped in for lunch and the food was good basic pub food. By that I mean it had an extensive menu and the food we had (burgers) were very well cooked. Not gourmet food but excellent pub grub.

We visited The Royal Oak for a Sunday lunch in early August.

I visited this place a little while ago! And I have never met such an ignorant landlord in my life. I expected the food to at least be half decent but I was disgusting and actually made me quite unwell! Wouldn’t recommend this place to my worst enemy!

Bland veg, tough beef. Very basic boring menu. The website needs updating pronto!!!! 2/3rds of the menu deep fried and unhealthy!!!! AVOID

We usually go to the Wheatsheaf in Tempsford and are never disappointed but we fancied a change... We booked a table for 1.30pm, ordered basic Sunday lunches from the very limited Sunday menu which didn't arrive until 2.40pm. The staff are friendly but the service is very poor. Three of us had roast beef, 2 small slices to be precise. Burnt roast potatoes and burnt Yorkshire puds. The vegetables were tasteless. The gravy was plentiful and quite nice. Tallish desserts were served with short spoons. It's feels unpolished and not quite there. My friends and I won't be going again but don't let me put you off. Try it and see what you think.

We came here for dinner and whilst the menu was slightly different to that I saw online there was a nice selection of mains (mainly steak as it was steak night) but only two starters - soup of the day or mackerel and poached egg which was very well presented and tasty.

Visited the Royal Oak this evening for dinner with a friend and had the mussels with sweet potato fries as I really fancied it and I am so glad I went for them. The mussels in white wine sauce were mouth watering and the sweet potato fries were cooked to perfection. All of the staff were lovely and very helpful and I will gladly say I will be returning to the pub!

I visited this pub today with a friend and was really disappointed with the food we were served. I had fish and chips which should have been served with mushy peas but came with normal peas. The chunky chips were undercooked and the batter on the fish was very bland and pale. My friend had the rump steak which was very tough and the ‘creamy’ mash which was served with it was full of lumps. Although the food was below average for the price, the main problem was the fact that, firstly no steak knife was offered with the steak, there was no salt and pepper on the table and no one asked us if we had enjoyed the meal or if everything was ok. Won’t be returning.

Like previous reviewers I visited as we had previously been here but grew tired, so as it was under new ownership we thought we'd give it a go. Really disappointed!

We visited the Royal Oak often when Jo and Colin ran it and had eaten many delicious meals. As it was under new ownership we naturally were curious to see what changes had been made. Sadly no good ones judging from the sub standard food we were served. Where to start? The starter "special" prawn cocktail with a twist was a prawn cocktail on a plate....whoa some twist!! Two of us ordered burgers and honestly we struggled to eat them. The only reason we managed it was because it was tiny. Literally fit in the palm of my hand. Served in a brioche bun, ungrilled, this over cooked, dry burger was wholly lacking in flavour or imagination. Desperately crying out for some seasoning, onion, herbs, anything really than simply grilled mince. Then to add insult to injury it was dumped in the bun with a couple of slices of gherkin and a slice of tomato. No lettuce?! Not a jot of relish?! What's wrong with these people? They need locking up for crimes to grilled food.

We last visited The Royal Oak in February, when we had an excellent meal; so on the occasion of our birthdays we booked a table, intending to have one of the steaks listed on the website menu. So we were very disappointed to be told on our arrival that the restaurant had been taken over by new owners and that website was out of date – there was no steak.

We have recently revisited The Royal Oak as it has just been taken over. We went on Easter Sunday and had a Roast dinner. We had the Roast Beef and my 1 year old had the Roast chicken. Everything tasted amazing, and there was plenty of food with extra vegetables provided. The atmosphere was nice and relaxed and very Family friendly.

Really lovely interior. Chips were amazing! Sadly no options for a vegan as everything had meat or cheese on it. Hopefully they can think of something in the future to serve and I’d really like to return. Staff were really lovely too!

We didn't book, trusting to luck and arriving early enough to get an empty table on a Saturday. Our reception was warm, the service excellent and the food likewise. I had the Royal Oak Black and Blue Burger, my wife the Steak, Mushroom and Baby Onion Pie. Each came with hand-cut chips that were just great; the burger had a delicious and fresh salad and the pie came with beautifully cooked vegetables. Both meals were filling and delicious.

A straight forward lunch, just the 4 of us my meal a juicy well cooked Gammon Steak with Duck egg and 1/4 of a baby pineapple and apple pie with ice cream.

What a nice old pub. Passed this place a million times as it's local but had my first visit on the weekend for a family birthday. Plenty of parking, the lovely old beams and roaring open fire are the first things that welcome you inside, there's a well stocked bar and the menu varied. I had a stilton, bacon and mushroom starter that was to die for and beef medallions for my main. All very nice and decent potton sizes, my 5 fellow diners meals all looked delicious too. I only had ice cream for desert but there were 6 flavours to choose from. Definitely somewhere I will suggest going for a nice meal in the future.

Stumbled across the Royal Oak after a Sunday walk and were looking forward to a good pub lunch. My partner ordered tomato and basil soup and the risotto. The soup tasted distinctly like Heinz and his risotto had no taste with the consistency of rice pudding. My portobello mushroom with bacon and stilton was nice but the butterfly prawns and chips were average, maybe even frozen produce. Would’ve happily paid £25 for this quality food not £42, as we did.

Have been to The Royal Oak twice, once for Sunday lunch and once on a Saturday. The food was delicious both visits and very generous portions that we all struggled to finish everything. We have found the waiting staff incredibly friendly and attentive. We have just moved to the area and this has quickly become one of dour favourite places to eat.

Very disappointing visit, menu looked good, reviews were good but our meals were average at best and poor at worst....