The Royal Oak in Ryedale

We found this gem of a place while touring Yorkshire. We went in on a busy Saturday night and without a booking however they still accommodated 7 of us. Food was fantastic, fresh and interesting, the Great Gatsby certainly earned it's name! 10/10.

Passed by yesterday, everything is has it should be

A great pub with great food and service. If you fancy something different this is the place to go. The South Africa dishes we had were delicious. The owner was very friendly and went to all the guests to see how they and the food was.

Good old fashioned pub grub, reasonable price, proper English pub

Would 100% recommend this pub, it was our first time visiting and all the staff were so friendly and welcoming. The food was just as delicious and really quick service. The owner checked on everyone to make sure the food was okay. The steak gatsby was huge and amazing!

Called in for a evening meal on our way back to holiday cabin and what a find.staff were friendly and helpful,we ordered a couple of the south afrian dishes and so glad we did the scewers were to die for.If your in the area you must give here a try.

Great little dog friendly pub with a lovely sun trap beer garden.

Booked this pub for a party of 12, on a Friday night, with 24 hours notice. Steve couldn't have been more helpful or accomodating, managing to get us three tables inside all right next to each other and allowing us to move tables in the beer garden for pudding. And the food was superb - plenty for everyone including the vegetarians and vegans in the group, big portions and delicious. Also got some recommendations for what South African dishes to try next time - because we'll definitely be back!

Lovely lunch, highly recommended!

Lovely friendly pub , great service. The £9:50 Sunday dinners were smaller than expected. One small piece of meat and one roast potato . I did think they had forgotten to put the other potatoes on then realised everyone only had one 😁. You can ask for more vegetables though. The food we did have was lovely. I would recommend the desserts 😋 nice big portions too.

Fantastic food with really welcoming owners who are always present, happy and down to talk. The only beer garden I know of that offers free suncream too! 100% recommend!

First time that we have been and it won't be the last. The food was delicious, my husband had the Steak Gatsby sandwich, which was huge, and he nearly managed all of it.

Absolute gem of a pub. Gorgeous inside and beautiful beer garden. Great Sunday roast with good veggie option. Thoughtful menu catering to gluten free, veggie and vegan palates which is really appreciated in a country pub! Very friendly staff too. Malva pudding was delicious!

First visit to The Royal Oak in Old Malton. Had a traditional South African dish and my girlfriend had a burger. The food was really nice. The staff were very attentive and accommodating. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. We are looking forward to going again and trying more of the menu.

After having lived in South Africa most our lives, a place that serves SA type food as well as the usual pub fare is somewhere you have to try if you’re in the area. The Gatsby is huge and the bunny chow with the Cape Malay take as opposed the usual Durban curry flavour was also nice. All washed down with an old SA Spur favourite the Dom Pedro (with sambucca as the flavour). Host was great to share some chat with and the service was also prompt and friendly. Am telling anyone we know to give it a try if they are ever in the area.

Very fine food establishment, great staff and an extremely friendly atmosphere!!

Lovely food, fabulous beer garden and wonderful, friendly staff!!

Well run pub/eatery serving mostly South African fayre. Very different from the normal run of the mill eatery. We loved it. thank you

Stopped here one Sunday lunchtime. Sunday roast only available the day we went. Generous portions and reasonably priced. Would visit again if in area.

Excellent pub,great beer garden ,good food and beer and the friendliest staff Highly recommend

It’s hard to find a perfect pub… I’ve spent a long time looking but finally, here it is! Food, beer are great but the service is what makes it perfect, awesome staff👍

Lovely pub menu looked great but we only had a couple of drinks, decent prices, great staff. Dog friendly

Very nice places to eat 👌 will be going again

After spending the day out at Castle Howard we went looking for a good eatery. My sister googled and found the Royal Oak in Old Malton. To look at it from outside it is your quintessential british pub with a really nice beer garden but the menu has a mixture of british classics with some African thrown in. My sister was defeated by the Gatsby, a 12 inch sub filled to the brim with steaky goodness. They also had some fish dishes and curried dishes on the menu. It was a very impressive selection. We had our dogs with us in the beer garden as it was sunny but they also had a room marked Dog room within the building. The owners and the staff were really friendly and welcoming.

Brilliant pub! Always have lovely service at the bar, and the staff are wonderful. Our new local and we always look forward to coming back 😍

Great little pub with good quality food and drink

Spent a weekend in Malton and as on previous visits called at Royal Oak in Old Malton. Beer festival on, which is always so well organized. All staff unbelievable helpful and so chatty. Steve and Amanda have a fantastic place. Food great and live music excellent. The up and down weather did not put a dampener on it- how could it??? Well done guys, we will be back!

A very lovely pub. Had an excellent meal.Not warmed up food . Good fresh food. Not expensive . Staff are polite and very friendly. In the area for a weekend visit and wish we could have stayed longer. Hope to call back again . Keep up the good work.

The atmosphere, food and choice of beers are exceptional thanks to Steve and Amanda and their great staff. The food is first class and very reasonably priced. The choice of beers is amazing which always includes small private brewery ales. We visit here as often as we can and always get a very warm welcome. Many thanks

We found that there was very little in Malton town for lunch, as we were visiting the town for their famous food market. We were recommended to drive a mile away to Old Malton to the Royal Oak pub and kitchen. It is a superb example of a very tradtional country pub that serves first class quality food. A very friendly welcome and speedy delivery of food was appreciated. As well as fresh and very tasty standard English cuisine, there are some unusual items adapted from South African favourites, which was a welcome change. It is a Free House, so the choice of drinks is a treat also. Prices were very acceptable; we will be back!

Food was great with good sized portions

Lovely character full pub. The Sunday lunch was perfect and the service was nothing more than exceptional. We will definitely return soon.

Jus perfect. Welll kept ales, superb food , beautiful beer garden and fantastic hosts. Proper old school country pub. Can't fault it.

Friendly pub, with top quality food. Would recommend the bunny chow and Malva.

Like the idea its also dog friendly. Food was supurb, had the chicken chow bunny. Very nice. Going again tomozz to try another south african dish. Staff, owner fantastic. Food came quick and ales are nice. Lots of atmosphere. Thank you for a great experience.

Fabulous welcome,great atmosphere.Didnt have food,but the Sunday lunch looked and smelt AMAZING 👏 🤩 😋 Plus not expensive either 🫶

So happy we found this pub! Food amazing with lovely welcome and service. Would highly recommend and will definitely be back.

Gorgeous little find with delicious food and fabulous friendly staff..Lovely and clean too.. Definitely worth a look 😋😌

We visit Steve regularly for lunch and dinner. The prices are excellent whether you’re on the seniors menus or their regular daily manure which is updated seasonally. The welcome you get from Steve is second to none. A gentleman in the truest sense and a born comedian to boot. Everyone feels like they’re part of one big happy family. We have lunch for Birthdays with the family. We meet up with friends for lunch. We also have our evening just my wife and I. Valentines was especially good. The food is cooked and prepared by Amanda, Steve’s wife, and the menus is inventive and appetising whilst remaining traditional in every way. All the food served is cooked to order with the best ingredients from local farms etc. the staff are great, and even when busy, nearly every day, they still never rush you and have time for you. I have nothing but praise for both Steve and Amanda and their staff, who work tirelessly to ensure every customer leaves full and feeling a valued part of the Royal Oak.

Excellent quality service and friendly staff. Great atmosphere and dog friendly.

This is a hidden gem excellent food and fantastic staff

This correspondent has a penchant for establishments managed by eccentric fellows and their correspondingly diverse regulars. The fellow in question, one Steven Purcell, is no truer an example. The whole team are outstanding, well trained and true professionals. Food is always of high quality and the menu suitably small yet diverse to maintain high quality. Ale is constantly rotating, with one regular house beer beautifully made by Yorkshire Heart Brewery. The regulars, are dealt with as family, despite the scrum at the bar. Jamie and Ben are psychic and will have a regular's beer poured and ready as the last pint is sunk... The beer garden is beautifully managed by Amanda. It is a wonderful oasis and unique in Old Malton, or even New Malton. This is a perfect place to eat, drink, make merry, turn up for a quiet drink or chat with friends. What joy to have a place such as this run by such a wonderful couple and their excellent team!

Visited whilst on holiday with baby and dog. Small pub with lots of character. Varied menu. Delicious food and fantastic service! Gets very busy. Would recommend,

Small traditional pub offering good range of real ales.Run by South African couple.4 South African based meals on the menu.We both had a mild curry dish.One chicken,one vegetarian.My chicken one was ok but I wouldn’t have it again.Too mild and insipid.My wife really enjoyed hers and would have it again.Landlord and staff are brilliant with service and conversation.

Called in for a beer initially, read the reviews and decided to take the missus for dinner the following evening! The beer is fab, the food was great, the staff first class and a landlord full of personality!! Why on earth would you drive by?? See you again soon!!

We visited this pub on Wednesday evening. It was a really lovely, quaint pub with excellent food. The service was superb. It was busy but we weren’t rushed at all. I ate one of the delicious burgers and my partner ate the bunny chow, which he enjoyed. We shared one of the apricot puddings. The portions are very generous and we were stuffed! Definitely recommend and the dog enjoyed herself too! We hope to go back when we are in the area again.

Enjoyed seniors lunch with my wife. We both thought it was good value. Will go again. Advisable to book in advance as it's very popular

Had the steak Gatsby... It was amazing. We were a table of 8 and all the food was really really good! Great portion sizes and really good quality food. Service was amazing. Highly recommended

What a lovely place. The food was excellent. The staff were so helpful and cheerful and Steve is real character and good fun and his wife Amanda is welcoming and friendly. I would highly recommend the Royal Oak for food ,ale wine and ambiance. Will certainly be coming back.

We went there with my father Feb 3rd 2024 2:30pm and were told that the food (not just any dish but all the food is over) and that only drinks are available while there were at least 3 tables with served food. I guess don’t go there if you are a tourist, I can’t give this place negative stars unfortunately.

Exalant food staff exalant we going to the pie night john pattinson Medium

We received a very warm and friendly welcome, immediately shown to our table and our requested drinks soon followed. We ordered the South African style food, Bobotie and Chicken Sosaties, followed by a Malva Pudding each. All the dishes were really, really good, well cooked and presented. The staff were very attentive friendly and efficient. We left the Royal Oak well fed and happy, we will soon return for more good food and great service...

Visited this place on a cold and icy winter night. The welcome was warm, the pub busy and engaging and the food delicious. The starters of soup and salt and peer squid were well received and the mains equally tasty with a South African twist. It was plentiful without being over the top. Lovely atmosphere and the host was delightful to chat with. Turns out he knew our home place as he’d had “The Victoria” years before.

This pub/restaurant is ideal for all occasions. Just had a lovely Christmas meal with 5 other friends. Food was delicious, service was excellent and quick and all staff were friendly and helpful. Could not have asked for a better venue.

We love the Royal Oak! We come from Wakefield every so often for the fabulous Sunday dinners. We’re always greeted like old friends. The pub is so warm and welcoming in winter with a lovely beer garden to eat outside in better weather. The food is so good but the absolute best thing on the plate is the cauliflower cheese. Oh my goodness!! If you have room, the crumbles are gorgeous too. Such a marvellous place. Try it. You won’t be disappointed 😊

Called in on a Tuesday lunchtime not expecting the place to be packed out. Having been lucky enough to get a table (thank you landlord) we can see why. The food and service was excellent - we tried the South African dishes and are so glad we did. Delicious! We shall book next time…..

We had a great meal for two. Tried a South African influenced dish which was really interesting... tasty, hot and plentiful. Good hosts!

Amazing place to visit with tasty food, friendly staff and reasonable prices. Definitely recommend.

A chance visit to Malton and the need to eat found us at the Royal Oak and what a delight it was. We declined the wide choice of starters an opted for the South African inspired mains which were fully explained to us by the owner. Mine was the Bunny Chow, a large crusty bread bun filled with a medium spicy curry which remained hot until the last mouthful. My partner chose the Soasties, chicken pieces served on skewers along with yellow rice and side salad. For dessert, we opted for the Malva pudding and we're not disappointed, so light it was. Real ale on tap, the porter was superb. Lovely to see open fires in very pleasant bar area.

Lovely family run pub offering great pub food with a South African twist. Received a warm friendly welcome from Steve and his staff and enjoyed excellent food in a relaxed cosy atmosphere. Highly recommended

Stumbled on the The Royal Oak whilst staying with friends in the area. Lovely cosy bar. Warm welcome from staff. The owner Steven was friendly and attentive. They were full on a weekday lunch so definitely call ahead as the pub food is excellent.

Stumbled on the The Royal Oak whilst staying with friends in the area. Lovely cosy bar with good choice of beers. Warm welcome from staff who offered advice on drinks and gave us testers. The owner Steven was super friendly and attentive. They were full on a weekday lunch so its advisable to call ahead as the pub food is excellent.

Well looked after fot entering to leaving and good food at very reasonable prices

Called in for lunch with our 2 cocker spaniels. From the moment we walked through the door the staff made us both feel very welcome. Service was excellent, we ordered the steak sandwiches with chips to share and it was well presented and delicious. The...

We were in the area for a weekend and arrived without a booking with two dogs in tow. Pub was fully booked but we were offered a table in the marquee where we were able to relax next to the patio heater. The staff were...

Food was amazing! We went for the pensioners special expecting your normal ‘pub grub’ but were delighted with our dishes! Beautifully presented and fabulous flavours. Lovely friendly staff, shout out to our young waiter! Cosy atmosphere will deffo be back sooner rather than later 😀😀

Had a fantastic meal here on our way back from a short break in Whitby. We opted to share a Gatsby so we still had room to try the South African dessert and I have to say the food was fantastic, we absolutely loved it. The staff were very welcoming and attentive and the owner even came over to chat to us for a bit too and make sure everything was OK. It was so good, we are now trying to plan another trip to the area mostly so we can visit the pub again and try a few more of the South African dishes!

We rang up on saturday to book a table for 4 plus a dog after having a let down at another establishment. Greeted with smiles shown our table drinks ordered waiter came for our food order we all had the steak submarine with chips as an extra. Lovely atmosphere very busy. Food arrived it was fabulous so much steak it was perfect we all thoroughly enjoyed our lunch there we will be back of that I am certain. First class pub/restaurant we will recommend this venue

Vacationing from U.S. and excited to have senior course lunch we saw online before visiting Castle Howard. Both age 62 and told we couldn’t order senior lunch unless we were 65. Dozens of people came in after who announced they were excited to be 60 and could get senior lunch; which they were all allowed to do. Really disappointed as that course lunch looked way better than my burger…

Old styled pub beer garden lovely place to be in service excellent food good staff very attentive 👌

We were greeted by lovely hosts . The beer was spot. We all had a meal it was beutyfull. Thanks to all. See you all soon again Regards. Philip.

Booked this place for a meal with friends while we were staying in the area and found out they do a Pie Night. You have to pre-book the pies, in case they run out. Great meal, very busy place but the staff were very friendly...

Lovely midweek lunch with a friend. Beautiful food (senior citizens’ lunch) Excellent service. Very friendly hosts. We really enjoyed ourselves, and I very much appreciated the help to get down the step at the front as my mobility is impaired. Thank you all… we look...

Did not start seving food early

Food was OK. The steak was very tough and overcooked. Staff and service were brilliant and very accommodating for our party of 7. Parking outside was a problem but large car park opposite.

Great find! Lovely atmosphere and Fabulous food. Plenty of choice on the menu. Chargrilled chicken sosaties yum! Book first if you can so you won’t be disappointed.

Lovely old pub. Busy even though September locals frequent and visitors. Good food and excellent service.

Lovely welcoming pub excellent beers and food. Lovely beer garden.

Already written a review for this wonderful establishment but felt one needed to be done on TripAdvisor! We visited this quaint pub with family. We didn't book but were welcomed and found a lovely spot to sit in the pretty beer garden. The menu had...

We decided to go to the Royal Oak as we couldn’t find somewhere suitable in Malton. And what a great decision it turned out to be. Firstly, we received a very warm and friendly welcome from all of the staff. We sat outside and ordered...

Hadn't booked but made to feel so welcome. The service was absolutely excellent. We ordered with Jamie, think that's who ! He said he'd been there for a week. He was so nice and friendly but not too much. He seemed to cope with the pressure and the workload too. The food was amazing! Well cooked and presented. Swift delivery and swift clearing of the table. The place seemed to get very busy quickly but that didn't seem to delay any food for the other patrons. It appeared there were quite a lot of regulars which says it all. Absolutely faultless. We'd been here on holiday from Lancashire and just wish we had a lovely ,more local place like this. Thank you. Marvellous!

Such a great pub, the beer is always perfect and the food is amazing. They also the best beer garden

Fabulous pub , warm,clean and full of character. Food excellent , recommend the Bunny ! Pie night on Thursday not to be missed, and very good Sunday dinner. Advisable to book as is very popular with locals. Steve is an excellent host and we had...

Visited on pie night and wasn't disappointed. Made very welcome by the owner Steve and his friendly staff. Plenty of treats for the dog. Lovely relaxed atmosphere. A must if your in Malton.

Went for the beer festival and it was great. Plenty of interesting drinks and a nice atmosphere. Worth the walk out of malton or the 840 bus stops outside

This is a great pub with an innovative menu, with some dishes having a South African twist: all delicious. The menu has vegetarian options and has a non-alcoholic beer option on draft (which is great and unusual for the area). The pub itself has a beautiful garden and a cosy fire in winter. The pub also allows dogs. I cannot recommend this pub more highly. The landlord is always sunny and bright and really cares about his customers. You’ll feel at home here.

Beautiful authentic pub with very friendly staff and great food

Lovely atmosphere, very friendly staff, great food. Staff were friendly and helpful as soon as we arrived. Plenty to choose from on the menu but not one of those pubs that tries to do 100 choices. They just do a dozen choices very well. Food...

Understandably popular pub with lovely garden, welcoming staff, and some great South African inspired food on the menu.

Delicious food, brilliant service & lovely atmosphere. Booked a table for 3 inside however the weather was lovely so requested a table outside, it seemed like nothing was too much trouble even though we kept moving tables 😂 Menu all sounded delicious and we will be back to try the other dishes. Very well run pub and staff are a credit to the business. Thankyou very much x

Walked in with no booking and were made to feel really welcome by the young lady who was waiting tables. She offered us a table in the marquee even though the pub was fully booked which was kind and helpful. We had our dog and...

Stopped off for some food after a long day of sightseeing. Nice dog friendly pub. Friendly staff, quick service and the Scampi and chips hit the spot.

We visited for dinner last week with our girls and I couldn’t recommend this charming, old pub enough. The staff were so friendly and the food was excellent. My veggie lasagna was absolutely delicious. Great after a day at Flamingo land

Very accommodating, squeezed us in last minute, amazing food and people. Best burger I've had I my life!

What a great, clean and friendly pub.....a credit to the owners.... Well done - exactly what a traditional English country pub should be

Was early for an appointment and past this pub and decided to call in for a drink . We were greeted straight away and made to feel very welcome . We ordered drinks from a charming guy behind the bar and the owner told us about the seating area outside which is what we opted for. A small marquee is in the garden if weather isn’t so good and there’s is a beautiful garden and hanging baskets .. the smell of food was too much to resist and we ordered lunch ..scampi and chips and an egg mayonnaise sandwich with a side salad . Both were lovely .. The pub itself is charming , Olde Worlde with low ceilings and really quaint. Would definitely recommend for a lovely meal and friendly welcome… oh and dog friendly Def 5*

Excellent food. We couldn't fault the service and all staff so friendly. and attentive. I would thoroughly recommend a visit. Thank you Royal Oak.

We stayed at a campsite just along the river in our camper van. A little walk and we were ready for refreshment. A quality IPA to enjoy and an interesting menu to choose from. I went for the chicken kebab skewers with apricot and curry...

Amazing find where we had the tastiest, cosiest dinner after a day of exploring the area! Would 100% recommend and wish we lived nearby so we could become regulars. The food was delicious, and the staff were so incredibly friendly and made us feel so...

Great selection of well kept real ales, took advantage of pensioner specials at lunchtime, great value for money, good menu, great service, tasty food.