The Royal Oak in Wiltshire

Put aside the minor-celebrity connections and take this place for what it is - a perfect blend of tiny inn, gastropub and locals hangout. Our stay was for two nights giving us the chance to take in the countryside and visit the cathedral at Salisbury. We were lucky with the weather which gave us the opportunity to enjoy the pub garden while the locals chatted at the bar. The food was tremendous (I recommend the cod or the duck). We had breakfast on both days in the oak room which is a great place to start your day. A special mention should go to the room’s shower (we stayed in the Wardour Room) which was astounding.

Visited for a mid week lunch, the location is in a quite pretty village. On arrival the staff were very friendly and asked if we wanted a drink in the bar before our meal. We sat inside in the nice and new looking seating area. The menu is on the pricy side, but the food was very good quality and tasty. We ordered the classic burger and duck for main, with an arctic roll and chocolate pot for desserts. I asked for a modification to my dessert and it was done with no problem at all. We really enjoyed our lunch and will be returning again.

We visited after seeing two reviews on YouTube. It was a bit of a drive from West Sussex but wow the pub is in the most beautiful countryside. Lovely pub decor-wise, great garden and restaurant nicely laid out. They had a good range of beers. We chose the burger with hand cut chips. It was honestly the best burger we’ve ever had. Nothing comes close to this. Home made burger was just melt in the mouth. It was dressed with smokey bacon, Oglesford cheese, pickles and fresh salad. Looking forward to a future visit to sample some of the other dishes, it was great food!

We stayed here as well as dined here. Everything was fantastic. The most friendly welcoming staff. We felt so invited and included here. It was a special menu for trivia night and there were so many interesting options. Food was all inspired and delicious. Great drinks menu as well. Breakfast the next morning was also wonderful.

The food was good, we booked in on the way back from Holiday as a stop to have Lunch on the way back ( had to call them as we were going to be 30 mins late because of traffic and they were very accommodating about it ). I was particularly looking forward to it as it's dog friendly and they had a "doggy" menu. Both mine and my wife's food was great, I had a delicious Steak and my wife loved the Souffle and said it was very filling although I and the dog were very disappointed in the "doggy menu" it was a pre-prepared packaged meal of dog biscuits and two meat treats inside :( she only ate the chicken of the bone. Two main meals and two soft drinks and drinks and dog biscuits came to £66, not cheap but it was for the experience of going to "James Pub". Pleasant friendly service from the staff but found the old person on the table behind us with his family a bit "stuck up and rude" as we obviously weren't local, I heard him mutter something rude about me/us that I nearly called him out on. The car park is very small and the customers like to park their cars with plenty of room to get out of there. Us 6/10, Dog 0/10.

I am dead fussy about a roast dinner not cooked at home….. this place was recommended to me and did not disappoint! We had roast beef and pork. Portions were perfect, Yorkshires on both. Fantastic sides and the meat was delicious.It is more expensive than most, but I think it was worth it. Lovely setting and the staff were lovely, we were 10 mins late (we did phone) but they made us feel like it was no problem.100% will visit again.Thank you!

I visited the Royal Oak as part of a 20-strong 40th birthday party - we had the conservatory all to ourselves and the staff could not have been more helpful or professional - the food was exceptionally good and the real ale to a high standard as befits a charming country pub set in a beautiful quiet village - I strongly recommend this pub which has been very tastefully restored and has retained it's character !

We had been looking to book here for a while so we were excited to finally to get a chance to experience it. When we got there the car park was already busy, a good sign, we made our way in and we were greeted straight away by a lovely chap with a very friendly attitude. Straight away you think to yourself what a great place. He introduced us to our waitress and see lead us through to the conservatory. It was nice and quiet and only one other table had guest on it. The menu was easy to navigate and plenty of choice. I went for the fish and the good lady had a Steak. Food arrived promptly and was excellently cooked, nice size portions and our waitress was very attentive to our needs. The nice Chap who greeted us also came in to see how we were enjoying things, he seemed to have a great overview of how everything was doing there that night. We will be going here again and again after such good service. We were going to take our dog but she was a little tired form a day at the groomers but next time we will as dogs are allowed in the restaurant.

Toller Pub! Das Personal einfach super, sehr freundlich und aufmerksam. Mit sechs Zimmern ist das Royal Oak auch recht überschaubar. Die Betten sind so gemütlich, dass man fast gar nicht mehr aufstehen möchte. Das Essen dort ist einfach fantastisch. Die Portionen sind ausreichend und es gibt auch vegetarische/vegane Gerichte. Und man kann hier den Gin von James May probieren bzw. kaufen. Der Empfang als auch das W-LAN sind zuweilen etwas schlecht, aber ansonsten bin ich wirklich restlos begeistert von dieser tollen Unterkunft.

My husband had made a booking back in August 2021 for March 2022, however I (his wife) received an email stating that I had made a duplicate booking to which I expressed that although I had been looking at the rooms, I had not booked a further room to my knowledge. I then received an email to state that my husband’s reservation had been cancelled. I called to see what was happening as we still intended to stay at the weekend, however I unluckily got the Landlord CHRIS BRYETT. Whilst trying to explain what had happened, he kept talking over me and telling me to calm down! I was calm, I was just trying to articulate what had happened regarding the emails, but he had no intentions of listening to a woman! Calm and polite throughout I asked to speak to the Manager, he went away but then came back on the phone asking how he could help!! I reiterated that I wanted to speak to the manager and that’s when he told me he was the owner. No wonder he had to get investors in, with his attitude he was probably haemorrhaging money. As I wasn’t getting anywhere I had to end the call, especially at the moment he patronisingly call me 'DARLING'. In this day and age!!!! He needs to stop taking phone calls as he has ABSOLUTELY NO CUSTOMER SERVICE and his speak is archaic. Low and behold we cancelled the entire trip away here. Who wants to stay in a place where they treat you like this?!

Lovely pub with super friendly staff, nice rooms, great food and set in beautiful surroundings. Highly recommended for a weekend break.

We’ve just arrived home from a really lovely overnight stay at the Royal Oak. We had dinner and breakfast here and both were really lovely. The staff are super friendly and attentive. The accommodation and pub itself are fabulous. Only positive things to say! We’ll definitely be back.

Warm welcome, attentive and friendly service, fabulous menu and delicious food, presented beautifully. Highly recommend!

Great ambience, great food and lovely Friendly team. You would struggle to find anywhere like this. Yes you may have to wait a bit sometimes but that gives you time to eat and enjoy having a meal. For those who want a speedy meal, go to a fast food take away shop!

Dreadful. I'm sorry; I don't do reviews but in this case I need to make an exception. The service was dreadful. The young people waiting were nice enough but to be asked if we'd like to order a dessert when we hadn't had of main course is frankly ridiculous. 45 mins to get served. The duty manager ignored everyone except one couple who he fawned over.Not worth the journey to get there.

5 of us ate at The Royal Oak, including a child. We all had a different dish and everyone said the food was delicious. It was great value for money and the young lady that served us (so sorry I didn't get her name!) was very attentive, polite, friendly and professional. We haven't been there for years and will definitely go back. The artwork on the walls was fantastic too - all by Wiltshire College students - so much so that my husband is buying 1 of the paintings!

Overnight stay in the twin room, with dinner and breakfast in the restaurant. Very clean and comfortable room, and delicious perfectly cooked food. Nothing was too much trouble for Chris and team. Surrounded my lovely walks. Would not hesitate to recommend and intend to return.

Went to this pub for lunch with my husband. Fantastic surroundings, staff attentive and helpful but!! The chips were dreadful. When the price for fish and chips is £15 you expect (well I do) triple cooked crispy chips. Fish was lovely but the chips were I’m sure frozen - how hard is it to prepare and cook a decent chip?????

My eldest daughter was visiting from Cheshire today so we went to the Royal Oak for lunch. I had whitebait followed by cheese soufflé , Waldorf salad and chips. All of which was excellent. The others enjoyed their food too. The the pub was really light, bright and comfortable. It was a a first class experience. We were, however a bit underwhelmed by our welcome in the bar but I suppose you can’t have everything. The service by our young waitress more than made up for this!

As a lover of good ale and food, I've always chosen my UK breaks by the proximity of the local pub and what it offers.Having stayed in cottages and pubs in nearby villages of Alvediston, Ebbesbourne Wake and Lower Chicksgrove, I was familiar with the village of Swallowcliffe, and when the opportunity of staying in a cottage there arose, I had to take it having read the history and reports on the Royal Oak. My stay was twice delayed because of Covid, but this only enhanced my anticipation to a point that I was aware I may be disappointed. I needn't have worried. The venue has that old and established welcoming external look, and on entering I was slightly taken aback by the contrasting interior....clean and bright, but you soon realise that it has tastefully been designed to incorporate features like the open fireplace and wood beams.I'm aware that it's all too easy to only see positives in experiences we've spent ages looking to, but the food, drink and overall ambience of this lovely venue were excellent...enhanced by an attentive and very polite barman. This is a venue that I certainly intend to visit again.

Visiting an old friend in Wiltshire gave us the opportunity for an overnight stay at the Royal Oak.Plenty of parking was a good start and the cheerful welcome on booking in by Harry was a good sign for what was to come,Our room and bright,clean and well equipped with a bathroom I wish we had at home.The bar featured a good range and choice of both cask and craft ales.Our meal served by a lovely young lady,whose name I`m sorry to say I`ve forgotten was quickly prepared and more than just good it was excellent.If you get the opportunity order the pint of prawns it was the very best of seafood.The manager Chris was in attendance and personifies the best qualities on innkeeping,a dying art these days but it lives on at the Royal Oak

Wanted to have a dinner above the ordinary but without having to empty my bank account. The Royal Oak helped me achieve both in spades. A fairly short menu cleverly covered so much ground and was so well laid out that my vegetarian and lactose intolerant dinner guest, firstly had choices and secondly did not have to discuss it with the staff as it was all clear to see. Enormously satisfying food, very willing staff, great location and a wonderful building. Well worth seeking out regardless of whether you are a Top Gear fan or not.

Excellent stay at the Royal Oak. Staff were superb and so friendly and helpful. Delicious dining and super comfortable rooms with personal touches. Enjoyed local dog walks followed by drinks in front of the cosy fire. Thank you to the landlord and staff for looking after us so well!

The Royal Oak isn’t trying to be poncey or clever. You won’t be bamboozled by beers from every corner of the world, while the barman starts a three-hour rant about how Armenian ale is ‘really coming on’. You won’t be served pigeon testicles in a light badger sauce for fifty quid, followed by hand-churned llama milk ice-cream, garnished with twatberries. The Royal Oak just wants its patrons to sit in comfort with a decent drink and enjoy a perfectly made pub classic. It’s a place expertly managed on a day-to-day basis by a reassuringly stout Yorkshireman, presiding over a friendly, talented team of kitchen, bar and waiting staff.The building itself has been renovated sympathetically to a very high standard. The dining area extends into the large beer garden, with solid wood beams supporting floor-to-ceiling windows that make the most of the rural setting. Inside, the furniture is almost exclusively provided by the local craftsman, Matthew Burt. His hand-made tables can go for more than £15,000, so it’s probably polite not to etch ‘Sharon waz ere’ on the surface. And use the beer mats. But fixtures and fittings mean nothing if the plonk and the grub aren’t up to spec’, and this is where The Royal Oak really shines.As a group arriving for lunch, we sampled a lot that the menu has to offer: venison, beef, plaice, cheese souffle, a burger. Without exception the dishes were excellent; packed with flavour and heaped high on their respective plates, complementing our delicious yet inexpensive red wine. Even the humble chip had been elevated to something crisp and golden beyond this cholesterol fan’s filthiest dreams. Relaxing with port and a fine selection of British cheeses for dessert, I couldn’t remember another pub – that wasn’t overtly courting Michelin inspectors – that had got so many details right. The one wrinkle, common to just about every successful village pub, is parking. If you do insist on carting the family around in the Lamborghini Urus, be sure to decant the kids and elderly relatives before you embark on a 57-point turn into the four-foot gap left by all the other giant 4x4s. If you can, for the sake of the local villagers if no one else, do think about walking or cycling, or at least car sharing. Ultimately, bounce through the front door on a space hopper if you must, it’ll be worth it. If you’re in the area, I thoroughly recommend that you get yourself booked.

Went for our 1 year wedding anniversary, as well as my husband being a huge fan of James May. The staff were so friendly and couldn’t do enough for you. The food was amazing. We had a 4 course lunch, can’t pick a favourite, all were outstanding. We will certainly be back and bringing the family next. Thanks to all the staff!

Lovely staff welcoming and helpful with advice on beers etc. Very covid aware with spacious dining area. A good menu and nice ambiance

Have visited here twice now and bowled over by the service and quality of food. The food is beautifully presented and totally delicious. Lovely welcoming and efficient staff. I would highly recommend the Sunday roasts. I will definitely return to this pub again soon.

Originally booked for 3 nights but ended up booking another night. Lovely room but only one thing .... no wardrobe but on the flip side I suspect most people probably stay one or two nights only so probably not required the same. Staff were absolutely brilliant. Small incident during one evening due to burst water pipe was dealt with efficiently whilst trying to look after the customers in the restaurant. Food was delicious if a little pricey but worth every penny.Great getaway for a romantic weekend. Salisbury and Shaftesbury close by for exploring. Well done to all concerned. Really can't wait to come back.

We came in 19th October - were served by Harry who makes lovely cocktails! He was so polite all evening and very attentive! We were also served a couple of times by the lovely lady that was on the same shift (didn’t catch her name). Food was lovely! And happy to smash Harry’s cocktail making record! Not sure if we should be proud or... Thank you for the service and good food, we have very much enjoyed our visit, 100% recommend.

Very impressed with everything and everyone here at the pub. Had a lovely birthday meal for my wife. Warm welcome from the Starr, attentive service, great food and wine. Comfy bed with a lovely breakfast. Can't fault it. Thanks

Just returned from a knock-out dinner at The Royal Oak to celebrate my son’s 16th. The food was outstanding-tender (just off rare) venison cooked to perfection, mouth-watering mussel veloute with the hake and we all fought over the sticky toffee pudding. My husband loves his wine and couldn’t fault the selection. Staff are warm and friendly, without being overbearing and the whole pub was buzzing with lively chatter by 630pm. Couldn’t recommend enough and just hoping it’s someone’s birthday again soon!

Our eldest son wanted to dine here and, as he is going to uni soon and doesn’t usually want to be seen with us, we agreed to book.What a fabulous choice! The building itself is beautiful, the food out of this world and the service spot on. My husband and son were sinking the drinks with their meals so I was expecting a painful ending but no, the bill was surprisingly pleasant.If you’re not sure about wine pairings, a very knowledgeable sommelier is on hand to offer advice.We will certainly be going back.

What a wonderful meal we have just had at the Royal Oak. We had the mushroom soup and the hake and both were just superb. Probably in my 63 years one of the best pub meals I have ever tasted. The produce was fresh, the hake white with freshness and the combination of tastes was excellent. Wine was reasonably priced, well chilled and went down a dream in the beautiful gardens at the rear of the pub. Let’s not forget the sweets which were equally ‘yummy’.Service was impeccable, polite, efficient and relaxedExcellent 10/10 to all staff involved with our beautiful meal

Great building, sympathetically refurbished with a lovely dining room at the back, a nice mix of rustic beams and contemporary wooden furniture. Food was great - very well cooked and beautifully presented. We were less lucky with the service but to be fair to the young lad looking after us it was only his second shift and he hadn't quite got the hang of it (no spoon for the soup etc). If I were being picky I would suggest that if I had a member of staff that new I would supervise them more closely, but these are hard times for any pub. Overall definitely worth a visit. We will be back.

Went here as a walk in, at 13:00 on Sunday There were lots of free tables in the bar area and the garden both back and front the weather was warm and sunny. But oddly they said you had to book for food, which also stopped at 14:30. Surely supply and demand would have some impact. I can understand the need to book for the restaurant. although this did not seem very busy, you could not eat outside unless you had booked and they said they were fully booked. We were not greeted at the bar, staff seemed friendly but the was no interaction with us from the staff, they carried on like bees in a hive fixed on the job they had in handWe watched several couples get a drink find a table and then the look of disappointment as they were also told there was no food!Pub is ver clean and tidy (as you might expect from a quiet pub, the clients were mostly pensioners, as we listened to other clients say they knew of a few closer places that be open for food and for longer, we also decided to leave. In short if have not booked don’t bother

What a lovely little place, in a peaceful location. We stayed here in 2 rooms as a family for I night. The staff are great , the service was impeccable and food delicious both dinner & breakfast!The rooms are spacious and immaculate with the comfiest mattresses ever !!!

My husband and i enjoyed a 3 course lunch with a shared plate of cheese all washed down with a nice bottle of Red yesterday!Compliments to Chris and his Team for a wonderful experience.Next time we will book a room and stay over to not only experience Dinner but breakfast too!

met up with friends who we hadnt seen in over a year due to COVID. We arrived early which was no problem, and was shown to our table. Food was very good, my friend especiallly enjoyed his Duck. Steaks were done as asked and were tasty, and Fish and chips also very good.My husband particularly loved the orange profiteroles Very friendly staff and efficient

My friend and I hadn't met for over a year due to Covid. We live miles apart so met approximately halfway between us at The Royal Oak. I'm disabled, so I did my research to ensure a comfortable visit for me. This pub (we had lunch, didn't stay over) had everything I needed, and accommodated my requests. Level access, good parking, plenty of room to move about, accessible loo, provided a comfortable chair for me, and even assistance at the end of our meal helping me up. Once again THANK YOU for that, so much appreciated. We both had a fish dish, it was delicious. Excellent service, decor and atmosphere. I'd recommend this pub 100%.

Fantastic Sunday roast. Loved this place. The food and staff were so nice. Hidden gem of a pub/restaurant with a real warm feel to it. Food was amazing and well presented, staff were so friendly and welcoming. Would definitely go back a try the midweek menu at so point soon.

Superb Sunday lunch’s Fantastic friendly staff and a beautiful setting for great stroll through the countryside close by.

My friends and I came here for dinner and everything - absolutely everything - was delicious. Staff were lovely, nice relaxed atmosphere. I honestly couldn’t recommend this place enough.

We visited on Friday 30th July, the restaurant was reasonably busy, very friendly service and a well balanced menu. I had the half pint of prawns(beautiful huge fresh prawns) to start, my wife had the hummus.I had the primavera risotto for main, which was very special indeed, my wife had the ham off the bone, egg and chips, excellent. We shared a lovely bottle of Prosecco Brut. It is a lovely traditional pub vibe with a gastronomic twist. Highly recommended. We will visit when next in the area.

This lunch was an absolute delight. Recommended highly by my son who had already visited three times, he was persuaded to treat me - and boy! was it worth it!The gazpacho was cold - as it should be, with plenty of flavour and delightlfully presented. The slices of duck with cherries which we both had as our main were so tender, and again so attractively presented, with an accompanying dish of mixed vegetables. In my view the meal could not be faulted. The service was genuinely friendly and helpful. It made a lovely day out for me.

Closing without telling people who have booked is bad service. Covid or no covid. How difficult would it be to telephone.

Called in for a pint and a bite to eat, drinks never arrived and after asking about food even just a sandwich were told they were too busy, we left having wasted 30 minutes. With nil food or drink

we ordered two drinks at bar and had to pay before we actually were given them..To us this seems very odd,,,being into many , many pubs over the years and run our own as well..It was very expensive,as well..Anyway after this experience it put us off rather, so we went to lunch elsewhere....Cannot comment of the food therefore..

We had a fantastic time at The Royal Oak - thank you to Chris and your team for making us feel so welcome. Right from stepping in, we were made welcome and shown to our wonderful room (Win Green). Lovely, good quality decor and attention to detail throughout. Good selection of local ales, excellent evening meal and superb quality of customer service where we were made to feel special. We will return!

As you may know from previous reviews, I tell it straight, how it is.The Royal Oak at Swallowcliffe is a lovely gastro-pub, saved from obscurity and collapse a few years back, now into its new, second round ownership. I seriously wish James May and his partner all best wishes, good luck. They deserve it, after these bloody awful lockdown months of 2020 & 2021.My overall rating from an enjoyable lunch recently is 4½ Stars. Truth is they almost hit 5* in every category, but not quite.Menu is okay, what you expect to see and a few dishes you don't. Quality of the food was good to excellent, prices not over the top, but close.Service excellent, really friendly, charming, 5*.Wine list is typically (gastro-pub) arty-farty, with less of the 'what we like to drink' wines, more of the 'we think you will like these more obscure wines'. I am picky, it may be perfectly okay, so I'll move on...Decor lets the place down in that it is unimaginative throughout. 4*-. Tables and chairs in the conservatory are downright poor-quality, boring, and there could be a lot more country-colour throughout. It is, dare I say it, pretty basic.Having been a bit cruel there, overall it's a great place to go for a bloody good lunch/dinner.Good luck to them, my very best wishes, they deserve success. .

You might come here because you’ve heard of the owner. You’ll come back for the friendly helpful staff, the fantastic range of wines and beers and the exceptional food. The rooms above the pub are beautifully presented, very clean and comfortable!

After a long drive from Cornwall I stopped off and stayed the night at The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe and I have to say I was impressed. The accommodation was a big spacious room which was very clean and extremely comfortable…I couldn’t fault it. In the evening I had a meal and decided to go with the Pork…it was lovely! The portions are not to big but at the same time not small. It certainly isn’t pub food, that’s for sure, it’s a little bit more than that. It’s reasonably inexpensive and I think anybody that decides to dine here will not be disappointed. The waiting staff were very good also. Dessert I had the sticky toffee pud….yum yum!!! The bar area is slightly small and you can imagine a bottle neck being created if it gets to busy in the restaurant and garden which could slow things down during busy periods. You feel that a pub of this statue deserves a bigger bar, It certainly has the space to accommodate. The beer garden is lovely and is perfect for the hot summer days/nights. In the winter it would be a shame not to utilise this space and make it a covered outside alfresco dining experience with heaters. In the morning I took the opportunity to have breakfast as it was included in my room rate…Again it was very good and couldn’t fault it. All in all the management / owners have done a very good job with this pub. You can tell that a lot of thought has gone behind it and credit to them…I will certainly be back.

We visited The Royal Oak on a damp Monday evening but were warmly welcomed into the gorgeous Oak Room. Clearly tables had been reduced for social distancing purposes but this did not take anything away from the lovely setting even with the rain poring down outside. The service was swift and attentive. The food was well described on the menu and extremely well cooked and presented. The wine list is extensive and amusing. A great choice for any type of occasion. The bar area also looked very inviting and when the sun returns, which it will, the gardens looked a good sized for some alfresco dining.

We booked last minute and had a beautiful room (Ashcombe) and felt very at home from the moment we walked in. The food at dinner was excellent, as was the breakfast, made all the better by the excellent service from professional and friendly staff. Really looking forward to returning soon.

Known this pub for about 40 years Though we’d visit for Saturday lunch with friends as not eaten inside a pub since lockdown The food was lovely and certainly better than normal pub grub, the battered haddock was beautiful but the big chips could have been crisper & hotter I found the acoustics quite poor and it was really had to hear the conversation , probably due to the hard floors & furnitureWe were brought the bill before we’d ordered our desert There were a crazy amount of tables and chairs outside much too close to each other and they could do with loosing half of them !Great food but room for improvement !

We stayed here for a night in June with our 2 dogs. The staff were so welcoming and friendly, giving us fresh milk for our room and offering to help with bags. We settled in and came down for drinks in the bar area (they do a fabulous bloody mary), which is cosy and beautifully decorated. The bed was comfortable and the shower was lovely. Breakfast was included with our stay and it was fabulous. After breakfast we went for a walk (if you go download footpath on the app store as it is easy to plan a footpath walk), then came back for a delicious Ploughman's before heading off. W e really wish we has booked to stay longer nad wish we had a chance to try dinner. The food all looked wonderful. Thank you so much for our stay and we will be back soon.

Firstly, the setting of the pub is fabulous, tucked away in the pretty village of Swallowcliffe. The pub itself is very pretty and lovely inside with many dining venue options from the garden, to the Oak Room (stunning!) and other smaller dining rooms around the pub. Perfect for social distancing if needed! We were staying at a nearby cottage so were able to walk to the pub and ended up eating there for three evening meals, and a Sunday lunch, as well as a drink in the garden one evening. Although the menu isn't long there was something for most people. They met our dietry reqirements with aplomb and the chef even went out of his way to mark up my gluten and lactose free needs on a menu for those items that were okay for me and those that could be adapted. The food was delicious whatever we chose (the half pint of prawns, the beetroot salmon and flat iron steak stand out). The staff worked so hard and we only had to wait a bit once but given covid restrictions and staffing levels that was remarkable. The staff were unfailingly helpful. Can't wait to revisit another year. My top tip to the restaurant would be to mark up their menu with GF options or adapable meals as they have already done this for vegetarian and vegan. I've seen it done in restaurants nearby and isn't an onerous task given a little thought.

Visited this pub which was close to our holiday accommodation in a very hot week in mid June. The staff were extremely helpful and always with a smile from the time we arrived. Having read some other reviews commenting that they felt choice was limited, I have to say I thought the menu had a good range of options, you don’t need ten choices of every course if the options are as good as these were. The staff were very flexible in amending choices to allow for dietary requirements and the food was well presented and delicious. The beetroot cured salmon with horseradish stood out as did the Sunday roast which we returned for. The pub itself has a good atmosphere, interesting bespoke furniture and local artist’s work on display. I definitely recommend you try it if you visit the area.

After a long closure due to lockdown it was great to return here once again last week for lunch.The menu was limited at lunchtime to 4 starters, 4 mains and 4 desserts but the choice was great and Johnny Sutcliffe's amazing Gazpacho was amongst the starters and as good as ever. The beetroot cured gravadlax was also very good and beautifully presented together with an Apple and Fennel salad dressed with a horseradish cream dressing.We all had the Haddock and Chips with Mushy Peas which was superb. The Haddock was enrobed in a magnificent crispy batter and the Hand Cut Chips could not have been better. They were crispy and crunchy on the outside and like fondant on the exterior and they had been well seasoned during the cooking process to create sheer delight. Only a minor criticism but you cannot make mushy peas by jumping up and down on a bag of Birdseye peas and it would be well worth while investing in a lorry load of marrowfat peas and a recipe or as a quicker alternative invest in some tins of Harry Ramsden's Mushy Peas. The trouble with garden peas mushed is that the skins on the peas are very fibrous and make for a fairly unpleasant mouthful even when well seasoned. The marrowfat peas on the other hand can be made into what our hairdresser calls Northern Guacamole, a real delicacy north of Watford along with Pease Pudding and Stotty Fadges.The staff here are wonderful and we were looked after by two lovely young ladies whose front of house skills well compliment the expertise in the kitchen.Love the place and cannot wait to come back again.

Welcoming staff, very well organised, lovely ambience and the food was superb - the lamb was amazing. Well worth the diversion travelling to the westcountry

Well, what can we say? From the second we arrived outside, we fell in love with the place. It was our honeymoon and the 3 days we were there couldn't have gone any better. The staff, the food, the room...absolutely fantastic. Although all the staff were brilliant with us, Florence stood out and it felt like we had our very own personal assistant with her. A huge credit to the establishment. Thank you so much ❤

AMAZING experience. The Royal Oak kindly hosted our wedding reception and they delivered to the highest of standard. All guests commented on how great the food was (a good array of options) and how attentive and happy the staff were. The team kept to the restriction rules without making it an issue for us, it was all very well thought out. Highly highly recommend this venue.

Driving past on the main road we saw the signs for The Royal Oak and dropped in for lunch. Swallowcliffe is a pretty village albeit has a 20 mph speed limit for good reason! The Royal Oak was larger than we expected with plenty of room inside and out. This is a very well appointed pub/restaurant, clean and comfortable with welcoming friendly staff. Their menu is not long but there is something for every palate. We had the beetroot salmon starter as a main dish and it proved very filling. All the food is clearly freshly prepared and most comes with a personal twist by the chef. The desserts are to die for so leave space. We had tea and coffee – both good sizes and proper ingredients. Cannot recommend highly enough!

Very good food. Immaculate, luxurious rooms. Charming, friendly staff. Beautiful rear garden. Fantastic, sunny seating area at the front of the pub.

We found this little gem of a pub/restaurant yesterday. We booked a room and we’re not disappointed. The welcome was friendly. The room was great. Bed very comfortable and I’m very fussy. Had a fantastic meal. The braised lamb was superb. Cannot fault The Royal Oak. All the staff were excellent. And to top it off a fab breakfast to send us on our way. We will be going back soon

We arrived on time then it went down hillNo staff waiting in garden as table not ready orderd drinks did not come 20 min so asked again eventually shown table not cutlery no menus food very average we where all getting annoyed at waiting for drinks etc etc Please get more staff bill came we all wanted pudding but could not be bothered to wait Sorry for bad review Waiting staff on duty bless them they where doing there best

Very nice lunch in the garden of this lovely country pub/restaurant. Lovely setting in a lovely little village. Staff pleasant, helpful and friendly. Nice range of beers as well. Personally I found the menu a little uninspiring but others in my group would not agree, just little on it to my taste but what I had was nice, well cooked and presented. Happily go again if local but probably wouldn’t go out of my way to drive here

The worst experience ever, very small menu, food Appalling service as bad. I very seldom comment on experiences when dining out but this was really that bad.

Everything was just great. The decoration, style and care for the visitors was impecable. Strongly recommend it.

Was so relieved when I heard the pub was reopening when Covid restrictions eased, after the initial reports it wouldn’t be (Thank you Mr May). We used to dine here regularly pre-Covid. We have been twice since reopening and both times had a fab time. Due to my brain affected long Covid I booked the incorrect day for the first visit but the pub managed to squeeze us in for a meal (5 of us so really appreciated), this visit was attended by the Queen (My Mother) and we were a little apprehensive we would not receive her approval as she’s very particular, thankfully due to the excellent staff, tasty food and good wine, she loved it! We visited again Christmas Eve and enjoyed another fab evening, sadly due to a large hangover from a business lunch the previous day I was unable to enjoy my wine, but this was totally self induced. Having lost our walkable pub to Covid restrictions, we are perfectly happy to drink less and drive to The Royal Oak. Thanks particularly to the wonderful staff.We shall be back for many more visits.

We popped in for lunch on our weekend away and enjoyed a delicious meal accompanied by polite, efficient service. The new extension is stunning with oak beams and cosy lighting. Definitely worth a visit.

We are here for lunch en route to a weekend near Bath having heard about the pub on a James May/Jay Rayner podcast a few days beforehand. We booked on the day and managed to get a late lunch table. The pub looks pretty traditional from the outside but inside is very modern, with Scandinavian style furniture, topped off by a massive Christmas Tree in the main dining area. The contrast in ambience is different from the norm and works very well. The food at lunch was as good as anything I've had in any pub: mains of hake and pheasant stood out. Excellent eclectic wine list. Service was faultless, but never stuffy. What was amazing is that because of COVID this was only the pub's second week of opening - they have found their feet very quickly. Only critique was the choice of cask ales: a blonde ale, golden IPA and a tropical ale (!) - was crying out for a winter ale of some sort. But this is a minor niggle - overall a great experience and highly recommended.

In a lovely village we found a warm welcome to this lovely country inn. Open fire was lit and inviting, and the menu choices were excellent.Food, Drinks and beer prices are reasonable, and our meal was very enjoyable.Definitely worth a visit. We’ll be back for a stay next time

Our local country pub goes from strength to strength. Our first trip back after re-opening and lovely welcome, comfortable seating with sensible spacing and a menu to die for. After a welcome prosecco, we ate the honey glazed duck and the cheese souffle accompanied by a fine Rose and a lovely Cabernet Franc. The food was nicely served and very tasty and we fished with a shared creme caramel and coffees. A well balanced meal with lovely service and, at £37 per head, very good value.

One night wasn't enough ! Food amazing staff so accommodating and friendly. Rooms and decor great and so comfortable. A real gem in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside . Will return for sure !

Jonny and Paul are a dream team in the kitchen, and after 7 months with no eating out every mouthful was pure heaven. Front of house are spot on too, attentive without being obsequious - I can't imagine how my experience could possibly have been better.

the Sunday lunch was excellent quality, the service was friendly and atmosphere perfect. worth a detour!!

It was lovely to be back after a long absence to find quality just as high. A nice safe welcome and four of us settled down for a family lunch. After a welcoming prosecco, we ate the supreme of chicken, the crispy chickpea fritters and the pan fried stone bass - all tasty and well presented. We drank a little of the Etoile de Mer Rose and the Ancora Rosso both delicious.We finished with Panna Cotta and Profiteroles and coffees. All was served kindly and efficiently and an enjoyable time was had by all. We paid £36 per head which was good valueWe are looking forward to returning after the planned lockdown.

Lovely pub, very nice food but the portions could do with being a little more generous (but I am a northerner). Take some wellies for the car park.

Very nice place ! Best pub food I had in England . Very good quality and good flavour Starters - potted rabbit , pastrami salmon Mains braised beef &hake Amazing

We were fortunate to be in attendance on the reopening of this wonderful inn. My family and I occupied 2 of the gorgeous rooms with the most incredibly comfy mattresses and furnishings, superb nights sleep. We dined beforehand and the food was glorious, I had the pheasant with bubble and squeak, crispy parsnips and a divine game jus. My wife had the Hake on crushed potatoes with baby leeks samphire a potted prawn butter. Our children had the best burgers they’ve ever sampled while eating out, no expense spared on quality, that was plainly evident. A fine wine list to accompany the menu, there’s something for everyone. We’ve eaten in a lot of nice places, our experience here was right up with the best of them.It’s very clear that the staff have gone to great lengths to get this pub headed in the right direction, Chris and his team worked enthusiastically and tirelessly to ensure every customer had the best experience possible. They’re a tremendous credit to James and partners who so obviously want this Inn to succeed and we wish them well in this endeavour. We’ll most definitely be returning with friends and shall look forward to it immensely.

Fantastic (re)opening night. Great atmosphere, superb food & drink. Hosted by James May and new manager Chris. Well done to James, Chris, Jonny (chef) and all the staff.

I may pop in here when it re-opens having heard good things about it. I can't wait for the grand tour and have some top beer on top..

After the formal closure, a swift transition to doing evening take-away food. We had burgers with frites and it was delicious. At £10 each, this was excellent value.

Pre booked to break up our journey and researched a comfortable venue. We were not disappointed. The bed gave us almost the best sleep ever so so comfortable. The room was capacious and beautifully furnished. We had an evening meal off their variety choices in the menu which was delicious and beautifully presented. All in all excellent with lovely helpful friendly staff.

Just had a weekend near Salisbury including Stonehenge, the cathedral, the local museum and art galleries in Tisbury and Bruton. We found this gem and were not disappointed in any way. One might think that it would be better to be in the cathedral city - more choices of everything - but this pub, about 15 miles west just off the A30 - filled the bill. It looked like it had been done up very recently, but one of the staff said it was five years ago. Very nice room - spacious, good shower, and quiet despite being directly over the bar. Our two dinners were very fine - for example, mushroom tart on Fri was very delicioius - not possible to have had more mushroom flavour - and sole with sauce vierges on Saturday was perfect. And breakfasts! No wimpy cafetieres of coffe, but big Americanos straight from the expresso machine. Scrambled eggs just like I like them and avocado with smoked salmon. Would go back just for that. Staff were great - how did they manage to find so many cheerful young people in such a small area? Not a bad word to say. Hope we have an excuse to come back.

This is one of our favourites. The food is reasonably priced, and the staff are welcoming. It's owned by 'locals' and the manager is great. Quiz night is usually oversubscribed, but they keep the Oakroom for those who want to dine without a challenge.

Sufficient parking, warm welcome. Great bar area with open fire. Extensive restaurant area with two distinct zones. Service efficient and friendly. Menu imaginative but not too extensive. Delicious food, beautifully served and the portions were healthy but not overwhelming. Highly recommended. We have been twice for lunch, mid week and a Sunday and will defintely return. Thank you.

I am not sure where the owners get their staff from but they must have some magical pot of stardust that they springle on their employees before they start working for them. The staff are really terrific - friendly, helpful and know what they are doing. Barman especially has exceptional customer facing skills.The actual inn itself is a delight - a sort of up to date old-ness with all the character you could want with some lovely modern additions which make it clean and light whilst retaining charm. The food was good too, other customers and diners convivial and in all it was a real treat to celebrate the first part of my huge birthday celebrations. It's children friendly too - they put extra beds in our loft room - and quiet enough to let them play a short while outside without worrying about them. The bedrooms are great - the sort of place where you are not worrying about any 'icky' bits- very clean and calming. You will need a car if you are exploring the area as it is in a very small hamlet but such a great place to come back to after a day's exploring.

My wife, son Dominic and I dropped in last night for a couple of snacks but decided to try the new menu at £15.00 for two courses. As always the staff were fantastic - Sharon, Jess, Hattie and bar manager Joe, who was also running the packed-out monthly quiz.The starters we tried, spiced red-lentil soup and smoked mackerel pate, were excellent, with Dom loving the pickled cucumber with the mackerel. P and D had shoulder of lamb with lentils and I had the bavette steak, driving chef Johnny Sutcliffe mad by asking for it well done (sorry, J)! Good fries: enough for us all to have some.They were fantastic: incredibly tasty, tender: good portions too. P finished with a brownie with chocolate nut sauce and ice-cream.For £15/head this was real value, and full marks to all involved.

Four of us visited The Royal Oak for Sunday lunch and loved this hidden gem. There was a warm welcome from the friendly staff and the pub/restaurant has a relaxed ambience, we sat in the beautiful oak framed conservatory. We were all very impressed with the food and for me, as a vegetarian, it was by far the best pub/restaurant Sunday roast I have eaten. We thought the food was reasonably priced and would highly recommend a visit to The Royal Oak.

We came out of London for a mid week break and had supper at the Royal Oak. We had a drink and our starters by the cosy fireplace and then went to the superb timber framed dining room for our main course and pudding. Great wine list and the food was delicious and a real treat. My lamb shank was mouth watering. Great cheese board afterwards. The staff looked after us very well. We will definitely be back again. What a great find.

Incredible food, my experience was 5 star. Wonderful, friendly staff, especially the waitress that served me. I believe her name was Ria, she went above and beyond my expectations of service. Can’t fault this dining experience! Will be returning and recommending to all my friends and colleagues!

Just a heads-up to recommend the new menu. Three of us had lunch and it was delicious with a sensible selection of starters, mains and puds. All served nicely and with lovely wines and coffees. We particularly liked the apple crumble slice!

Very good value, limited choice but excellent food. Apparently available weekday lunches and evenings M-Thu.

Me and my partner went for lunch.... had the burger and chips... and the burger was so dry and over cooked... the chips were hard... very overpriced and no imagination used.. so hungry when we left that we went home and cooked... never again

Wow, such a wonderful pub, the sunday roast was one of the best I've ever had!

We had sunday lunch early as tables were booked up. Simple wines and coffees surrounded delightful roast beef and roast lamb both with local seasonal vegetables. All tasty and well prepared and served. Well worth a vist

Another fantastic lunch @ The Royal Oak.Saturday lunchtime,pub buzzing with walkers,families,shooters & labradors.Wonderful starter of country pâte,followed by venison with poached pears,game chips,kale& parsnip purée,gorgeous desert to finish.A couple of glasses of fine merlot. Perfect !

The Royal Oak is a fantastic example of a community owned pub that ticks all the boxes.

We stopped off for lunch at The Royal Oak and received a very friendly welcome from the staff. The pub is lovely, very clean and beautifully decorated.