The Royal Oak in Ashford - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Lovely little stop off for lunch on our way to Dymchurch. Great food, gorgeous decor, good prices, lovely service and friendly locals... a real hidden gem!

Lovely little village pub with incredible food. The staff are really friendly, the atmosphere is comforting, exactly what we wanted and more, highly recommend a visit.

Worst food I’ve ever had in a pub, I’d get better food in a nursing home. Everything was frozen fast food and they also called it “gourmet chips” Highly disappointing to put it mildly

Nice pub, friendly people, dogs welcome

Fantastic country pub. Great service and will definitely be back very soon

Visited the Royal Oak Sunday for their carvey. As far as carveys go, it was nice. Service was great, no complaints. Was early, so there wasn't much of an atmosphere. Will return to try other options on the menu, they seem to have some real hearty food available.

I would avoid the restaurant and can't comment on the bar. Lovely bar lady helped seat me in the restaurant which was very cozy. Ordered Ribeye steaks and came with plenty of sides. Steaks were absolutely inedible and tasted like they were boiled in water. Grey, unseasoned and definitely not aged beef. Paid and left. Won't be back ever again

Recently refurbished. Calm relaxing atmosphere. Polite, friendly staff. Enjoyed the visit. Children friendly by what I experienced and saw.

We needed dinner after getting off a very delayed Eurotunnel train and found this pub. Excellent food family friendly and good fast service.

Food is great but you'll need a good bank balance to stand a round as it's very expensive.

Good food, polite staff, clean environment, lovely location, well presented. Bit noisy with bar customers sometimes. Edit, Been a few times now and the quality never changes. The waitress is so helpful and accommodating to special requirements. The carvery was ample food, fresh and well cooked. They also have a snug and a large screen TV for those who like the sport.

My first visit here what a find .lovely family run pub great atmosphere, very friendly staff and patrons,will definitely go back .

10/10 across the board, great food and service

Mother's Day lunch was eagerly anticipated. Usually, we frequent The Farriers, but this time we opted for The Royal Oak. Upon arrival, the bar person's welcome was lukewarm. The restaurant had a lovely ambiance and charming decor. Drinks were promptly served. We ordered 3 starters to share, including deep-fried camembert, but the portion was smaller than expected, the portion served at The Old Mill is very generous and plenty for 2. The pate was really nice. The toddler's mac and cheese should have been served with peas but wasn’t and we had to ask for them it also had a stodgy texture, making it inedible. The carvery offered only beef and turkey, both dry. The vegetable selection included odd pairings like mashed carrot and swede and cauliflower and broccoli cheese, which didn’t even taste cheesy. The other vegetables were overcooked and unappetising. The roast potatoes were unevenly cooked and lacked flavour. Yorkshire puddings were burnt outside and raw inside. Overall, the meal was disappointing and not hot. Despite mentioning the issue with the Yorkshire puddings to the waitress, the response was indifferent, so we didn't address the other concerns. It's a missed opportunity as getting these basic elements right could lead to a much better dining experience.

Staff we're lovely. Food was nice but not very hot. Yorkshire pudding burnt. We had the carvery

Great value lunch menu and super staff. We will be back.

Nice food .Nice people . Cannot fault the place .Will deffo return

lovely atmosphere owners brilliant. staff very friendly

Les lasagnes que j’ai choisies étaient délicieuses et l’ambiance était conviviale… je recommande !

Went for Christmas lunch with friends. Lovely three course meal, absolutely faultless. Nice friendly staff and lovely surroundings. Definitely worth a visit.

Really lovely quaint pub, I had been here many times before until it closed but the new owners have revamped and made it lovely. We had a carvery and the food was excellent, clear plates all round. Nothing was too much. Will definitely be going back.

Lovely lovely pub. Staff are just wonderfully welcoming too!

Lovely pub with attentive staff

A great pub, lovely food at a really good price, with friendly staff as well.

Really welcomed to this beautiful newly renovated pub. All staff very friendly and helpful. Great choice of lunches and all very tasty. We will back again soon.

Absolutely the worst carvery I’ve ever had in fact unedible , and for a price of 17.95 with no return ( if you would want too ) was like throwing money away

Ok to go to for just drinks , food not good , staff friendly enough I suppose although once we got our drinks they walked away

Staying here for a few days to get away from the humdrum of everyday life, and wasn't disappointed. Quaint little village and then find this little gem in the middle of it. Food was lovely, ordered far too much, the staff were very friendly even though my dog was gobby towards them, they were amazing with her. She definitely enjoyed her doggy sausages though. Spent the rest of the evening in the garden as the sun was setting. If you're ever passing, please stop by, you won't be disappointed

What a lovely little gem hiding away. Passed this place many times going to another venue. Decided on this occasion to give it a go. Small garden area but nice tranquil setting. Could have just sat outside supping chatting relaxing. Inside pub quaint and again relaxing. Food very good. Price same as other pubs. Left the pub feeling 'I like this place'. So will definitely visit again.

Lovely pub Lovely people Lovely food and plenty of it. Very reasonable price 👍

Lovely carvery comfy seating areas back and front friendly and welcoming staff great way to spend my Sunday off 😀

Decided to try The Royal Oak for Sunday lunch after seeing some alright reviews, took a chance as we went with my Brother and his wife who had traveled up from Wst Sussex for the weekend. We were not dissappointed. We all had the carvery which was delicious, just a choice between roast topside of beef or roast turkey, they didn't make the mistake of offering too many options and I would think that 99% of people would be happy with one or the other. Nice pigs in blankets, crispy roast potatoes, and Yorkshires, and a very good selection of nicely cooked vegtables. You could actually taste the butter in the mashed sweede and carrots. Good selection of sweets which we all went for. Friendly people and super service, just a really nice experience. Will definitely be returning.

Great pub with a very friendly atmosphere, a good menu with a great selection of starters, mains and puddings. Food arrived quickly and was really good. A great selection of driks, including a good selection of wines. Would definitely go back when next in the area.

My first time ever in this pub, good reception from the staff. Had Sunday carvery, the food was not too bad, but vegetables could have been cooked a little longer, the difference between "al dente" and raw was almost imperceptible. On the whole, not bad for pub grub. I did notice on my receipt (after I got home) that there was an "optional service charged at £4.45. As it was optional, I would have preferred to have been given the option!!!

We are staying in a quiet, beautiful village in Mersham, Kent and walked to the Royal Oak Hotel for lunch. The hotel has recently been refurbished under new ownership and we were impressed with the warm welcome and beautiful deccor of the dining room. The bar and sitting room had a great atmosphere and reminded me of whaat we see on typical British television shows where the pub is the meeting place for lov cals and visitors. As it was a Sunday it was hard to ignore the Roast of The Day which was a choice of beef or turkey. It was a buffet so you could choose your vegetables from a buffet servery. Cauliflower Cheese, carrots and pumpkins, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and of course the traditional Yorkshire pudding. The food was delicious and very well presented in a timely manner. Should have stopped there but could not resist the home made apple crumble and custard and glad we did because it was amazing. A wonderful Sunday lunch in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Definitely will return for more of this because we were made to feel like we were home.

We decided to try the Oak as we’d heard it had opened again and was good for food. The bar staff and the waitress were welcoming and friendly but we were seated in a tiny table for 2 in the window too close to a table of a large family with children of various ages so the noise was to be expected. However we were both very disappointed with the menu and felt that it was more of a “quick turnover” beefeater kind of menu that was overpriced for what it was. We both had sirloin steak with what was meant to be a blue cheese sauce, which was definitely not a home made one and very thin like gravy. For 2 mains, no starter or dessert and a drink it was over £72 and the experience was extremely disappointing. The steak was chewy and I did actually did choke on a piece of it (another couple saw it happen) so left the rest. We are local and eat a lot at local pubs and restaurants and certainly not in the habit of complaining at all and we were really looking forward to eating there after hearing some good things about the place from a few of our friends. However we won’t be repeating the experience and definitely have better quality food elsewhere for the same price or less

Great Food and friendly, helpful Staff

Our Fist Visit To The 'NEW' Royal Oak I am adding this review as all current TripAdviser reviews refer to the pub before its long closure and eventual restoration and recent re-opening. The pub was acquired by its current owners who have spared no expense restoring it to its former glory. As a resident of Mersham, I had, over the years, previously visited the Royal Oak and had pretty much given it up as a lost cause. So it was with a degree of scepticism that we booked a table for dinner. It was a Monday evening and we were pleased to find the pub pleasantly attended, which provided a very welcoming first impression. Looking around it was immediately evident how much time and money the new owners had invested to ensure the Royal Oak’s future. The rear garden and car park seemed to occupy twice the space and now provides plenty of parking as well as a very useable outside beer garden. Having been seated by a very friendly staff member, we found the dining area cleverly decorated and well designed to maximise the seating without it feeling cramped. The Food The menu was standard pub fare, which I appreciated. The Royal Oak is a traditional village pub and I was relieved the owners were striving to be the very best of exactly that. We didn’t have any starters, and went straight for the mains, which included: Lasagne, Pizza, and the ribeye steak. Each came with various sides and sauces and our orders arrived swiftly and were well presented. Everything was as requested and very tasty. Dessert was just as delicious and we were left appropriately sated. We didn’t sample the wine list on this occasion so are unable to comment on this. Summing up - we unanimously agreed we had thoroughly enjoyed out first visit to the new Royal Oak. The food, service, and environment made for an excellent evening - we will be returning.

Glad to see it's reopened friendly staff and reasonable supported let's hope that continues.

Good local village pub Friendly staff

I took my family for a quick lunch time drink as we were passing through a what lovely friendly place. You couldn't fault it a typical British pub. British country pub with a lovely friendly barmaid and some friendly locals made us extremely welcome, can't say any more than that.

Great beer choices, service and atmosphere.

So I find myself in Mersham waiting for someone. To pass the time I thought I would pop into the pub for something to do. The weather was particularly awful and it was somewhere to sit in the warm and dry and grab and drink and snack. I never could have expected the friendly welcome I was greeted with from the 23 year old bar tender. When locals came in he greeted them by name and this pub had an atmosphere that everyone is family, whether you’ve visited once or a hundred times. We chatted and the hour I had to kill passed in the blink of an eye. The food and drink is a reasonable price and, whilst I didn’t have a meal I will certainly be back to try it. There is also a good variety on offer.

Good food and reasonable prices.

Met with the girls for a meal out. Had a great time! Fizzy Friday. The prossecco was on offer, which was a real bonus! We had a large sharing platter for starter. Garlic bread, mushrooms, chicken wings etc. Then we had pizzas for mains. Pepperoni, cheese and tomato and chicken fajita one. All served in really good time and were delicious. It was a lovely atmosphere and everyone was really friendly. We will all defiantly be returning.

The Royal Oak is a great pub, the landlady and bar staff are very friendly and welcoming. The pizzas are delicious and are served hot and fast. They are fantastic with children and have games for them to play with as well as a nice size garden and is dog friendly. If you are in the area it is definitely worth a visit.

Lovely village pub with a large garden.

Visited as a group of 5 adults on a Friday evening. Ordered a round and upon receiving found all the fizzy drinks were flat. The gas had obviously gone in the pump – no issue it happens, but it was the reaction to this I had an issue with. I assume the landlady, seemed insulted by this, and assured it was only the soda they had an issue with. I mean the drinks were flat! She then unhappily produced a 2litre bottle of lemonade for the people who were complaining! If you know you have an issue with the soda, why continue to serve it? And if you already have a replacement why not just serve that? Just felt like they were pulling a fast on as we weren’t locals. Just sets the mood... We all ordered pizzas and this was the turnaround point! They were served hot and fast, and really were delicious. It’s a bit of a funny old pub, but if you are looking or a decent pizza, at a good price with no frills. This is the place! I appreciate a local pub, without bells and whistles but no excuse for lack of cleanliness. It just felt a bit grubby! Several light bulbs out etc. just made it feel a little unloved.

Food just ok. Not wonderful and rather expensive. Woukd not go again

was greeted with a big smile and a great service and two lovely begals.

We called in as we were passing. They offer a fantastic pizza menu which is different for a local pub. The staff were fun helpful and very friendly. The locals were welcoming. It’s great to find a local pub that doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t.

Laba gaisotne un ari edienu karte nav slikta

Great friendly atmospheric local pub! Great food, dartboard, pool table, open fire, what more could you want?

Nice village pub with friendly staff.

Proper local pub with all sports (Inc Sky) and good grub too.

Pizza & wine was awesome and so was the service thank you we will be back.

Called in here by chance as we happened to be driving past, and were pleased we did. We had a pizza and garlic bread for a snack meal and it was very well presented and tasty. I’m reliably informed that the beer was very good and certainly my white wine was - sadly this is not always the case with wine by the glass. There’s a very warm welcome at this pub and I wish we were local so we could go more often. Plus, the toilets are very clean! (In my opinion, the state of the toilets sets the standard for the rest of the place). Recommended.

Nice friendly cosy pub well worth a visit

A lovely little pub, we popped in for a quick pint and stayed longer than planned. Good selection of drinks and friendly staff. The two dogs roaming freely were well behaved and added to the character of the place. I'd happily return.

Good friendly atmosphere and quite busy. Nice staff.

The restaurant is ok on price, with good portions. On a Saturday evening and Sunday lunch we were the only couple dining. The staff were friendly but lacks atmosphere.

The food was excellent and the service was fantastic

Nice pub, very friendly service and GOOD food. I had their chicken curry.... Yum!

Very friendly. Good food. Band nights very good.

Old haunt of mine I revisited today. Only popped in for a quick half.... And stayed for 4. New owners since last year and have turned the pub around immensely from the disastrous last occupiers. Friendly and chatty owner who took time to chat and discuss. Old Skool pub selling honest food and ales. Good Luck.

This was a rainy day and wanted a roast dinner! The staff were great and the food was fantastic! Very good value,well looked after and very good prices too. Will definitely return!! Thank you.

We went on a saturday night for a change. Wasnt that busy but warm and inviting plus the staff were very pleasant and helpful. The food was excellent and there was a good choice of traditional pub food, It was great value and we had...

Had a nice atmosphere with friendly and helpful staff.

Nice cozy, village pub with great service. Friendly staff and Asahi on draft and some reasonably nice real ales for a tied pub!. Always two fires lit so makes it a comfortable and relaxing pub to have a quiet drink or food during the day...

Four of us when to this pub/restaurant for Saturday lunch, the food was plentiful, honest pub food & great value for the money, the service was great & the manager Alice made us feel very welcome. We would definitely go back.

An extremely tasty Sunday lunch was had by all. The roasts were excellent with more than sufficient served up. Vegetarian nut roast was also available as was a number of specials. Desserts were ample and delicious. Even my dad was impressed which is no mean...

Our daughter lives nearby and had recommended this pub to us to go with friends to lunch...so we did!! So glad to reflect our views on what is at last after several poor years is a fine original village pub with quite excellent food served...

Went for a family Sunday lunch. Good choice of food and if going for the roast an extra £1 gets you a 4 meat roast ! The food is of good quality and plentiful to a point that I couldn't negotiate a pud !! (Rare...

New management, new WAYS! Clean & fresh but still with a country pub feel. The service is great from the whole team and nothing is to much trouble. Food is well priced and portion sizes are large but well received. The food is Amazing and...

Friendly staff; simple food really well prepared. Recommend the whitebait with homemade tartar sauce. The burgers are the best for miles around: proper toasted brioche bun that doesn't go soggy so you can really hokd the thing together. Lovely.

Thought we'd try the Royal Oak for Sunday lunch as we had heard that 'Alice' the former landlady at the Coach And Horses in Lyminge was managing the recently reopened pub. A fairly local pub, which we had frequented when visiting family in Lyminge. We...

The Royal Oak has been taken over again. This time there seems to be a real effort to make it work. Alice and her team are friendly and welcoming. Food is excellent and it is still dog friendly. If you haven't been here since the...

Fantastic welcome, good pub grub, a great place to meet friends and relax. Pretty garden ,great for children

Lovely big garden, ideal for containing energetic youngsters. Quality food... Everything was tasty and freshly made. All staff were friendly and helpful.

2 steaks and a drink for £20 on a Thursday night lovely food lovely staff highly recommended

This village pub has recently changed hands! We went and had a meal here,the food and service was excellent. If you like a traditional village pub then I can recommend The Royal Oak. It is a dog friendly pub also. It not only does evening...

Spent a happy few hours here on 19 Nov. Lovely warm and friendly atmosphere. Did not have a meal but heard from some locals that the food is good quality and appealing in its simplicity. Saw some photos of the desserts created by one of...

Proper English Pub serving great food,and plenty of it, defiantly great value for Money. Service and hospitality was very good, we were made very welcome by Martin/ Justin and Team and Local's too, great atmosphere. defiantly worth a visit

Went today for sunday lunch. Food was great and plenty of it. Great surroundings and bonus no loud music belting out drowning conversation. Service was fantastic too. Will definitely be going again to try their weekday menu..

Recently went to the Royal Oak for a Sunday lunch. Like to try new venues. It was one of the best Sunday meals we have experienced in a very long time. The quality of the prepared food, the staff and the atmosphere of the pub...

This isn't a fancy restaurant. It's better. We were delighted to find exactly what we wanted in this pub recently refurbished by Martin and Jason. They'd only been doing food for ONE week when we popped in rather late on a Sunday. We were greeted...

Straight forward well priced pub food, we had a lovely meal , bar staff are welcoming and attentive , will be using more often

The Royal Oak has recently been taken over, the new landlord and the staff team are great and very welcoming and the food is lovely

Fantastic atmosphere. Such a welcoming pub, so well run by the landlord, Martin. Would recommend to anyone in the area

We were passing through Mersham on our bikes and popped in for a drink. The decor is nice and the staff are friendly. Great place.

Friendly welcome with a good selection of beers on tap.

Had lunch here and found it to be fantastic good value quality food, the day before we had lunch at a " secret garden" nearby and it was very poor quality food at four times the price of this place, will visit again next time...

Lors de ce weekend entre copines (nous étions 7, je vous laisse imaginer l'ambiance de folie !), en route pour...

Had Sunday lunch at the Royal Oak, was delicious. The food is unpretentious good quality, just what you need on a Sunday lunch. The added benefit is being one step from well looked after Sheps beer. Price is right on and fair. Good atmosphere, good...

If you want home cooked food then this is the place to go, i had the steak and ale pie, mash and veg and it was delicious, you could tell the mash was freshly made and vegetables served with no fussiness, just what i wanted....

Visited the first day of serving Sunday lunch, had an early booking, beautiful lunch, Henry rushed off his feet and now has help, returned a few weeks later, had a 2.30 booking and food wasn't as nice as it appeared to be warmed up and...

The Royal Oak has recently changed hands. It's new landlord has reinstated providing meals and what can I say? Well the fish and chips are some if the best I've ever had, the home made batter is fantastic. On another occasion I decided to try...

We ate in The Royal Oak for the first time last night since the new owners have taken over earlier this year! WOW what a great atmosphere and delicious homemade food - well done Lynne!! The food was great and very reasonably priced. There were...

This pub has had a bad time and has changed management several times in the last three years but I was pleased to find that it is on it's way back to being a good place to go. The new landlord Richard and his team...

Restaurant seating removed and replaced with a pool table. Other tables in the saloon bar suitable for groups of diners replaced with two-seater sofas and a couple of nasty pine kitchen tables. Current tenants appear to be trying to change a traditional village pub into...