The Royal Oak in South Lakeland

Nothing special. 2 choices of Sunday roast. All the veg was frozen. Including the roast potatoes. Good meat and Yorkshire puddings though. Music on plus a tv in one corner plus you can hear the radio in the kitchen if you sit near it. All unnecessary. Wouldn’t really recommend.

Will always stop when we pop over to the lakes

This place has a lovely warm atmosphere, The food was incredible & we were provided with a caring & comforting service which was a lovely personal touch. We had the pleasure of meeting Julie, our server, she was lovely & warm to us all & happy to help with anything we needed in a swiftly manner, I’m not from the area but she was also happy to answer questions about Ambleside & where to go for lovely walks, we will definitely be coming back & I hope it will be Julie we see again.

Great location , staff was amazing , great beers ,

Great food amazing service. Good little pub will come again :)

Classic pub but food is pure frozen food garbage, at extortionate prices. Do not come here for anything but a pint.

More tasty. I ate the famous goulash there, too tomato-y for me, but very tasty.

Really welcoming pub with a great atmosphere and lovely outdoor space. A proper good boozer. Didn't eat here but the food looked excellent.

The service was welcoming and lovely. No issues with my order and wait times were not lengthy. Charming little place.

Great place to visit. We go back every year. Would highly recommend.

Good food friendly staff. Live music on a Sunday evening.

Food isn't amazing, but it's a lovely wee pub for a pint and a great outdoor area!

Fantastic atmosphere, great pint.

Very nice food since been taken over staff are actually lovely and friendly can't do enuff for you great little place defo bee going back

Really lovely place. Food was great staff were very kind and polite. Will definitely be returning soon

After searching all afternoon for a roast and everywhere being full, stumbled into this fine establishment and ordered x2 roast dinners and told there was a 30 minute wait, ordered a couple of drinks, staff were nice and friendly and withing 10 minutes of being seated our dinner was served. Food was all tasty, I wouldn't say it was a big plate of food but was tasty and for this area the price wasn't to bad.

Friendly pub with good value food. Fish finger ciabbata was pretty good. Nice range of well kept beers

Lovely English pub for evening drinks

Nice charismatic little pub a must when visit the lakes/ Ambleside. Always good food and ale well priced served by cheerful staff. Also a Green king for the blue light card holders

Lovely staff and new manager made to feel very welcome

Went in for something to eat. We had mixed gill & a steak with drinks. Not the cheapest on the menu but would have the good enough value had the steak in the mixed grill been edible. I couldn't even get my fork into it. I of course, complained to the waitress nothing. It was just ignored. Our second time in the place & a poor experience both times. Doubt there will he a third.

Hungarian goulash delicious. Friendly staff

Had a few pints in here. It's OK for a bit of a chill out,

I just wanted to give a shoutout to the staff on Thursday night last week. The pub was really busy, but the staff were so polite and welcoming. The service was markedly better than nearly everywhere else we visited in Ambleside, and it’s definitely a place to support: really good value for money, great atmosphere, and very well managed.

Only drank here, did not get food. Staff were really nice and chatty. It had a really friendly and inviting atmosphere. We sat in two couches, looking at the bar. Would get a 5 star if it wasn't for the price of drinks. However I understand it was comparable prices to other lake district pubs.

We had Sunday lunch and the 3 of us opted for the Turkey roast. However, we were very surprised (and disappointed) that when we asked for extra gravy (immediately, because the jug you serve the gravy in is very small!) we were told that we had to pay for it! Really??? When we asked how much, the lady said she didn't know and we would have to go to the bar and order it. Not very helpful as it was a very rainy day on Bank Holiday Sunday and the bar was heaving so by the time we had got served our food would have been luke warm! So, although the roast dinner was lovely, we would have enjoyed it a lot more with some extra gravy.

Walked into bar to order drinks for me and my wife who was sat outside at table and also get a menu. Stood next to a lady who was there before me and had been waiting to be served .People were coming in and standing in middle area of bar where me and the lady who I was stood next to were obviously both being ignored, I said have you ordered she said no. One of the customers that came in after us and was obviously local to this pub, rudely reached over between me and this lady and said I'll have same again addressing a barlady by name behind the bar and was served. Landlord carries on serving one or two more then said who's next. So I said this lady's next as I did not want to jump the queue. I jokingly said she's only been waiting an hour. Landlord in a very high and sharp voice say NO SHE HASN'T! so I obviously left. My business lost! A GOOD LANDLORD keeps an eye on all customers who are next in line, not just locals VERY RUDE AND UNPROFESSIONAL!! Will not be returning.

Nice pub.i dont know wot the food is like.As we didn't eat here.But the staff are very helpfully thanks.

Wonderful pub, great food, lovely atmosphere. Really friendly and definitely worth a visit.

Food is amazing especially the beef in ale pie with gravy to die for and the jam roll poly with custard will have you in desert heaven.

Nice pub in Ambleside, did not have food so no comment

Good beers good range. Nice old pub.

This is a Green King pub so offers an NHS discount even though staff didn't seem to know about it. It's by the staff discount button if they should ask. You can't book or order on the app. Food was decent. We had the goulash and the roast beef and turkey. Some dishes were unavailable and they shut the kitchen after 7pm. Moderately expensive.

It's a great place for food. Highly recommended.

A lovely pub. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. The food was very nice and good size portions. The reason for the 4 stars is because I think the chips on my dish had been presalted, so a good job I didn't add any more. It did though make my meal a bit salty, which was a shame because other than that it was very tasty.

Sat outside watching the world go by

Excellent pies! 4 of us went and we all had the pies, 2 beef and ale and 2 chichen and ham and we all said they were super delicious. Shortcrust pastry was perfect and filling generous and delicious. Chips and broccoli were also good as was the gravy. Typical pub atmosphere and great service. Would recommend if in the area.

Excellent food in a really nice Pub , very friendly staff 😀

Was busy but service was quick and good

Nice pub. Lots of choice of beer. Friendly staff. Alot dearer than the Greene King pub in our local village though.

Fabulous! After a nearby pub let us down at the last minute, the Royal Oak were able to accommodate our large group of 9 people and 4 dogs. They couldn’t have done more for us. They brought water for the dogs. Our food arrived at the same time even though we were spread over 3 tables. And the food was delicious!

medium quality. I strongly advise against the pizza from the children's menu which was tasteless with very, very hard dough. for me, this type of defrosted pizza should not exist. as for the other dishes, average!!

It's a good pub with good real ales but it was very disappointing that they stopped serving food just before 8pm on July 19th

It's Greene King. So it's the same as hundreds of other pubs in the same monopoly. Same menu everything. Maybe a guest ale on who knows. You can bring a dog in. The toilets are an absolute horror show

Amazing little pub and restaurant. We were recommended to visit, for the great atmosphere and lovely food and were not disappointed. Loads of craft ales too, if that’s your thing, Excellent choice of food and really tasty, so much so we eat there on a number of nights. The staff were all really friendly and provided excellent service. We will certainly be visiting again. The steak pie and the goulash were very tasty!

Just had a drink, lovely pub, good ale.

It was fine. Goulash wasn't great. My fork was unclean. Small and crowed inside so had to eat outside next to smokers. Staff were friendly.

We stopped in for a couple of drinks late in the evening. This pub has a nice atmosphere and is reasonably priced with a good selection of beers and spirits. A band was playing live music. While they weren't great, the atmosphere was good!

My favourite pub in Ambleside. I always visit when I am in the area. Lots of character.

Working away come here at least once a week while away food and beer absolutely spot on no complaints bar staff all spot on and prices are the cheapest youl find in Ambleside highly recommend.

Interesting pub , we went in, expecting the normal pub fair. But to our surprise it had a bit more to offer. The place was busy , but we got a table, the safe are very friendly and helpful The menu was great it excluded Goulash, and it had been made properly 👍 The food I would recommend to anyone great place, and also dog friendly

Visited a few times whilst staying in Ambleside on a hiking holiday. Young couple in charge were very chatty and friendly. Would be happy to return. I didn't eat so no food recommendations.

Proper pub with good selection of beer, didn't have any food but looked OK. Good atmosphere, a great pub.

Loved this place. It's not got a big footprint so doesn't low large groups of people

Wonderful pub feel. Food was good. Beef pie was good. Chicken strips and Fries were good. My brother loved the chicken wings they sold there.

Popped here for a drink, sat outside. Lovely location.

We love visiting the Royal Oak on our days off! The staff are always super friendly! Nothing is too much trouble. I had the katsu chicken and my husband had the salt and pepper chick. The chef was a bit tight on the katsu sauce, but when we asked the lady on the bar she rectified it immediately. Amazing value for money especially in the heart of Ambleside!

Traditional pub good beers we'll worth a visit

This place was convenient at the end of the street where our holiday cottage was located. We used it for a drink on numerous occasions with our dog and sat outside. The pub got busy and sometimes it was a struggle to find a seat inside. Good beer sellection.

Lovely spot with great atmosphere food was really good, came here with just me and my husband but will defiantly bring kids next time we come

My wife liked her beef and ale pie with chips and broccoli. I really enjoyed my vegetarian Hungarian goulash. Standard pub atmosphere. We sat outside to enjoy the weather. The best part for this American was the Old Peculier on tap. I have been wanting one for a long time.

Great little spot in Ambleside with a decent selection of beers and a fairly priced menu, slightly less expensive and more laid back than some of the surrounding restaurants. The lasagna was delicious!

Bar staff told us we were being rude for eating our own food after buying a pint

Love this pub. Been several times over the years. First came with Ic and Flic but with Ric " The Hat" and Madge this time. A Greene King pub but mainly guest ales. Two from Kirkby Lonsdale brewery on this visit but took a Fuzzy Duck Cunning Stunt beer from Poulton le Filde. Fantastic sun trap out front. Two rooms inside. Good food pub. A really lovely and popular bar. Slight downside is that the front beer patio is just off the main road

Why offer award-winning pies on the menu and then serve them microwaved! Pie crusts should be crusty, not mushy. Very disappointing. Very pleasant barstaff though...

Worth it to see Fiona on the lakes. She is incredibly good xx

Very dog friendly pub. Rated the food low as my wife was served some rotten broccoli, and the beer was rather flat (most likely the pipes were in need of cleaning)... That being said, the beef and ale pie was delicious.

Really great pub. Delicious beers and good dishes. The goulash is recommended: spectacular.

Visited a couple of times during our hols for beers, great selection including dark beers. Very comfortable traditional pub, great friendly staff and food looked very good. It is very popular especially outside in the sitting area - deffo recommend visit x

We had lunch here on the 25th April 2025. We hadn't booked, but were made very welcome. Our lunch was freshly cooked, and arrived without much of a wait. We enjoyed our meal, which was really delicious.

Small pub. Nice drinks on tap. Staff were lovely!

Been here a couple of times now, both excellent experiences, cozy atmosphere, great food and drink at reasonable prices, all served by friendly staff👍🏻🍻

Good service and food plus dog friendly

Dog friendly pub with great selection of ales and spirits. Nice pint of Monumental. Welcoming and friendly staff with nice family friendly atmosphere. Good choice of food on menu. Aparently they have award winning pies but we had a lunch stop for fish n chips which was great. We will be back and definitely will come for an evening meal so we can sample the pies and a few more beers. There is a specific dog menu too. Lots of old climbing and rowing gear on walls and photos of the old and bold dangling precariously off crags with little in the way of rigs and harnesses and likely wearing hob nailed boots! Also, being a Green King don't forget to use your (if you have one, that is) Blue Light Card / Defence Discount Service to get 20% off food.

Sister pub to the Dog & Gun in Keswick so you know the beer will be 👌🏼. They have a house pale brewed by Greene King which is pretty decent but most of the other ales are from South Cumbria and definitely worth a try.

Busy tourist pub great expansive selection of real ales, well worth a pint or 2

Very friendly staff, clean, tidy and well kept building. There's a feeling of a classic British pub and the food is brilliant too.

Must say the most friendly welcoming staff in all pubs in Ambleside and we visited most, we had drinks and food on our first day and made very welcome, so we headed back today with our 2 dogs for drinks and snacks, belting pub Thanks too all staff your a credit too your town.

Arrived early evening, almost half the menu not available, been here before and the goulash is pretty good.

Arrived hungry, left stuffed, after a delicious Hungarian goulash, fabulous food at reasonable prices, can't fault it

Dishes served incorrectly and only when asked did we receive everything we paid for

Reasonable priced and great food with really pleasant staff!

Lovely little pub Greene king food so all was well very cosy

Great place. Amazing vegan food. We had the mushroom chilli and it was lovely. Staff were so friendly and attentive. Would definitely recommend

Great pub grub! Very tasty, hot, plentiful and just what was needed on a cold March night. No loud music or TV blasting out - just a lovely country pub. Staff very helpful and polite. Will definitely come back when we're back in Ambleside.

Lovely food, lovely staff , really dog friendly

This little pub is amazing! food and service so good came back two nights in a row! The nachos are AMAZING honestly the best nachos I have ever had. The food is so tasty and its service with a smile. I couldn’t recommend the place enough. Staff are friendly and engaging and deserve a great deal of praise. (Btw love the singing in the kitchen !)

Food was very disappointing for the price, when you order a kilo of chicken wings and only eight turn up, wouldn't recommend food

A great traditional pub with plenty of seating inside and out, friendly staff, good beers and great food. Highly recommended

In the middle of Ambleside so you need to park and then walk. Good choice of ales and really nice Sunday roast lunch

Fab selection of ales and beers,

Probably the best steak & ale pie I've had anywhere. Lovely atmosphere and whole bar full of decent, well kept ale. Would thoroughly recommend.

This is a mixed review as we had two visits and two vastly different experiences. The first meal on Monday was all excellent- lovely friendly man behind the bar and waitress who served us, We really enjoyed the goulash and the chicken and ham pie., both good sized portions and really tasty. We decided to go again on Thursday as we had enjoyed it and it was good value. Unfortunately this visit was terrible due to the service. I waited at the bar, menu in hand while the one other customer ordered their meal. Then the lady behind the bar served a man who had come after me. She then tried to serve another customer who had turned up after me but I managed to interrupt this time. She brusquely apologised but I can't understand how someone serving cannot see someone stood at the bar! There were only ever two of us there. They had run out of what we wanted to order (this is understandable as it was the evening and it is a busy pub) but we decided not to order something else due to the terrible bar service and found an excellent restaurant nearby instead.

Good well priced food and a nice atmosphere.

What a great place to stop for a drink and a bite to eat! Cosy little pub After a long walk it was well needed! Very polite and welcoming staff. The food and drink was delicious. It was Dog friendly too!! Would highly recommend visiting!

Great place lovely fire and so cosy dog friendly and staff friendly and helpful, great experience, will definitely be back 😄

We arrived at about 2.15 and found a table for the four of us We ordered our food and drinks and were helped by very polite friendly staff our food was delicious very filling and the drinks were of good quality as well. Overall a lovely very welcoming pub reasonably priced Thank-You very much Royal Oak Darren

Lovely pub well situated.Staff very friendly.

The food and service were really good 🌟 It was just a bit too noisy for our liking Has vegan/vegetarian options

Called in for tea. One of us had beef and ale pie and the other had chicken pie. The other half barely looked up from his beef pie and mumbled, "Good food this." I agreed. What more is there to say.