The Royal Oak in New Forest

Recently visited The Royal Oak for an evening meal. Upon arrival we were told there’d be a delay on the food as they only had one chef. These things happen so no big deal. The starters arrival and sadly the Mac and Cheese was missing the cheese so tasted very bland. The main arrived (mushroom and halloumi burger) and it looked very underwhelming, also the chips looked anemic and the coleslaw was very watery. Also some of the sachets of condiments were 6 months out of date (BBE: April 2024). This place used to be good but it appears to have gone downhill.

Appalling food, a simple sausage mash was waxy lumpy and lumpy- simply put the worst plate of food I have been presented with in many many years, my daughters Mac & cheese consisted of plain pasta and melted cheese, like me she left her dinner too, really a very disappointing way to spend my Birthday treat with my girls.

Nice choice of beers, friendly staff and great service.

Good food, good service and value for money what more could you want......

Excellent night it's was. Superb service from Morgan and Brenda. And the food was fantastic 😋 Top marks Brenda.

Had an amazing meal last night, lovely staff especially Brenda & Morgan. So much fun with Brenda made our evening more fun. Food was excellent and reasonably priced. Thank you 👍

We decided last minute to pop in for some dinner, upon arriving we had the warmest welcome, even tho we didn’t book we were taken to a table next to a large window, the staff were very informative about the menu, staff were very prompt with taking orders. Good atmosphere, lovey food, pie was lovely an home cooked, we will definitely be coming back, 10s across the board!

We decided to visit this pub last minute without booking. Lovely warm welcome, sat in a comfortable booth, attentive staff nothing too much trouble, food was fantastic the linguine was to die for which was on the special board. Great value for the portion sizes will definitely return would definitely recommend 10/10

Service was decent until it came to food served frozen grapes with a cheese board and got told they were decorative even though its listed on the menu as edible...no offer of a refund on full plate that was returned...was planning a family meal here but definitely won't be coming back again All the bad reviews seem to be for food too, if they can't see the cook is useless by now that says something too..I'd say chef usually but they clearly don't have any chefs working there

Very nice place. Very smart and clean (recently renovated). Food was delicious and staff were very friendly and attentive.

We have eaten here twice in the last few weeks and both occasions have been fantastic. As we live in Hertfordshire, we aren’t often in the area, but so glad that we gave The Royal Oak a try. A good choice of menu, and the meat trio roast on a Sunday is excellent. We took my Nan for her 93rd birthday last week, and the staff made her feel so special. The service is good, and not rushed, and the staff actually take time to engage in conversation with the customers, rather than just treat you like another booking. Well done Brenda and your team, and we will be back very soon. A place that we definitely recommend.

Lovely meal, friendly staff, nice beer

Did a Britstop's stay, one night. The staff are friendly and welcoming, the food was good too. Gravel parking area which was flat and secluded. Will use again

Excellent food and service. Nothing is too much trouble. Highly recommended.

Great food and very good service. Twos meals and drinks in the past 10 days have cemented the Royal Oak in one of our must visit again pub meals when in the New Forest. The pie may have been great but the Asian Belly Pork salad was amazing. Looking forward to coming back for a Twixtmas meal in December.

Food was great and service was excellent against the odds. We were told there would be a wait because of a lack of staff. It was well worth the wait.

Haven’t visited this pub for over 20 years and wow have I been missing out!! It’s under new ownership and they are doing a great job! Staff were very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Food was very tasty and was a large portion, I certainly couldn’t finish it!! Definitely will be back!

We popped in for a meal at The Royal Oak during our visit to Shorefield Country Park. We are so pleased we did! The menu and specials meant we were spoilt for choice and the kids menu had a fantastic range of options. All 4 of us loved our meals - the onion rings were the best I’ve ever tasted! The landlady was friendly and welcoming and our waitress polite and knowledgeable. Prices were competitive and the food excellent - we’d definitely recommend it to anyone passing or staying at Shorefield! Thank you for a lovely meal!

We popped in for a drink and was greeted by by the manageress and team as we walked in very welcoming We went to the bar and found a favourite Beer ringwood so well kept and good banter was to be had with the bar man and the manageress and team loved it would love to to go back when next on holiday

Love this place great food and lovely, friendly staff.

Lovely pub with great food and friendly staff. Just as a pub should be. Much better value than other pubs in the area. Will definitely be going back. 🙂👍🏻

Thank you everyone at The Royal Oak for a great evening - lovely food, helpful and friendly staff and a relaxing atmosphere. Have already booked to come again

Great to see this place open again after all the floods Place has been redecorated, very nice, service is still as good as ever and the food is fantastic, one of the best steak ale pies I have tasted, so full of meat. Great ham and eggs too with lovely chunky chips. Great selection of beer to wash it down with too . Outside garden area has also been revamped, really nice. Definitely be coming back here soon Thank you all

Great beer, great food and great service. Need l say more. I will certainly be back when l’m next in the country. Keep up the good work.

It was quiet when we visited because we prefer to eat early but the food and service was excellent. The steak with blue cheese sauce was amazing. All our meals were generous and made with real fresh ingredients. Deffo going back here.

Excellent food and service considering they were very busy with a Birthday party Waitsress was very efficient. Thanku we will be back

Just had a Sunday roast at the Royal Oak, it was one of the best roasts ever, in a friendly comfortable enviroment. It was a lovely experience all round and Brenda and Chantelle were so lovely. My grandson Henry loved it too!! Thank you Brenda xxxx

Looking for the best roast in the new forest? I think we have found it! Gorgeous tasting roast, great menu selection including pigs in blankets! Staff very friendly and attentive (that you Brenda and Chantelle! :) )!! Lovely family atmosphere and comfortable setting. Would highly recommend ♥️

We had a great evening at the Royal Oak, the food was great, service friendly and so were the other patrons. Will certainly be back!

Warm, welcoming staff. Great service and they're very dog friendly. The Sunday roast we had was one of the best I've eaten, and that's saying something!

Very yummy, especially the „Fish of the day“, very friendly service, we felt very comfortable 😊

A nice pub with friendly staff and good food at reasonable prices, what more could you want!?

Lovely meal at the Royal Oak, after leaving the 3 Bells who for some reason gave us a table outside - due to having a dog, gave us menu's, and then refused to serve us food outside! Thank you for sorting a quick table (inside with our dog) although we preferred to sit in your lovely pub garden. Given it was Fathers Day and we hadn't booked, and we we 90 year old gentleman with us, the staff were amazing. Sorry I can't name you all, but thank you. We will be back x

The Royal Oak is such a lovely pub. Fabulously decorated throughout and a real comfy feel happening. Good range of drinks on offer and the food is so good. Our meal was excellent and at a reasonable price. All the staff were very polite and very helpful. If you're passing, don't forget to drop in. Recommended

Loved it all and very dog friendly

Had a fabulous family meal here. The service, was next level. Credit to the staff. Also the place is immaculate as its just been done up so not a sticky pub carpet insight. Highly recommend for a good lunch or a few drinks.

Food perfectly cooked plentiful staff verry polite and helpful a credit to the restaurant and the pub

Newly reopened, staff were very friendly. Definitely go back to try the food!

Great beer, fantastic food massive portions too, very good service as well. Only just reopened and we'll worth a visit.

Food is delicious and hot. Lovely staff and helpful with the menu. Great choices of desserts which were beautifully presented. Lovely garden to sit out in. Has some tiny tables for the children.

A great place and great food, nice staff👍👍 A place to stay overnight for us campers 👍👍 great

Very nice atmosphere with friendly staff, great

First visit after the flooding. The staff were excellent. Attentive and kind. Food was excellent. Served hot and plenty of it. Well done we will be back. Give it a visit you will not be disappointed.

Today I had the pleasure of trying handmade beef pie. It was delicious, I will definitely come back :)

A lovely pub serving tasty food with a good menu choice. Nice interior and atmosphere inside. Staff very helpful and friendly. There were just two ladies serving when we went which was fine at 6 pm but as we were leaving at 8 it was very busy and I felt for them running around like crazy. Would be 10/10 if enough staff but will give 9/10. Would recommend and return.

lovely little dog friendly boozer

Thank you so much to Matt and the team for accommodating us yesterday. We were let down by another local establishment for a friends 40th birthday with no notice! The Royal Oak Downton put on a lovely spread for us and gave us our own private part of the restaurant. Great communication from start to finish and we had exactly what we asked for! Highly recommend!

Just back from a meal with my husband and underwhelmed is understatement of the year for The Royal Oak! Orders are taken, I went for the burger which doesn’t come with cheese. Okay fine I will ask for a slice, an additional £2! I asked for sweet potatoes instead of normal chips, another £2! My husband ordered arancini for starter, it came out on a cold plate with no garnish - just 3 arancini balls, looked less than appetising! When the mains came out my burger was drier than a stale ashtray, the bun was cheap and floppy, and the overall presentation was like a Rustlers burger with a side of frozen sweet potatoes (£2 for the privilege) and warm coleslaw. My husband, again, had no garnish and 2 very solemn and sad looking meals were sat in front of us. We were so hungry we ate our meals, I shared my issues twice with the manager and she said my “feedback would be passed to the kitchen”. A very sad state of affairs, and £50 for the privilege…

Sorry but food was not good .I had scampi it was overcooked and tasteless. Very disappointed. As uts a week before Christmas I thought a bit of Xmas background music would have been nice.

Went in for Sunday roast on the way home and it was excellent. They didn't scrimp on the meat and the turnip crisps were great. Had a good chat with a few of the bar staff and can't wait until we can get back down there for some more good food. Glad your back open

Tasty food, good company, lovely hosts (cheers Brenda)...glad to see the pub open again. A really good welcome a cosy comfortable please to meet and eat.

Staff very friendly and the food was very good. Nothing to fault. Haven’t been here for a long time but we’ll be coming back soon…

Visited for Sunday Lunch and the food was amazing. Very accommodating as we didn’t book, the staff were welcoming and friendly and it was a great atmosphere. Also dog friendly!!

Used to go here often for dinner and drinks before it closed down so when we saw it was reopened would go to try it out , I’m sorry to say we will not return the food was lukewarm and bland and the whole place lacked any warmth very disappointed

Good to see this pub back open again. The Sunday roast didn't disappoint!

Excellent country pub at the New Forest . Fab food !! . Can’t wait to visit again… met with family and friends for the reopening on 27th November and was so impressed !! Decor fab and the owner welcoming ! , we couldn’t have asked for more .

So pleased you are open again. We missed you. The new owner Matt and his manager Brenda and the team were very welcoming and friendly. The place looks much the same as it did but super clean and freshened up. The menu is very different and shorter than before, much more like pub food, which we like. The chicken, leek and cheese pie of the day was delicious. There is also a pizza menu with children’s sized ones, a vegan menu, lunch menu (paninis etc, something that wasn’t available before). We will definitely be back. All the best to the team, I think you’ll prove popular with the locals and holiday makers. Trish and Julian

Went to the opening of this pub today. As we arrived, we were given a warm and friendly welcome. It has a lot of character. The food was excellent. The staff were cheerful and helpful. You will miss out if you don't visit. Will definitely be going here on a regular basis. Well done, everyone at the Royal Oak.

Great food and friendly service. The steak pie was delicious

Positive: Lovely food, tasty, well presented, hot when served, good choice on the menu. Services was good. Portions are large. Negative: Tables, menus and cutlery dirty. Very quiet and little expensive. Positive: good parking.

On Thursday 19/01/2023 at 19:00 I arrived there and place was closed. Although on here the information was that it was open.

Absolutely amazing meal again in a lovely setting with the friendliest staff. Nothing is too much trouble. The food is 10/10. Beef stroganoff was one of the best meals we have ever eaten anywhere. You really are missing out if you don't give it a try. It was perfect

Very big thank you to izabel and her team for making us feel so welcome and appreciated, will definitely visit again and will recommend to friends

Great menu and meal. So much improved on 12 months ago. Will be going back!!!

I have been here before, and again food was incredible, service from the American manager was top class. I definitely will be back next year😉.

My wife and I have visited twice in December with friends, and my wife hosted a Christmas meal here for twelve members of our streets ladies coffee club. On each occasion, the food was great, the prices were reasonable, the staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was great. We will definitely be back in the New Year.

Dog friendly, good range of food options (vegan too) and nice staff

The service was good and the food was excellent, best meal + pudding I've had in a very long time. Totally recommended

Had a lunch here and it was busy and full of atmosphere. The service was fantastic and the food was very good. We’d definitely come back.

The staff on duty outnumbered the guests arriving for Sunday Lunch! Not a Good sign! Overpriced and Underwhelming Sunday Roast. There are other establishments locally that are perhaps offering a better choice and value for money!

Absolutely delicious meal tonight. All food first class and so fresh. Lovely atmosphere and fab service. We all had different mains and all of them were piping hot and very tasty. Can't recommend it enough.

Have eaten here twice. Both times food was good and service friendly. Would describe it as pub grub rather than restaurant. Only complaint is the music is played everywhere so if you want a quiet table to chat you're out of luck. Warm and cosy interior and plenty of parking.

My wife and I enjoyed a terrific Sunday lunch at the Royal Oak. The beef was very tasty and the vegetables were very well cooked. Slightly Al dente which I prefer. Lovely traditional pub/restaurant and all at a very reasonable price given all the economic pressures these places have to absorb these days. We certainly will be going again.

Third meal lovely friendly staff dogs welcome good parking food fabulous reasonable prices

Steak and Guinness pie was very nice. Friendly staff, nice old style pub. Good pint of Guinness 👍

Lovely old village pub with open fires. Really lends itself to the Christmas vibe. The food was very good, and there is a good selection of menu choices for every taste

I can't praise the whole experience highly enough. We were a party of 8 and every meal was served piping hot without any mix ups, the beers and wines were quickly served, the staff were all happy and helpful. Thoroughly recommended.

excellent sunday roasts. portions were generous. service as friendly , and quick. i also had a chocolate brownie which was yummy.

Lovely meal and fantastic customer service from the moment we walked in. Lovely atmosphere. Dog friendly:) My dog was made a fuss of which made me happy. Would highly recommend.

Dropped in one luchtime last week on a rather gloomy damp day. Luckily on the £12 for two courses lunch menu there was a warming bean cassoulet with mash and very tasty veggie sausages, followed by a great choice of puds that you could have with custard - perfect comfort food to raise the spirits, and great value. Rather quiet, though hardly a day to venture out, but very friendly and efficient service. Will return (even if it's sunny!).

Good service, good food, pleasant staff

Beer was very good. Venison was very good. Gammon was OK. Coffee and desert also good. Staff lovely.

Great pub, old style bar along with a more modern restaurant! Good local food specials...

One of the best pubs I have ever visited has such a lovely atmosphere and the staff there are absolutely amazing made me smile the whole time I was there and made my evening great Isobel Kelsey was great got things done instantly food was amazing has so much flavour and cooked to perfection would 100% recommend to other people and definitely coming back

Great atmosphere and friendly helpful staff. A good range of vegetarian food as well as several specials. Will recommend to family and friends. Enjoyed the local Ringwood beers.

We were staying along the road last week and visited the Royal Oak for an evening meal each day. Our dog was made very welcome and was made a fuss off. The service was very friendly and quick. We enjoyed the food and because of the specials board we were not able to make our way through the menu. All the meals were excellent.

Lovely pub/restaurant. We hadn't booked, and it was very busy but they were very accommodating and fitted us in. The food was delicious and the service was great. I would definitely recommend a visit.

Absolutely lovely. We booked last minute as we were visiting the area, the response was very prompt. The pub is very comfortable and welcoming. The staff were friendly and the food was fantastic. We had the Sunday lunch, with some dessert and coffees. The menu looked great for other days too.

Popped in for lunch, service was friendly, courteous. Inspite being alone, didn’t see anyone else, nothing was too much. We had curry as it was curry week, it was Amazing. Definitely worth a visit. Thank you

Service was brilliant,made feel welcomed and appreciated ,very warm by Manny very polite and efficient,congratulations to Izabel for a fantastic team, will be back soon

Fri 14th Oct. 16:45 Visited the Royal Oak for the 1st time. We were the only folks in. The staff were very welcoming & friendly. The food was very good, the portions were enough, the food was hot. Isabel was a pleasure to speak too. We will certainly be going back, maybe for the Sunday Roast. 9 out if 10( minus 1, sticky toffee pudding, to long in microwave, but custard made up for it)

Called in for a drink very old and interesting pub.

Very nice roast staff very friendly

Nice friendly staff. Great choice if you go for a menu or special dish. I would recommend this place.

Food was excellent BUT the service was appalling

Just been there for the first time. Really warm welcome beautifully clean .and a lovely meal.steak excellent.lovely service .will be back very soon.

Last week I popped I popped in for some beers with some mates. The staff was banging and so was the beers. Would 100% recommend. Yeee course

Went for a drink with my friends and the staff were really nice and accommodating, even stayed a bit after closing just for us which was very kind. Was served by a guy called mason and another guy both had great customer service

Recently, I popped in with a group of friends for a catch up as we hadn’t seen each other in a while. Once we arrived we received a warm welcome from the incredible staff who were very knowledgeable about the beers and wines they had...

Great atmosphere with an interesting interior layout. Low beams (ouch!) padded in places, brick walls. One could almost call it 'snug' Nice beer garden at the back with well tended flowers. The food is interesting, tasty, well cooked and delivered by friendly and polite staff....