The Royal Oak in Melton

I’ve visited The Royal Oak quite a few times, and it never fails to impress. The food, service, and atmosphere are consistently fabulous. Every visit is brilliant. I brought my family for Sunday lunch today, and we had an absolutely wonderful experience. Pat and Bini, the owners, are incredibly welcoming, which makes the experience even more special. I absolutely love this pub and can’t recommend it highly enough. A huge thank you to the entire team at the Royal Oak!

Great pub with fab atmosphere. Dog friendly And cosy. Good food and very friendly Staff. Large size meals with great portions including good vegan options. Overall a fab afternoon spent with friends. Thanks

Came here a lot in the 1970s . We have been since with the previous owners but not for many years. Pleasantly surprised on this occasion and enjoyed our visit. Good service by our server and the food was amazingly good. It was quick and hot and well presented . Spoke to the chef and congratulated him . We would recommend this restaurant.

We were really disappointed with our experience for Sunday Lunch, the food was great but sadly that was let down by the front of house. We arrived 20 minutes before our booking time so we could sit outside in the sun and have a drink first (quite a normal thing to do, or so we thought). We let the bar staff know we were there and were told we had to order drinks at the bar, the next minute we were told we could order drinks and our food at the table outside. We, along with some of the staff were that confused with what we should be doing, we (and them) were in out being told different things, clearly the left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing. What was meant to be a nice relaxing drink before sitting at our table was very stressful. We were then informed that we had to vacate our table at 3.30pm (for a 1.30pm booking for 7 people), after all the faffing around and confusion we didn’t sit at the table until 1.45pm. Had we have been informed of that at the time of booking we would have gone elsewhere as that wasn’t long enough for that amount of people without feeling and being rushed. We had been told we could order food outside, the waitress started to take our order and stopped halfway through saying she couldn’t take it and we had to order at the bar. We went to the bar to be told they would come to the table. A little frustrated by this point we pointed out that they didn’t seem to know what they were doing. A very abrupt landlady stated “No we know what we’re doing, we do it every Sunday” if this was the case maybe they should make sure all their staff know what their Sunday policies are instead of being sarcastic. During the meal there was a dog under the table, sat between our legs begging. My daughter is terrified of dogs and while it was just sitting there it was upsetting her and making her feel very uncomfortable. You expect to see a dog by a bar in a country pub but not at your table. We had to ask twice for it to be taken away from us. We had our starters and main courses and then at 3.15pm we were told again that we had to leave the table at 3.30pm and then asked if we would we like desserts. We made the comment that we wouldn’t have time to eat them, she said you can, but they are outside waiting for your table. We decided to just pay and leave. There for a 77yr old relatives’ birthday who was left in tears that her birthday had been spoilt and at the point of paying she had just had enough, she was clearly upset and frustrated at the absolute shambles of the place. The unprofessional landlady referred to her as rude and aggressive in front of an audience of customers who clearly would have only had one side of the scenario. As the landlady you should take responsibility for the fact your staff don’t know what they are doing and cut out the frequent sarcasm, it was a situation that had it have been handled professionally could have been rectified quite easily with a simple apology. Some of the staff were absolutely lovely and with a good role model, in a well organised and efficient establishment they could absolutely flourish.

We were a table of four who turned up without a booking for Sunday Lunch. The front of house staff were incredibly accommodating considering it was busy and we opted to side in the beer garden since the weather was so nice. Great selection of drinks and food, 1 meat eater and three vegetarians all very happy with the options available to us! We went straight for mains and would have loved to have tried desserts too as the options looked fab, but with the portion sizes being so good for our roasts we didn't have space! Great value for money and fantastically presented food. The waitresses were friendly and professional, a credit to the pub! We visit fairly regularly and always have a brilliant experience that keeps us coming back! Would absolutely recommend:)

Came here with the family on Sunday and was absolutely blown away. Expected your typical gastro-pub fare and instead we were treated to one of the best Sunday lunches we've ever had. The service especially deserves a mention. Despite how busy they were (not surprising really) the staff just couldn't do enough for you. They made a special effort to cater for my wife's dietary requirements and were never far away when it we were ready to order. The whole place had a real family-run vibe that made us feel so welcome. Will definitely be returning soon.

We met friends for the special lunch on offer each week. There was a really good choice on both the special menu and the a la carte. The food was well presented and the ambience in the dining room made our experience very enjoyable. The service was excellent and we would recommend the food at The Royal Oak as being of the highest quality and value for money

The food was average,we had a Sunday roast! The service was awful,We had to ask 3 to 4 times for everything and didn’t feel valued,there was plenty of staff but none would give us any sort of eye contact.Have been treated better at the local Wetherspoon,we won’t be returning or recommending!

Sunday Lunch at the Royal Oak. Fantastic menu, with wonderful choices to suit all tastes, traditional and modern! Excellent quality and service, 2nd time we've been recently & never disappointed! Well done to "Team Royal Oak"

Had a family meal here. There were 20 of us! Food was great, as was the service. A very nice atmosphere in the pub. At the time we ate, there is a discount on food for Eye Kettleby Lakes residents. Would certainly return.

Always a friendly, warm and welcoming atmosphere at this jewel in Great Dalby's crown. The food is excellent as are the array of wine & beers offered. Look out for special events; their recent wine tasting evening here was an incredible experience! Patrick, Bini and the team are amazing hosts - and if you haven't already, stop by and check out The Royal Oak and all that it has to offer!

Had Easter Sunday dinner here yesterday..wow it was absolutely delicious 😋 hospitality was awesome and will definitely be returning soon..highly recommended 5⭐️ from me

Well another successful meal at the brilliant The Royal Oak Great Dalby. We came last night with family, slightly more hectic than usual as there were 10 of us, 4 of those being grandchildren. The food was as always superb, we never heard a word from the children when their burgers, steak and for the youngest one sausages arrived, nothing left on their plates. Thank You Patrick, Bini and your great staff. We are very lucky to have you as the Landlord and Landlady of this great pub.

Always a friendly welcome & a buzzing, warm atmosphere. Food is excellent as is wine & beers choice, in fact we recently attended a wine tasting evening here so if you are in the area, I highly recommend checking out their socials for special events.

Excellent Pub restaurant only a few miles from Melton. Sunday Lunches are wonderful as well as the Evening meals. Service and staff very good.

This is a real favourite of ours, very warm and welcoming place for our young family and our dogs. The food is always top notch and the selection of drinks are fantastic. Would highly recommend a visit!

How fortunate we are to live in the same village as the Royal Oak where we can enjoy such excellent food, the variety and standard of which is so impressive. On our arrival the welcome is always so warm and friendly, and nothing is ever too much trouble with such happy and smiling staff. Last week’s taste of France wine paring evening with superb dinner was fantastic. Thanks Patrick & Bini – L&R.

Lovely pub with interesting menu. Had some delicious food and good value. Great for gluten free, makes such a difference if one of your party is a coeliac. Really friendly welcome.

All round a 5 star visit! Great staff, great food and lovely pub dogs. Never visited before but we will certainly coming back. Thanks for looking after us 👍🏻

We went for Sunday lunch it was fantastic you didn’t want to leave anything on your plate it was so nice also had starters and Dessert which was also amazing The staff was outstanding nothing to much trouble highly recommended

We hadn’t booked as we were due to go elsewhere that was unfortunately closed for an unplanned maintenance issue, and they were so accommodating, looked after me and my partner and our big dog!! Lovely service, really nice food and a great atmosphere, will definitely be going again.

A pub that offers “vegan options” but with no vegan Sunday roast options. To make matters worse there was only one vegetarian pie left and was split between the two of us. No vegan starter options and a very uninspiring sorbet for desert. Very poor for 2024. Won’t be visiting again in a hurry.

We visited on Saturday 27.1.23 and had a lovely meal. The 6 of us were quickly shown to our table and the drinks order soon arrived. The restaurant decor is lovely; the bottle candles on the tables is a particularly nice touch. I had the pork belly main and it was delicious. For dessert I had the sticky toffee pudding which was nice albeit a tad on the petite side. The main reason I have not rated 5 stars is because the restrooms certainly need a bit of TLC. Overall I would certainly recommend this place and would happily return.

We called in for a drink after a ride around the girl behind the bar was far from friendly we heard her swearing and talking to a young girl at the bar which we thought very inappropriate ! Won’t be going back!

Myself and some former work colleagues recently met for lunch at the Royal Oak. Food was very good, certainly a step-up from most pub food. On the minus side, it took at least 45 minutes from ordering to receiving our food (only 1 course ordered by everyone) which given there were only 2 other tables with diners, is disappointing, plus we had to search for the waitress to ask for the bill. The worst part however, was the dog that was allowed to roam free throughput the pub and then begging for food from every table - by any measure, this is simply not acceptable. and it is not the first time I have experience this at the Royal Oak. The first time it happened, I was prepared to accept it could have been a one-off, clearly it was not (see other reviews). Overall, the food was really nice, service was slow, the dog begging for food unacceptable.

Lovely Christmas meal with friends. Had the turkey and all the usual trimmings followed by egg nog brûlée. Excellent service.

Lovely atmosphere, good service but food a little pricey for what it is. Disappointed with the turkey dinner served for Christmas, hardly any vegetables

We had an evening meal, having been recommended to the pub by the owner of the pace we were staying (we are not local). We both enjoyed our meals very much. My only comment on the pork/risotto dish was it’s quite intense. The pork was...

We went to the Royal Oak for lunch six friends meeting up, very varied menu with choices for everyone, starters, main course, and dessert all beautifully presented quality food served, well done Royal Oak!

Lovely food and drink and a nice welcoming environment. However the only thing that let it down would be the mash wasn’t very warm

We visited The Royal Oak for a birthday dinner and we could not have asked for a nicer place to celebrate. We enjoyed a warm welcome, excellent service and a relaxed atmosphere. A couple of delicious three course meals at a very reasonable price topped...

I have read some comments about poor service. It is incredible service, Excellent food I went with my Nephew for Sunday lunch. The beef was amazing. The staff and the host were very welcoming. It’s a Beautiful charming building and it was definitely worth the...

Beautiful pub but not many seats for just a drink, the half dozen seats there were were reserved. The pub is filled with tables for food. We were not impressed with the food or service. I had to ask for the wine list, chose a...

As quite a number of other reviews also state; ‘poor customer service’ was the main, but not the only, let down of our first, and last, visit here. Booked a table for 4 well in advance but was shown to a table set for 2....

We found this pub on a short bike ride from the caravan site at Eye Kettleby Lakes. The food was amazing, Patrick and his staff very friendly and welcoming, will will certainly revisit next year when we return to to caravan site

Beautiful place so friendly the landlord and his wife we're excellent, went without booking they fit 4 of us in, the food presentation was stunning and tasty, we all had different and all 4 meals was lovely, deserts are nice to, if you're staying on...

Had really high hopes for this pub as the car park is always packed however now I’m certain the cars must just belong to the staff! Extremely slow service due to there only being one lady actually serving and taking orders. Clearly other people are...

A lovely setting for an excellent pub lunch. The staff were welcoming and friendly and ready to answer questions about the menu - I chose from the lunch time one, which was very good value. Really enjoyed the barbeque spare ribs, which I don't usually...

We met up for an early dinner and were able to chose from an extensive menu.The 'Lunch for Less' was available, but there was also the extensive'a la carte ' menu too. For a small country pub, the range of dishes was very impressive. We...

Visited early evening for food and drinks. The staff were friendly and the interior decor is pleasant with several eating areas. The garden isn’t much to write about quite small with a few old worn out wooden benches. I had a 10oz Barnsley chop which...

Called in for Sunday lunch then dinner on a Wednesday with my daughter can’t fault the beer, the service, or the excellent food What a lovely place and atmosphere would 100% recommend

We chose this location for a lunch reunion with some friends. Upon arrival we had a warm welcome from Morgan who swiftly provided us with our drinks. There is a good selection of beers, larger and cider. This is a classic English country pub. There...

Popped in for a couple of drinks one evening, and we were very disappointed after being told good things about this pub. The bar staff were unfriendly, and our drinks were expensive. My wine was warm and tasted cheap, and the glass had an odd...

Nearly £10 for a warm glass of white wine, worst glass of red I've ever had, leather steak and 2.5 hrs for one course and nearly £90.00 for the pleasure of one course and drinks.

Had been before and found excellent food and poor service. This time nothing has changed, again, excellent food that’s let down by poor service. Won’t be returning to see if things improve

Just appalling service - left waiting & waiting & waiting….not even busy! Food mediocre & pricey for what it was . Such a disappointment

Excellent food and even better service and staff. We had the Duo of Pork (the Scotch Egg was outstanding), Pie and The Prosecco Salmon. All superb. Roulade v popular. Great location, surrounding and comfortable seats. We will be back and will e recommend to family...

Absolutely fabulous pub. Really beautiful inside. Exceptionally friendly staff. Wonderful Sunday lunch and reasonably priced considering the excellent quality. I highly recommend. This place is a treat!

Great for evening meal. The staff are very attentive and accommodating to your needs. Been twice for Xmas meal with staff and its great they can cater for a large party.

This was our 2nd visit. The first one being amazing. Sadly, this time round, we were really disappointed. Starter of creamy mushrooms on toasted bruchetta. Mushrooms were lovely but served on black/burnt toast! Kitchen must have known, but chose to serve it anyway. Husband's beer...

Amazing pub. Food was very good and tasty. Staff were very friendly. Can’t recommend this restaurant enough. Hopefully see you soon. Lorraine

Small portions for Sunday lunch so left feeling hungry still! Ordered the Chicken as no Turkey was available and was served just half a Chicken breast. I’m not a child! My partner had the pork…no trimmings such as stuffing or pigs in blankets etc. Not...

There is always an excellent range of dishes on offer at The Royal Oak, Great Dalby. We meet friends there regularly and always have a really enjoyable evening. We asked to adapt the dishes, so that the accompanying vegetables were more to our taste. The...

Popped in for some lunch yesterday and glad we did. I think there were 6 different menus with different offerings and different price points. Something for everyone. The wild mushroom and chicken pie was delicious. Very attentive service to match the good food.

We were greeted on arrival with a warm and welcoming smile. Drinks are presented beautifully. Prompt service, Food ordered, arrived in timely manor, hot and delicious. Needless to say we will be back. Thank you Royal Oak Jill & David

What a little gem of a pub. We were lucky to get a table here on a Saturday evening and Sunday lunch. Pub owner was very friendly and accommodating. Staff were knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Food was divine, both times. Not one complaint. That good...

Our visit took place at 18.30 hrs on the evening of Saturday 25th March 2023. We were 3 adults who anticipated a pleasant evening meal in a social ambiance but unfortunately we were placed next to a large party of about 17 people and the...

We chose The Royal Oak for our special evening out. The evening started with a complimentary glass of Prosecco to accompany the 'Nibbles on Arrival'. The Starters had a choice of four items- it was difficult to choose. The pan seared scallops were amazing. Our...

Called in on a Sunday in the hope they might have a table free and we were very lucky that they managed to squeeze us in. Sunday dinner for two - hubby had the Roast Turkey and I,, as a vegetarian, had the Sunday roast...

Bloody love this place! Lovely staff, lovely food, great atmosphere!! Thank you for a lovely night and for looking after me. Will be back soon!!

Only manage to visit this place once a year as not from round here. But when we are it’s a priority we book here! Really cosy friendly ambience with top notch food. Little tip book taxies well in advance for this area. Although we were...

Excellent customer service, friendly and welcoming staff, and outstanding quality of food. Lovely pub and restaurant for a romantic or laid back time. Would definitely re-visit.

Fancied trying somewhere different but we take our roasts very seriously. This was a proper roast with good food, presented nicely and plenty of it! Pub had a nice vibe, staff very efficient and courteous.

We called in for lunch and we’re not disappointed. Lovel cosy old pub with lovely staff. My husband had the fish and chips which he said was great. I had the chicken club sandwich which came with a lovely side salad and crisps. It was...

Been to the royal oak I thought all the staff was really nice kind and very helpful the food was amazing would definitely come again the chef took time while taking our order poured our wine will definitely being going back

We were a party of 6, for Sunday lunch. warm welcome got showed to the bar, and then to our table, great selection which suited our party, we all had great food from starters to sweet, great wine selection for the ladies and even better...

We stayed at nearby eye kettle lakes. Went in for a meal on Friday lunchtime and ate there Saturday and Sunday. Food is amazing and staff were so lovely and welcoming. Young lady made sure we had a table every time we went in. Couldn’t...

The food was excellent and the service excellent. Great atmosphere, thanks to all the tem at the Royal Oak

My wife and I were celebrating our three year wedding anniversary and having never been to the oak before, but hearing amazing things about it decided to give it a go! And we were not disappointed! The food was amazing and the service even better!...

Arrived. For a family Christmas Eve meal we were greeted shown to our table. Service was prompt by lovely staff members. The menu choice was great the food was excellent each meal cooked to perfection. Our family met up to share our Christmas together staying...

We had booked our works Christmas lunch originally 18 but we had 14 in the end. The menu was pre booked with great choices and very reasonably priced and the royal oak were very accommodating with our changes. We had a whole room to ourselves...

We were on our way to market harborough for the Xmas market, when we happened on this little nugget. We stopped for lunch and all we can say is every mouthful was delicious. My husband had the fish & chips, the fish was light and...

We had a long lunch here on Saturday as a girls weekend in the country and had the best time. The food was brilliant, great wine selection, really cosy little space and the staff were amazing. After the local taxi firms being unable to take...

We had an amazing 3 course meal, they had a great deal on when we went. 2 courses £20, 3 courses £25 Would highly recommended the place, all of the food was amazing, best meal I've had in a long time

Great food and great atmosphere last night at the Royal Oak Great Dalby. We had vegetarian food, and our friends had fish and chips. Both meals were fantastically presented and delicious, with a great atmosphere, thanks to Pat and the team. Thank you lovely evening...

We eat here regularly and are never dissapointed. There was a great variety of dishes on the menu, we were a table of 9 with three vegetarians and there was a lot of choice for us all. The food was fantastic, the veggie curry was...

On our 2nd visit to Eye Kettleby Lakes we booked a 2nd visit to this lovely village pub. They have dog friendly areas and both us and our friends had a dog. We had a table to ourselves close to the bar. Nice selection of...

We walked to this pub from Eye Kettleby Lakes for lunch. The pub is large, we sat in a smaller bar as we had a dog. The food was lovely and freshly cooked. The waitress was really nice. We had fish & Chips, and a...

Lovely atmosphere, fantastic service, and a big thank you to the blonde lady ( landlady ) who gave us a complimentary drink for the table nearbys noisy dogs! would highly recommend! thank you for a wonderful meal!

Visited on Sunday with my family, great service, great food, best roast I ever had, Tempura prawns starter which was full of flavour, will definatly be back

I can not fault the Royal Oak and their attentive team! Me and my Wife came buy for a Sunday dinner and WOW it was sensational. we were greeted by a lovely blonde lady ( I assume manager) who managed to squeeze us in at...

Service was good I would say the food was average , starter luke warm on cold plates! Main meal was OK but again cold plates and variations of temperature on our plates! cold meat, very hot potatoes, luke warm potatoes ect gravy on all our...

Nice, friendly village pud, good beer on tap and the food is amazing. Staff very friendly would highly recommend this place.

Good service until it got busier. 1h30 for 1 course- then an extra 25min for desserts. The creme brulee was served with salt on, not sugar. The 2 neighbouring tables also had major order errors and delays. Meal refunded and discounted but sadly we won’t...

Best roast dinner I’ve had in a long time, very welcoming and friendly staff, had the tomato and basil soup starter which was also amazing, would highly recommend to anyone and will be back again soon 5*

Such a good meal at the Royal Oak. The entire team look after you really well, nothing too much effort. We’re both veggie and it’s difficult to get a menu that caters for us, but their tempura prawns, mackerel pate, battered haloumi followed by crème...

What an amazing find, we are staying in eye kettleby and looking for somewhere good to eat. By far one of the best meals we have had and they were under immense pressure due to how busy they were. A lovely couple that run the...

We had an excellent meal at The Royal Oak. There was so much choice for each course, it was difficult to finally choose. The main course we both had was hake with new potatoes and green beans. It was delicious. The service was very good,...

Lovely food tonight. Steak cooked to perfection, friendly and professional service. This place is a gem off the beaten track. Patrick and James are wonderful hosts. Will definitely be returning.

On arrival we were seated and we ordered drinks and our food, both were delivered to our table in a reasonable time. Approx 1/2 way through eating mine I noticed something between my food and the plate. This turned out to be a newspaper cutting...

Average place. Tapas choices ok but in reality not brilliant. The staff were very friendly but not attentive and we were left feeling forgotten. We decided not to have a dessert as a result

The food was excellent and they really went out of their way to enable me to eat their most decadent food even with my milk allergy.

Had the best meal! And I can’t actually thank Patrick Sabina and the bar man (handsome man) enough! They did everything they could to make me and friends feel welcome! I loved every minute! The food was unreal! Had a steak cooked to perfection. Would...

I ate here with friends this week. Beautiful place and friendly staff. Food was delicious although mine could have been warmer. I didn’t complain as I’d already had to request bread for my starter and sauce with my main, both of which were mentioned on...

A great thank you to Patrick and his staff for the lovely food, great service for our wedding meal this afternoon . Nothing was too much trouble and everyone enjoyed the food, the menu choices were extremely good and we would highly recommend the Royal...

Unable to use the cooker due to work being carried out in our kitchen we had to outsource dinner. Luckily Pat was ready to help us out! We ordered a duo of pork with all the trimmings, fish and chips and salmon with a seafood...

The pub was busy and is a popular venue for food, we have had some lovely meals there before. However this time we found a few things that could be improved. The Sunday lunch is £20 for two courses, they charge £4 extra if you...

This is a beautiful little pub and inside is prettily decorated and cosy. Came for Sunday lunch at 2 courses for £25 which I feel is a little on the higher side of prices but not something I wouldn't pay for tasty food. My main...

Called in on Saturday for an early lunch and received a lovely warm welcome. We ordered sandwiches on lovely thick granary bread with side orders of fries and they were wonderful. The pub is tastefully decorated, warm and inviting and every member of staff we...

The venue was ideal for a family christening. Plenty of room for an excellent buffet. Lots of choice and lots to eat. The pub has a wide selection of beers ,wines and non alcoholic drinks. As it was a family event, there were lots of...