The Royal Oak in Harrogate

Everything you’d expect in a Tim Taylors pub even though this is very much food led. Excellent cask ales and a drinking area where you can converse and enjoy a great pint.

Very nice food but table service was very slow

Very disappointed with the service for Sunday lunch ..booked 6 weeks ago for 10 people ..turned up , no booking 😡

We only called in for a drink after a concert at the Cathedral but it was a lovely welcoming pub. We'd definitely go in again next time we are in Ripon.

Brilliant pub, great room, nice and warm and quiet, comfy bed slept really well. Breakfast was hot and plentyful. Would recommend this place. Will stay again when I'm the area if price was right

Sunday lunch was nice. My Yorkshire Pudding was very much over cooked (burnt) but staff member was happy to bring me a better one. Veg was nice, tasted fresh and was more inventive than just carrots and peas which many places do (braised spring greens, suede mash and cauliflower cheese if I recall correctly!). Meat was nice. Staff were friendly and facilities were clean! Update in 2024: generous portions and still a nice plate of food.

We went in October as we were Caravanning near fountains abbey with sister and brother in law. We had a lovely meal and drinks. The food was excellent and the service was really good . Will definitely return next time we are in Ripon.

There cannot be anywhere in Ripon that does better food than here. We ate here on two evenings and all meals served were fantastic. Friendly and helpful servers, and the pub overall has a nice welcoming feel to it.

Met a friend for lunch. Fabulous service and absolutely gorgeous food. Fantastic value.

A lovely well run and very friendly establishment. Top notch food and a great selection of drinks. Everything served quickly and with a smile

Great food rooms lovely. Food great.

Delicious Sunday roast. Tender meats, amazing gravy. Great service. Excellent beer. We'll be back

Let's start with the good, the staff at the hotel and in the pub I could not fault, friendly and efficient The bed was large and had a comfy mattress. Breakfast was well cooked and lots of choice. Now the bad, I know it is an old building but there was chipped paintwork up the stairs and especially in the bedroom, room 1, this was far more than being caught with a case it looks like maintenance has not been carried out for some time. The shower base was stained and looked grubby, all it needs is some cleaner and a scrubbing brush. Our room was at the front of the building and the curtains were sun faded and were not blackout, allowing outside light into the room. I thought blackout curtains were standard now. The hotel website showed that there was a Nespresso machine in the room, when I asked where it was and showed the web site to the staff member who checked us in she said I don't know but will raise it with the manager when they get here at 4. Returning to the hotel I was told we have not had them since lockdown, they keep breaking down and the website had been revised. The website also has advertised that the hotel has a private car park, apparently this was rented land that had been returned to the landlord, this was not communicated despite booking directly. Your nearest car park is a pay and display a good few minutes walk away. I don't think it is worth anywhere near the £110 we paid for one night.

Lovely dog friendly pub and food was excellent (Sunday Roast). Very good service - friendly, efficient, very quick. Overall a lovely meal and would definitely recommend.

Had quite a disappointing meal which was a shame as my friend had come over from Leeds and I decided to treat her as I had heard the meals were good. A friendly member of staff met us on arrival and showed us to our table and then from there the service was poor. The meals were brought to us. The Yorkshire puddings were dry and cold, the roast potatoes were so tough they were hard to cut and quite greasy and they dishes of mixed veg had obviously been cooked before hand and then warmed up. We had to catch the waitresses attention for a dessert menu which I must admit were a lot better than the main course. I understand there's time to stand around chatting if you're not busy but at least keep an eye on your customers as well. I'm afraid to say we won't be eating here again

Breakfast was amazing, but the room was far from clean. Carpet is really stained, bed frame really dusty, and the bathroom shower was definitely not cleaned. Some mold in bathroom, peeling paint. Good price but not worth the germ factor!

Lovely place to stay in center of Ripon. Comfy rooms with tv, hairdryer, tea & coffee and toiletries. Lovely, friendly staff. Breakfast was delicious and plentiful although we had quite a wait but wouldn't put me off. Would certainly recommend

Great pub food. Good quality and homemade. We didn’t like the wine and it was replaced instantly without question. The waiter was friendly and couldn’t have done anymore.

Lovely room with view over the roofs of Ripon.The Royal Oak is located in the Cathedral area of Ripon, enjoyed exploring the quarter. Great evening meal and staff were very helpful when we forgot a charger. Loved Ripon.

Got a Sunday lunch, £20 each and the plate came with 2 slices of beef (serloin?) Which was cooked like a steak should be - pink in the middle - not what you'd expext on a roast dinner . Roast potatoes were covered in rosemary and between 2 of us we got one bowl of veg which consisted of 1/3 turnip, 1/3 cauliflower cheese, the other 3rd was a mix of peas, broccoli and cabbage. Wetherspoons is about 50 meters away, should have gone for an all day brunch.

Came in for dinner, 2 adults and one 6 y/o. Absolutely incredible service from the staff from beginning to end, really nice child friendly touches such as good quality colouring pencils and a turning her doggy bag of leftovers into a foil swan. Also I'm vegetarian and the veggie option I had was delicious and original. Partner said his steak was one of the best he's had in the area. Well done to this place, spot on.

Good food Great Beer(Boltmaker) Great service

Fabulous Sunday lunch, the nut roast is beautifully prepared and a good portion, rather than the usual skimpy processed veggie options that are often served with Sunday lunch. Veg and yorkie beautiful! Hubby had braised beef cheek with sticky onions, gravy to die for! Great value, service and cosy atmosphere, 2-4-£13 cocktails were delicious!

Lovely old pub in the centre of town. Well placed if attending functions etc. Staff extremely helpful, excellent breakfast. Rooms small due to age of the building but well appointed

Nice central location in the lovely Ripon. Suited us well as a good value stopover halfway to Edinburgh. Room was decent. Good shower. Service was good throughout. Breakfast was the best bit for me. Had a really nice Croque Madame.

Best pie Ive ever had and my husband enjoyed his fish and chips too, only regret is not eating here sooner! The service was great too 👍

Well impressed with the location the staff and the warmth of the place

Lovely food and great service. Accessible disabled toilet no stairs

Rooms a little bit dated but a great location, a great staff, breakfast was lovely.

Nice food and drink. No room used.

Fantastic pub 👍 Great staff, beer, food and atmosphere. A proper pub.

Absolutely fabulous food ,well presented and so tasty,great flavours . Staff were lovely,an absolute gem ,best food in Ripon .

Stayed in Ripon and originally just called in for a drink. Great selection of beers and wine. Decided to stay for something to eat as the food we saw being served looked delicious. We were seated quickly and the menu had some delightful choices. We went for the burger and the belly pork. Both came in good time, quicker than expected because they were very busy. Both were excellent. Service was welcoming and a comfortable place A big thank you to all the team

As ever good food and good service

Beautiful lunch, lovely food, staff friendly .

Very friendly place will definitely stay again

Booked for a midweek lunch with visiting friends and their dog. There is a separate section for people with dogs but it was a nice area. The whole interior has an olde worlde feel. Service was good. The food took a while to arrive but to me that says it's all freshly made and the short wait was worth it. My friends both had the pie and said it was excellent as was my crumbed chicken. My skinny chips were so good (they stole a few from my plate!) that we ordered an extra bowl for the others to share! Convenient for the town centre too. I would happily take other visitors there for a meal.

Good old fashion pub, beer garden and dog friendly.

We stayed in Ripon last week to get married; we absolutely love the area as well as The Royal Oak, and recommended an overnight stay there to some friends and family, as well as a place to meet up for a meal or two. As ever, we were not disappointed. The food is far more than pub grub; exceptional quality and huge portions, whilst extremely reasonably priced. We didn't stay overnight, but our wedding guests had no complaints at all. I couldn't find the email address to The Royal Oak as I wanted to thank them, so hope this 5 star review gets them the recognition they thoroughly deserve. Many thanks! The well-fed Hindles, friends and family.

I have always rated this pub one of the best in Ripon. With one exception "Dogs" I take exception at some selfish folk who insist in taking their dogs into pubs and restaurants. I have mentioned this to the management before. To be fair they do have a separate area where dog's are not permitted full marks for that. On this occasion it was a lovely evening in many respects. First of all bar staff were curtious and polite. Nice atmosphere. We had conversations with various people and enjoyed their company. Good selection of wines and spirits. The restaurant seems well supported. An all round lovely evening. Why "No Dogs" I wish the pub all success for the future. John G. Durham.

Didn't stay , just popped in for lunch. What a pleasant surprise. The great menu and food was brilliant. Call in when you're in Ripon !!! 😀😀

Staff need a lesson in not using 'who's next' when there's a queue at the bar.

The Royal Oak is located in heart of Ripon town just off the main square and offered a good range of tasty food for early lunch. Located within walking distance of all amenities. Stopped next door for a coffee at Lula's quaint café and look who greeted us just across the road! Couldn't help taking a snap. Stopped later at Oliver's for quick snack. Clearly hungry after Parkrun earlier!

Really nice atmosphere. Excellent food. Cosy feel. Highly recommended

Lovely pub with nice rooms staff where super helpful and right in the middle of rippon with parking very happy

Had a very, very good vegetarian meal here last night. A creative dish full of great ingredients with loads of flavour- not your usual pub veggie meal! Well done guys👍

Lovey pub, definitely recommend. Served mild too which was great.

Cracking pub, full if character and decent drinks on the pull, if we were staying more locally id have been in here more often

We traveled to Ripon and grabbed a quick sandwich when we got there. The owner of the shop recommended The Royal Oak for dinner. We are so good he did. We had a delicious meal! My husband had the Sticky beef and I had the Pork Belly, both were tender, delicious, and cooked perfectly. For dessert, we both had Sticky Toffee Pudding, again it was delicious. I would love to eat at the Royal Oak again. The waitress was great and the atmosphere was perfect! Kudos to the Chef!

Bring back the old menu :( Always been our favourite go to place for a nice meal. Recently went for a family birthday dinner and really disappointed with the choice on the new menu which is now quite limited. Starter of squid quite dull, main course of fish came with parts of the dish luke warm and some of the potatoes hard, and the rhubarb dessert was quite tasteless. A real shame as we used to really enjoy eating at the Oak.

Me and my wife came here so many times over the years unfortunately i lost my wife in September but these guys make my day thank you so much

Very welcoming and a well kept pint of Taylors Landlord. Food smelt appetising but we were already booked in elsewhere.

Came for food, and loved the atmosphere. Friendly, professional, but proper "pub" too. Food was amazingly priced - too low, guys - and was fantastic. My burger was a thing of joy. Honestly. Wonderful. Sue's hake was sublime, genuinely gorgeous. And the ale - I had bitter - was delicious. Brilliant little bar. Never go to the Spoons.

To break our journey home from London and as we were celebrating a special occasion we decided to stay here. What a lovely place, clean massive room, comfy massive bed perfect after a long drive. The breakfast in the morning was great, really nice food. Thank you. There are a lot of places in the area I would like to explore so would like to come back again.

If Carlsberg made pubs this would probably be the most friendliest, welcoming pub in all the world!

Excellent,warm friendly pub with really pleasant helpful staff

Friendly staff good choice of food & drinks only popped in 4 a drink but will probably be booking a couple of nights stay in the near future

Stayed over night. Great room,excellent shower! The breakfast was fabulous, great member of staff who checked us in and took breakfast order. Nothing was a problem would recommend a perfect stay thank u.

Lovely dinner at the pub. Food was delicious, freshly made. Highly recommend. Friendly and welcoming staff. If we were visiting Ripon again we would definitely return.

It’s a very busy bar (Friday evening) and it’s nice the restaurant side is just out of ear shot but not hidden out of the way. The food, as always, is faultless and a bonus with the 25% off voucher

Good food for a reasonable price, but the eating area was a tad chilly.

Great food pub in the centre of Ripon, came recommended. My wife and I had burgers, was best so far this week. Clearly popular but they managed to fit us in. Service was also good

We eat in this place a few times a year when visiting fountains abbey. every single time is is great the staff...the food...the service is top notch and very friendly in the bar or the restaurant highly recommend it...........................

Had a good experience a few years ago but this was probably better. Great service from our server...... non of our requests for little adjustments to our order were an issue at all. Food generally higher level than typical pub food. Meat was of great quality in the pie and the beef cheek. Smaller fish and chip portion still plenty for my mum. Will return. Only slight issue was it was a little bit chilly where we were sitting but not worth knocking any marks off.

Excellent pub. Lively atmosphere on a Saturday afternoon around 4pm. Great beer. Friendly locals.

The food and beer are very good , the staff are very friendly. Rooms need updating

Worse Sunday lunch I’ve ever eaten, it was cold and the roast potatoes had never seen an oven.

We visited on New Years Eve and had a lovely meal. The bar was incredibly busy as you’d expect but the food area was less so and staff were helpful and attentive.

Good hotel with a good priced room with breakfast. They need to fix the fire door that banged in the night.

Four of us ate here - 2 veggie and 2 non veggie - and all the meals were very good. Really enjoyed the lentil shepherds pie with cheesy mash. Desserts really nice too. Great service from the young women on duty and a nice friendly atmosphere. Will go again.

Nice bar staff and a great pint of Landlord Dark.

My husband and I needed a quick lunch. We both ordered the Croque Madame. The egg was great but the quality of the ham was appalling, and sadly the whole thing came in a dense panini style bread, soaked in a lot of cheese which left the bread soggy. Not appealing at all. Definitely not what I’d expect from a proper Croque Madame unfortunately. Pleasant service.

The food, drink & service here is always outstanding. I live in Ripon and come here often. One of my favourites.

I've been tonight for works do. Lovely food, excellent service.

We chose this pub initially because of the amazing gluten free menu. Too many times I go out and I’m completely underwhelmed by choice of menu for someone with celiac. I had the turkey, cranberry mayo baguette and it was amazing, my husband had croque Madame which he said(even as a chef) it was the best he’d ever tasted. Amazing value for money

Pub grub not gastro pub. I had beef cheek, tough not tender, stringy. Bakewell tart ordinary, manufactured. Staff aren't really bothered. I reported my disappointment, no follow up. I wouldn't revisit. I didn't stay in the rooms.

Had a lovely meal here on Wednesday, three adults. We had starters, mains and a pudding and everything was delicious. Excellent quality products, very well made and good size portions. Lovely fresh vegetables, sadly lacking at so many other eating places know who choose chips and peas with everything. The beef pie was exceedingly good 👍 well done to the chef. 10/10 Service was good and very friendly 😊 x

As someone else has also suggested, please light the fire now that Autumn days are with us. I suspect the diminishing numbers of people in the bar are a reflection of its chilly atmosphere. Regrettably, people will go to warmer and more welcoming pubs.

My dad, two brothers and myself came for a meal this evening, 3 of us ordered from the early bird menu which was great value, 2 courses for £15 or 3 for £20. On the way home we all said how we couldn’t fault anything. We all had 3 courses and it was the best meal any of us have had in a long time. High recommend!

Had a 2 course specials lunch My friend had the mini fish and chips, it was huge, well presented and tasty, I had the Cumberland sausage with mustard mash, carrots and the most delicious onion gravy yum yum, we both had sticky toffee pudding with ice cream, the portion was big, again it was so tasty The place was clean and tidy, the lady who served us was very friendly and attentive, great value for money Highly recommend

Going here again tomorrow for lunch with a friend. This will be my third visit to a restaurant that serves excellent food, provides great service and generally has a good feel about it.

We visited Ripon for a couple of hours and chose here for a bite to eat. They had a set menu where you could have 2 courses for £15. I ordered scotch egg for starter, then beef pie for main. The food was so good, great value and very filling. The wait wasn't long either. The only reason I didn't give 5* was because the menu online differed to the one we had (it says £8.95 for a number of sandwiches e.g. steak, plus £1.50 to add a drink, but that doesn't seem to be current), and there was a mix up with my meal (mash served instead of the requested chips), so had to wait for it to be rectified. An extra charge for the chips was added to the bill, so I had to get that corrected too. I will add that when pointed out, it was rectified quickly and we still tipped a good 15% as the waitresses were lovely and we enjoyed our meal!

We stayed one night for dinner bed & breakfast. The room was a good size, although I didn't like the huge drinks glasses chandelier over the bed, it was a bit OTT! The dinner and breakfast we ate at the Royal Oak were both excellent,...

We came across this pub when searching for somewhere to eat in Ripon and this pub had great reviews. We ordered off of the 2 courses for £15 menu and a meal off of the children’s menu, and the food was amazing! The menu had...

On a quiet Monday in October we were looking for something more than a cafe which was dog friendly. TripAdvisor came up with only a couple of options of which this was one, so we booked it. I confess to walking past this pub in...

We stayed overnight in this charming old pub in the Centre of town. They provide a car park for guest, super, as no parking close. The restaurant food was so tasty, a really great vegetarian menu. Breakfast equally good We were looked after by Abbey,...

A great pub in the city centre that serves good quality food. The rooms are well appointed and the beds very comfy. Theres a good choice of ales at the bar. The breakfast is first class !

So pleased to find a local pub that provided real options for vegetarian, dairy and gluten free. The sticky toffee pudding was particularly delicious. The nut roast was tasty and moist and came with a generous portion of vegetables.

Popped in for Sunday lunch while staying at the nearby Unicorn. This pub is just a few hundred yards from Ripon Cathedral and very close to Cathedral car park. The exterior of the pub gave no clue as to how good lunch would be. There...

Good, fresh, well cooked food. Good GF selection. Generous portions. Friendly efficient service. Nice atmosphere.

I stayed here for 6 nights and I couldn't fault the place . My room had the things you'd expect spacious bed, tv , tea coffee facilities and to top it off breakfast was included and made with the finest of ingredients the staff were...

Came here based on a recommendation from the Chimes, as we were looking for more than lite bites and we also had our dog with us. So glad we came. Food was excellent. Best fish and chips we’ve had in a while and the other...

Second time visiting, as new to Ripon - Sunday dinner is amazing! Son ordered from the kids menu and enjoyed it all too. Staff are really nice, service is quick, good atmosphere and a dog friendly pub. Will definitely be returning x

We booked as a group of 19 for late afternoon early evening meal pre an event we were attending. We were allocated our own space at the back of the pub which was excellent, gave us room to stand around and chat and comfortable for...

What a fantastic place. I'm so glad I took notice of the reviews. Excellent food, friendly and efficient service and surprisingly great price. We will be back here for sure.

Stayed over as had a wedding in Ripon. Staff were all friendly and helpful, room was great - clean, spacious and had all the amenities you could need. Breakfast was also great (we hadn’t realised it was included so an added bonus). Would definitely recommend...

Great impromptu Sunday visit. We were actually in another town and couldn't find anywhere doing Sunday lunch though it was actually 5.15p.m. so googled and found here. Telephoned to confirm were still serving and they advised till 8 and would we like a table booking....

We were in Ripon & come across the Royal. As it was lunch time we gave it a try. We were not disappointed, one had fish goujons, another goats cheese & one chicken liver parfait. Served by friendly staff & very good food . The place was very busy with locals and visitors. Would highly recommend.

Fantastic Sunday lunch and great service aswell. Initially there was problem with our booking, but the staff were great and got us a table. The Scotch Egg starter went down a treat and the Beef Brisket literally melted in the mouth. The chicken looked and apparently was just as nice.I would definitely recommend the Royal Oak for Sunday Lunch and will be back on my next visit without a doubt.Dog friendly aswell which is an added bonus.

We stayed a couple of nights at the Royal Oak, making it our base for visiting Ripon Cathedral and going round Fountains Abbey. The Cathedral is only a few yards away, at the end of Kirkgate (Ripon's answer to the Shambles at York), and there's a good view of it from the top of the fire escape staircase at the rear of the hotel. The Royal Oak is also very conveniently located for you to dash out after dinner to watch the wakeman blowing the horn in the Market Place nearby at 9pm, Ripon's great attraction. We greatly enjoyed our two nights at the hotel, and we found the staff all very helpful and friendly. My one word of criticism is that our room was very hot at nights, and the winter duvet was quite inappropriate for a still warm September. Unfortunately, as we were on the on the second floor, the window couldn't be opened, and there was no air conditioning system in the room. The highlight of our visit - to end on a more positive note - was Sunday evening's dinner, which was absolutely superb. The pork belly was magnificent. There are not many places in Ripon where you can get dinner on a Sunday evening. But no matter: the Royal Oak's dining room is unbeatable.