The Royal Oak in West Oxfordshire

Really friendly staff - nice brunch - always call in when we are visiting Witney. 😁

I'm aged 76 the so called offender of smoking in smoking area, not offending anyone but yourself tucked behind glass window, you inside me outside disturbing nobody, it seems as smoker you were offended seeing and came outside demanding I move to another table, the Royal Oak is an extremely clean respected public house in Witney with a regular attendance for lunch with retiredl locals, and an extremely civilised popular pub, at your visit there were many tables empty, one wonders as not eating why you simply did not move to another table, the onus of anger disgruntlement is purely on you, the actions and threat at time was purely from you, even attempting to hurt bussines,

Four of us called in for early drinks on a quiet, warm evening. We sat inside the pleasant conservatory area to enjoy good ales at admittedly weighty prices. All was good until suddenly the place was filled with cigarette smoke funnelled in through the open door to the courtyard area and wafted through the length of the inside pub. That was rather unpleasant, it stung our eyes and made me cough. A little later the same thing happened so I went to try to close the door and ask the solitary smoker if he could move further down the yard. The door wouldn’t close - the smoker became defensive and then passively aggressive. He said that he had every right to smoke there as an ashtray was provided there for him and challenged me to complain to the bar lady. Reading other reviews I see that complainants here tend to get short shrift and rude treatment, so he probably felt on safe ground. The bar lady dumbly asked us if we would prefer to be hot if the door was closed? She didn’t shut the door but said uselessly that it was closed during lunch eating times because of the smoke problem. - so that’s OK then! The smoker could be there when he wanted and in any case he was a regular! Just as we were leaving the smoker was headed out once again, presumably to drive more customers away. The courtyard is fairly large and with only one other couple there was plenty of space to not have a smoking table right by the door. At a hefty £22.30 for two and a half pints and a small glass of wine I think that one would expect rather better treatment and more adept customer service. All so totally avoidable - what a shame and a loss to the pub of two more rounds and future visits.

I went in today to ask if I could use the toilet as I am 32 week pregnant, and an older male staff told me the toilet is only for customers. I was not impressed with the hospitality and don't think we would come here for food in the future.

Rude owner, food was poor standard and didnt look cooked. Overpriced and poor. Really not expected as previous experience average/good.

Nice and clean,lovely atmosphere,good friendly service,but alas the food was average and bland

This is a lovely pub in a great location. However the food was extremely overpriced and pretty average. You simply can’t charge top rates for basic pub grub. As much as I would love to return I simply could not justify it on a value for money basis.

Decided to pop in and break from my usual as this place has reopened following refurbishment. It’s very much an eatery as opposed to a bar and initially I wasn’t sure and was about to leave if it were not for a very attentive staff member who found me a nice table by the window. It’s order at the bar but they do explain that and make you feel very welcome so not having table service as such is not a problem. I ordered the fish cakes - nice in flavour although slightly overdone and too crispy on the outside for fish cakes but nice nonetheless. It’s an aging demographic in here - 50 years plus but I still would bring my 23 year old daughter for a nice meal. Downside - no kids under 5 - for me an issue as I can’t bring my grandkids - shame. Upside - no kids under 5 - for me and hubby when we want a nice quiet meal 🤣

Came in for food and drinks but my 5 year old needed the toilet first. He has autism and struggles holding it so took him before ordering. Just as he was about to go in to the toilets, the male and female owners/managers rushed over and said we had to order before he could use the toilet. I tried to explain he couldn't wait then the man got extremely aggressive and told us I was lying about ordering and to get out! My son ended up wetting himself on the way out. Absolutely despicable behaviour we were so upset. Will never go in there again they really don't deserve customers!

What a beautiful pub! Massive and varied menu, wonderful staff and 4 beautifully kept Butcombe ales. A real treat. Totally recommended.

After travelling from Oxford, seeing on line the pub was open til 7pm. Very dissapointed to be turned away, only wishing to order a baguette, being told closed for food at 1.30!!! It was 1.36!! Rather petty always our favourite place to have lunch in Witney what a shame.

mum and me had a great lunch there last Wednesday

This is one of our go to pubs for great service, food and atmosphere. Fast friendly service at reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

Stopped in for a quick drink on the way to the cinema. Seemed a lovely pub, friendly a quiet, suited us well.

Always a great place to go for some first class food and service

Tasty food and great customer service. Well worth stopping off for breakfast. Huge portions.

Lovely place, I dropped in for a bite to eat and do some work while my car had its mot up the road. Really nice place, great food, nice folks and much better than Costa for a bit of remote working.

Yes it was expensive but my husband and I had such a lovely lunch and afternoon sat in there garden, it was worth it

Fantastic family run pub. I've been coming here for many many years as we always enjoy the warm welcome from al the staff in the royal Oak and will bend over backwards for you. There food is incredibly tasty and good portion sizes too. The choice of real ales and lagers on draft is excellent. Spoilt for choice unlike most places in witney witch are very limited. Great atmosphere in the evenings too so if you want a warm friendly pub then this is certainly one I would highly recommend 👍

This place is the best pub/restaurant by far in Witney. The customer service is fantastic and as it is a family run business they are so welcoming. Myself and my family having been going here for over 20 years and we absolutely love it! The food and drink is great and always enjoy it. Absolutely spotless and such a wonderful place to go for both drinks and food!. Will definitely recommend the Royal Oak. Will be back very soon.

Lovely lunch. Couldn’t fault the food but very expensive. £15 for a Brie ploughman’s lunch, £75 for four diners. Enjoyed the atmosphere and the landlord was very accommodating but really too expensive.

Popped in for a family lunch, nice homely feel and food was good quality. But...it is eye-wateringly expensive for what is essentially pub grub. The menu is huge and quite hard to navigate. There is hardly anything on the menu that's under £10, inc sandwiches. A bowl of soup is £9.95. A baked potato cost £12-15. We should have walked but as we were already seated decided to stay. There is also no children's menu so kids had to pay full adult prices. An example of the cost, £3.45 for a glass of milk for a child, and £2.50 for a dash of lime juice. Way too pricy. Beware.

Good food, but quite expensive. Had fish and chips. The fish obviously was from the freezer, but good.

Very nice people, great food, very welcoming

Went here for lunch with a friend, initial welcome was ok - far too much on the menu, how do you make all these meals fresh to order? We both opted for a sandwich and a small glass of wine, which was way too expensive for what it was, and to top it of the sandwich wasn't even very nice and we both left some.

Great food .lovely atmosphere. Great people

Perfect breakfast! Everything freshly cooked, everything was hot - including the plate - and very tasty. Polite and attentive staff. Highly recommend 👍🏻

Lovely friendly landlords and a peaceful atmosphere. Trouble is, the food isn't all that brilliant and is overpriced. £60 odd for 2 lasagna, a cheeseburger and chips plus 3 soft drinks seems excessive to me.

Can't believe how over priced the food was. Average fried brekkie nearly 20 pound. Absolute rip off britain

We had an excellent lunch Saturday 7th January. We enjoyed two ploughmans lunches, one chedder cheese and one beef. Lovely fresh salads, soft bread, couldn't fault anything. Would recommend booking a table as it was very busy and people where being turned away. Will return. Thank you Royal Oak for an excellent lunch.

Great place to eat, lovely staff, lovely surroundings.

We showed up a bit early for lunch and had a pint while sitting at a great table by the window. For lunch, I ordered the fish and chips. Loved it because the fish did not have too much breading -- just perfect. My husband ordered the steak & ale pie -- delicious and the potatoes on the side were great! The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Yes great food, service, all round service from staff 10/10 Thanks

A 100% warm welcome. We came for food which was not available at the time but the welcome was so friendly we stayed for a few drinks and so glad we did. The mulled wine was fantastic and quality... a lovely festive touch. Well done !

1st visit to this lovely 16th century pub, friendly welcome, beautiful interior, and outside courtyard area, and very reasonable prices, and the cheese cake was delicious, will definitely visit again.

What a contrast to our first attempt to eat lunch. The staff were friendly and welcoming even though we hadn’t booked and found us a well placed table. This is a family business and customers are served by charming family members. There were plenty of other customers in the light and airy dining area. The food was tasty and good value. We have already booked to go again!

Always a friendly welcome and lovely food

Went for lunch today and had brie and bacon sandwich with chips. Lovely granary bread, perfect amount of bacon and brie, and lovely chunky chips. We sat in the conservatory, comfortable temperature, comfortable dining chairs, friendly and welcoming staff.

This was the best pub. So friendly the food looks fantastic the locals gave us a warm welcome. A perfect example of what a British pub should be we were in Whitney for a short stay but this pub alone ensures i will make a return trip

We only had time to pop in for a Saturday lunchtime drink, but what an amazing place. Fantastic atmosphere, lovely attentive staff and amazing locals willing to chat merrily. It was packed with people eating & the food and quality of service looked to be first class. Will definitely go back and eat there next time.

Really like this place. Top service, on the pricy side so visit after payday, lol

We decided to take a family member out for breakfast, and as soon as walked in and asked for a table, the landlord immediately stated "you'll have to sit in the garden" It's not something we've ever been greeted with before so I went along with it. As we walked past plenty of empty, unreserved tables to the beer garden, I was rather confused. The manager / worker found us a table and I then asked why we had to sit outside, and by a smoking guest. To which he replied "no children are allowed inside, it's a pub, and they can be badly behaved" "Some adults can be badly behaved?!" This went back and forth for a while, until he said "these are our rules, we can make whichever rules we want". I truly think I must've been in shock, or we would've gone somewhere else. Sat down with menus to see those so-called rules had been broken, and seen by the same landlord by a guest smoking on a non-smoking table. But apparently these rules are ok to be broken? Our child's meal was also undercooked. Although the chef kindly checked which meal was for the child so it wouldn't be on a hot plate. The whole encounter felt like the strangest restaurant / pub experience..would choose to eat elsewhere in future.

Lovely place. Lovely food. Manager hands on. Clean toilets.

Ordered a lasagne and a ploughman's at just under £30 portion size was awful - the smallest piece of dry lasagne 3 piece of garlic bread and the smallest salad in the thinnest dish I have ever seen for just under £15. The ploughman's was 3 pieces of cheddar - smallest onions and again small salad. Very dissapointed for the price.

Called in for a coffee then decided to book for lunch and it was excellent so much choice on the menu.

We visited June 24th,lunchtime. Friendly staff,nicely done interior. However, we chose beer battered cod at 14.95 . So disappointed to see a reformed,flat,uninteresting frozen offering,and to add insult to injury,several baked beans had been dropped onto our plate. Why advertise beer battered cod, knowing whats offered is reformed rubbish. The wife's fish was rock hard in the middle,staff kindly changed it for a prawn salad. Again,disappointed as to lack of taste in the meal. Sorry, we can't recommend what looks a lovely town pub.

Very welcoming owners great service breakfast and a pot of tea for £11 will definitely highly recommend and i will be back

I think they only serve lunch and not dinner. Great place on a sunny day as the bar opens into a conservatory with a nicely attached terrace area. Friendly staff and extensive Lunch menu. Only reason it’s not a 5* is that I was hoping...

We had ouzo and it didn't go cloudy when mixed!!!! A bit suspicious and they weren't cheap

Great service great atmosphere , good laugh.

Just enjoyed another wonderful lunch at the Royal Oak in Witney. We hadn't booked but once again our friendly hosts found us a lovely table to enjoy our meal. The moment you enter you are made to feel welcome. This is a family run pub...

Excellent food and very friendly staff

Lovely place,friendly welcoming staff.Great food and plenty of it,great service and high standard of cleanliness.Highly reccomend.

Good as always. Nicely presented food in a nice and clean environment. Food was good too x

Lovely atmosphere, had a relaxed afternoon tea

Still a superbly run freehouse run by the same family serving large plates of delicious food and a superb range of beers and ales on tap. Opening times, however, have changed with the pub now closed Sunday and Monday and open until 7pm Tuesday to Thursday.

A warm and friendly welcome as only popped in for a pint with friends

Really good service, amazing menu and friendly..

Lovely meal with excellent service.

Absolutely love this place and staff. Feel so welcome there.

A comfortable,civilised atmosphere very good service,polite,freindly best landlord in town,a pub one would visit again,Royal Oak for this deserves a five star

Although we hadn't booked, our wonderful hosts accommodated our needs. They have the most extensive menu choices we have ever experienced, we feel they could provide something for every taste. Everything about this restaurant is excellent, the decor, atmosphere, helpful, friendly staff, wide selection of...

On holiday and wanted to somewhere for lunch and came across Royal Oak - warm welcome, staff helpful and friendly. Lunch was yummy - it was a little pricey for wraps and toastie but due to the large menu with plenty of choice outside we...

Friendly and helpful staff . The food was excellent value and a good size portion.

Always a lovely welcome. And I always enjoy the best Ham salad. All the food is delicious. 😊

Excellent meal at lunchtime, totally recommend the salads , wonderful people serving us as always, fantastic clean place A +++++++

Lovely place, bigger inside than it seems from outside. Very friendly staff and co-patrons. A must for people visiting Witney.

This is a great place. Friendly, calm, welcoming, clean. Nice furniture and decor, it just gives an all round good feeling. I'd highly recommend dropping in.

Lovely pub in the centre of Witney

Friendly accommodating staff, great selection of alcohol and food. Somewhat nondescript frontage leading to a pleasant interior. Definitely worth a visit, albeit the clientele are slightly older rather than younger 😀

Called in here to try for lunch was asked if we would like table inside or out we asked for table inside after staff checked we were informed there was not one available we therefore opted to sit outside we were then being taken to...

Came in recently to have lunch with daughter. weather was warm so sat in garden at the back. Welcoming Pub and relaxed atmosphere, service excellent. They have a big selection to choose from whether just a sandwich, light bite or main course. My sandwich was...

Lovely food a lot of choices friendly staff a bit slow on service

Only popped in for a coffee but have not seen such an immaculately clean place in a long time. Would definitely eat there another time due to the high presentation of the place.

Lovely little pub in Witney with a nice outdoor space and great staff.

Beautiful setting for lunch with friends

Very COVID aware. Excellent lunch with great service and very friendly staff. A wholly enjoyable experience. Mid range prices but good value for money

Very friendly staff. Nice courtyard.

Lovely place, super friendly staff, great food at excellent price, lovely atmosphere, felt safe with their covid rules. Will return.

This was a lovely experience. Very Covid-safety conscience with gel at the entrance and a booking in system both in person or by app. I was meeting a friend I hadn’t seen for years and was warmly welcomed by the proprietor who didn’t mind the...

Visited today for lunch, only had sandwiches but we really enjoyed everytging about the place. NHS App on the way in, asked to santise hands, one way system to our table - all very efficient. No long waits, drinks came promptly and orders taken soon...

We visited The Royal Oak in Witney today as a group of 4 - 2 adults and 2 children. My daughters are 6 and 10 so luckily do not fall foul of the "no under 5s" rule. The space is relatively small and they have clearly made adjustments to the seating layout for Covid19 restrictions, but actually it felt spacious. The area was spotless and well cared for - a very nice setting overall. We sat under the glass roof and it was really pleasant. We found the staff to be both welcoming and helpful. The menu was extensive and we struggled to choose because everything seemed tempting. The meals we had were cooked fresh, served hot and absolutely delicious. The portions were large. The bill came to around £50 - so it wasn't the cheapest meal, but we certainly got a high quality meal for the price. We would certainly gladly return.

Really good pub with good menu, very clean and tidy, good staff and good service.

My favourite pub in witney. Friendly staff, nice surroundings and lovely little courtyard garden.

This place was immaculate. Covid regualtions adhered to to the limit. Frindly barman, excellent pint of cider at a cheap price. This would be my local if I lived in Witney.

Friendly welcome, excellent service, excellent food, dog allowed in courtyard and given drink. Modern menu with lovely salad decoration.

Dropping in at Witney (free parking) on our way back from Oxford, we wanted somewhere to eat. The Royal Oak has a very attractive frontage and looked welcoming. First thing you come across inside are the Covid precautions. One way system and hand sanitiser. I...

We wanted a cream tea in Witney and The Royal Oak fortunately had a sign on the pavement advertising them. Otherwise we would have walked past, thinking that a pub was very unlikely to do cream teas.We had a very friendly welcome and sat in the quiet courtyard at the rear of the pub. When the cream tea came, the fruit scones we asked for were nicely warm, and the whole cream tea was delicious and really well presented on unusual plates.All in all a very pleasant experience and the cream tea was reasonably priced too.

Went for brunch, nicely presented place, however the food was overpriced. For the price point the sausages were standard fare, the jam for the cream tea was low quality and the scones were microwaved hot. The sausage baguettes were served with a side salad from the ‘80s, (slice of tomato, cucumber and some iceberg), and could have been prepared then. Definitely not fresh. For 2/3rds the price would have been 4-5 stars.

Visited this restaurant on a visit to Oxford. We wanted a sandwich and a drink. We were advised that all tables were booked, but since we only wanted a snack rather than a full meal we were offered a table that was booked for later.On each table was a laminated sheet that identified every aspect of how they dealt with COVID. This was exactly what we wanted.We ordered ham sandwiches and a drink by table service. The sandwiches were absolutely amazing, fresh sliced ham on wholesome brown bread with additional dressings. The drinks were also ordered and delivered to table.Everywhere was spotlessly clean.Thoroughly recommend without any hesitation.

Probably deserves 5 stars except their poor attitude towards children. They expressed doubt that our 5 year old was actually 5 (their minimum age, apparently), and even though he was more quiet than most adult guests, staff still largely ignored us. 20 mins wait for drinks, 65 mins before food on table. If our kids weren't so well behaved, their distrust of children would have been self-fulfilling. All of that said, other guests appeared to receive attentive and quick service, the ambience was excellent and the back garden seating truly a pleasure. Food was also very tasty.

Great place to eat. Food is always really nice. Amazing choice. Staff really friendly and prices are reasonable!

We called in here for a drink while staying in Witney but only stayed for one.The place is very pretty with a lovely little courtyard garden to sit outside and relax and all the staff were very welcoming and friendly. The only downside for us is the price of the drinks but I guess you pay a little more for the beautiful setting.

It was comfortable, service was quick but wasn't a big fan of the beer recommended i have to say so we had a pint (which neither of us finished) & left for pubs anew. Nice landlady who was freiendly & polite/chatty. Very clean looking place.

Visit to a lovely little town with my first visit and best friend ..writing this using partners name but he did not go.... I am differently taking him. Coffee and cake was lovely a nice welcome from Leslie. Clean welcoming and prices were reasonable Look foward to going again Thank you

We visit here each year while on holiday. Delicious food as always and friendly staff. It was the other half that commented after we had left that we hadn't been asked for our details. I'm sure this was an over sight on their behalf but not good in the circumstances we are in!

Went here with friends for my first trip outside after lockdown. We sat in the garden where all the tables were well spaced out. Everything was spotlessly clean and they take every precaution to keep people safe. The people who served us were so polite and helpful, nothing was too much trouble. As it was lunchtime we all had various toasted sandwiches which were made with lovely hand cut bread with lots of filling. They were delicious. I highly recommend this pub for a safe, socially distanced lunch/dinner. Thank you all for such a positive experience.

Cosy side and airy part, lovely food, huge portions and really friendly staff

Good selection of food and beers. but one of the most expensive bars in Witney.

Nice pub and really friendly staff but over priced beer