The Royal Oak in Dover

Staff Sarah when we arrived & Nicky who served breakfast very nice. Carpark very small, beer & evening meal good. Room good although bed not very comfortable could feel the bed frame though the mattress. Party Music in the bar went on until 12.30 noisy people leaving went on until 01.00. If we had been told that there was going to be a party when we booked we would have gone elsewhere as we expected the pub to close at 11pm.

Sunday roast was amazing! And the size of desserts warrant a walk round the park! Fantastic service, lovely surroundings.

Staff cannot be faulted in this quaint village pub, however, the 'refurbished' room left alot to be desired. Whilst it was very clean the mattress in the bed was appalling. It was a sprung mattress that had totally collapsed on one side so much I had to prop it up with cushions underneath to stop me falling out. Do NOT accept room 1 if you retire early as it is right next door to entrance door to rooms that everyone let's bang every time they go through it.

We booked a table for 7pm and was made aware that there would be a long wait for food as the kitchen was very busy. We were okay with this and decided what we would have to eat. We ordered 4 cod, chips and peas. Our meals appeared around an hour after it was ordered and on first glance the batter looked grey!! The surprise was when we started eating it the batter was stodgy and extremely greasy, it was as though it had been cooked in fat that wasn’t hot enough. I’m not entirely sure I was eating cod as advertised , the thickness was more like haddock. We all left batter as it was inedible. Very disappointed as the last time we ate at The Royal Oak the food was delicious.

Stayed 2 nights here Convient, on site free parking Friendly staff on arrival, shown to our room, lovely ensuit room with tv, coffee machine ect(room 5) Lovely cosy pub, good prices Breakfast was good, although coffee from machine was warm not hot Freshley cooked food, also had an evening meal and only observation was they was 1 cook who took order(at breakfast) cooked, served and had to wash up wich we felt was too much for 1 person, was 1 bar staff in the evening who did help but extra staff would be a plus Overall and very pleasant stay would recommend

I stopped over at The Royal Oak while travelling on business. It's a very nice traditional pub with rooms. Instructions are given for keyless entry and, if you didn't want to interact with anyone, you could. I prefer people and was shown to my room efficiently and with personably. The room was small but had everything and felt clean and recently decorated. I had a steak and kidney pudding for dinner and could not eat it all, portions were very generous. Breakfast was excellent, with good quality ingredients. A few small issues that are to help rather tan complaints and I certainly wouldn't downgrade the five stars. There is some sort of generator on site that is not loud but constant. I travel with earplugs so it wasn't an issue, but don't forget yours. The carpark is very small and requires maneuvering. There is a coffee machine but I don't think the pods are the brand and they make an awful cup of coffee. All in all good value and I would recommend.

I had absolutely lovely Sunday lunch with my family today. Food was good quality, plenty of vegetables and a cauliflower cheese to die for. For pudding we had banana waffles with ice cream and sticky toffee pudding… delicious. The young waitress that was serving our table was very attentive and very cheerful. Would definitely recommend others to eat here.

We were staying at the Royal Oak for two nights, and since the downstairs pub was convenient, we decided to have dinner. The service was friendly and quick. The atmosphere was pleasant for a Saturday evening. I had something akin to Shepherd's Pie with peas and carrots. The food was good, though not outstanding. My wife had grilled chicken and a salad, both of which were good. We had dinner on Sunday night as well, mainly because we were tired, didn't want to go back out, and there was not much close by. We had pizza which was good, but not outstanding.

was walking past the royal oak when some horrible man started shouting abuse at me . so i went in the pub where this man told me to leave as i wasn’t welcome in the pub ., he said he owns it. he had a picture of his dog in the wall that he pointed to when telling me to get out ( because he owns the pub ) this is actually the local man that entered the pub with a gun a few years back . i’m really writing this in hope that the real owner will see what is going on with his business investment. This character is actively putting customers off . The owner should be aware of the nasty people who are dragging this business down

Great Sunday roast. Plenty of food, gravy , condiments. Excellent service. Food hot, delivered optimum time. Cost £105 for four including 2 pints Guinness, pint of beer, bottle of wine, two starters, 4 main course, one pudding. When husband said he wanted pudding but nothing mentioned with custard, they bought out especially for him sticky toffee pudding and custard. Exceptional customer service. Friendly atmosphere. Highly recommended

This was a unique stay. I reserved and paid for the room through a well-known on-line booking firm, received check-in and check-out instructions via e-mail from the B&B, so I never met or even saw a person regarding our stay. Entry to the building and room was gained using a keypad with code which was in the e-mailed instructions which also had a phone number to call if there were issues. Fortunately, we had none. The room was clean and comfortable, though sparsely decorated and very small. The bathroom was tight. I'm 5'10", 160 lbs,, not generally affected by close spaces, but felt confined. The shower was modern with plenty of hot water and good water pressure, but don't drop the soap. Our room was right over the entrance to the pub, and there was a lot of loud talking until about 2300 hours on Saturday night. Sunday night was very different, but the pub closes at 2200 on Sundays. Breakfasts were served in the pub and were quite good. Pretty standard fare, coffee/tea, juice, toast, full English breakfast available, and the service was very friendly and fast. There are a few spaces for parking, and we managed to get one the second night, but had to park on the street the first night. Overall, we had a good stay for what we paid, but I left wondering if there were other options close by. The pub downstairs was convenient, and I will cover this is in a separate review.

Super pub typique nous avons très bien mangé, les propriétaires sont très sympas. Je recommande. Les prix sont très corrects

What a lovely pub used regularly in the past But the food has gone down hill rapidly over the last 6 months please bring back the old chef as this meal we could have got at table table for half the price ditch the frozen food

We stayed one night at this pub in a cosy room. The roast was excellent and breakfast the next morning was tasty and service was speedy.

We first went to the Royal Oak a couple of weeks ago for Sunday Lunch with friends. It was a very nice meal, quality & quantity very good. We returned today for a weekday lunch. My wife chose Steak & Kidney pudding (£10.95) which, by and large, was fine, though the mash could have been creamier. I chose fish & chips (also £10.95) but was very disappointed. The fish was tiny, a tail end which before being battered had about the same amount of fish as 3 fish fingers. The price was not excessive but the portion was very poor. I can point to several pubs locally which get their fish direct from Folkestone fish market and the portion size is around x3 at the same price so the cost of the raw material is irrelevant. I did not complain at the time as the quality was ok but I left feeling as though I had not eaten. Needless to say we will not return (even for Sunday Lunch). There were only a couple of diners aside from us - my local pub, main courses under £4 would have been packed. The owners are not doing themselves any favours by providing such small portions.

Wow we have just had a fabulous wake at this quaint pub in River for my Aunty. Her briefing was she wanted an after tea. Wow the food was so fresh and an amazing selection THANK YOU SO MUCH to all the staff at the Royal Oak River, and Hedi for making the wake perfect.

Went for a sunday roast and it was fantastic. Large portions and really fresh food. The pub has updated their menu a lot recently to incorporate more varied dishes and now caters for Gluten free. For 6 of us food cost £75 so very reasonably priced.

Made it too the pub after a pretty terrible journey, though this wasn’t the pubs fault. Well received by the bar staff who quickly set a table up for us. With 3 tetchy children that had spent way too long in a car together the server quickly went and got a colouring book and game to help distract them. Drinks arrived and food ordered, staff were even able to offer a dish that wasn’t on the menu as the children’s menu isn’t great. Food arrived, whilst the service had been good the food was pretty poor, fish and chips was very oily with limp chips, it was like it had been precooked and reheated in the microwave, ribs were similar with very tough meat and not fall off the bone as you’d expect. According to my son the pizza was ok though looked to be a ready made base with the toppings put on. Didn’t stay for dessert, went to the co-op instead.

First trip to this little pub in River. The pub is cosy and has a nice feel, however the food is overpriced and really bad. £15 ribs were burned black and sprinkled with sauce and the Hunter’s chicken was dry and awful. The worst part is £5 for garlic bread and you literally get 3 slices from a cheap pre-bought baguette (think the tesco value kind)! This place honestly needs to review their food prices and their chef. We ended up going to the coop down the road to source our dinner.. Would return for a drink definitely, but definitely not food.

Second visit to this lovely pub for a few days stay. Hiedi and her staff were brilliant. Nothing was too much trouble. Room was clean and comfortable. Breakfast freshly cooked and delicious. Great evening food and decent selection of drinks. Real ale in good condition. Locals welcoming and friendly. Perfect location for exploring this corner of Kent. We will be back.

Language was horrible outside and people up shouting till 11pm. Warning to anyone thinking about going beware!Rooms don’t look as good as on photos and are tiny so buyers beware not what was expected and very disappointed. Will not return.

What a fantastic surprize..the staff are friendly and the room was lovely. Very clean and comfortable . The breakfast was very well organised and lovely food This was for my boyfriends birthday overnight stay as we went to see a gig in town .we would...

Staff pleasant. We'll positioned to explore the area. Stairs up to rooms very steep - no use if you have a mobility limitations. Paintwork to stairs scuffed and dirty so poor first impression. First place we've ever stayed where no TV. Poor storage space for...

Cosy pub with helpful bar staff and nice ale. BUT no food available on a Monday or a Tuesday which is not on their website, so a wasted trip.

Very nice and comfortable. I stayed there as they had an EV charger and I had to register, etc. the landlady was very helpful and we got there in the end. However, after selecting to fully charge my battery, at 2.55am the charger stopped at...

We visited the Royal oak as being family local, to try the Sunday Roast as had never eaten there before.The tables were very close together, no social distancing. The service was good very friendly staff but the food let it down. Small portions of veg,...

We stayed for 3 nights. Absolutely loved it. Very clean, decor is beautiful with a country modern feel and some lovely quirky touches. Nice selection of drinks on offer at fair prices. There was a very cute garden to the back of the pub which...

This pub is a very nice and a sociable place well refurbished We we’re using it pretty regularly But the drinks choice is abysmal 1 cider on draught which is possible the worst cider I have ever tasted come on Royal Oak it’s a free...

This is a small boutique hotel on top of the Royal Oak pub in River, Dover. Newly opened it has some teething problems and some "querks' you need to know about if staying any length of Time. 5 rooms all priced the same per night...

The Royal Oak has become a must-visit for me when ever I visit Dover. The staff are wonderful and Lee the landlord/manager is a really friendly chap. The food is good the atmosphere is brilliant

Celebrated my Grandparents 60th wedding Anniversary at the Royal Oak tonight. We had an Amazing Hot/Cold Buffet put on for us and it was amazing would defiantly recommend!

We had the Roast Beef and Lamb lunches, all were perfect with perfect roast potatoes, fresh veg and homemade Yorkshire puddings. All very good value. Good to see this pub open and the new management doing their best to make a go of it. If...

Den goda steak & kidney lien kan rekommenderas. PUBen ligger i ett lugnt område som kan nås genom en smal gångväg från A256

Goede pub met lekker eten. Een eigen parkeerterrein naast de pub. Personeel erg vriendelijk en behulpzaam.

Royal Oak was enjoyable. Very busy Summer Friday evening, good selection of beer on draught. Food is pub grub which is fine, highlight for me was fish & chips which always seems right for a Friday night.

Wonderful food served in a proper village pub...very friendly and Val behind the bar is a joy... Many thanks. 10/10

Wow!! What an incredible meal out! The food was outstanding, so tasty and well cooked and so much of it. Brilliant value for money. The service from the owners was wonderful, thank you. We will be back!

Under new management as a free house, this pub has great food, live music events and good beer, plus a trendy gin collection.

I’ve eaten here a few times now and 10/10 every time. Sunday roasts are to a superb starndard! Will be visiting more and more.

6 of us visited and we were not disappointed. Warm welcome, great selection of drinks, and varied menu with a choice for everyone. We will continue to support this local establishment.

Popped in several times for a pint or so, this time decided on a light lunch. One of us had a steak sandwich and the others had fish finger sandwich. Fish was fillets so very good, overall impressed.

Very enjoyable Sunday Lunch at the Royal Oak. There was an interesting menu available but we all decided on roast beef as a main but chose a variety of starters including smoked haddock chowder, mushrooms on toast, crab fishcakes and baked cheese, all were very flavoursom. My only criticism was that the main could have been served hotter but maybe the low temperature was because we were a party of eleven and our host endeavoured to serve us all at the same time. Maybe next time only 2 or 4 will eat at the same time here.

Accueil très sympathique et chaleureux. C'était soirée curry, et ça valait largement la peine. Une très bonne adresse

Great selection of well kept ales and quality pub grub! Really enjoyed our pre ferry feed and water at this place

Everyone in the village has waited patiently for The Oak to be given a new lease of life, and boy it has not disappointed!

We booked to eat in the Royal Oak yesterday. The food was cooked to order so a slight delay on the roasted chicken breast, however the wait was well and truly worth it. The veg was cooked from fresh with a slight crunch just how it should be. The chicken was succulent and flavoursome, the gravy was light and full of flavour. The portion size is large so you don't go away feeling hungry. A proper Sunday roast all washed down with great service and attentive bar staff.

New owners new chef had an excellent Sunday roast well recommended. Well cooked beef homemade Yorkshire pudd

Just popped in for quick bite to eat & pint ,, had the burger and got to say it was the best burger Iv ever had in a pub !,,well done Royal Oak it’s getting back to our pub that we all deserve .

The new owner and new manager are turning this back into the lovely pub that it always was.

We had a lovely family lunch in this village pub in the charming village of River near Dover.

Por desgracia para nosotros, parecía estar en la búsqueda de comida en la zona cuando no parece que sirven (Domingo temprano en la noche).

Fuimos allí el domingo para un asado. Las señales fuera dijo que estaba disponible a partir de las 12:30, pero cuando llegamos nos dijeron que no podíamos conseguir nada hasta la 1 pm. Mi compañero sólo come carne de pollo como una opción, pero está contento de tener un plato vegetariano si no pollo. Sin embargo, cuando pedimos las únicas opciones de carne en el asado de cordero o cerdo. eran No nos ofrecieron un pechuga de pollo o una opción vegetariana cuando explicamos. Sin duda es un pub de cadena tiene una pechuga de pollo que una cocinera? Así que terminamos con patatas, verduras y budín de Yorkshire y aún así nos cobraban el mismo precio. Entonces nos dimos cuenta de una alerta diciendo que la máquina no funcionaba. Así que tuvimos que ir y encontrar una máquina de efectivo y hacerlo todo sin problemas. Cuando nos sentamos por entonces, encontré un par de entrenadores bajo la mesa. Sin duda el pub debe ser dado una vez más antes de abrir la puerta...

Nach langer Autofahrt und Fußmarsch zur royal oak wurden wir mit folgendem Satz begrüßt:

Good village pub with character set in the lovely village of River. Nice people and good food at good prices. Stroll along the road to the mill afterwards to walk it off. Lovely!

That's it really, staff were friendly but the food was average. Meat was okay but some off the vegetables were a bit underdone. The cauliflower in particular could have been used as crudités it had been cooked so little.

El Royal Oak es un encantador pub administrado por una familia con un ambiente acogedor. No esperar mucho tiempo para nuestra comida y fue la mejor comida que he comido en mucho tiempo! Relación calidad-precio era aira caliente y muy bien de precio! Recomiendo encarecidamente este pub!

Visitamos este lugar para el almuerzo en un tiempo de almuerzo del sábado. Hay un aparcamiento al lado.

Pub precioso con un personal estupendo. Disfrutamos de la maña con Val la camarera. Gran ambiente y comida. leña y fútbol en la televisión, perfecto.

Hemos estado en el Royal Oak dos veces en el mes pasado y haber sido gratamente sorprendidos con lo increíble es la comida!!! Este es nuestro representante y en los últimos años se hizo ir cuesta abajo, sin embargo tiene nuevas personas corriendo ahora, y que ha hecho una diferencia. Solo hemos estado los domingos y experimentado sus carnes asadas pero me imagino que su otra comida fabulosa. Sé que hacen noche de tarta, noches de curry y noches de carne y los precios son muy razonables. El asado es casera y tan sabrosa, uno platos por £7.95 y dos platos por £9.95 ! Teníamos fudge cake y casa de chocolate Apple y blueberry sabrosísimo pastel con crema pastelera. Tan bien tener un buen pub bajando la calle que los cocineros : decente de comida -) Gracias x

After a long drive, the pub was recommended by the landlady in our B and B. I rang up to book a table for 8 only to be told that it was too many people for them to get the food out all together...

After a long drive and scouring Dover for somewhere to eat we downloaded trip advisor to find a recommended pub. Upon entering the pub at 1520. They eyed us up and down and told us they were through serving food.

It was old and very welcoming, the host was very friendly as were the other patrons. Food was great as was the beer.Well worth a visit.

I popped in for some refreshments after the football at nearby Dover Athletic. The place was cosy and friendly. 2 TV's for those who want to watch football, as well as enough places for those who don't. Basic but very acceptable pub food - I had ham, egg and chips, and good beer.

This nice little village pub lost its soul and many of its regular customers under previous management. It is now on the mend. The new log burning stoves have made it more hospitable and the ales are served in much better condition. We have dined here twice recently, and my own experience is that the food is much improved. My hope is that the changes will continue to add to the ambiance that regular customers enjoyed previously over many years. I have returned my custom to the Royal Oak and wish the new tenants every success

This establishment always was a winner with food,drink and atmosphere for myself, wife and children but since it has changed hands the pub has gone down hill especially the food which was lovely before

Been to the Royal Oak in the past lots of times, before it changed hands,when there was a great selection of meals on the menu cooked by a fantastic young male cook, whos attention to detail was splendid. So was dissapointed to find that when we visited again last sat evening there was no pleasant young cook in kitchen and the food disappointing, served cold and on cold plates after a long wait. Will not be returning.

Having eaten here before I was looking forward to returning and sampling what the new owners had to offer, came for Sunday lunch and was very disappointed, the food itself was ok, or would have been if it wasn't mostly stone cold, it also took a very long time to be served even though it didn't seem at all busy. Will not be returning unfortunately.

We have been twice in the last two weeks with family and friends since the Pub has changed hands . Very warm welcome , friendly atmosphere and dog friendly . The food was fantastic from lamb shanks to mixed grills and sunday roasts . The service is just great , checks are made between courses if everything is ok and to ensure glasses are not running empty . The Pub itself is set in a lovely area and makes it a pleasure walking to and from the Pub .We will certainly be returning as regulars from now on . Well worth a visit and try for yourselves .

What a change most definately use the oak as my localLooking forward to the kitchen reopening this weekend abd tgere open lunchtimes again

I had quiche, chips & salad & my partner had curry. Both decent size portions at a reasonable price. Old world pub and would have returned the next night but as we were staying on London Rd and had walked down the rather steep pathway, returning the bit longer route, and it was pouring with rain we went elsewhere as the parking seemed a bit limited.

Wir wollten auf der Durchreise eine Kleinigkeit essen. Die günstigen Preise sollten skeptisch machen. Ich kann es als Pub empfehlen, als Restaurant nicht.

Dieses Pub zeichnet sich durch freundliches, hilfsbereites Personal, gutes Essen, günstige Preise und nette Gäste aus.

A really nice place to eat. This is my favourite pub in River and my favourite pub in the Dover area. Great friendly staff that serve great local beers and really good food. This pub has it's own restaurant area which is always good and is a dog friendly pub.

Having lived in River in my youth, I had visited it a few times before moving away. Visited recently with my partner, first time in possibly 25 years, and had a lovely time. Definitely the sort of place you could imagine as your 'local'. Had food - great prices. Lasagne, chips, salad and peas for £5.99. Can't complain, it's normal pub food and did the job for me. Will definitely be back.

We visited this pub twice this week as we are house hunting. The staff are so friendly and helpful. We had the roast and other half the chilli today, my goodness we had huge portions and the vegetables were gorgeous. Great pub in a lovely village. Well worth a visit. Even though the main sports were on the screens, it was not obtrusive and leaned towards the great atmosphere this pub has. Really clean, welcoming and well worth visiting.

Awful hard veg who can do hard roasties and parsnips no way this is local veg no gravy more like water they gave us extra pot of cranberry sauce but only 1personson had turkey 3 had beef and 1 tiny pot of horseradish the worst I have ever had and we eat out a lot

When travelling to watch our team, Bath City, play at nearby Dover Athletic, we always visit this charming pub. Well kept real ales and an excellent value for money menu. And it's a lovely walk by the river from the pub to the ground!

Dined at the Royal Oak on th evening of 16th September. The pub was recommended by the hostess at our B and B and was about a 10 minute walk. The food was excellent served on piping hot plates. The quantity was generous and the menu was quite extensive for such a small pub. The staff were great. The pub itself served keg beer which, for "southern" beer was very good. The inetrior was quaint and comfortable.I would recommend it to anyone and will visit again myself.

Pub ottimo per bellezza estetica e cibo.Un pò complicato da trovare (bisogna attraversare strade buie e solitarie) ma una volta dentro non ve ne pentirete.Si respira un'atmosfera unica e suggestiva.Lo staff del pub è molto cordiale e con prezzi bassi.da provare assolutamente.

Whilst staying in a converted barn nearby we decided on our second night we would try thi pub as it was only 5 minutes away by car and as I don't drink I gladly drove. We booked in advance and arrived in plenty of time to be seated and offered our menus, the prices were as expected for a village pub average. The staff were very attentive and our starters were served promptly after an appropriate time they returned and asked if all was ok and cleared plates then the ains came, the food was ok could of been better but I've certainly had a lot worse so ok, we did decide to have pudding and I got apple crumble and custard that was big enough for 2 people so a bit overwhelming to be honest but tasted just fine. All in all I proberbly would go again but as a last resort I think

Saturday evening short notice booking for 6. Nice pub with good affordable food. The staff were very good. Very attentive servers. Good real ales available. Well worth a visit.

We were staying in a nearby B&B and wanted somewhere to eat on a Sunday evening.The Royal Oak delivered on all counts. Good staff, decent food at reasonable prices.Parking can be interesting and otherwise is a great pub.

Had a lovely meal, staff very helpful and friendly. We even join in on quiz night which was a bit of fun. Value for money.

Das Royal Ark war als Einstieg in unsern England Trip eine gute Einstimmung. Gemütlich und mit gutem Pub-Essen, freundliche Bedienung.

Friendly staff who couldn't have been more helpful. Recommend the steak. Excellent value for money and a good quality steak. Worth a visit !

Sadly for me, in less than a year this nice little village pub has transformed itself from offering higher end food dishes to producing canteen style meals at a budget price. Obviously, in the present financial climate, this will be welcomed by a new customer base.The real ales and Schweppes tonics have recently been inconsistent. Accordingly, so will my own continuing visits.Finally, it would be more convenient for customers who just pop in for a drink, if all diners were encouraged to eat from the tables laid-up for dining, rather than be seated on the bar stools, or at the tables adjacent to or in very close proximity to the bar. Also dedicated wait-staff might ensure that used crockery and dirty glasses were cleared more quickly from the immediate area of the bar.

Very nice place with friendly staff and good food at reasonable prices. It was suggested to me by the manager of the B&B where I was staying. According to him, "The Royal Oak" accepts pets, so I decided to try and it was true! I was able to enjoy some good food, with a good service in a nice atmosphere with my dog next to me. My first time taking the dog to a restaurant and I loved it. Really nice place.

Decided to go hear for Sunday lunch as it was within walking distance and the website advertised 'good locally sourced food'. Well it was local as in, the chef must had popped to Iceland supermarket before his shift: frozen veg, frozen tatties, frozen stuffing, frozen yorkies, frozen apple pie afters and the tomato soup to start tasted distinctly like a batchelor a cuppa soup. Very very disappointing. The meat however did taste fresh! The bar staff were pleasant enough but I would not eat here again.