The Royal Oak Hotel in Tunbridge Wells

Outstanding food (especially the house smoked pork and chicken), lovely customer service, and excellent value for money. Welcoming environment and staff. Thoroughly recommend.

The food is always very good. We have eaten here 5 or 6 times on stays. There is variety, taste, good food and wine, and we always end an evening very satisfied. Attentive staff, good service. We will come back.

Had the most amazing valentines night meal tonight. The food was amazing. The Atmosphere in the Royal Oak was set beautifully with the proper lighting for a romantic evening. And the staff where impeccable with their service. Would highly recommend the Royal Oak.

We had a table off 15 so hard work kids and adults on speaking to the manager Harry and wonderful staff we decided on having it in banquet room at the back on arrival I could not believe it they had gone to so much work the table was laid beautifully with a real Christmas tree fully decorated it was perfect despite then apologising saying they maybe a delay as 2 members off staff have called in sick I have to say no real major delay the food was beautiful and lovely to see a full restaurant and people laughing and having so much fun thankyou so much for making us feel so welcome and nothing was to much trouble we will be back x

I visited this pub with my dear friend and had a wonderful experience! Having not been in here since the new owners have taken over, we had A delicious lunch, well cooked and service was impeccable. Would highly recommend!

Judging by the majority of reviews, it seems as though there were two pubs because they all said staff,service and food were really good, unfortunately that was not our experience! We had booked for 12.30, but arrived at midday. We were the only customers there. Ordered 2 lattes, a smoked pumpkin soup and steak, egg and chips. The soup didn’t taste of pumpkin and had about a tablespoon of oil floating in it. It arrived in a very small enamel bowl that was just over half full. I had to ask for a soup spoon and butter. The waitress brought a dessert spoon! My husband’s steak was tough and he found it difficult to cut with an ordinary knife. He also found gristle, which he obviously couldn’t eat. We must’ve waited about 12 minutes for the coffee to arrive, and a further 15 minutes for our food! He did ask how long we would have to wait. As far as I was concerned, the only items worth paying for were the chips and the mushrooms, that he had ordered. Certainly won’t be coming back because life’s too short to be spending time and money on sub-standard establishments when there are plenty of better places available.

Myself, my mum & cousin visited on 22nd Oct & had a really lovely Sunday lunch. The staff were friendly & helpful. The food was very tasty, well presented & good value. Would definitely return & recommend.

I hadn't been in the Oak for many years but recently have popped in a few times/ I am soooo impressed with what the new owners have done with the place, it looks lovely and has a great atmosphere. The food smells DELICIOUS! However I didn't stay for very long tonight as I was appalled at the way one of the staff members spoke to a younger member of staff! From being there before, I know that she isn't management but sure didn't have a problem speaking to her like she owned the place. She appeared to be on a serious power trip with the young girl and acted far above her wage. Everyone should be treated with respect, and people say it is the teenagers that have the attitude, in this case, I disagree. 20/10/2023

We came for an evening meal at The Royal Oak with Canadian friends whilst staying in the area and liked it so much that we returned the following evening! It was a welcome surprise, too, that the menu had changed overnight and we had several new options to choose from. The staff were unfailingly pleasant, attentive and helpful, and we were particularly grateful for the chef's willingness to "tweak" a dish on the menu to accommodate the strict diet of one of us. This guaranteed that we were all able to enjoy the food. Prices were comparable with other pub restaurants but the menu options were certainly more inventive than the usual pub food. We rarely eat out as the experience, in recent times, has sometimes not justified the expense, but on this occasion we enjoyed 2 evenings of great British hospitality at reasonable cost.

This is a must it was by far the best roast I have eaten out in years with real veg not frozen the finest local meat even the gravy was delicious from starts to main then pudding nothing could be faulted the staff where lovely and nothing was to much trouble I live locally and had heard the new owners where great and the food was good but I had not expected it to be this good my partner had pork belly bites and roast beef he said where all delicious I had pate roast pork and then strawberry crumble that I have never had before witch I have to say was another level off amazing we had a few drinks and coffee when the bill came I was amazed it was so reasonably priced this is my new Sunday favourite

Had a great overnight stay here as myself and a friend had wine tasting down the road at Oastbrook Vineyard. Harry the manager was amazing and gave us a lift to and from the venue as Hawkhurst is short on taxis. Just as well as there were another couple who missed the tour due to this. The hotel room was spotlessly clean and a great size. We had a room overlooking the garden and it was blissfully quiet. Shower was really powerful and plenty of hot water. Beds comfy and plenty of pillows. The staff were all friendly and welcoming. Had a key to let ourselves in the downstairs door and door to room which made life lovely and easy. Plenty of parking. Pub was friendly and a good atmosphere. Didn’t eat as they do not service in the evenings on Sunday. The owner was friendly and you can tell he gets stuck in himself as was behind the bar welcoming us in when we arrived. I would definitely stay here again and would recommend. Thank you xx

We turned up with only 30 minutes till the kitchen closed but was made really welcome and didn't feel rushed at all. The food was amazing and so reasonably priced with plentiful amount on the plate for big appetites

Our stay here was nothing short of amazing. The management team and the overall staff made us feel at home and part of their family day one. An outstanding stay with incredible food, drinks and all around fun and comfort. We were truly blown away! Brilliant!!!!

So disappointed. We stopped off here for a bite to eat before continuing our journey. We ordered: Tapenade and crostini Beetroot and kentish blue with balsamic mushrooms and rocket. A side of Mac and red Leicester with crispy onions and watercress. We got: A pale brown slop (We were told it was their own recipe for tapenade made with green olives and beetroot) and sweet rye crackers - when we asked for continuing, we were given some fingers of plain bread. (We left most of it) A large plate of lettuce with some tiny pieces of beetroot and possibly a tablespoon of blue cheese - no balsamic mushrooms and no rocket. (We left most of it) Macaroni cheese - no crispy onions and no watercress. We asked the waitress for the missing items to be served, and despite waiting, nothing arrived. When we went to pay we politely told the staff that we hadn't been served what we'd ordered - they were apologetic and removed the food from the bill. We'd been very excited by the menu - so this was a shame.

Local, sensibly priced pub with some interesting food. Cauliflower steak was excellent. Liver and bacon was also outstanding

Great atmosphere and service very welcoming staff quaint interior clean and tidy.did not try food but looked amazing

What a find! After a girlie weekend away all we wanted was a proper Sunday roast dinner and we came up trumps. Very friendly, very reasonable and cooked just perfectly. Will definitely be back after our next weekend away. Thank you Royal Oak for the perfect finish to our weekend.

Thoroughly enjoy coming here with family and not to mobile nan for a roast. They couldn't do more to accommodate. we always get excellent service, it's a lovely relaxed atmosphere. And the food is lovely. 👍

Had a really great lunch, amazing home cooked food,we both had Petes home made pie with bubble and squeak and red cabbage. Really welcoming friendly staff, we will be back soon .

We arrived to be shown to our room up some rather dirty thread bare stairs. The room was basic and not very clean. Sweet wrappers stuffed down the side of the bed. Really poor water pressure meant a very unsatisfying shower with no shower curtain and lots of hair in the plug hole. No lock on the bathroom door. The curtains were very thin so blocked out no light from the street lights. Lots of loud music and noise coming from the room next door which last until the early hours. We definitely will not be back!

Had a lovely lunch in the garden here. Despite its central location, it was very quiet outside! The landlady was charming and the service excellent. We shared a delicious plate of freshly made scampi - with the nicest mushy peas I’ve ever had! These are...

As a family we had such a lovely time we was greeted by some lovely staff and the owners so friendly helpful and the food was lovely to we all had roast dinners also puddings was lovely to beable to go in the garden to...

When we arrived for our much anticipated stay we were so disappointed to find that the room that we were given was in a really bad state. The toilet seat was on the floor propped up against the wall. The cold water tap on the sink was not attached to the sink. The bath was so dirty with soap scum and hair that for sanitary reasons we did not want to use it. The shower head had no riser to hold it up and was useless as no cold water came out unless it was on the bottom of the bath. The main room net curtain was ripped so badly it was almost in half, and there was cigarette ash on the floor just under the edge of the double bed and cigarette butts on the window ledge. And under the bed had not been cleaned in a long time (see pic of where my daughter touched the frame of the bed and left a clean mark!) One of the bedside lamps didnt work. Also we had booked for 3 people and there was only towels and cups for 2. Also on arrival I noted a Hand Sanitizer station in the bar/restaurant area, but no sanitizer gel in sight, anywhere, and because of the Covid19 situation I found that very unsettling. The only good things were the beds were clean and had fresh sheets and there were plenty of clean towels and toiletries.

Excellent food, good service, friendly staff. Very enjoyable evening. Would definitely recommend as a lovely place to have a relaxing evening meal.

As friends we get together once a month to socialise, we went to the local cinema and was able to park at royal oak after asking to do so, after our film we enjoyed a meal and bottle of wine in the restaurant, the staff...

Went there for a function, lovely function room downstairs, with it's own bar. There were about 40 of us and the food and service were brilliant. Only slight downside, no way anyone disabled is going to get down there. The stairs are to narrow I...

Was going to have lunch but the smell in the pub was terrible Poor wine list Won t be going back Yuck

First visit since it has changed hands and overall a good experience, Four of us booked for Sunday carvery and the food was v good main served buffet style three meats and lots of Veg etc, puddings were v good and nice coffee aswell total...

Booked for dinner last week. This has just been taken over and the manager went out of his way to come and talk to us. ordered a steak and it was cooked ti perfection will definitely be back

Had an excellent evening meal before going to the cinema. The reception was welcoming and the service quick and efficient. My wife is Gluten Free and there was no difficulty with her diet. The food was well-presented and freshly cooked. My wife had Fillet Beef...

Having lunch in garden. My friends grandson toddler. Was covered in dog poo because lawn wasn’t mowed and there was dog poo everywhere

You cannot fault the welcome by the landlord. He was very friendly, charming and accommodating. The ambiance is rather nice and we were looking forward to a nice meal. Unfortunately, the quality was below par. The risotto in particular was grey and tasteless, mainly because...

This hotel, restaurant carries an AA 3 star rating. How on earth did it get that ? Clearly the inspector hasn’t been near this establishment for a long time. We arrived for a one nights stay for a family birthday party, held at the nearby...

Would love to see the staff smile some more, one in particular looked like he didn’t want to be there although I did notice he made an effort when a familiar face/regular came in. Service was also a bit slow (for ordering food, not the...

Visited on Friday night for their infamous steak night at £15/head. There were six of us eating and the pub was buzzing. We were seated promptly and had a lovely table tucked away behind the bar. There is a full menu but we all chose...

Upon our arrival, eventually found somebody to book us in. Not very welcoming. First room we were given had not been prepared, bed unmade, dirty cups and room was a mess. Went back to bar area, Given keys to another room which was ok. Clean...

Lovely lunch on a hot, hot day. We had the prawn cocktails and a jacket potato with prawns plus a bowl of lovely, crispy chips. It's on a very busy road but the carparking is good and the meal was not expensive. £35 for 4 meals & 4 non alcoholic drinks.

Really friendly pub and restaurant. Well used by the village. Meals are really good and Sunday roasts excellent. Good choice of beers on offer and comfortable chairs and sofas around by the bar.

popped in at short notice for 2 course dinner.quick service and nice-cod/chips plus dessert.big plus was that it served portugese beer on draft! ate in the dining area,which was fine. meal prices competitve and apparently much of it locally sourced.

We booked here for Sunday lunch at 1pm. yet they had run out of lamb by the time we ordered, there was then only beef on the menu for Sunday roast, no chicken. it wasn't packed so why not enough meat. We went for the roast!

The meal was excellent, my choice was the deli chicken on a bed of butterfly pasta delicately flavoured with fresh herbs, bacon bits and dried Italian tomatoes. The chicken breast, young and tender, was filled with dried tomatoes and grilled to perfection. Altogether a taste bomb. My husband, who is vegan, chose off the menu which is a rare delight because most restaurants have no idea of what veganism is!

Love this pub, I'm not local but always made to feel as if I am,Nikki and Gigi and family always go out of there way to be friendly, food is well priced with fresh food and plenty of it, steak night great value, and they do lamb on a Sunday roast

Went for Sunday lunch. Food was good and generous portions but the staff hardly smiled and looked miserable.

Busy, obviously popular, always a good sign. Short staffed. A persoal view does not always reflect the overall operation of a hotel, in this case short staffed so we felt we'd waited a fair bit to get serveed.

My friends have lived in Hawkhurst for 40 years, and I've visited the Royal Oak with them a handful of times before. This was my second visit in recent years, but just for a light lunch.

We had lunch on a Saturday. 4 Adults. The restaurant was quiet, only one other group. The food was well cooked. The menu was average, the price, again, average, reasonable value for money

Nos alojamos en el Royal Oak Hotel en Hawkhurst durante 2 noches para asistir a una boda en el cercano Benenden. Este es un buen hotel" "pub con bar y restaurante. Las habitaciones son sencillas, pero cómodas. El personal era muy agradable y acogedor. El desayuno estaba incluido y era un nivel razonable.

No hay mucho que decir. No lo recomendaría y volvería nunca.

We often eat here and always enjoy our meal. There is a great choice of dishes, and you must not miss the Friday steak night special - great steaks and great value! Staff are always so pleasant and efficient.

Las noches son siempre un viernes filete de vender fuera, pero desafortunadamente el resto del menú es una verdadera decepción. Pedí el halloumi a la parrilla con verduras asadas y se sirve un pedazo de halloumi con un par de tomates a la parrilla y nada más. Es una pena. Se pegan a la carne y no te decepcionará!

Fui allí para el cumpleaños de un amigo y fue la peor experiencia que he tenido en toda mi existencia. El personal del bar era muy amable y agradable, sin embargo el director era absolutamente terrible. Esta fue la experiencia más terrible que he recibido, ella no era muy servicial y cooperativa o ella era extremadamente grosero y argumentativo. La comida era promedio pero extremadamente caras para la cantidad y calidad de la comida que usted recibe. Cuando simplemente y con calma cuestionó el director sobre este se puso muy a la defensiva y levantó su voz haciendo comentarios groseros y personal. Como se mencionó, el personal del bar eran buenas y la comida no era terrible, sin embargo, por el precio era muy normal y para lo que pagas lo que quieras una porción más justa. El mayor problema con este lugar además de la comida cara el director pretencioso. Nunca he encontrado una persona menos calificada para ser un gerente de toda mi vida, una de las personas más maleducadas que he tenido el disgusto de cruzar caminos con. Francamente arrogante, pretencioso, grosero y sin habilidades sociales de ningún tipo. Servicio al cliente muy pobre y sin duda debería tener un papel de gestión no de cualquier profesión nunca. En general absolutamente y sorprendentemente terrible.

Me and my girlfriend decided to book a couple of days away from the city and thought we would come to the country, we decided to stay in a very nice glamping site not far from this village hawkhurst and what a beautiful place it is. My self and my partner came through the door and it was very quiet only one other table there, the place smelt very damp and we where greeted by the manger and then seated, she immediately asked for our drink order with out even giving a wine list as we both love a bottle of wine with our meal, I asked her for a bottle of Bordeaux, which she replied with we don't sell Bordeaux, I then showed her the wine menu and explained she has got Bordeaux on the menu as it's number 25 on the list, she looked very embarrassed, (clearly not trained very well or even at all) I saw they had scallops on the menu I kindly asked if they are hand dived or dredged , she replied with yes they are fresh, that wasn't the question I was asking I was asking how they where sourced, she looked very confused at the question so I played it safe and went for the frozen calamari. My girlfriend had the chicken in cream sauce but it tasted like the chef dropped the whole pot of pepper in the sauce it was very very peppery.I also had a ribeye steak, which was so charcoaled im suprised he couldn't here the fire alarms going off. for dessert we went for cheese cake and lemon tart, which was definitely brought from 3663 we also wanted two glasses of dessert wine, they only have one veriaty and it's by the bottle so no choice. so over all not a great meal at all the service was ridiculously rude. She didn't really want to be there she was sitting at the bar drinking most of the evening and didn't crack a smile once and was constantly rude she had no idea about the menu or where the food comes from. The chef looked like something from the rainforest in a bright orange dirty jacket with dirty blue trousers think they need to go back to school. Don't really want to bring changed fast food restaurants into this, but I've had better service from a 16 year old working part time in a mac Donald's.Wouldn't recommended this place to anyone unless you want to waste 120 pound.

I was last week here tonight on Tuesday and I stayed very impressed with my husband and my staff.It was a table with two young people I knew from sight who behaved very badly with the waitress who served them at the table and I loved her very much. Young people started to hurt very badly and the waiter asked them nice No longer injured, and that young man was very rude to her.I was very impressed how beautiful she behaved with them and the world around her ... there were people at the bar they knew ...Those 2 young people left a very ugly comment here saying that the cook was dirty and looked like a parrot ... hmm I wonder how a chef might look after finishing his kitchen work ... I do not think Very clean ... it's normal to be like this ... I liked it very much here and I will go as many times as I have the opportunity ... I am very happy for this family that they managed to make this hotel exactly What i needed ... i know how it was 6 7 years ago .... congratulate them ...Respect for all the staff at the royal oak hotel hawkhurst

Have been here many times with friends and family, always a friendly greeting and great atmosphere. Food is always exceptional and sourced from.local suppliers.

Is a restaurant with an excellent reputation.Have a very well prepared staff very smiling and very friendly.This restaurant has excellent food and is very welcoming.I recommend this pub all

Ate here last Monday evening with my husband and brother. It was relatively busy so a really nice atmosphere and we were served promptly. I chose the duck breast with spinach and new potatoes with orange. It was delicious. The new menu is really extensive and very reasonably priced. We had a lovely evening, fantastic food and really good service. I look forward to eating here again soon.

Went here after seeing a film at the Kino cinema. Nice choice of food although not sure all of it was made on the premises. Good service, nice atmosphere. Recommended.

Always a warm welcome, and the new menu Is extensive my advice is the mixed grill awesome, lots of room Evan when busy,

We went here for valentines dinner and it was lovely, the risotto wasn't that nice and we had to wait an hour between the starter and the main which was a bit too long. We were surprised that the smokers were standing in the doorway which isn't great looking when you arrive and the smell of smoke wafted into the restaurant area, definitely not good. Other than that we would recommend the Royal Oak.

been here a few times now and always good service and good foodreasonably priced and the locals are friendly

I stayed here to host some of my customers for dinner. The food was excellent, service wasn't bad either. The hotel side really lets the place down, where do I start? I was asked to pay for my room on arrival, carrying all of my bags I had to explain that I would be having dinner and would like to add the meal to the room for the sake of ease. Fine. Arrived in my room and it was FREEZING COLD. I had to muster the courage to use the shower, the head was mounted at knee height and the flow was barely adequate to rinse soap off. So, in my cold room, not even a shower provided salvation. There is no WiFi in the room which scuppered my plans for catching up on emails and left me little choice but to sit in the bar for warmth. At breakfast time, I was left in the dining hall again, without WiFi and it took around 5 minutes before someone realised I was there. Having to listen to loud music blasting from the kitchen but no entertainment for the guests. The bacon was overdone and the sausage was oddly tough yet barely cooked, I was given a jug of orange juice that was ominously sat on another table which I could only assume another diner had left. I would not stay here again.

The menu on Sunday is a set one, but gives reasonable choice of three courses for less than £15.The restaurant is well presented, comfortable, and the service is friendly.All the food our party of five had was above average, and problem-free. The white wine was excellent.

Visited for lunch we ordered the gammon and sausage and mash. There was quite a wait for the meals to arrive, the restaurant was not very busy at the time.However the food was very good it was presented well and cooked to a high standard. The portion size was quite large. The sausages were excellent. We had pannacotta and the limoncello cheesecake to follow that was very nice.The bar area is decorated to a high standard, it is very comfortable and clean.

Visited here with my mother for a cream tea, very disappointed with the service, but most of all that the cream tea was advertised with clotted cream but it wasn't what we received! It was just a normal whipped cream in a little glass dish. The scones were warm and tasty, but felt very let down that it wasn't as advertised and more importantly wasn't a traditional cream tea. When I mentioned to the young Italian lady when I paid, she couldn't have cared less. We had a prawn sandwich first and they didn't clear the plates, I had to us the same plate for my cream tea that my sandwich arrived on as we shared the sandwich, "not ideal, Marie Rose sauce doesn't go very well with cream". Also the plates were not removed even when we left. We was the only people in the whole place,so no excuse. For 1.30 you would expect somewhere to be a little busy.

This is a lovely village hotel which is nicely presented with a warm country feel throughout. Staff and management are very friendly and welcoming. The restaurant caters for all ages including children.There is a well varied menu of delicious dishes available. The bar serves a wide variety of drinks, coffees and chilled wines, proscecco etc. This is my favorite pub in the village which is always warm and comfortable with lovely log fires in the winter and outside seating for summer.

Booked and stayed here for a nights getaway.The rooms clean and cosy ,bit of a climb to get to the second floor though.The staff were all friendly bar and restaurant area very clean and maintainedFood looked good but we never had anything to eat here we had already Breakfast was good nice and hot and freshly cooked Only one down side was the bed it was so uncomfortable but you can't have everything All in all good value for money and would stay again

A very attractive and well run village pub with good food and drink. A popular venue for the local village people where both the service and the facilities are good and the staff friendly. Well recommended.

Meeting an old school friend and her husband who were staying there.Decided to eat, waiter recommended rib eye steak, it was steak night, I was sceptical but it was cooked to perfection and had a great peppercorn sauce.Sorbet for dessert also excellent.

We were staying in a B&B just outside of the little town and thought we'd been recommended by our landlady (she'd actually recommended somewhere else, I'd misunderstood!) That being said, we enjoyed both meals there.The first time we visited was on a Friday - and steak night. Excellent value for money and a large portion so no dessert was required! Can thoroughly recommend the ribeye: cooked to perfection, and the chips were very good as were the onion rings.We'd enjoyed that, so returned the following night. Thought the rest of the menu was a little out of our price bracket and both settled on sharing a starter (garlic bread with cheddar - plenty for two), followed by liver and bacon and then my partner was delighted with his apple, cinnamon and sultana pie and I was a little underwhelmed with my limoncello cheesecake. However, overall it was very good.

Had several breakfasts - best scrambled eggs on one day, Fish/chips, salmon steak and avocado salad,and scallops with cointreau were all absolutely excellent. Didn't quite manage the pate and Oban malt whisky - next time

We went to the Royal oak Hawkhurst for a family birthday meal. Two if us ordered the chicken skeweres, ( that means more than one ) on arrival we were very disappointed with only one skewer with four piece's of chicken the size of an oxo cube, we complained, the menu clearly states skeweres which in our eyes ment at least two, th the manger then said it depends on the size of the skeweres they have at the time. At £15 for the tiny amount of chicken and a few vegetables on the skewer and plain boiled rice , tiny amount of salad and sauces that were shop brought, this was very expensive and excessively over priced for a very tasteless meal. When the bill came at the end of the meal we noticed that even after our complaints we were still charged full price for the chicken skeweres. We then spoke to the manager once again we stated that you pay for the service here and actually had a very bad attitude . Out of curiosity it would of been nice if she knocked one of them off the bill. Needless to say she has lost 8 customers, never going back there again !

A group of us went to The Royal Oak yesterday to support the St Georges Day event they were running. It started off as a fun night, it was a busy pub with live music. The problem occurred after I bought a round of drinks....Shortly after buying this round my friend popped outside for a couple of minutes and I was going to look after the drinks (a full gin and tonic and half a glass of coke). I thought it would be OK to leave the 2 drinks for a couple of minutes while I went and said a quick hello to my husband who was watching the band. When I returned, literally only a couple of minutes later, the drinks had disappeared from the bar!I called the manager over and explained that our drinks had been cleared away by mistake. The managers response was 'I can't look after people's drinks' and 'I had a clear up'. When I said that the drinks couldn't be mistaken as needing to be cleared up as it was a full gin and tonic, still with lime and ice cubes, the manager said there was nothing she could do. I then called the young lady over who had recently served us and she actually apologised and said she would get us a fresh drink. The manager then stepped back in and prevented the young lady from doing this.I still can't believe that the manager had the nerve to throw away people's drinks and then not even apologise and provide a fresh drink. The drinks were not left unattended long enough for anyone to think they were finished with.I go to local pubs most weekends to support live music and have never had an issue like this. It has left me feeling very angry. If this is the community spirit from the manager of the Royal Oak for The St Georges Day event, then it is very sad!Our group of friends knew the organisers of the event/ band, so it was a real shame that one manager with terrible customer service skills can ruin an evening. I would strongly advise people not to visit this pub if you are wanting a stress free fun evening.

I am a regular in this pub/restaurant and without being biased, this is the best in Hawkhurst. Second to none

Friday is steak night and it's very good value, as are all the mealsThe staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable about their products.

You just can not beat this place for the friendly staff, the food was excellent on Xmas day, just the nicest people ever, not just a hotel/pub but a very welcoming family run establishment who seem to care about there guests,they seem only to happy to be not just excellent but exceptional hosts

Food was fine had to wait a long time , but the waiter was very very rude there was only 12 of of us and just 1 chap at the bar ,when we order he said if i get it wrong its you fault ,dont think i will be going again very rude

I visited this place recently with 3 friends courtesy of a Groupon voucher and our afternoon tea was very disappointing indeed. No thought was given to presentation as there was a distinct miss match of crockery. On production of the tea there were no vegetarian sandwiches, despite having informed them prior to our arrival that there was a vegetarian in the party. Cucumber sandwiches then hurriedly made an appearance much to the amusement of us all! 'Cucumber sandwiches are a very healthy option' we were told when questioned why there was no cheese or egg offered. Apparently vegetarians are hard to cater for? Not if you ask them what they like in a sandwich...quite a straight forward question actually, but not if you don't have a good grasp of the English language....catch my drift? Clotted cream would be the order of the day with scones, not warm runny cheap whipped cream complete with a blueberry on the top and as for last months scones that could've been used as lethal weapons, the approach was to slice them in half and toast them.....REALLY? The strawberry halves decorating the slate cake stand had obviously been sunning themselves, rather puckered and devoid of any juice. We constantly had to ask for extra milk, tea, coffee, (which was served in a tea pot not a caffetier?) and as for the bottle of Prossecco to share, this was 2 miniature bottles between 4, doesn't add up to the full 75cl of a normal bottle of wine, complete rip off. A lot needs to be learned about afternoon tea here. Big thumbs down, so glad we didn't pay £98 full price, would certainly have caused a stink if that was the case although emails to the hotel and Groupon have subsequently been sent. This is a fantastic demonstration of how not how to win new customers! The toilet facilities also leave a lot to be desired, unsightly water stains in the ceilings and walls and 3 bowls of dusty pot pourri displayed on a table like a shrine.....so 70's, get with the programme. This was not a treat at all, so anybody contemplating it, don't bother is the advice.

My friends and I booked an afternoon tea here through Groupon as we often do to meet up. We all travelled an hour to get here so was hoping it'd be worth it.....one of us was slightly later than the others and when all finally together, the sandwiches and cakes had already been put out and had been sitting there for 30 minutes, meaning the sandwiches had started to go hard. The whole time we were there we were offered 1 hot drink, no one else came over to see if everything was ok or if we'd like another one at any other point. The Prosecco we were meant to have sat on the bar the whole time until one of us went over near the end of the visit and asked if we could just take the small bottles home as it hadn't been served. Some older drunken man kept coming over to us asking questions why we were there and what we were doing which was really annoying too. The place wasn't busy at all, it was midweek afternoon and just us and a couple of people at the bar and outside so didn't understand how we didn't even get a smidgen of service. All in all, wasn't worth what we paid and wouldn't visit again, been to a lot of other nicer places.

Visited the Royal Oak on my "Pub Lawyer" tour - made very welcome indeed. Good bet (Harveys), good bar staff, void food (calamari, whitebait and burgers) and great hospitality overall.

Really superb meal this evening, had wanted to eat a few weeks ago on a Friday (Steak Night) but, they were really busy, I think they would have fitted us in had we have asked though. Nice evening out with his truely, great food, nice staff & reasonable priced, definitely be going back very soon!!!!!!

On recommendation of a close friend we called in at The Royal Oak Hotel for a birthday dinner before visiting the Kino Cinema nearby. Firstly the service in the Royal Oak was polite and friendly and the staff offered some ideas on the menu choices too. I chose a seafood linguine and my companion selected a chicken dish. To accompany it a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc. When the food arrived it was a treat. It tasted delicious and was served in manageable portions. Delicious. The desert menu offered up a decent array of tempters too! We went for the Lemon Cheesecake. The prices are sensible too. Highly recommended and prompt service too...

We were staying in Ticehurst and were finding it difficult to find a pub restaurant open on a Monday. Found this pub and reviews were good.Not disappointed. We arrived at 6.30 to an empty restaurant.We ordered pate and baked avocado - all very nice. Mains were lamb with recurrent reduction, beautifully cooked and very tasty. Pork medallions, a little dry but still nice.No room for desserts.Staff were very helpful too.Would return!

We had a family meal here on the bank holiday weekend. The staff are very friendly and as it was a nice day we took our drinks into the garden (which is lovely) whilst we chose what to eat. There is lots of choice on the menu so we had no trouble finding something for all our tastes. We sat in the restaurant to eat and the food arrived quickly. I had the linguine pescatore (seafood pasta) which was fantastic. Everyone else enjoyed their meals also, clean plates all round. We also had dessert and were all well and truly stuffed once we'd finished. When the bill came it was very reasonable, I think they could have charged more for the quality to be honest.

We stayed at the Royal Oak Hawkhurst on a two night deal break. The staff are wonderful, helpful but not at all intrusive. Nicki knows what she's doing and has a way that makes the guest feel wanted and important, nothing too much trouble.The chef a big cuddly man, who knows how to cook food, you won't be disappointed. Come, relax and stay here to explore the garden of England with it's pretty villages and weatherboarded houses. Only a tiny comment I think us ladies would like a full length mirror in room 3. We will come back. Rose and Taff FAREHAM

We stayed at this hotel for a couple of nights as it is central for several excellent National Trust properties, Sissinghurst, Kiplings House Batemans, Bodiam Castle, Lamb House in Rye and several others. The bar was well furnished with comfortable leather sofas and wing back chairs. The restaurant served freshly cooked food with a varied and interesting menu. All the ingredients were cooked from scratch apparently which did mean quite a long wait on our first evening. On our second night, we ordered our food in advance which saved this wait, though, if you were in a group, waiting does not matter so much. The staff were all charming and friendly. I am sure there is little money available for renovation but the bedrooms and bathrooms could do with quite a bit of upgrading. Having said that, we would stay again because of the excellent food and the charming friendly atmosphere.

Yet another superb dinner. Excellent starter and main, so good no room for pudding! Great service and great value. Never disappointed when we go there.

Nice location , Rye and Hasting only a short drive away .Breakfast and evening meal was very nice. The staff were pleasant and friendly.

Took the Family for Christmas Day Lunch and New Years Eve Dinner and DanceFood and Hospitality SuperbGreat Hosts

Went with husband, mother and daughter had fantastic steak salad was really good. Chips were fantastic, would highly recommend.

We have eaten at the Royal Oak numerous times over the past few years as we live fairly local. Always excellently cooked food and good service. Extremely well priced menu choice - the Friday night steak night offer is recommended as particularly good! Good guest beer on occasions too - Hobgoblin more often please! Keep up the good work Nikki and Gigi & team!

Visited on a few occasions, prefer it as somewhere to drink on the weekends. Had a nice meal last weekend, shame about the rude staff, don't think I'll drink there in the future.

Picked Hawkhurst because it is halfway between my sister in Hailsham and myself in West Kingsdown met on a Friday for lunch,all four of us had a different meal very good roughly £12 per head my Sister and I had a sweet witch was the best syrypiest Sticky toffee pudding ever.I thought the beer a bit expensive,a coffee and a pint of bitter came to over £6 but overall a good meal in nice surroundings.

A friend and I decided to visit the Royal Oak in Hawkhurst for steak night. Every Friday after 6pm, they offer a rib-eye, rump or gammon steaks for only £10 each and comes with a side salad, chips, mushroom head, peas and homer made fat chips.The staff were friendly and we had the option of sitting outside in the garden to eat in the sunshine. We didn't have to wait too long for our food to arrive and when it did, the steak was cooked exactly as requested and the home made chips were very nice. The only downer on the meal was the side salad, which to me just tasted as if it was coated in chemicals. I also wouldn't have minded a few more peas.All in all, I can't complain. £10 for a very good rib-eye steak. chips and peas was an absolute steal. I will highly recommend steak night to others.

We ate here during our stay in Hawkhurst. Both food and service were very good. We had steak night on the Friday and as there was 7 of us we got a free bottle of wine. I would recommend this pub for food and would eat here again.

Friday evening deal: steak meal for £10. It was a lovely steak from Park Farm Butchers across the road and well cooked, to specifications. Just the right amount of food, very enjoyable.

het eten is er heel lekker, we betaalde de juiste prijs, het is er gezellig zitten, de bediening is heel vriendelijk , er is een originele kaart, de wijnen zijn erg lekker en per glas te bestellen

Have eaten at the Royal Oak three times. Have only been there lunchtimes and eaten in the bar area although there is a seperate restaurant . Service is good and friendly and the food was good. It is conveniently placed in the centre of Hawkhurst village centre with it's own car park. Based on eating in the bar area, it did lack atmosphere and I wouldn't eat there for a special evening meal. However the restaurant section may well be a better choice in the evenings.Will probably eat there again as it is within easy walking distance from where we live.

We tried the Royal Oak for a meal during our stay in Hawkhurst and were not disappointed. My husband had the pork with mustard which was fantastic. But Chef my gammon steak was HUGE and wonderful. I have never ever had a gammon steak so good. I was in Hawkhurst to visit Tongswood (aka St. Ronans School.) My great grandfather helped Mr Gunther breed bulls for Argentina. If I had not had a steak on the Friday night I would have loved you to cook a steak from the local butcher. Nevermind next time maybe. I hear Chef and manager are one in the same. Dont know who trained you but they did a very good job.

As my husband and I work alot, we saved up for a special catch up evening out. The food was faultless. Infact my garlic mushroom starter was the best I have ever tasted. However the main course was brought out extremely quickly and we weren't really ready for it. We were then quickly offered sweets and coffee but asked for a small break. Waitress then returned and only offered coffee which we queried and were told that the food stopped at 9pm. Our table was booked for 8pm so we were very disappointed. A couple of weeks ago I was told their lunch menu stopped at 2.30. In the competetive line of food I am wonderinf how they will survive. A nearby pub/restaurant offers food all day. We can not fault the food we had and the presentation was amazing too. At least let people know and maybe let them have a whole meal. It brought our evening to an abrupt end which was a shame as we were deep in conversation which is important for busy couples.

Nine of us met for a birthday dinner. The food was fine and the Doombar excellently kept. The young lady staff members were all very efficient and friendly.