The Royal Oak Hotel in Ryedale

I received a very warm welcome, friendly service and lovely food. It can be daunting going into a pub as a woman on your own on a Friday evening, but they made me feel welcome and found me a quiet table where I could work on my laptop before moving on to my next thing- I had 2 hours to kill and I appreciated that they didn’t hassle me to move on. I found quite a few vegetarian dishes on the menu- I had the Brie and it was really nice.

Can't believe some of the reviews. This is my go to place to stay whenever in Helmsley as it's absolutely perfect.. Immerse yourself in Yorkshire's favourite town and stay here in the centre of the square in the most welcoming of pub hotels.

Went there on a Wednesday night and ordered a meal, which took ages to arrive and when it did, it was uneatable, the meat, felt like it was cooked last week and the chips were cold, wont go there again.

Rudest barman I've ever encountered! Visited on 22/09/24 at 3pm. This was the only quiet Bar at this time , soon found out why . We waited patiently at the bar as we were told the barman was in the toilet. On his return he hardly acknowledged us and walked away from the bar, I was talking to my partner and cleared my throat , the barman shouted across the room ' cough as much as you want love I'll serve you when I'm ready' when I denied caughing to get he's attention he was arrogant and aggressive and told me I WAS. Obviously I told him not to be so rude as we walked out and into the the Feathers, where we ere welcomed warmly by the staff . I'd be happy to hear management feed back.

Absolutely terrible. The vegetables were frozen/ microwave and the beef was out of a packet what you would use for a sandwich. Charging £17 for a dinner which isn’t even home made. Children brought the dinner out also.

Helmsley isn’t blessed with many pubs and although there are a couple of very good hotel bars and the excellent brewery taps, the Royal Oak is really the only straight forward pub - and it’s a very good one. The interior is traditional, ie not modern and trendy, and is very spacious. As you might expect, it has televisions, music, pool etc and is clearly a popular “local”. We always enjoy our visits here and, as before, service was welcoming and the beers good.

The order was very slow to be taken, as staff too busy chatting, order even slower to arrive and piecemeal at that. One starter was wrong. The vegetables were frozen rewarmed - almost warm almost tasteless . Food seemed to be all precooked reheated. Desserts were no better; sticky toffee pudding had a strong resemblance in shape and taste but not cost to the tinned syrup sponge I used to buy! Staffing problems! Nevervisit again: not worth £30pp without drinks

Came for a great Sunday roast. Huge portions, good service. Brought my American parents visiting from the States who loved the whole experience.

Had a delicious lunch, all home made. The service was really good too. I would definitely recommend the steak and ale pie.

Dire. Waited so long for two baguettes nearly ran out of time on the two hour parking ticket. Eventually brought some home and finished cooking it. Every time you want anything like another drink you have to make a separate payment.

Very dissapointed with the food. Very greasy, peas still frozen. Not very helpful when enquiring about food allergies/intolerances

The food was quite poor with small portions. Some of the beers not available due to "transitioning" what ever that meant. The place had an air of somewhere about to close and the service mirrored this.

We’re staying at The Feathers and thought we’d try a pint in the Royal Oak today, 1st March. Couldn’t get in the front door! A big bloke age about 30 was standing in the doorway puffing on a roll up and a blonde woman next to him puffing away. She was on the phone. Neither of them budged, we were not prepared to walk through the fog so we went off to the Black Swan, where we had a lovely pint.

Twelve of us called last week for a bite at lunchtime . Easy to order, very nice food, nicely presented. Pleasant, friendly staff. Very nice, will call again .

We chose this pub out of the rest due to its more traditional bar as much prefer this to the fancy types in town. The staff were very friendly and went out there way to help and had good laugh with them. The food was lovely and have to say being a pie expert, there pie was amazing. Real meat that melts in your mouth and real chips and peas. Would love to pop back in when we decide to visit Helmsley again.

Only popped in for a pint, trained the bar person in the art of making a Mickey Mouse and very good it was too!

Lovely food, amazing pie! Came in here after not booking anywhere for dinner and they were more than accomodating.

We ate here (and stayed here) 6 years ago. Ate again last month and food is still good. Fairly small, suggest booking. Recommend.

Visited for a drink - Took ages to get served and bar staffed seemed more interested in each other than the people stood at the bar, poor selection of drinks. Decor is old and extremely dated. Food looked a little bit strange when we were watching it come out. Chef lady kept coming out- Not wearing a chefs whites which is a little bit strange. Could be a really nice place but staff let it down a little bit.

The Royal Oak is good value compared to the upmarket gastro pubs in Helmsley. We enjoyed our meals, which were generous portions. Excellent beers were also reasonably priced. Landlady and staff were efficient and friendly.

We ate twice in the Royal Oak on a recent visit the Helmsley. The pub is in a prime position in the main square, with seating inside and out. The prices are reasonable, especially when compared to other local pubs. The roast dinner was good,...

The Worst lunch in Town ,I ordered fish and salad it came with battered fish and side garnish at £12.95 This and half larger came to £20 total . I asked for the rest of my salad it came has an handful of stringy lettuce...

Stayed for a night, room was immaculate 5/5 Serivce in the bar was very friendly and welcoming 5/5 Room was very clean and specious 5/5 And to finish a lovely visit to helmsly the Sunday dinner we had was fantastic. Cannot go wrong with this...

It might have been an unfortunate case however I was served the worst beef I've ever had, ordered two Sunday roasts on Sunday 16 Jan and received three thick slices of extremely chew overcooked beef, there's plenty of restaurants in town so will choose somewhere...

The Royal Oak is probably what I consider to be the most “local” pub in Helmsley, the others being hotel bars and a brewery tap - all of which are very good. The Oak is pretty much as I expected; sport on the telly and...

Called in here on the off chance for a drink and a bite to eat as it was a dog friendly environment, staff helpful and friendly chef/waiter very helpful and friendly, food and atmosphere was good will definitely visit again.

Great pub in a lovely town Good pub menu and cooked well Staff are very welcoming, attentive and friendly even though it was very busy when we visited. The beer battered haddock was amazing and excellent chips. And good cake

Love a Marston’s pub, always great beer. Found this by accident and not sorry. Had a great cheese and onion panini - delicious and great value for money. Very friendly atmosphere, fully recommend.

We visited The Royal Oak for lunch as it appeared to be one of the few options available for dog friendly dining.Dog friendly perhaps... Human friendly not so much if the reception we received was anything to go by as the young man behind the bar didn't seem attentive to our needs or understanding of the basics of customer service.My Dad ordered four drinks including a Pepsi Max which the barman mistook for a second Bitter Shandy. When my Dad told him about his mistake, rather than correcting the mistake at no extra charge, we had to give the second Bitter Shandy to my Mum and order a Pepsi Max for an additional price.I tried to order the Club Sandwich without egg, only to be told that they couldn't do this - for the reason that it appeared (from what I saw on my Dad's sandwich) that the filling was ready prepared (for this, read "appeared to be mushed up").When I requested an alternative, the Southern Fried Chicken and BBQ sauce panini, I was advised that I needed to pay for the sandwich and then receive the reimbursement for the original in cash. When I got the reimbursement, the feeling I got was it felt like it was my fault that I'd ordered the wrong sandwich originally and that it was a hassle to give me back the money I was entitled to - given that the money was slammed down on my table in front of me.At least the panini was edible.Not a place that I'll be looking to visit again.

Extremely enjoyed our lunches I had the giant Yorkshire with beef. My partner had the roast beef dinner both were very plentiful and hot on arrival lovely staff keep up the good work

We stopped in for lunch and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food. Full of atmosphere and local characters. Typical village pub decor with comfortable seating, no bar service due to COVID but excellent service from friendly staff, good value.

My hubby had the steak and ale pie which he said was one of the best he's every had, proper pie. I had the Hot Shot Pizza and it was brilliant, thin crust, was one of the best I've had, good atmosphere, a great place...

Looks better from the outside than inside. Had the soup which was tasteless but took its revenge during the night

Pre NC 500 afternoon lunch and footie....It started of with lunch when we hit square from long travel up from Essex... Had some nice food... Staff very helpful...we returned couple hours later for a pre booked table to watch England game and we won ...so...

Just popped in for a drink over the weekend. Sitting outside the front of the building is a great place to watch the world (and their dogs !!) go by.

As I have often said, if you can’t peel, chop and fry a potato, you have no business calling yourself a chef. My scampi were scampi. They were what I wanted, but they were elevated by proper chips. I could have done without balsamic vinegar...

This place has a great pub atmosphere and is usually busy . There are only three places to get a drink in Helmsley - here , The Feathers and the Black Swan ( being refurbished at the moment) . It's a lovely little village to visit and stay . You can use this place as a base for visiting as you can walk round all the shops and have a drink in every pub in the space of about four hours . There is the castle and gardens to see as well . The Royal Oak had a good set up for the Co-Vid times that will hopefully soon be a painful memory . I usually set out my comments in two sections +'s &-'s - here goes ,+'s - The room is big , plenty of space to hang clothes , plenty of drawers . Big bathroom + bath - separate room with sink . Coffee machine + pods + kettle - all the usual stuff . Central location - smack in the centre of the village . Brilliant breakfast .If you like walking then it's a great place to be .-'s - Parking is a nightmare here . In front of the hotel you have the market square - maximium two hour stay . Further back from the pub you have a car park which you could park overnight £6 if I remember correctly and a 5 minute walk dragging the wife's 4 tonne case . Parking is free behind the pub - miracle if you get there . The pub is noisy at night so you are better off in the bar than having an early night - not really a niggle but you must expect this on a Friday /Saturday night as you are above a pub .I would definitely stop here again if I was visiting Helmsley as the place is friendly and does good pub meals and is value for money .

we stopped there last friday, the room was so lovely, spacious, colourful and very comfy, the staff all lovely and pleasant, we had a lovely stay there, thanks

Great pub! Lovely staff, amazing food and a good selection of top beers. I often go there when I can and have never been disappointed.

Just had a lovely meal in here on a day out to helmsley. These are difficult times for us all with social distancing but this place is doing it right. We had to wait outside until called forward then we had to supply our details and then put on a mask whilst we were shown to a safe seat where it was waiter service. The meals were well cooked and presented and were good value for money. We will definitely return

One drink in here is enough for anyone. Maybe avoid if you can. Didn’t eat in here so can’t comment on the food.

No idea what the oooopps review was about at all.Came for Sunday lunch today. Absolutely delicious. Quick service by friendly waitress. The young lady came back and named the chef Ryan who had sent her out to ask if everything was OK. It was more than OK. Lovely fresh vegetables and home made Yorkshire Pudding (rare to find at most places).Good covid measures in place too. Lots of sanitiser dotted around, one way system in place, sign in books and notices to explain their procedures. Tables cleared and sanitised quickly. Tables well spread. Spotlessly clean too. Im in the same business so appreciate the efforts being made to keep people safe. Well done to all at the Royal Oak. Test it for yourself well worth it.

A lovely place to while away a few hours. Good food and drink. Lovely setting. Smashing staff. A great little village. Friday, market day is fun.

Our first time back to the Royal Oak since lockdown, and if anything the food was better than ever. Friendly staff and the place is immaculately clean, all the required steps have been taken so it seems very Covid friendly to me. If it was busy there’s not really any space outside to queue up, but we were lucky and got straight in. All the food always looks delicious, but as per usual we reviewed the menu and then ordered our usual, the Steak pie and chips. Beautiful suet crust pastry and a ‘proper’ pie... not just a factory made puff pastry lid!Our favourite place for lunch, and Helmsley itself is always lovely to visit

Stop had a lovely burger off the barby .good frendly service highly recommend .very clean and all social distancing being done ,thanks a lovely afternoon

I was staying local, but called in for a quick pre dinner drink.A nice rustic well maintained Inn in the heart of Helmsley.Clean, and friendly I certainly was made to feel at home.I couldn’t really fault the place for the short time I was there.

Great pub, food and friendly staff. The owners are cooking meals for vulnerable people in the community for none profit giving back to the locals helping as a community. £5 per meal cooked fresh and delivered to your door, don’t hesitate to ring they are amazing people and helping the community. My wife and I donated £10 towards two people meals. Stay safe during this difficult time, if we look after each other we will get through this together.

Called in tea time for food. Enjoyed whar we had very much. Decor is a bit dated and could do with a refurb but in these times I suppose thats hard to fund. Yes we would return again.

Just nipped in here for an afternoon beer. I'm reviewing because the staff were so friendly - it is so nice to receive a genuine 'thank you' for your custom as you are leaving - not only from the barman (possibly the landlord ?) but also from the kitchen staff who were having a break outside the door after the lunch service had finished. It's also a very nice pub! Well done and thank you!

Called in here for a drink while we were stopping over in town the bar was scruffy with a half excuse of a log fire and a rather disinterested barman and £7.20 for a pint and a half of lager.We did not stay for another and will not be back.By the way the price of a pint and a half in my local is £4.65

Rooms were clean and spacious, but pub was really “tired” and scruffy inside which spoilt it really, as we would have liked to have sat in there all night. Breakfast was small too - with only 1 sausage 2 bacon and 1 and half slice of toast. We enjoyed our night but don’t think it was worth what we paid.

Called In for a drink before going to a local restaurant for a meal an wish we hadn’t bothered - we were served by we presume the manager who left us feeling that we shouldn’t be in there an had no customer skills what so ever not even a smile ! should we have been made to feel welcome we would have without a doubt have had another drink an most probably would have called back later but made to feel like a burden we decided to not bother !

Four of us dined here recently. A very pleasant place to eat in Helmsley. They have a good menu to choose from. Two of us chose the game home made pies. A huge portion of pie. Delicious. Would recommend.

This pub was homely with a roaring real fire. It was a bit sparse and could do with a bit of renovation. Nice pint though. It was quite empty on the Sunday night we visited but it was a Sunday in January.

Hubby and myself have just eaten two very tasty homemade meals, meat pie and real chips, parmo chicken meal. Friendly staff and good service. We will happily return and recommend.

The evening meal was awful the lasagne was totally tasteless .. Breakfast was ok...two tiny bits of toast placed in the middle of the plate...soggy...Not offered tea or coffee...we asked ....twice two coffees ...we saw the young man walk across the market place and return....we never received our coffee. We were the only two in the restaurant.... The rooms lack charm..we did not use the shower it was grotty. The toilet is a strange thing it makes loads of noise and there is a notice to say you will be fined £100 this will be charged to your card if the toilet is found to be blockedduring your stay or shortly after your departure.

The five of us ( 2 adults / 3 children) really enjoyed our Sunday lunches here. Had a variety of meats - pork / lamb / beef. Only negative beef was a little chewy. Desserts were all good too!

Nice meal at a reasonable price. Giant yorkshire pudding with variety of fillings seemed to go down well with everyone.Large deserts. Very busy, but efficient service, quick delivery with a smile. Staff all pleasant. Beer could have been a bit better. Great location off the market square.

Wir hatten Burger, Fleisch war gut, aber insgesamt zu teuer mit fast 12 £. Der Yorkshire Pudding mit Bratwurst war ok. Sauce und Kartoffelbrei schmeckten nicht wie selbst gemacht. Mit knapp 11£ passte es. Bier ist gut.

We’ve been coming here for so long that certainly my mother looks like part of the furniture bank holiday week. Over the years we have met many different staff, locals and owners. They seem to do well at keeping the same happy and welcoming atmosphere with quality food and drink. We’ve eaten here a few times this last week and drank most days. Nice to see such a good gin collection as it doesn’t seem so popular in Yorkshire than it is back home. Beers always good too. The home made pizzas are really tasty and get a thumbs up from the kids and adults too. Good selection of choices on the menu just disappointed I’ve not made it to the puddings yet as they sound delicious. Thanks for putting up with us for another week.

Had a lovely evening meal for my child and I. The children’s menus was standard but good and the giant yourkshire pudding was great. Great value for money with friendly service.

Arrived midday for toasted ham and cheese panini, having had one whilst on holiday in July and thoroughly enjoyed it. We went back today, whilst on a day trip from Edinburgh. We were going to eat outside so I went inside to order. A waitress was sitting at bar folding napkins. I asked her if they were serving lunch, yeah at 12 - oh what time is it at which she pointed at a clock on the wall. It was 11.58. I stood at bar in lounge side and waited and waited and waited whilst the barmaid chatted away to someone. Eventually she apologised but “everyone just wants to talk”. I asked for 2 x cheese and ham toasties with chips on side - we do panini- ok that’s fine and I repeated order. Sorry we don’t do that - you could have ham and egg Panini and she just stared at me. I said I’ll just leave it. I was absolutely disgusted at the lack of help and made a swift exit. I will never return or recommend this establishment.

Very slow service at the bar and once Sunday lunch was ordered it took an age for it to arrive, I would of thought most of it would of been cooked so not sure why it took so long!

Very disappointing to have the barman roll his eyes at you after saying excuse me because he tried serving someone ahead of you (after waiting at the bar for 5 minutes). Was going to stay for lunch, won't be bothering now.

Helmsley was very busy on the first Saturday in August and we were looking for somewhere for a drink. We walked into the beer garden which was fairly basic but lovely and quiet and a sun trap. The barman was very attentive and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.

We came here for lunch and the menu was a good size with plenty to choose from. Staff were friendly and happy to help. The decor was traditional pub but was clean and comfortable.

Ganz kurz: Gutes Essen, gutes Ale, guter Wein, guter Gin, freundliche Bedienung, hier macht man nichts verkehrt. Das Ambiente ist auch klassisch schön. Aber auch hier sollte man in der Saison reservieren.

Lovely food and excellent staff We took our dog and they couldn’t have been more helpful including a few doggy treats. They made us feel very welcome

We stayed on a Thursday night in June.

Called for lunch, which was tasty and well presented. Good value. We ate in the lounge but there was the option to eat in the garden.

My husband and I had a meal here yesterday, the menu was tempting but the food disappointing. Hubby enjoyed his chicken with melted cheese and chips, I didn’t enjoy my filled Yorkshire pudding. The Yorkshire pudding was rock hard from reheating and not home cooked, the lamb wasn’t quite real, smash potato not real mash and very bland vegetables. It cost about £10 per meal which would have been reasonable if the food was good but really it was a waste of money and instead of us returning tonight as we are on holiday we won’t be rushing back for food and I certainly wouldn’t order the same meal.

Great beef sandwich with lots of gravy and horseradish - spoilt by the 40min wait, and no word of an apology, when I had asked what was quick before I ordered.

Ci fermiamo per cena in una sonnolenta serata di aprile, nel locale si respira l'aria del pub di paese nel fine settimana. Andiamo sul classico: Yorkshire pudding e meat pie, accompagnati da gravy, mashed potato e mushy peas, si rivelano un'ottima scelta. Il cuoco fa del suo meglio per accontentare questo gruppo di strani italiani in cerca di cibo inglese e ci riesce molto bene. Servizio cortese, prezzo ok.

Just back from a nice break in Helmsley, where we stayed at the Royal Oak. The room was a good size, with a well appointed bathroom. Breakfast was decent enough, we had a bacon sandwich and poached eggs on toast with tea and coffee. We didn't eat or drink in the bar, so can't comment on that. The place is dog friendly, which will suit a lot of people. The only drawback that I will comment on, is that our room had a slope, and so the bed seemed to be slightly sloping. Whilst it didn't make for an uncomfortable night's sleep, I did feel that I could literally roll out of bed. All in all though, Helmsley us a pretty little village, and The Royal Oak a pleasant place to stay.

Hotel was basic but ok ,,room was fine bathroom and shower could do with a spruce up ,,breakfast was great ,staff friendly , beer and service was good,, parking could be expensive and very much pot luck.

Into the lounge , comfortable corner seat . Choice of three bitters on the bar . We ordered haddock and chips and a lamb shank , both were very good . Followed by cheesecake and ice cream and an ameretto something with ice cream - both very pleasant . A very pleasant meal sitting in comfort .

Stopped over for lunch on our way over towards Cropton lodges and we were pleasantly surprised with our lunch. Don’t be put off from the outside, Dated window stickers need removed. We had two beautiful sandwiches and chips, prawn and ham & egg. Both were delicious and the quantities were perfect. The staff were friendly, assisting with a child seat etc.

This pub doesn’t fit into helmsley, it’s grubby and old, wouldn’t eat in here Look like it should be closed down and refurbishment

Just bought a big round in this pub. Complained about a pint of Pedigree and was told there was nothing wrong with it and I would have to buy another pint if I wanted to change. Customer service non existent.

We went there last Monday evening, not at all busy, but the service and food was excellent. Had lamb shank meals and haddock and chip meals between the four of us. Very well presented and cooked perfectly. Finished off with Rachel's sticky toffee pudding. This was the best and lightest pudding I have had, if it's on the menu treat yourself you will not be disappointed. Very nice staff and very friendly

What a lovely pub. We popped in for Sunday lunch this afternoon and we are so glad we did! What amazing food. The five of us all ordered the small Sunday lunch which was just right, I had the lamb and it was so tasty, all the food was very tasty. I loved the gravy flavour too. A few of us decided to have the sticky toffee pudding for afters and it was delicious. Homemade by the chef Rachel who served us with it. One of the best ever! Beautiful food and great service, thank you for a lovely Sunday afternoon lunch.

Called in a couple of times over the weekend as we were staying in Helmsley and had no real complaints. The young lad serving behind the bar had a long face and never cracked a smile but it was a decent pint of Wainwrights ale and we had a nice few hours sat in front of the wood burning stove. Didn't eat there so can't comment on the food but it's worth calling for a pint.

Went in quiet late for a meal .food service was very good the service was excellent staff very friendly a credit to all

Pub Sunday dinners can be hit or miss for me but this one was nice, and a generous portion. Good pub, good location

Staff are friendly and attentive. A nice touch was giving my partner and I a bottle of prosecco for his birthday.

We went for lunch, the food was poor, the bar service was terrible, the draught beer was I drinkable.

Eleven hungry cyclists arrived en mass and were dealt with superbly.. All eating Sunday lunches and all enjoying a beer or two .A few hiccups but to be fair nothing to complain about .. However I do think the roast potatoes were TIny and the mash was smash... Price ok though

Food was of a good standard and well cooked but was very much on the basic side. Would not put me off eating there but was quite noisy

We only called in for a coffee and a pint of beer but we were made very welcome by the landlady. The food that was being served looked to be hot and plentiful and the diners all appeared satisfied. I would not hesitate to regturn and sample their menu.

Por 10 libras comimos un buen plato de Jack Potatoes con ensalada y bebida. Había comidas variadas: paninis, sandwiches, platos ingleses, sopas,La comida está muy rica y no es nada caro. En Helmsley, pueblo pequeñito y muy agradable.

We ate here while staying i Helmsley. This is a Marston’s pub offering food as well as the expected drinks. The food menu is not fancy, or indeed extensive, but features typical pub meals along with a range of pizzas. A smaller, cheaper, version of most meals could be ordered at a slightly discounted price. Meals we fairly priced.

Popped in for a quick pint before going to the castle. Staff were friendly, good selection of drinks and outdoor seating.

Typical country pub with bar and restaurant facilities. Nice traditional dinner menu..."pub grub". Friendly staff and good service. Our choice for dinner was curry for hubby and roast beef & Yorkshire pudding for me. The curry was Ok. My Yorkshire pud was lovely, but the roast beef was disappointing and so tough, that I couldn't eat it. Probably should have complained, but the Yorkshire pud and gravy was lovely.

My husband had this meal and said it was really full of meat and delicious. I didn't, but enjoyed the vegetarian lasagne.

Pleasant and helpful staff, great English Breakfast, decent beers and reasonable rooms right in the centre of Helmsley.

the meal typical pub crub ok and nothing more, not a dirty place but not sparkling. the bar man was good and helpful.

Lovely welcome in a traditional pub.

Food was good but I ordered a half roast chicken, a quarter chicken arrived...certainly wasn’t a half chicken

There is no focus on service and help as the visitors tend not to return.

Had walked from Rievaulx and was ready for lunch, simple lunchtime menu with traditional pub favourites, had the Scampi which was perfectly cooked and presented nicely with fries, salad and garden peas. Prices are reasonable between £8 and £11 depending on dish, some smaller portion options are available aswell as cheaper lite bites such as sandwiches. The bar was nice and clean, very welcoming and friendly staff, really nice visit.