The Royal Oak Pub in New Forest

We visited the Royal Oak on Mother’s Day and the whole experience was great. Despite being busy the staff were friendly and attentive. The wait time was short for food. We ordered Sunday roasts which were very tasty, good portion size and variety of veg. Definitely will be returning. The location is also beautiful in the forest with animals grazing outside. (Good for gluten free - I am coeliac and the roast / main and dessert options were good)

Every single aspect of our visit was 10/10. From the warm welcome to the unbelievably good service - we were blown away. The lunch was honestly some of the best food we have ever had in a pub! The team made our dog very welcome and even had a menu of dog treats. The Royal Oak should be very proud - an absolute gem in the New Forest.

Food is always excellent here - from Sunday Roast to Chicken burger, fish and chips to pie. It’s always delicious and excellent portion size, leaving room for the yummy deserts (chocolate brownie is the best!!!) I always enjoy a visit with my family or friends. It’s a really lovely pub to visit.

Yet another great lunch with the family in lovely surroundings. Well looked after, as always by Will and his team. Highly recommend.

This is the most magnificent country pub full stop! We booked for dinner on a wet Friday night - Google sent us down a country lane that was flooded- but feeling bold we drove through it… car stalled as it got deeper and deeper - stranded we rung the pub half a mile away - and like something from our distant caring past - Will the supervisor said he would rescue us ! And wading through the river that now surrounded us - climbing up a bank and through a barbed wire fence - he did just that. Once at the pub we were given the table next to the radiator and served gourmet soups and a magnificent meat and cheese platter - everyone including all the regulars came to see if we were ok. The pub even let us leave the car there once recovered - so we could save it ! Sunday lunch was amazing too x

Spent valentines night with the wife and two friends at this wonderful pub. From the bar service to the delicious food everything was exceptional. I would highly recommend the duck spring rolls. We all enjoyed our food and would highly recommend this establishment to anyone.

Delicious tasty food recommend this place.

We had a wonderful lunch on Saturday at The Royal Oak. A good menu, reasonably priced and food was served hot and fresh. Ample parking and we saw the donkeys walk on by!

Picturesque pub in small village Varied menu mix of classics and modern dishes Good atmosphere , tasteful surroundings Local beers Generous portions , freshly prepared, specials featured daily The food is good This pub is worth a visit and a return visit

This pub was recommended by the hosts of the holiday accommodation where we were staying for the weekend. They weren't wrong to recommend it! It was a bitterly cold Friday evening in January & we were given a warm welcome. The service was really good & staff extremely friendly. Food was fabulous. Definitely recommend.

Hidden gem! Delicious food served with a smile. Dog friendly. Will be back for sure!

High quality food that tasted amazing and was worth every penny. Will served us and he was exceptional. Can't wait to go back.

Beautiful place, fantastic food, lovely atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Food and service was pleasant, it’s a lovely pub full of character but when my friend and I came to pay the bill with our hard earned cash they wouldn’t accept it, it’s card only. That makes me mad so sadly won’t be returning.

We felt really welcomed. The food was amazing and Will was excellent. We will most certainly come back.

Booked a birthday celebration for my partner and her family on Wednesday 27/12/23. The service was very quick and helpful. Holly has a gluten allergy and they have plenty of gluten free options on there menu, the staff were very helpful with the menu. We all had a lovely meal and the food was fantastic, probably one of the best, if not the best lamb shank in red wine jus! Two others had pork and looked and tasted incredible, the fish & chips and salmon also looked and tasted amazing by the others who had those meals. We Highly recommend and will definitely return again when we are next in the area :)

We went here to have a pre Xmas dinner. Booked a table and it was well organised. The staff were excellent and very attentive, especially the young lady who said she hadn’t been there long. No question on the service. However, we went for the Christmas menu and we were disappointed. I had the turkey, which came with two potatoes, two slithers of carrot and two slices of what looked like canned meat. The turkey was perfectly round, so looked like something pre packed. The whole dish was disappointing. My partner had the Rissotto, which was bland to say the least, and quite frankly at £25.95 was well over priced for what it was. To be fair the desserts were excellent, drinks were fine, including the mulled wine. However, the overall cost was the killer. Main and dessert @£33 per head for what was served was not good value. It’s a shame as the place is lovely and the staff were excellent FOH, but the main course were a let down.

Good pub food, lots of cask ale on the bar, and cozy atmosphere.

The service was lovely and attentive. Atmosphere is whsts to be expected in a new forest pub. The roast was not bad. The meat was cooked to perfection. The yorkies were slightly over done. The veg was plain. The potatoes lacked taste. They could have been roasted in goise/duck fat for flavour.

I want to bathe in their gravy for eternity! Roast is tip top Service is tip worthy

We were there for lunch Sunday and what a feast. The roasts are amazing and so much meat was in our plates. This was the third time we have eaten there and we can’t wait to return

Amazing pub, such lovely food. We visited New Forest for the weekend and came for food on Saturday night. Food was so good we came back for roast on Sunday, and of course wasn’t disappointed. Staff were really attentive too, honestly can’t fault this place at all. Love the pub dog Guinness! Will definitely return. Thank you

Great food and great service. 100% would come back again.

Thoroughly enjoyed a hearty lunch

We visited this pub today whilst staying in the area. The booking was last minute but we had the opportunity to celebrate my husband’s birthday with a quiet evening out, so booked a table. We were seated at a cosy corner table near to a little log burner. The pub itself is really cosy and warm and also very clean. We ordered a burger (see pic) and lamb shank (I tucked in before I remembered to take a pic!). Both meals were really good, very tasty and well made. We didn’t have a pudding but finished with a coffee, which came with a tasty little shortbread biscuit. Everyone at the pub was really welcoming and they kindly placed a ‘happy birthday’ banner at our table, after I mentioned on the booking that it was my husband’s birthday, which was a lovely touch, particularly as it was a last minute booking. Highly recommended and we would definitely visit next time we are in the area, it’s a shame this place isn’t closer to home as we would love to have somewhere similar as our local! We had a lovely evening, thank you.

The quiz was enjoyable but the evening was marred by a very disappointing meal. A Thai Green Curry that we all thought was very poor indeed. Extremely stringy mange tout, overly firm broccoli, tough chicken and a bland portion of rice with very little curry sauce. Then charged nearly £10 for a piece of brownie for dessert with an additional charge of about £2.50 for a scoop of ice cream! If this was an advert for the quality of food provided by the Royal Oak, I'm sorry to dash that we have been put off.

Main menu was average, about 10% up on the norm! Food was excellent, service very slow. We asked for a bottle of Dry Rose wine, when I came to pay the bill the bottle was £32!!, for an average wine, retail price on the high street is £12!! A bit of a mark up!!

We sat in the garden at the back and could not believe how beautiful it was. We had two starters – a pea and mint tartlet (tasty, but odd as it is essentially a spoonful of peas in a pastry casing) and caramelised plums with feta on sourdough (delicious and I would happily have it again). Our mains were a Naughty burger (very big and tasty) and a pastrami open sandwich (pretty ordinary and definitely not worth the money). Everything is beautifully presented, e.g. pea shoots on top or deep fried capers (unfortunately, I don’t think they’d been rinsed as they were way too salty). The beers were good. Very friendly staff. I would happily come back.

Excellent meal, good sized portions, pretty pub in a lovely location. Very impressed with my pork belly.

We were driving passed this pub, and saw kerb appeal. What a find, we stopped for lunch of hake and roasted new potatoes, and pulled pork ciabatta with salad. We added sweet potato fries as well, the meal was so filling, big portions and delicious. The Guys running the pub were friendly and helpful, didn’t have a sweet as so full. But the menu is full of lovely things to eat. You would be hard pushed not to fine something to suit all tastes. We will return again hopefully soon.

The service was quite slow, think we waited 50mins with no explanation! The food when it arrived was pretty good, i was was quite generous with my tip as i was celebrating and in a good mood, one more gripe would be, why no cash only card!! Last time i looked cash was still. Legal tender? Tim Ashford

Great country pub in an idyllic location. Walk distance from Flaxfield House (where we stayed).

Found this pub by accident while visiting the area. We stayed for a late Sunday lunch before travelling home. We both had roast beef which was cooked perfectly and accompanied with a massive Yorkshire pudding ! Roasties and veg were cook perfectly too. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Would definitely go back when in the area again

There seems to be a staff shortage in the kitchen. We were waiting for a very long time for our main course (over 1 hour). The staff that were there were friendly.

Best homemade food in the area. Amazing and fresh with pinch of love. Actually one of the best pubs in UK.

A beautiful find on a meandering sunny day; food, garden, friendly service, and peaceful atmosphere means we'll definitely be back. Highly recommend.

Great homemade burgers - been there twice in the last week. Our favourite New Forst pub.

The food here is fabulous! Friendly staff and good service

Found this by accident and how good that turned out to be! Lovely gardens and staff. Food was great - huge burgers served in a proper bun, not a brioche! Will return again soon!

Had driven past this lovely pub several times in the past and often wondered what it would be like to have a meal there. Yesterday, we did stop, and what a lovely experience. The food was excellent. Lovely friendly staff, and great service. We will certainly come again when we are in the area.

Second visit, about a year since the first. Table booked online and very convenient. Staff were professional and helpful, attentive but not intrusive from the moment we arrived. Food was excellent, we sat at a garden table which was good after a hot day. Recommended.

Cracking New Forest pub. Very good food and a fine selection of drinks on offer.

Haven’t visited this classy pub in the new Forrest since pre covid Wanted to treat my retired parents to a great Sunday roast My dad booked the table in advance

Our experience of this wonderful place really was nice food great,service friendly timely with smiles.

We all enjoyed our meals in a great off the beaten track location. Looking forward to visiting again.

This is one of the best pubs we've been to. The garden is stunning, we saw a herd of deer crossing before we left to go back home! The staff were very attentive and such lovely people and the food was stunning. I highly recommend this place

Wszystko wspaniale 💪 jedzenie , klimat. Steki najwyzszej jakosci . Po takiej kolacji juz nic wiecej sie nie miesci . Polecam 💪💪

Fantastic Sunday lunch the food was fabulous. All credit to the excellent friendly staff. Highly recommended.

I booked a table for 7.30 only to be told when we arrived that the kitchen was closing. From then on we were rushed at every point.

Great food and beer. Lovely place. Staff great as well

Highly recommended if you value a warm welcome, thoughtful staff, a good menu and fine cooking. It's a lovely spot too, you can watch the drifts of forest ponies pass by and the grazing cattle. A really happy visit.

A fantastic place to enjoy a traditional Sunday roast, great service and atmosphere. Can’t wait to go back !

What a gorgeous pub! We were amazed by the look of the pub at first sight. Their interiors were well thought of too. You have cosy nooks, comfortable seating and a beautiful garden too. We had a birthday lunch and it was very thoughtful of the team to put a banner for us. It made the meal all the more special. We ordered the beetroot carpaccio as a starter, oyster mushroom, tomato pasta and shepherd's pie for main and crumble for dessert. Every course was absolutely delicious! The pie was one of the best I've eaten. Very lovely staff, manager and service. I can't wait to visit again.

Very tasty food and beer and great service.

Consistently high standards of food, service and menus choice. We always enjoy going here and once again they delivered. Great lamb Kofta starter. Very tasty chicken burger. We will return soon

Very consistently high standards of food and service every time we visit. Very goof menu choice. One of our favourite pubs for food

We came across this beautiful pub by accident while exploring the New Forest. Staff were friendly and helpful. We had an open pastrami sandwich which was so tasty and 2 pots of loose leaf tea. All really good. We would definitely return if we were in the area again.

The staff were amazing., the gluten free seafood platter outstanding and the beer was delicious. Lovely atmosphere with dogs and children welcome, chilled music and great views. Look no further if you’re looking for a quick pit stop or somewhere to set up for the evening!

This pub is simply the best, our reservation was slightly confused but was given a great table 👍 the food was amazing, steak lamb all just great, the service needs a bit of work, a bit slow for drinks, but apart from that had a wonderful evening so thank you so much will be visiting again soon

Lovely location and lovely inside, staff were friendly and a lady came out into the garden to make sure we were ok and if our dog needed water. 7 Tables for you to sit on outside and reasonably drinks. Toilets are very clean and bright

This pub’s menu is VERY vegan unfriendly, much against the trend nowadays, where more and more pubs are offering more and more delicious, cruelty-free options on their menus. Such a shame really.. we won’t go near this place again.

Had fantastic meal last night.Coming from Cumbria we knew we want try fews pubs for our dinners. This was our first pub and we definitely will eat here every night this week!The burger was amazing(the best I ever had and I eating a lots burgers)well presented and the staff was so friendly.Im sure the chef could work in any Michelin star restaurant.The only problem we had is why this pub isn't in Cumbria?!?!?

Great food, quick and top service from all staff we came across. For a Friday night, we were served and had eaten within 45 mins of arrival. I recommend booking. Food was lovely, recommend the Fish & Chips and the Chorizo Linguine. We will come again!

One of the worst meals we have had in the New Forest for several years. My wife and I both had differing burgers which were served on a wooden platter that was so small that it was not possible to eat food without bits falling...

God food, especially the onion rings!

Enjoyed one of the best ever Sunday lunches here with a family gathering. Three thick slices of perfectly rare sirloin of beef with delicious vegetables and crisp roast potatoes and perfect Yorkshire pudding. This was head and shoulders above most pub Sunday offerings. Thoroughly recommended.

Just had 2 roast dinners, roast chicken and a pork loin,I must say quantity, taste, quality and freshness was top class. The meat was moist and flavoursome and the duck fat roast potatoes were exceptional along with the veg consisting broccoli, cabbage , carrots and...

Oh wow! My daughter her partner and I had the most AMAZING lunch here. The food was absolutely wonderful. We sat outside in the beautifully kept garden, and were looked after beautifully by Julie. I, without realising the size ordered the Seafood Platter. When Julie...

Often cycled around this area but not called in before. Great pub with outside seating at the front and in the lovely little garden at the back. Just popped in for a quick lunch in the sunshine. The Sirloin Ciabatta and the Salmon & Prawn open sandwich were both excellent as was the porion of triple cooked chips. The beer, Gem Amber Ale from Bath Ales, was probably the best pint I’ve had this year. I’ll be back😎

A beautiful pub in the Forest. Amazing pints and local ales that were poured brilliantly. Staff are friendly and attentive and the atmosphere was great. The food was utterly delicious and the portion sizes were more than generous. A serious 'must-visit' for anyone visiting the...

Very nice place, food was tasty. Slightly illogical ordering system. Initially given very bad advice (go on this app with wrong Info on) on how well they catered for gluten free. They actually cater for gluten-free a lot better than the app would have you belive.

Great lunch with friends, perfect location for short break off road! If you like wild animals there is plenty around !

Fab pub! So friendly. Lovely food especially roast dinner. Love dogs in there too! Beautiful garden, lovely spot in the new forest . Village is lovely with horses and cows wondering by and duck ponds

Amazin Sunday Roast! Staff was did a great job! Beautifull location just by A338 on the enge of New Forest National Park, I am glad we had a booking just after having fun at water park best Father Day!

Excellent food, service and location. I was really impressed when I visited for the first time after a friend's recommendation. All the staff were friendly, polite and professional. The food was delicious and it's in a beautiful spot. Will definitely be visiting again soon.

Really nice family lunch on a busy Saturday. Everyone in our group enjoyed their meal. Staff attentive and friendly. We will return. Would have given 4 stars except the amount of flies in the restaurant was bothersome

Lovely surroundings food excellent and very friendly 👌🐶

No food so cannot review that aspect. Great hosts and fantastic location to enjoy the garden dining. Well worth a visit to sample the drinks and or food! My only comment for improvement would be to encourage cyclists to stop with a proper security rack rather than merely have an unwelcome sign stating 'no cycles beyond this point'...get positive people! You are on a v busy cycle route and are missing an opportunity by not being more positive and welcoming cyclists with more provision. 'Cyclists welcome'!

Such a special place, attended a birthday gathering yesterday. The food was wonderful and the staff were smashing and really looked after us all. Love to visit again soon :)

Spent a lovely evening with friends at The Royal Oak, it was a rare warm evening and we sat outside. Food was superb, we had the fillet steak and lamb rump, followed but strawberry cheese cake and chocolate mousse. We met Sebastian the Chef who was totally charming and told us about his passion for creating really good food, which showed in everything we had. This is a rare gem and you won't be disappointed. Do not hesitate to visit.

Assistant manager doesn't listen to what you order had to ask 4 times for lemon in my drinks couldn't do food as to busy the pub wasn't even really that busy so obviously wouldn't cope when really busy also didn't tell me how much my drinks came to just passed the card machine

Excellent friendly staff. Pub is located in a lovely village setting. Perfect place for a pint and enjoy the atmosphere

Thought assistant trainee manager was very rude over charged for drinks and peanuts won't be coming back again

Fantastic food as always. Plus Julie is fab and such a great ambassador. When she isn’t there, the place needs a huge injection of personality as the rest of the staff are far from welcoming including the management. Such a shame when the food and...

Great country pub. Amazing homecooked food. Large portions. Very friendly service in a relaxed atmosphere.

Had a fantastic family Sunday lunch here. Chose to eat in the spacious garden as the weather was good. The service was every bit as good as the inside restaurant. Amazing roasts and good options for our veggie children.Make sure to save room for the...

I ate here today and couldn’t wait to review. I had the burger called “The Naughty One”. It was most definitely the nicest burger I’ve ever had! My partner had the halloumi burger and loved that too. The staff were warm and friendly and very...

Went for a meal on Wednesday evening. Both ordered burgers. I had beef and my husband chicken. I am not a burger fan but they had a deal 2 for £30. Well I’m converted. Absolutely gorgeous food. Really impressed. Also had a homemade pudding plant...

My second home when ever I’m in the new forest,

Really nice setting with a beautiful back garden. Staff were really friendly and helpful. Food was lovely and home cooked. Dogs welcome. Would definitely visit again.

We stumbled across The Royal Oak on the morning of the Coronation after an extremely wet dog walk. We walked in and we’re warmly welcomed by Will and showed a lovely table we could reserve for lunch at 12pm (it was currently 11am) so thanked...

Met a friend here as a halfway point catch up and decided to get some food. I can honestly say one of the best burgers I have ever eaten, everything included the bun had looked like it had been made from scratch and it was stunning. Staff were super friendly, pub felt warm and cozy and the surroundings are beautiful. I am recommending this pub to friends and family alike and it will fast become my go to for new forest adventures!

This is a lovely pub in a beautiful setting. The food is excellent. The fish and chips were the best I have ever had. Unfortunately, the man who took our order and brought our food was quite cold in manner, such a shame as it spoiled our enjoyment.

We had one of the nicest Sunday lunches we've had in a long time today at The Royal Oak. Beautiful meal lovely service and great value. Highly recommended - will visit again.

Lovely old pub. Great stop for a beer and great food.

Great place to unwind and great food. The host, Guinness the pub dog, is very welcoming 😀

The best roast dinner around, not forgetting the amazing crumble. Thoroughly recommend this place. Amazing food

We love fine dining & this ticks the box for fine food, fine wine & added bonus is that our dogs were very welcome after our long walk. Portions are very generous & delicious. We can’t exaggerate how lovely this pub & food are if you like the finer things in life. We will be back when visiting the New Forest for sure 👌🏻

Absolutely recommend. Such a lovely country pub in a beautiful location. As soon as we arrived everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Service was great all the way through our visit. The menu was really varied and as a vegan I was well catered for....

Had an amazingly delicious meal here. Ended up going for the calves liver which was perfectly cooked, with a mouthwatering port and onion jus. Our other meals were faultless, and very well presented. We were also very impressed with the level of service, as the staff were extremely welcoming, and even provided our pup with his own bowl of water and a cosy spot by the fireplace. One of our guests also has special dietary requirements, which the chef had very kindly accommodated…and, not to mention the pleasant greeting from the horses and donkeys outside this pretty thatched pub. Would highly recommend a visit