PubsandBeer
Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Tom Paine |  | 1 |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | | 1 |
| Harvey's - Porter | | 2 |
| Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale | | 1 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | | 3 |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | | 2 |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale |  | 3 |
| Harvey's - IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Olympia | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
07 Oct 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Strictly closed for a private party but a bit of blagging worked. Good chat with a fellow blagger visiting Aussie who had escaped his wife, daughter and mother-in-law for an hour or so.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | More bitter than I expected and very full bodied. Hope it stays like this this winter |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 |  | I was disappointed as the expected highly hop floral nose was missing |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried |
27 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Brief evening visit, balmy inside with a crowd of quiz people.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | The hop flavour did not come through fully |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
02 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Afternoon one-pinter visit picking up a supply of London Drinker magazines.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | 4½* Everything this should be - superb hop bittering and floral aftertaste |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
06 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until 9pm close. Just one other customer in who had just had the last of the Armada!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | As it should be |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Olympia | 4.30 | Not Tried |
26 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Brief evening visit on a rainy and humid night. The Wednesday quiz crowd made it even warmer inside.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | A really wet and humid night. This went down as a great thirst slaker |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
15 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Few in but livened up with just two left, with a philosophical confab with a Welshman.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | 5.50 | | 4½* In moreishly superb form, making a second pint a must |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | At the bitter end of the beer's wide taste spectrum |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
31 May 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Raucous as always amid Wednesday quiz time.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | 4½* Almost unmatchable condition |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | Lovely condition. Getting near end of the Old season but pub still has several more casks in the cellar |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried |
24 May 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit in midst of Wednesday quiz. Wrong Wednesday as it should be last of month for London Drinker pick up - my miscalculation.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale | 4.80 | | A lovely drop |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried |
29 Mar 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Steamy inside, noisy with a quiz and humid so just a quick half.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | Even more refreshing given the humidity inside the pub |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried |
21 Mar 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Early evening visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | Excellent condition, difficult to better |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried |
About the Royal Oak
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 134 |
| 86 |
| 31 |
 | 4 |
The pub is found in Borough, Central London, SE1 4JU.
Harvey's first tied pub in the capital. Corner pub in Tabard Street, near Borough Underground station. Feels like an oasis from the bustle of London Bridge / Borough High Street. Two bare-boarded rooms in a pub with a central bar and an off-sales hatch. Superb John Harvey Room upstairs may be used for meetings and functions and is freely available. Lots of dark wood and cream walls. 4 handpumps on each bar counter so 8 in all. Comfortable atmosphere. Also has comprehensive selection of Harvey's beer in bottles. Became a managed house after the departure, to retirement, of long term tenant licensees in January 2019. Local CAMRA branch Overall Pub of the Year 2023 having been runner-up in 2022.
We have visited this pub 151 times, seen 51 different beers and tried 29 of them.
Postcode: SE1 4JU