The Royal Oak Inn

The mussels and the bread and dip platter were lovely starters. For mains, the steak pie and fish and chips were both great, especially those chunky chips. Desserts were fabulous too, with a good selection for everyone. We had a lovely meal this evening in a cosy pub, and the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. Service was great. We’ll definitely be back soon!

We stayed for one night with our dogs, who were made very welcome. The pub was cosy, and both the food and staff were superb. I’d definitely recommend it if you want some time to relax and unwind.

Breakfast and dinner were superb, though the dinner menu felt a bit limited, especially for vegetarians. The Royal Oak is a great place to stay, with very clean rooms and bedding. We especially liked the huge shower. The staff couldn’t do enough for us. We did hear noise from the room above whenever it was occupied, but that was the only minor issue. Gillamoor and the surrounding Moors are wonderful too. I’d thoroughly recommend staying at The Royal Oak.

We’d heard about the new chef and were looking forward to trying the pub again. We don’t go out often, but hoped this might become our new local. The room by the fireplace has a nice atmosphere, but the food was disappointing. Maybe we caught a bad day and it isn’t typical, but the prawn cocktail starter was watery and unappealing. My root vegetable soup was salty and lacking flavour, with sad-looking “crusty” bread. The fish pie had the same problem, tasting of salt or bouillon instead of proper seasoning. My husband couldn’t finish his burger, which was stiff and full of fillers. The vegetable portions were meagre too, just a small handful of green beans and two broccoli spears with the meat pie, and nothing alongside the burger. We didn’t dare try dessert. The waitress was sweet, but we won’t be going back. Maybe it was an unlucky day, but to get repeat customers, people need to leave enthusiastic about their meal. It wasn’t for us.