Reviews in Harrogate

Great pub, great food and great service - perfect after a walk round the local nature reserve - thank you

Very good food and excellent service.

Another good value Sunday lunch, tasty, hot and good service too.

Good music, good food and fine desert! Our go to Pub!

Booked in advance for 2 adults and a dog, after reading reviews and we were staying in the village over the weekend. The pub had hosted a wedding in the afternoon which was still in full swing when we arrived for our table just before 7pm. There was a live music act and the atmosphere was buzzing and lovely. However, we were ‘greeted’ at the door by a middle aged lady who gruffly told us that the bar was too busy and that we could be seated in the area where dogs weren’t usually allowed. We thanked her, but she just rudely told us where to sit. Our order for food and drinks were taken with no smile or warmth, despite us trying to be friendly with her. We both ordered the haddock and chips and asked for vinegar, which was slammed down on the table! The food was also disappointing. The chips were hard as if they had been reheated and the batter on the fish was greasy. The mushy peas had a strange pepper/garlic taste and the bread and butter was not fresh -margarine, not butter. We didn’t stay for pudding, quite honestly, we didn’t want to prolong what was an unpleasant experience. A younger waitress took our payment and she was friendly. We had called in for a drink on the Friday evening and the young man at the bar was equally as unwelcoming-we just wish we had listened to our instincts and cancelled our reservation for the Saturday night. I don’t often write reviews but I can’t remember having such a negative experience or meal out for a very long time. We a regular visitors to this beautiful county and have always found people to be welcoming and friendly. Some staff training is definitely required.

Great Sunday Lunch

Great Sunday lunch in a lovely friendly pub.

We really enjoyed our meal. Extra mention for the pork belly absolutely delicious . Lovely country pub with a cosy friendly atmosphere.

This was our first visit to the Royal Oak after we read the review in The Yorkshire Post recently. The portions were of a good size and the steak pie I had was huge and very tasty. However the chips I ordered were thin and and of poor quality compared with other places we have dined at. We felt the welcome and service could have been more friendly with better customer rapport. Parking was easy.

Great food and friendly people. Plenty of parking.

On the positive side, the steak pie and game pie were enjoyed and the burger was okay but the two portions of vegetable chow mein were completely lacking any flavour. One portion was bigger than the other with lots of vegetables but not many noodles, whilst the other was full of noodles but with less vegetables. This dish was extremely disappointing and certainly not worth £16.95. Additionally, one of our group was disappointed not to be able to have steak as there was none left. As this was a long-arranged birthday outing with family coming from a long distance, complaints about food would have spoilt the evening so we chose not to take it up with staff. Service didn’t compare with the majority of places around here. We felt hurried with constant checking of whether we had finished. One coffee was served with a saucer full of spillage with no recognition. Unfortunately, the table we sat at was uncomfortable as there was insufficient room to allow the chair to be drawn close to the table. We are sorry to be negative but on this occasion there were too many issues and we came to regret our choice.

Enjoyable Sunday lunch at The Royal Oak, Staveley, with my wife. We both had roast chicken which was excellent, with a good selection of vegetables. Generous portions - almost too many potatoes -but all very tasty, and perfectly cooked. The staff were polite and responsive, and it was good to have a friendly chat with Cath (the manager). Homely and tasteful decor, with welcoming roaring fires on a winter’s day. Will definitely go again.

We had the pleasure of dining at the Royal Oak not once but twice whilst staying at the Little Lodge next door over the weekend - our first meal on the Friday (Staveley Game and the Finnen) was exceptional, so much so that when we overheard the pub were offering Burns Night supper the next evening, we simply couldn’t miss out. The Haggis wellington was absolutely divine, we left very full and very satisfied! It’s no surprises to hear that this week the Royal Oak at Staveley earned Pub of The Week in the Yorkshire post - it truly is a gem of a pub, fantastic food at great value for money, warm and hospitable atmosphere, and dog friendly too! Great choice of ales and extensive wine menu to boot. We cannot wait to return to Staveley for the food! Thanks for having us.

Lovely food great friendly staff always accomadating lovely atmosphere would definitely recommend we stopped by chance on the way to somewhere else before Christmas then we we were going bk same place to buy something else near bye and booked up again on the way bk home lovely food great place thanks for a lovely experience and great food

We had a lovely time at the Royal Oak last Saturday. Hearty food, warm atmosphere and friendly service along with great company made for a great lunch out. Good value and the Staveley Game Pheasant delicious!

First time visit for a leisurely lunch. Great food, even better service. French Onion Soup the best yet.

Outstanding food & service. Thoroughly enjoyable time. Great value for money

Beautiful food, great service, lovely cosy atmosphere and possibly the best steak pie I have ever had!!