Old Royal Oak — Restaurant in England

Not bad but not great either. Room was pretty basic and clean enough. Smallish Double bed , mattress was really dreadful with springs popping and clanging with every movement. Pillows were flat and not supportive. The Rooms overlook the makeshift beer garden and small parking area ,note just 3 customer parking spaces for 6 rooms ( owner takes one!?) There is a public parking area near by which did seem to be busy during the day in particular. The shower is a 7kw electric type so a fine spray at best. I used to have one of these years ago and was reminded how useless they were back then and still are to this day. Room TV is tiny , usual tea coffee facilities, and a hairdryer were provided At first it seems to be a peaceful spot but the pub has external speakers and we were woken to the sound of music at 7.30am on a Sunday morning. Combined with staff that have a good natter first thing before banging around in the external store below. No chance for a peaceful afternoon nap either as that beer garden area is right under your window. Breakfast was mixed too. Piping hot and served quickly, you choose your time and options the day before. Full English was good but seriously spoilt by terrible tasting, slimey deep fried sausages ,which spoilt an otherwise really good breakfast. There didn't appear to be any options for cereals , fruit , and only one fresh drink option available (orange juice) . Overall decent breakfast bar those sausages. Yuk. I had a few beers on the evening and the TT Landlord was decent. Cost just south of £5 a pint which seems standard fare for Knaresborough is expensive , bar the Wethersons down the road with its usual no frills cheap offerings. Overall I left feeling that a few updates and improvements would make a big difference but for now it was an average stay and not really worth the £95 a night charge. Room checkout was 10am. As ever Knaresborough is a charming place...

The Royal Oak in Knaresborough is a quintessential local pub. It’s the kind of place that has a welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel instantly at ease.

Our recent visit to Knaresborough was particularly memorable, as we found the karaoke night. The evening had with a wonderful mix of aspiring vocalists, to the hilariously enthusiastic. But what truly made the night for us was the laughter that echoed around the place. It wasn't about perfect pitch or flawless performances, trust me, there were no Frank Sinatras, no Brittany Spears, Chers, or any other recognisable talent, but it did stop short of baying hounds. There was the sheer joy of letting go and having a fun time. No judgments, only encouragement and good-natured ribbing, no, scrub that …. there was a lot of piss taking and total disbelief that anyone could embarrass themselves like that !! The thing was it created a communal spirit that was truly infectious. Everyone joined in, and as expected mayhem ensued. Beyond the entertainment, the pub itself is everything you’d expect. The drinks choice was a bit limited, but a well-kept array of ales was available. The staff are attentive, chatty, and friendly, adding to the pub’s laid-back charm.

The Royal Oak is more than just a place to grab a drink; it's part of the hub of the community and good cheer. Whether you’re looking for a quiet pint or a night filled with song and laughter, ( well in our case, mainly laughter ) this Knaresborough pub is a definite well worth nip in. It’s a place where most nights feel like a celebration.

Sorry, if you are looking for pictures of this, you’re out of luck …. We couldn’t have evidence like that floating around the internet, ……....

Please be VERY wary about staying here ! The bedroom itself was very good - clean & comfortable and the location of the hotel ideal - so that's the positives out of the way.||||At the time of my booking, there were three websites available to book a room (including booking dot com) , now the latter is not used. Out of the other two websites, the price for a single occupancy on a Saturday night is either 90 or 95 pounds - and both state that breakfast is included (& it says it on my receipt), but when I got there, he said it would be an extra £20 - I showed him my receipt and he made some story up about that it wasn't his website - but obviously the money I paid thru the site had got to his bank account and he knew we were turning up - so in my mind it was his website and he should have honoured it and included breakfast !!||||As I didn't have the best experience, I thought I'd write a review on "his" website and although there are 133 positive reviews on there ... there isn't an option to add one - which seems a bit suspicious (!), hence why I'm leaving this one here.||||If the websites/receipt stated it was £95 and didn't include breakfast, I would have probably still stayed and this review would have been a lot more positive AND we would have probably stayed in his pub in the afternoon supping his lovely Timmy Taylor's beer ... but because he lied to me (& swore at my mate who was in the same situation) we didn't spend anymore money in his pub - he easily lost £75 - £80 worth of business because of his rude/negative attitude towards...