The Royal Oak — Restaurant in England

Honestly we couldn’t fault our stay even if we tried! The staff upon arrival were so welcoming and friendly, took us up to our room and showed us around, providing all information we could need before leaving us to our own devices. We stayed in the Ashcombe which was absolutely stunning, lovely views out of the windows and a very cozy atmosphere. The room was spotless and the bathroom was exactly as we had hoped - booking specifically for the bathtub - which had a relaxing spa-like feel to it. I will note if you’re someone who likes a shower this may not be your ideal room as it can get a little wet! It was mentioned in the welcome information that time had been spent selecting premium bedding for both the sheets and pillows, which was very much apparent upon getting into bed! A wonderful nights sleep on the massive bed was had, the mattress was very comfortable and room very quiet and peaceful - it did get a little warm however a fan is provided and opening the windows for a little while did the trick! In terms of food, this place really is a little tucked away gem. Our evening meal was, firstly, stunning. The dining room is beautifully done, with a warm atmosphere I can only imagine is improved in the summertime with late sunsets. The chairs surprisingly comfortable which we didn’t expect being fully wooden, and the tables spacious which is not often the case when dining for two. Our meal was exceptional. I had the leeks with rarebit to start, and my partner the potted crab - both of which left us sucking our spoons after the last bite. We did pause for concern here (both being quite hungry) as the plating of the starters did elude to a more fine dining/ small portion style experience, however we needn’t have worried. Having both been tempted by the burger on the menu, we were each treated to a grand plate each with chips to spare. I can honestly say hand on heart, that was the absolute best burger I have ever had in my life, there’s not much more I can say on that front really. Great size, perfectly seasoned meat cooked medium rare, a wonderful and flavourful mix of pickles, burger sauce, bbq brisket, and I’m assuming magic? All contained in a lovely bun which didn’t fall to pieces, which is a long standing gripe. Just fab really! Somehow still able to eat, we ordered the lemon posset, and sticky toffee pudding. The creamy citrus dessert while small packed a real punch which was much desired following our mains, in comparison the sticky toffee pudding which came out can only be described as a small country in size - packed with sticky sweet flavour. We were both over the moon really! I would also definitely recommend the cocktails here, or at the very least the French and passionfruit martinis for a treat after dinner. Best served by the fire in the cosy pub frontage with good company. Overall the evening was a great experience, and I have to say the price was great for what we received as well! If you can peel yourself out of the soft comfort of your bed in the morning, breakfast is included, with your usual selection on offer of light to heavy breakfasts. Top reviews for the full English and eggs royale, with an orange juice and coffee to wash it down with. It also needs to be noted that the service once again was all so friendly and accommodating, everyone just makes you feel truly welcome. This really is a wonderful experience from start to finish, the Royal Oak is definitely one we’ll be coming back to as soon as the...

Great pub and food. Lovely location. Friendly staff. Big car park, although a bit uneven in places. Good disabled access through the wide side door from the car park. What a shame that the accessible toilet let's the side down!|This is the third time I have visited with my wife and 2 friends (12 April and 3 October 2024, and 6 March 2025).|The accessible toilet is next to the ladies and gents loos - easy to find.|Reasonable size loo, but door opens inwards, restricting space getting in and out.|Two grab rails on either side of the sink, which is tucked is tucked in the corner, with a large litter bin underneath, and a small table with hand towels, effectively cutting off any access to the sink! Rather begs the question: why do you need two grab rails for the sink?|The toilet is sited against the wall with lots of space to the right hand side, albeit taken up by two bins - one small and one large.|The toilet has a drop down rail on the left hand side, against the wall, which is not very helpful as it should ideally be away from the wall on the open side. The rail is a pull-up and drop down, although the pull-up is damaged so it just swivels down when you grab it!|There are no vertical grab rails on either side of the loo, and no horizontal grab rail on the wall side.|All in all - difficult to use if you're transferring from a wheelchair. I prefer to stand up for a wee (yes I'm a bloke!) but can't walk very well so need vertical grab rails to hold on to. Impossible in this loo!|I improvised by dropping the baby change unit down, so I could hold on to that - a bit of a challenge though!||On the first occasion we visited I spoke to a gentleman who seemed to be the duty manger, suggesting, as a minimum, that one of the sink grab rails could be sited to the right of the loo. He said he didn't see why not.||On our second visit nothing had changed, so I spoke to a young lady who again seemed to be the duty manager. Same conversation and this time I pointed out the issue in the loo. |Very sympathetic and thought it could be resolved!||On our third visit a couple of weeks ago nothing had changed, and hence this review, where I paid more attention to the toilet as a whole!|In summary, the toilet is cluttered and badly provided for - it is shameful to provide a toilet such as this in a pub / hotel where significant investment has been made on the rest of the building. It bears no relationship to the accessible toilet required in compliance with the Building Regulations.||I understand that James May (former Top Gear presenter) owns the pub / hotel. I wonder if he ever reads Tripadvisor reviews, or whether his staff draw his attention to them? What would his reaction be to this review?||So many positive reviews of the pub, but I couldn't find any other references to the accessible toilet! This should not deter the business from improving this facility!||I responded to the pub's own feedback review after receiving an email. However, that review has not...

Great pub and food. Lovely location. Friendly staff. Big car park, although a bit uneven in places. Good disabled access through the wide side door from the car park. What a shame that the accessible toilet let's the side down!|This is the third time I have visited with my wife and 2 friends (12 April and 3 October 2024, and 6 March 2025).|The accessible toilet is next to the ladies and gents loos - easy to find.|Reasonable size loo, but door opens inwards, restricting space getting in and out.|Two grab rails on either side of the sink, which is tucked is tucked in the corner, with a large litter bin underneath, and a small table with hand towels, effectively cutting off any access to the sink! Rather begs the question: why do you need two grab rails for the sink?|The toilet is sited against the wall with lots of space to the right hand side, albeit taken up by two bins - one small and one large.|The toilet has a drop down rail on the left hand side, against the wall, which is not very helpful as it should ideally be away from the wall on the open side. The rail is a pull-up and drop down, although the pull-up is damaged so it just swivels down when you grab it!|There are no vertical grab rails on either side of the loo, and no horizontal grab rail on the wall side.|All in all - difficult to use if you're transferring from a wheelchair. I prefer to stand up for a wee (yes I'm a bloke!) but can't walk very well so need vertical grab rails to hold on to. Impossible in this loo!|I improvised by dropping the baby change unit down, so I could hold on to that - a bit of a challenge though!||On the first occasion we visited I spoke to a gentleman who seemed to be the duty manger, suggesting, as a minimum, that one of the sink grab rails could be sited to the right of the loo. He said he didn't see why not.||On our second visit nothing had changed, so I spoke to a young lady who again seemed to be the duty manager. Same conversation and this time I pointed out the issue in the loo. |Very sympathetic and thought it could be resolved!||On our third visit a couple of weeks ago nothing had changed, and hence this review, where I paid more attention to the toilet as a whole!|In summary, the toilet is cluttered and badly provided for - it is shameful to provide a toilet such as this in a pub / hotel where significant investment has been made on the rest of the building. It bears no relationship to the accessible toilet required in compliance with the Building Regulations.||I understand that James May (former Top Gear presenter) owns the pub / hotel. I wonder if he ever reads Tripadvisor reviews, or whether his staff draw his attention to them? What would his reaction be to this review?||So many positive reviews of the pub, but I couldn't find any other references to the accessible toilet! This should not deter the business from improving this facility!||I responded to the pub's own feedback review after receiving an email. However, that review has not...