The Famous Royal Oak — Restaurant in London

🚇 Highgate 🍺 £5.90 Cruzcampo

The Famous Royal Oak is located in a quiet residential area in Muswell Hill, North London. The nearest Tube is Highgate.

The pub dates back to 1790 and was originally a wooden Coaching Inn. The pub was replaced in 1965 with a distinctive Estate pub-style structure.

Why the name “The Famous Royal Oak”. In 1651, Charles II hid in an oak tree near Boscobel House, Shropshire, to escape Parliamentarian forces. His escape and later restoration made the tree a popular tourist attraction.

Dennis Nilsen the “Muswell Hill Murderer” lived close by at 23 Cranley Gardens.

This traditionally decorated, one-bar pub has a warm, proper pub feel. The servery is a good size and has a display of pocket watches above the back bar. In front is a seating area featuring a large etched and stained bay window and a comfy curved oxblood banquette. To the right is a pool table under a vaulted ceiling, with traditional tables and chairs dotted around. The decor includes model ships, storks, shelves of books, a grandfather clock, and historic local photos. Other features include a marble fireplace, a piano in the corner, a few TVs, and a proper pub carpet. At the front, there’s a patio terrace to enjoy the warmer months.

The beer selection offers a mix of familiar favourites and included Murphy’s Stout and one cask ale. I decided on a Cruzcampo, my pint hit the spot, price point was below average. The pub serves hearty roasts on a Sunday and has BBQ’s throughout the summer.

We arrived at 7pm on a warm Saturday evening in August. The pub was busy, with most punters enjoying drinks outside on the patio. The atmosphere was laid-back with a welcoming local pub feel. We pulled up a couple of stools at the bar to enjoy our pints. The service was first class—the landlady took time to chat with us and shared that her family has run the pub for a number of years.

The pub hosts a weekly pub quiz and shows live sport.

This is a fantastic boozer and architecturally one of London’s truly unique pubs. The decor, reasonably priced pints, friendly locals and personable hospitality made for an excellent pub experience. This is a must visit London Pub.

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📅 2nd August 2025

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The Famous Royal Oak in Muswell Hill is just a wonderful independent pub.

Run by the same family for decades, the pub is unchanged since its current landlady took over from her father many moons ago.

On my Saturday daytime visit the place was calm and quiet. An old chap read the papers while a few others watched telly.

There's a pool table, fruit machines, a wall of books and plenty of space both inside and out.

The pub's well cared for, and there's a small collection of nautical memorabilia including model ships scatted across the place.

If ever there was a pub that's really an extension of someone's home and life, this is it.

What a joy it was too, to find Bass on draught here as well.

The pub has a quiz on Thursdays and roasts on Sundays.

This is a really genuine place, no fancy website or marketing, it's not overrun with slogans (free beer tomorrow etc), it's just warming, comforting and an absolute...

The worst experience I've ever had in a pub. Most definitely not the experience I expected of a pub with such fantastic reviews. Instead of informing us that we were too loud, that the outside had shut due to curfew hours, we were forced back inside and then informed that we couldn't finish chatting. In an attempt to discuss this issue, I was ignored and, in the middle of discussion, was ignored and had the conversation cut short. There is always a discussion to be had, and a quiet and polite moment of information would have been readily accepted and understood, but is clearly lacking in this establishment. If you make sure you have a quiet conversation that assumes the managers wishes, this is the place for you. Otherwise, I'd advise attending Victoria Stakes for a happier and more enjoyable time. Very disappointed, having lived here all my life, of the customer service from a few of the...