The Royal Oak — Restaurant in Stroud

I rarely write reviews but feel compelled to do so after visiting the Royal Oak last night, and having one of the best meals out we have ever had. This pub has now become our favourite place to eat.

We typically come for a Sunday roast with family, and it is amazing. The meat is tasty, tender and served up generously. Coupled with crispy home made roasties and a good selection of veg. Yorkshire puddings and homemade condiments are on offer. Tasty and cooked to perfection and topped off with the best gravy we've ever tasted. According to the owner Trish, this starts it's life earlier in the week as root vegetables and is finessed over a period of time.

Last night, we decided to try the Royal Oak for a meal other than a roast. The menu was all homemade and with a selection that honestly left us struggling to choose (as it all sounded so good). We decided we would have to return the following Saturday in order to try different dishes. We settled on the beef medallions in a red wine sauce with roasted grand mare potatoes and vegetables. It arrived as a generous portion and well presented. The meal was absolutely delicious, the sauce was gorgeous and the medallions were cooked better than most steaks. This was the best meal we have ever eaten out, and we felt compelled to tell the owner Trish.

Trish is an exceptional host and runs her beautiful pub with pride and high standards. It appears very important to her that every person visiting has the best experience. Talking to Trish after our meal we learned of her and her partners extensive experience and success in the hospitality industry, including their mobile catering company called the travelling chefs.

Our experience was concluded with a homemade brownie and homemade ice-cream. This was beautifully presented and tasted wonderful. There was a good selection of deserts and we are looking forward to trying others over our future visits.

To top everything off, this pub is just beautiful. A small country hideaway that dates back to the 1700s and was a former coach house.

We will be back (frequently). Thanks for looking after us.

Kate and...

My wife and I dined here for my birthday on Friday evening and we had a great time. We had a Zoom meeting that evening which had us arriving at 8:30pm, 30 minutes before the kitchen was due to close. Regardless, the staff made us feel welcome and did not hurry us at all. They were friendly, helpful, and courteous at all times. The menu was presented on several chalkboards around the dining area, offering a good selection of meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes. The background music was an eclectic mix of popular tunes from the 1960s, all of them familiar to us. It was loud enough to enjoy, but soft enough to not interfere with our conversation. The food was exceptional. We started with fried whitebait with garlic mayo and tomato soup. The whitebait was crisp and delicious. The tomato soup was made with roasted tomatoes and fresh basil -- it was hearty and aromatic. I had baked cod on buttered leeks for my main course. The cod was lightly dusted with flour, giving it a crunchy crust. It was cooked to perfection -- tender and moist. The buttered leeks were a perfect accompaniment -- caramelized and full of flavour. My wife had beef tournedos in a red wine sauce which she enjoyed immensely. The beef was tender and full of flavour, and the sauce was rich and robust, complementing the meat perfectly. We shared platters of green vegetables and mashed potatoes -- all well-prepared and the perfect accompaniment to our meals. We left shortly after closing time but, again, the staff did not rush us at all. It was a most enjoyable evening and we will certainly return the next time we are...

My partner and I visited the Royal Oak today to celebrate my birthday. We were welcomed by very friendly, happy and professional staff as well as a beautiful open log fire right next to our table.

We initially only intended on having a roast dinner but after reading what else was on offer on the menu we ended up with the full three courses and we were not disappointed.

The roast dinner from the Trolly was absolutely incredible. The beef was cooked perfectly, it was melt in your mouth moment, I also chose to have some pork as well which came with a generous piece of crackling.

My partner had chosen from the main menu and had chicken breast wrapped in bacon served with stuffing, the chicken was so succulent.

Portions were very generous.

Food was without a doubt 10/10 and we will definitely be returning to try other options on their menu and recommending to our friends and family. If I could criticise one thing it would be for the Yorkshire puddings to be bigger 😜 but that’s only because I’m a sucker for Yorkshire puds!

The pub itself has a lovely cosy vibe to it, it’s a hidden gem and definitely worth a visit.

We look forward to returning.

Dani & Danny

(Wish I had taken photos of the food! But here is the stunning fire and a bottle of Shiraz that we...