Royal Oak, 44 Tabard Street, LONDON, SE1 4JU [Map]
020 7357 7173 
11-23 MO-FR; 18-23 SA; 12-18 SU
Evening Meals, Lunchtime Meals, Quiet Bar, Rail Station Near Pub, Underground Station Near Pub

Jim outside the Royal Oak modelling the 'Good Book', November 2001

A Harvey’s brewery outpost, this gem of a pub is not to be missed by any visitor to London who seeks a characterful pub serving top quality real ales. But beware, like many pubs in the more central parts of the capital, it is closed at weekends. Very accessible as it is less 5 minutes to Borough station and around 10-15 minutes walk to London Bridge station, but if you don’t know the area check out one of the map links on this page to be sure that you know precisely where you’re going!

The inn, originally known as the Tabard Inn dates back several hundred years though was destroyed by fire in the latter part of the 17th Century, and following a rebuild and renaming to the Talbot the pub was again demolished two centuries later. Harveys took over the pub in 1997 and it has rapidly developed a reputation for its good beer, bargain lunches and good food in the evening. All of Harvey’s main beer range are available along with their various seasonal ales. The Sussex XX Mild Ale (abv of just 3.0%) was particularly moorish and, like their other beers, on excellent form. Unusually the pub is made up of more than one room, in fact a whole two, tastefully refurbished the wood adds true character to this lovely pub. It’s one of my good friend Jim’s favourite pubs, and I can see why!

The Royal Oak, November 2001