Our experience was okay. Food was okay, the staff were friendly but we didn't receive a few things and had to chase it and the atmosphere was okay. It's a lovely looking place but not much of a vibe.

We had a fantastic time performing at a 50th birthday party last Saturday at The Royal Oak. The team provided excellent assistance, and the entire event ran seamlessly. We eagerly anticipate future opportunities to return to their venue for more memorable events. Thanks to Maureen for all the help!?

We dined in the restaurant and the food was absolutely delicious. So tasty. We were celebrating my mum's 84th birthday. Staff were amazing and very helpful with our queries.

Nice spot for a pub lunch. Great selection of classics to choose from. Staff were very nice.

The Royal Oak Hotel.
A great place to go for food and conversation with friends.
The chicken parmigiana was good.
The chicken was cooked wonderfully.
The tomato base was good but no ham.
The cheese ( mozzarella) was plentiful but not overwhelming. Some chilli flakes would have lifted the dish.
The chips are fresh and hot and the sauce that comes with them is bonza. I like how he jazzes it up.
The coleslaw well plenty of it. No real salad dressing on it but it was seasoned with Parmesan cheese and delicious.
Four and a half plates cleaned.

The Royal Oak event space upstairs must be one of Sydney's best kept secrets. We had our wedding there recently and it was absolutely brilliant and beautiful - and incredibly reasonable and flexible. The space looked amazing (terrace, lounge and dining room), the staff were gorgeous, the food was exceptional, the wine list to die for, and it all worked seamlessly. Thank you to Maureen, Sophie and the team - we could not be more grateful.
The lovely relaxed but elegant mood you created was perfect and our family and friends had the most wonderful time, which was so important to us. We are still receiving calls and texts about the sirloin steak!!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you. Xxxx Letitia and Claudia

Hospitality done right. As soon as you enter you are welcomed by attentive staff and you feel welcomed.
Great little venue for a fantastic Sunday roast. Even managed to get an off menu item to make everyone happy. Go and say hi to Neil the manager and have a great experience. 10/10 I will be back.

The food here is always great. We've been coming to this pub for years since we had our wedding reception here. There are plenty of tables and service is always efficient but friendly. The menu is extensive and has something for everyone, including kids.

Great food, service and atmosphere

Delicious , friendly and great atmosphere .
Dinner was delicious
After we finished we were presented with handmade gift from neighbouring patron GIGI
DELIGHTFUL TIME

Went to get a bottle of wine and was assisted by a short blonde woman (I didn't get her name unfortunately). I really appreciated her assistance. When I asked for a paper bag, there were none, they were in the cellar. Despite this, she offered me what I understood to be the "wrong" kind of bag, I accepted and left.

I know this seems like a strange thing to call out in a review, but the fact that she was more interested in helping me have a convenient experience than slotting me into the correct business process really shows a genuine interest in quality customer service. What could have been a long wait was easy and pleasant :)

MISSY THE CAT RETURNS

Yet another good solid honest neighbourhood pub that's well worth visiting when passing by. As with so many pubs today, The Royal Oak does tend to fall between two stools: is it a pub, or is it a restaurant? I maintain that it is virtually impossible to be a stand-out as both things at the same time. The shiny, clean, open, contemporary setting that today's restaurateurs love usually makes for a pretty ordinary pub. In the present example, the restaurant vibe tends to crowd out the soulful heritage pub in which it's located. That said, the helpful, friendly staff, a decent beer selection, the outdoor tables and the heritage neighbourhood still make this one worth your visit.

Missy The Cat Star Ratings:

5 - a place of rare genius that merits repeated return visits

4 - a strong effort with no major shortcomings

3 - a solid, worthy effort with perhaps one important thing to fix

2 - several important things wrong, but at least one important thing right

1 - can't be given a zero, doesn't deserve a dollar (as of review date)

A lovely local with friendly service, fabulous food and reasonable prices. It's location makes it a lovely local to visit away from the hustle and bustle of Darling street.

Menu is good with gastro pub food menu. You order drinks and food at the counter and they bring it out for you. Plenty of indoor seating in different parts of the pub and also a good amount of outdoor seating too.

I absolutely loved my Wagyu Cheeseburger in a brioche and I did wolf it down ;-) fabulous well done fries and nice brown sauce made it a fantastic meal. I would come here for a burger any day. It's high quality beef and cooked medium.

Happily come here any day. Good food and friendly service and dog friendly.

Commenting on the Restaurant/Dining area.

Visited Anzac Day and was met with prompt and friendly service.
Menu veers away from "pub favourites" it seems to make way for a finer dining experience.
The menu has limited food options, though I ordered the Trout Salad and my daughter had the Fish & Chips.
Both meals were very good as was the service from the friendly waitress.

One of my all time favourite pubs in Sydney. The atmosphere is always inviting, the food is delicious, the service from the staff is friendly and helpful.
Today I had the rump with mashed potatoes, and it was cooked perfectly, the garlic butter sauce was very moreish. My elderly friend had the spinach and walnut salad, and she thought it one of the best salads she's had in ages.
Thanks to the lovely young man who served us at the bar today too.

Reviewing the restaurant section, not the pub itself.

Great food, average service.

This venue feels like it tried to fit into Balmain but is like the step brother/sister to rest of the pubs in the area.

We dined in the atrium restaurant, it was a Friday so we booked expecting it to be somewhat busy, we were one of only 4 tables.

The food was very good, though did feel expensive for the serving size. The drinks are well priced.

We had the lamb shoulder for 3-4 people. We had 4 people and it was pretty small for 4 people, I would say it is for 2-3.

The potatoes served with the lamb were next level Yum!

The only reason this was not a 4 star review is because the service was very slow.

brilliant old skool bar with restaurant fine food and laid back atmosphere really nice top floor terrace etc service prompt and professional i highly recommend trying the food and drinks hospitality etc.
great spot.Manager seems okay.

Very good, broad menu. Middle area between bar and restaurant good for kids without feeling like you're disturbing lots of people.

We had a dinner here the other day, and were super disappointed. The food was below average and extremely overpriced for what we got - nothing was seasoned! After we had been waiting for our mains for well over an hour, we saw that the table next to us (who arrived about 30 minutes prior) had their mains delivered, and asked where our mains were. They were then hastily delivered a minute later, without an apology for the wait, and had clearly been sitting at the pass - forgotten - for some time (they were lukewarm). I would recommend somewhere like the Welcome any day - very very similar menu (perhaps owned by the same people?), but excellent service, better prices and top notch food.

My wife and stopped in for an early dinner yesterday and were greeted by the owner with a huge smile. The food was outstanding and the wine list exceptional! The staff were very attentive, especially our young waiter Ben. He is an asset to the business.Thanks again for a great night Royal Oak Team, looking forward to coming back again soon. Cheers Chris

Well run pub with exceptional service and beautifully presented food. Varied and interesting menu including a few classics - the Cumberland sausages, mash and jus was superb!

brilliant old skool bar with restaurant fine food and laid back atmosphere really nice top floor terrace etc service prompt and professional i highly recommend trying the food and drinks hospitality etc.great spot.

Good food , prices and distancing

Great beer, great food , great atmosphere.Maureen and her daughter have certainly not dropped their standards in yonks.Newtowner Motorcycle oil is great, food was cooked to perfection.Three of us spent all afternoon in the eating area within the pub and it was quiet and the service and ambience was excellent.We only left because the 5pm family bookings were coming in.Popcorn chicken, squid, and steaks were excellent. The orange and almond tart with clotted cream was sensational.Way better than the London Hotel BalmainWe will be back despite some of us being past loyal London hotelpatrons.