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Royal Oak, Dover, Kent

Royal Oak

4.3 (109)
£25 and under
British
36 Lower Road, River, Dover, Kent CT17 0QU

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 1 time today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Dog-friendly
  • Great for brunch
The Royal Oak is a charming 19th century pub in the village of River near Dover in Kent. Formed from 18th century flint cottages we have been serving the village for over 150 years. A friendly warm welcome compliments our range of real ales, lagers, ciders and stout. From a morning coffee or hot chocolate to a late night spirit we will look after you. Come read the papers, enjoy a cool beer on a sunny afternoon in the garden or a warming cask ale in front of the fire on a winter's night. Whatever you prefer we hope to see you soon.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    British
  • Hours of operation
    Sun 12:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    We can offer large party reservations for buffets.
  • Neighborhood
    Dover
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 109 people are saying

Royal Oak reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.0Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseEnergetic

109 Reviews
  1. christine

    Berkshire2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Good value Simple’s food. Well cooked, hot and tasty.y

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    Kent1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Royal Oak is in walking distance, so we popped down one Thursday evening. It was fairly quiet when we arrived at seven so we had our pick of tables. There was a really friendly and helpful welcome and service, with drinks bought to the table. Food arrived before long. Chips were crisp outside and fluffy in, and a good portion. Chicken was as described on the menu, simple and tasty. Staff had a friendly chat with us when we left. The pub interior has had a sympathic make over, and is clean, comfortable and good to visit. The evening got busier, so a popular venue. We will be back.

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  3. Neil

    Kent4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An attractive and very friendly pub and the cook and the young woman behind the bar couldn't have been more helpful.

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  4. Markus

    Kent1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Friendly staff, delicious Sunday Roast, nice atmosphere

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  5. Rebecca

    Kent1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding meal Complements to the chef Will be returning for mothers day

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  6. David

    Kent2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    The service was awful, when we arrive we were just told where our table was. Nobody asked if we would like drinks. One person was left with no food and told a while after there was no chicken, everyone had finished by the time theirs had come out. The potatoes were lovely but the rest was very mediocre. Overall not a great experience

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  7. Nick

    Kent1 review

    2.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Really like the pub in general and have been before, but disappointing on this visit, we had friends visiting from Bristol so thought we would book a nice table in the restaurant so we could have a nice meal, some drinks and a catch up, on arrival we were told that the restaurant was full, even though we had booked a table over a week earlier, and ended up having to eat in the bar on a small table in the corner that we could hardly get the plates on, let alone anything else, the bar itself was very crowded whichbin its self was good as i don't like to see pubs struggle but not ideal for us whilst trying to eat. Wasn't offered any condiments, then took ages to get the dirty plates removed, so not the greatest experience fornour friends so ended up going home to have a few drinks and finish our evening.

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  8. emma

    London3 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on January 19, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    We got a phone call 40 mins before our booking was due to say there was no roast dinners left it was so upsetting as was my birthday so had to phone around to find somewhere else to go which was hard for 7 people

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  9. Lisa

    Kent1 review

    5.0

    Dined on November 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A lovely dining experience. Great staff, service and delicious homemade food! Would highly recommend!

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  10. Shaun

    Kent2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on August 16, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Overcooked calamari, overcooked onion rings, undercooked chips, dry burger with blue cheese straight from the fridge on top. Cooking oil needed changing. Didn’t bother with desert. Cheap ingredients, and over worked staff, who were fantastic by the way. I don’t like to give bad reviews, but unfortunately they need to considerably up their game. My wife had the spring rolls, the sort you buy in bulk from icelands or farm foods, and they were cooked to oblivion as well, her burger, also dry and uninteresting . I couldn’t get out quickly enough, it was our anniversary dinner and one to remember for such poor quality food. However we went somewhere else the next evening and it was superb. Sorry Royal Oak, very poor.

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FAQs

Royal Oak is rated 4.3 stars by 109 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. Kent
  4. Dover
  5. Dover

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 1 time today
Google Map for Royal Oak

36 Lower Road, River, Dover, Kent CT17 0QU

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Dover
  • Hours of operation
    Sun 12:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    British
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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