13 Richmond Road, Twickenham, TW1 3AB www.theroyaloaktwickenham.co.uk
The Royal Oak in Twickenham is the latest pub from Hippo Inns, boasting a big open dining space, a large outside area and a central bar adorned with two large copper tanks set to dispense specially brewed Truman’s beer, RAW.
The food is what I would describe as elevated pub food, which focuses on championing seasonal British ingredients in simple, no fuss dishes.
As well as a varied menu, with everything from Hendricks gin cured salmon to chicken livers on toast (it is sourdough) to start, The Royal Oak also serves daily specials. If, when you go, they have their garlic king prawns I would recommend tucking in.
If you’re after something a bit more traditional, the chicken livers with smoked lardons on sourdough is a hearty, warming dish. Potentially not one for a summer’s day but as those seem to be few and far between this year, it is a tasty option indeed.
The chargrilled lamb gigot makes a great alternative to the traditional pub steak – although they do have what looks like a very tempting bone in sirloin steak on the menu too. It’s served with sauté potatoes – a nice change to chips – and a well-seasoned salsa verde dripping in olive oil. No complaints from me.
Something we didn’t try but which looked fantastic when it came out of the kitchen, was The Royal Oak’s foot long pizza planks. With a variety of different, interesting toppings, including pulled lamb with fennel and pomegranate, these seem like a great choice for those looking for a sharing dish.
Another dish that looked fantastic and a bit of a quirky alternative to the standard cheese board on the dessert menu was the baked Camembert with garlic and truffle honey. I imagine this would be a rich, gloopy dish that would be great shared amongst three or four people.
I had a great time at the Royal Oak. Friendly service, a great setting and very moreish food. There are so many things I would like to try on the menu, that I can definitely see myself heading back soon.