Royal Oak Appleby

- This is a food review only - We took our American guests here because so many neighbours and friends had recommended it, so we were expecting it to be really good. The staff were honestly lovely, super friendly and welcoming, which made a great first impression. But the food was a bit hit and miss. We ordered two pies, a halloumi burger, and a vegetarian curry. The curry was unfortunately the worst part. It came out with an eyelash in it, which was already bad enough, but when we mentioned it, they told us it was actually a pre-packaged meal. That kind of explained the taste because it really did feel like a basic supermarket ready meal. If it’s not something people order much, it might be better to just take it off the menu. The pies were decent, the meat one was tender and the veggie one tasted fresh, but nothing particularly standout. The halloumi burger was alright, but the fries were really oily, like they hadn’t been drained properly at all. That said, the starters were actually great. The mushroom and cheese and the halloumi slices were genuinely delicious and probably the best part of the whole meal. Overall, really nice staff and great starters, but the mains didn’t quite live up to the hype.

3 months ago · via Google

Hopefully this balanced review helps other people considering booking. We’ve eaten here 3 times previously, the food is good and the decor is nice so we were really excited to stay. It was a huge disappointment. The good bits… it’s clean, the food is good. The bad bits… the bed is so soft that it’s difficult for two people to share, especially if there’s a weight difference, doesn’t help it’s only a double. Most hotels have at least a king. The bed being so soft also means it’s impossible for front sleepers to sleep. At 3am, in lots of pain, I gave up and slept on the floor. Btw, I’m a slim mid 30’s fit person, this is a bed issue, not a person size issue. The shower - absolute worst shower experience ever. The water goes from scalding hot to freezing cold so it’s impossible to have a warm shower, then when you give up and have a tepid shower, it changes from scalding hot to freezing cold by itself whilst you’re in it. After no sleep, this was so frustrating and quite frankly dangerous. Mediocre things- no off street parking; is what it is, pretty safe area. Very small portions at breakfast and only hot things or cereal, no fruit, yogurt etc. very noisy rooms but hotel does offer earplugs. Lastly, check in… arrived at 2.45, wouldn’t let us check in until 3, made us buy a drink and sit and wait. Then when 3pm rolled round, checked loads of people in before us, that arrived after us. When it got to our turn, lady was slagging everyone off saying she doesn’t understand why everyone shows up at 3pm. I found this WEIRD… it’s totally normal to show up at 3pm for a 3pm check in and why not let people check in at 2.45pm if the rooms are ready? Especially if you’re going to get stressed and slag people off when you’ve made them wait until 3pm. I wouldn’t stay again, but I’ve given 2 stars because if you’re 1 person, and a side sleeper and don’t want a shower and don’t need a decent size breakfast, you’d be alright.

6 months ago · via Google

The accommodation itself was comfortable overall, and the main rooms and cottage were pleasant enough. However, the hot water taps in the rooms did not work, which was disappointing. Our main issue was the customer service. Unfortunately, the staff were some of the rudest we have ever encountered. We were mistakenly charged for several rooms that had not been occupied, and an additional duplicate charge was also applied to our room. None of these extra charges appeared on the invoice we were given; instead, they were taken from my bank account several days later without any prior warning or explanation. When we contacted the Royal Oak to resolve the issue, the response was extremely disappointing. The staff were rude and unhelpful throughout, refused to discuss the matter over the phone, and at one point the owner hung up during the conversation. Despite multiple attempts to resolve the issue directly, we were ultimately forced to recover the incorrect charges through our bank. This was one of the worst customer service experiences we have had, and unfortunately I would not recommend staying here. In contrast, we stayed at the Crown and Cushion further down the road, where the service was excellent and the experience was thoroughly enjoyable. I would happily recommend staying there instead.

a month ago · via Google

Amazing lovely place!! The staff are great and very welcoming! We went to visit our friend in Appleby who lives round the corner it was her recommendation to eat here after with her family. The food was delicious!! I had the beef lasange special!! The staff made us feel welcome and even after I was cheeky and asked for something from the bar (something I collect) from around the world the lovely manager/boss Julia went in the back and got me one that was fresh and new!! I was so happy! So thank you x will definitely be back!!!

2 months ago · via Google