During the exuberant Sunday flower market, The Royal Oak is Columbia Road’s pub of choice. Its well-preserved, wood-panelled interior and small courtyard come alive as flower-laden shoppers pile
in. The central horseshoe bar is a hive of activity, all the seats around it occupied and hipsters squeezed into the gaps. The venue is more relaxed midweek: all the better to enjoy the
Brit-leaning gastropub food and snacks, either in the bar or the kookily furnished upstairs dining room. Rock oysters, Dorset crab with lemon mayonnaise, and grilled sardines with tomato and marjoram, are typical choices, though eggs Benedict and steak sandwiches are the real crowd-pleasers. Choose from continental beers on tap (Amstel and Leffe included) or Meantime LPA or
Landlord on the pumps. That’s if you can resist the advice on the wine list: ‘rosé Prosecco. It goes with everything.’