4

The Royal Oak food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · York

The Royal Oak holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.

The rating: 4 - Good

The rating dates from 22 October 2025, 8 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.

Address: 18 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LG

How it compares in York

In York, 74% of rated places manage a 5, so The Royal Oak sits behind roughly 1,378 nearby businesses. 17% of the borough shares its 4.

Every rated food business in York
5 out of 5 1,378 74%
4 out of 5 314 17% ← The Royal Oak
3 out of 5 106 6%
2 out of 5 38 2%
1 out of 5 17 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 297 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At The Royal Oak none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.

Food hygiene ratings nearby

The closest food businesses to The Royal Oak, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Ambiente Tapas Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 73 yards away 5 - Very good 1 October 2024
200 Degrees Coffee Shop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 205 yards away 5 - Very good 17 November 2025
Bird & Blend Retailers - other 221 yards away 5 - Very good 29 May 2026
Arras Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 317 yards away 5 - Very good 20 March 2025
Black Horse Pub/bar/nightclub 334 yards away 5 - Very good 10 October 2023
Best Western Plus Dean Court Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 342 yards away 5 - Very good 9 April 2026
Bennetts Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 362 yards away 5 - Very good 17 December 2025
Ambrosia Greek Street Food Mobile caterer 363 yards away 5 - Very good 23 March 2026

Questions about The Royal Oak

What is The Royal Oak's food hygiene rating?

The Royal Oak has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by York Council on 22 October 2025.

Is The Royal Oak safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Royal Oak last inspected?

The Royal Oak was last inspected on 22 October 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by York Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Royal Oak?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Royal Oak compare to other places in York?

74% of the 1,854 rated food businesses in York hold the top rating of 5, while The Royal Oak holds a 4. 314 places in the area share that rating.

Who decides the rating?

York Council inspects The Royal Oak and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.

Tell me when this changes

The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch The Royal Oak and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

York inspects and rates 2,151 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in York

The official record is held by the council: http://www.york.gov.uk

Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →