Latest reviews from Forty Green

“Definitely an interesting place. Massive car park. Huge patio. Inside is rambling, dark, low ceilings. Very popular and crowded on a Saturday afternoon. Half a dozen ales and half a dozen ciders on offer. Food is tasty and creative, if slightly pricey, and this is more of an eating place than a drinking one. Worth a stop.“

Travlr 3139 days ago

“A great historic pub. Large pub more focused on food than drink. Nevertheless still offers good but small choice of local beers. Nice beer garden too.“

b727trijet 3615 days ago

“Have visited the RSOE a number of times over the last few years, always for a meal with family members. Oldy worldy tumbledown 16th/15thC affair, full of charectar, lots of nooks and crannies. Beer range is decent, local micros on both cask and keg and recently they’ve started brewing their own beers at the back of the premises - the Brittania brewery. I had 2 such offerings on my last visit (Sep ’13) and both were pretty much undrinkable, not Dark Horse Lambeak Wants Blood Orange undrinkable but its not often I qoute "baboons perineum" in a rating ! It was totally amatueurish swill and should not have been sold over the bar, diacetyl’o’clock ! Service and food on the other hand are great, plentiful portions, varied trad English menu, prompt and friendly when ordering and serving. I’d highly reccomend the short detour from the M40 for a meal at the RSOE but the Britannia beers on my most recent visit quite literally left a sour taste in my mouth and I’ve marked the overall score down accordingly for peddling this filth !“

Theydon_Bois 3833 days ago

“Very historic pub in the countryside. Low ceilings, steps, old wooden beams; the real deal. Decorated with hops, burning wood fireplaces and old paintings. So you’d expect a dull, local selection of milds. But you know what, it’s local and with proper taste. A bitter tastes bitter here and an ipa is rich. Didn’t try the food but apparently it’s great and the menu looked lovely. Service was amazingly friendly and knowledgeable. (Although I do expect it can get very busy here, despite the large about of seating available.) Genuine interest and the super old man pouring my pint was adorable. Great prices. Half a pint of local ale was around 1.50£. Great beer tourist destination, for a touch of English ale history.“

erickok 3879 days ago

“An old favourite of mine. Used to be the home of Owd Rodger, before the brew was sold to Marstons. Introduced my US wife to this place on her first visit to the UK and was surprised when she told me the barman that served her came from Connecticut! Still not much changed in all the years I’ve known it and a worthy change from the pub norm. Extensive car park and outdoor beer garden. A bit cramped indoors, but this is an old establishment. Food is great (I recommend the bangers and mash) Heartily recommended!“

SiKee 4052 days ago

“The Royal Standard is an excellent country pub serving a good selection of local brewers. The pub, claiming to be the oldest freehouse in England, boasts a lively atmosphere to accompany it’s rustic authentic decor. It’s location is perfect for the summer days, planning a stroll through the Chilterns countryside followed by some good food (the Sunday roasts are a particular highlight) and local ales. I have visited the RSoE on numerous occassions and the beer selection is very good. There is commendable selection of bottled Belgium & Trappist beers including Orval, Rochefort & Delerium. On top of this it also stocks an great range of gravity and pressure draft beers, these tend to be sourced from local brewers. At the time of my visit (04/12) the choice included beers from Windsor & Eton, Lovibonds, Chiltern Brewery and Marlow Brewery, all good home counties brewers. Would thouroughly recommend a visit to the RSoE, great atmosphere, good beer and food, beautiful surroundings. Check it out and enjoy!“

JBud 4386 days ago

“Claims to be the oldest freehouse in England (dating back to Saxon times) the building and furnishings certainly convey this impression. Although it’s hidden down tiny country roads, it’s got an enormous car park and a large patio area, giving the impression that it gets very busy on Summer weekends. On the weekday evening we visited, it was busy enough to create a good atmosphere without feeling crowded or noisy. Access is through a narrow passageway squeezed past an enormous barrel that seems to be an integral part of the building. It leads to a bar copiously covered with beer taps and pump clips, with all sorts of nooks and crannies stuffed with ancient-looking rough wooden furniture and eclectic memorabilia. The food is so traditional that it is unusual, with an emphasis on historic local dishes (ie Buckinghamshire Bacon Badger, and Chiltern Hills Pudding). Portions are a decent size, very good quality, and served in an unpretentious style. But it’s the beer menu that is astonishing by UK standards, ranging from mild to stout, barley wine to organic lager, trappist to Weizen Bock, Fruit beer to bitter, USA to Belgium to Germany to Britain - there must truly be a beer to suit everyone here. I was astonished to see Chimay White on tap! All beers are served in their branded glasses. My only criticism would be the high prices and lack of rotating guest ales. With the unusual food and beer and the obvious appeal to the Sunday lunch crowd, this could so easily have turned into a bit of a themed yuppie gastropub, yet it’s somehow managed to resist the temptation, and has somehow managed to retain the air of a traditional country local. The bar area was busy with locals popping in for a drink with their mates - it was weird to see such a group supping from bizarrely shaped Belgian beer glasses! It would have been nice to see a traditional jolly landlord controlling the place from behind the bar the young staff were very friendly and helpful, but somehow you felt that they would be more at home in a modern gastropub than this bastion of traditionality. They couldn’t have been more accommodating though - despite not having highchairs or a childrens menu, they were more than happy to accommodate our two year old and the chef rustled up a special childrens portion to our specifications! I think anyone would feel welcome here! A fantastic institution, a great pub experience, I’d thoroughly recommend it.“

wheresthepath 5682 days ago