Bel & The Dragon - Reading

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Reviews

1. Chris Mazzoni ★★★☆☆

   Fantastic location right on The Kennet lock. Wonderful pub, nice atmosphere. The fire place was on, really lovely . Food was ok. I went for the TRIO OF ROASTS ( beef, pork, chicken ) really big portion slightly overcooked beef, nothing special though. My friends had The PIE OF THE DAY ( chicken, really good she said ) and the vegan burger definitely nothing special, it looked really bad. The service wasn’t brilliant neither. We were welcomed by a lovely young chap from behind the bar who took us to the table, really nice guy. Wine menu was not on the table and it never arrived. Then we had a girl who came to take the order and she was really not happy to be there. Long shift perhaps, we arrived at 1330. Towards the end another waitress, possibly Spanish? , came to clean the table and she was very bubbly and polite. We requested dessert menu and, again, it never arrived. The restaurant was definitely not busy, I should say 30% of the tables were taken. SO, after all this, 3 main courses + 1 pint of Peroni + 1 bottle of peroni and 1 bottle of sparkling water £88.00 ( including 10% service ) NOT A CHEAP PUB! I would have gone for wine and dessert as well with a little bit of better service. Shame, we’ll try again and give this place a second chance.

   almost 2 years ago
2. Dave Granville ★★★★★

   What a stunning building. The Victorian’s knew how to build a lovely space even if it was going to house a pump for the canal. Friendly staff, gorgeous room, great cider, outstanding food (dinner and breakfast) and all at a very reasonable price. Couldn’t be happier. We will be back again.

   almost 2 years ago
3. Mike Hawthorne ★★★☆☆

   Beautiful location, very good aesthetics inside. The bar and restaurant look fantastic. Unfortunately the service team messed up several orders by giving people with allergies the wrong dishes, which could have been potentially fatal. The food was ok, but generally quite cold. This could have just been due to our table being 16 people strong. But still, I didn't feel it was worth the cost. We have been using this place for our annual Christmas gathering, but probably won't again. I think perhaps with fewer people, the issues may not have happened, but we all pre-ordered at least 2 weeks in advance, so they had plenty of time to plan. Still, it's probably worth a visit. I expect that it's a great place to have a drink in the daytime as its location on the water is fab.

   almost 3 years ago

1. SamanthaP ★★★★★

   The place is really big and spacious and we had the upstairs table. As I went for a celebratory cocktail making and dinner event, we had our own host during our time there. She was very friendly and helpful. The food was brought out quickly and was very nicely presented. Lovely venue too, by the river.

   almost 3 years ago
2. Brian Wilson ★★★★★

   It's been many years since we visited the B&D. The experience last week was very good, the service was excellent and the fact that we were in one of the booths made the experience extra special for my six guests. Great food and service - our server did not feel she needed to disturb us every minute but was around just before we realised we would need her assistance. Will definitely visit again, hopefully before the end of the year!

   almost 3 years ago
3. Lells 37 ★☆☆☆☆

   Nice room, shame about the monosyllabic miserable youths left in charge. First, the rooms were spotless. The cleaning lady is a gem, worth her weight in gold, wasted at this place. The location is about a 10 minute walk into the centre, which is great, but the downside is the street is pitch black at night, so need to be careful if alone. Parking is good, make sure you register your car. That's where the good stuff ends. The young lads left in charge are surly & unhelpful. I travel to Reading a lot for work, and despite the convenience of this place, I will not be staying here again and will not be recommending to my colleagues either. Don't bother. Stay in one of the numerous other hotels where customer service still matters.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Brad Willis ★★★★☆

   Had a lunch meeting here. Location is great, near the city centre, and on the river. Good amount of free parking (4 hrs). Does feel like a luxury place, the decoration, seats, etc. are comfortable and well laid out. Service was quick. Food was tasty, but portions were very small for the price, a 'nibble' really is just a few bites. Would definitely visit again.

   almost 3 years ago
2. Zar ★★★☆☆

   They were extremely busy for the number of staff on. Service was incredibly slow and many mistakes were made, some items were entirely forgotten. The food was good, the fish was beautifully fresh and the vegetables al dente, if made very plain because they cannot adjust their recipes to cater to allergies. (That said, other dishes were also reported to be rather plain as well). Dessert was excellent. Not unreasonably priced but overall could do a lot better.

   almost 3 years ago
3. Václav Pavlík ★★★★★

   One of the best restaurants in Reading I have been to so far. The prices are bit a higher, but well worth the price. Even though we had Christmas there the service was super quick and about 40 people were served under 5 minutes. The food presentation was outstanding, and the food was tasty. Free onsite parking. Having said that it is worth spending time here.

   almost 5 years ago

1. Mohamed Badaoui Najjar ★★★★★

   Tasty food and goods customer service. The dogs was well made, great tasting and served on good timing. The meat was lean but could have used more seasoning. The desserts and soups were all tasty. Definitely a good choice if you're in the area. Checkout the burrata, tasty burr a little too small portion for the price.

   more 6 years ago

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