Bar pub in Reading

“Date of stay: Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec 2025. Great experience from booking to departure. Loads of parking space, staff helpful, polite & prompt on our arrival and booking us in. Room very clean, comfortable and well-appointed and at dinner and breakfast there was a great choice. Again, staff very attentive - orders taken shortly after being seated and food came quickly after that. No complaint whatsoever - a great stay/experience & we'll definitely be booking again. Only suggestion: would it be possible for some Electric Vehicle charging points to be installed please.”

“Our first time lunching at the Butcher’s Tap & Grill in Marlow and we were impressed! Dropped in for lunch on Sunday. I had the Korean barbecue Chicken burger w/ Parmesan Truffle fries (w/ a pot of smoked Garlic mayo) and my wife ordered the Sunday Roast Pork belly. She is a Sunday Roast connoisseur and said that this was hands down one of the best Roast Pork she’s ever had. The whole Sunday Roast is almost stuffed into a humongous Yorkshire Pudding! Total “show stopper”…and it’s a proper thick cut roll of roast pork belly with amazing crackling (& all trimmings ie- roast potatoes, carrots, creamed cabbage & apple sauce w/ extra gravy!) My chicken burger was pretty impressive too but I’ll admit I was battling a bad case of food envy looking at my wife’s plate! The fries were completely snowed under a blanket of Parmesan shavings and a super rich truffle mayo! Wow! For drinks we had a bottle of Brewdog IPA and Pimms’. Our total bill for 2 was just under £60. We recently moved into the area and are just 10mins drive away…can’t wait to return! Highly recommended. The customer service was lovely too.”

“Lovely food this afternoon, I had the Lamb Shank, which came to me piping hot, with lots of vegetables & piping hot minty gravy. It was delicious and the hottest meal I’ve had in a very long while .. well done team. Hubby had a burger & chips and his was tasty, and again served piping hot. The main meal came after a little wait which was fine. The drinks came quickly & the only concern was the wait for our dessert, which the one waitress who was serving everyone with food, brought to us as quickly as she could. She was rushed off her feet & She didn’t stop, but was very efficient and had a smile even though she was so busy. I really admired her. The wait for our dessert was a bit unfortunate and unnecessary, but it was delicious. I think they needed another waiter / waitress as one was not enough for the amount of people there today. The main problem was with the state of the restroom / toilets… that seriously needs addressing asap. We’ll definitely return though as the food is always delicious & fresh & piping hot, & we’d recommend it to anyone too. Lovely setting by the river.”

“This place does the best burgers by far in the area. Absolutely love the american style and fully intend to work through the whole menu - please keep doing what you're doing!”

“Came to the restaurant tonight for my Birthday dinner with my daughter and neither of us could fault it . The food was beautifully cooked and presented and waitresses for great too. Thank you so much”

“The food was delicious. I ordered the rib eye and had the caramel creme for dessert which was incredible! The staff were also very friendly and helpful. We had “Sam” serve us and he was such a delight. 10/10 throughout”

“The fish here was absolutely amazing. The tilapia was cooked perfectly, flaky, juicy, and full of flavour. Definitely recommend the fish of the day dish.”

“I was in the area for the week and had dinner/lunch here three times. The food is fantastic and the Guinness is top notch - and the staff are also very helpful and friendly!”

“Great pub, with outstanding food and great staff. The pork belly roast is to die for! The works pizza is great too. Lovely staff including Lucy who always looks after our dog. Thank you!”

“We really like it here, it’s walkable from my parents house and gone some nice food in a great atmosphere, outside are some great tables and gardens right by some beautiful walks, really worth a visit, sharing giant steak meal really good fun.”

“First visit back for a couple of months and greeted by Armando like long lost friends. As per usual the food and service were superb. The new Hake was sublime and my wife enjoyed her beef cheek. Delighted to see our favourite waitress Sophie has returned. All in all a perfect evening. Thank you Team Cote.”

“We held a murder mystery party at Yiayias! I don’t think we could rate it highly enough! Paul made it all run smoothly and nothing was a problem! The waiting staff were incredible. We wanted simple food with a greek touch and it was DELICIOUS! The evening was a complete success!”

“Alice was amazing — great service from start to finish. This was our second visit, and the Hinds Head is now our go-to for any special occasion. Alice was especially great with my ADHD, making the whole experience even more comfortable. Highly recommend! Family of 7 Amelia my 2 yr old daughter loved the experience also .”

“Great food and amazing service by staff. We regularly visit here and we have never been disappointed. We organised couple of events here and everything has been great every-time. Ankita and Khushboo in staff always go out of the way to make the experience special. Highly recommended.”

“Im not from Reading, so 1st visit. It is in a beautiful location and the pub was a proper traditional pub. Really nice crowd of people, different from London as people on different tables chatting away. The staff where great from arrival until leaving. Lots of dogs, and we had 2 dogs and the staff were very patient. Had the roast which was big and all the ingredients very fresh. I had the Guinness brownie too which was lovely. As an add on, on the Tuesday I realised I had left my sunglasses, speaking to Katie who works there they had been handed in so thank you whoever that was. And thanks Katie on helping me get them back to london to me. I look forward to then next visit”

“First time having a carvery here and it was from a recommendation from my mum, who doesn’t usually like carvery’s. This was the best carvery we’ve ever had. Great choice and really generous portions of meat. Friendly staff, good service and lovely atmosphere generally. Will definitely be back”

“Went last weekend, it was just the right amount of busy, live music at both ends of the pub, the staff were brilliant and worked hard to keep up with demand.”

“Friendly welcome. Lots of space inside & out. Good range of choice & quality.”

“I love this pub. The the staff are great. The vibes are always great too. Now they have pizza from zia lucia. So what more could you want?”

“I visited couple of times while travelling back from London. This restaurant is excellent for North Indian food, offering delicious food. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with a nice display of spices on the tables that adds to the authenticity of the dining experience. Our server was very attentive and helpful. We started with papadoms and drinks. The papadoms were served with a variety of dips, kids loved it. We also tried Daal makhani, Paneer, pulaav with cheese chili, garlic naan. Food was amazing as always. Overall, House of Flavours offers a great dining experience with good food, a nice atmosphere, and very helpful staff. I highly recommend it if you are around this area and looking for authentic Indian food.”

“Alto Lounge is one of my favourite locations to enjoy a good breakfast and a lovely cup of coffee. It's always spot on and the lovely people working here make sure you are always having a good experience. We asked for substitutions, they've done it. We asked for recommendations, they've provided extensive info. They checked on us to make sure everything is top. Can't fault them. Thank you very much for everything you do!”

“When asked where we could have a good meal ... they adviced The Bull ... the food was worth more stars than we can give. Staff was great and friendly. As said when we left, would return when passing through Theale again.”

“The Volunteer is a traditional pub in the heart of Theale, Berkshire. It has a warm and inviting atmosphere, with exposed brickwork and a traditional fireplace. The menu features a wide variety of pub classics, as well as some more modern dishes. We started our meal with sticky pigs in blankets. These were perfectly cooked and the sausages were juicy and flavorful. For our main courses, I had the chicken curry and my partner had the steak and ale pie. Both dishes were delicious. The chicken curry was rich and flavorful, and the steak and ale pie was hearty and filling. The service at The Volunteer was excellent. Our server was friendly and attentive, and he made sure that we had everything we needed. We also enjoyed the selection of beers on tap. Overall, we had a great experience at The Volunteer. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. We would definitely recommend this pub to anyone looking for a great meal in Theale. Here are some additional details about the dishes we ordered: * Sticky pigs in blankets: These were made with pork sausages wrapped in bacon and cooked until golden brown. * Chicken curry: This was a rich and flavorful curry made with chicken, onions, peppers, and spices. It was served with rice and naan bread. * Steak and ale pie: This was a hearty and filling pie made with steak, onions, mushrooms, and ale. It was served with fries and peas. Polly our waitress was very friendly and helpful, she is a credit to the pub. Great atmosphere.”

“Lovely lunch. A hidden away place. Menu has almost all gluten-free options. Had risotto for starter, followed by steak and finished off with cheesecake. All perfectly done, especially the risotto which was fantastic. Highly recommended for anyone in the area”

“Excellent service and the food was amazing! The restaurant is spacious, beautifully presented with a cosy log fire. Staff friendly, helpful and accommodating. Thank you for making our 40th Birthday meal so special - we loved it!”

“We chose the angel to hold the wake yesterday, for the loss of our mother. We honestly couldn't have asked for more and are so happy we went here. Andy is an absolutely lovely, welcoming guy who was so intent to do whatever we wanted and made us feel so 'looked after'. The food was incredible and atmosphere of the function room and the bar are warm cozy. We aim to return for drinks by the fire and roasts on some Sundays! Thank you team much appreciated x”

“What a beautiful place. Food was stunning. Becca our waitress was amazing. She was so helpful. Constantly coming to check if we needed anything as there was 13 of us. Definitely will return when we are in the area next.”

“Love this place ! Always looking forward to have a glass of wine or wine tasting ! Customer service is amazing, you feel welcomed from the moment you step in. I had several wine tasting experiences and loved them all. Highly recommend this place !”

“Great beer selection and lovely food - would definitely go back!”