May 13, 2012
Cosy pub with a good selection of papers, beers, ciders and also some daily varying pub grub. Tasty sandwiches. Friendly staff and beers & ciders were in good condition. Beer list above the bar says which beers will replace others, when something sells out.

November 25, 2011
Very nice cosy typical English Pub. Very friendly staff, good music, not too loud. 12 changing casks plus few taps and bottles. Bunch of board games avsilable to use. 2 TV screens for sports. Definately to recommend to visit.

April 21, 2010
A good selection of ales, although I think I’m a little spoiled by the ale fans heaven of Leicester so this was nothing special to me. Food unfortunately wasn’t on when I was there, it being around 3pm. Pub was also pretty quiet (it was a weekday). Beer was pretty well-kept, glasses were very clean. Barman/landlord was very friendly. A pleasant pub, although in a rough part of town.

June 19, 2008 [ Updated September 10, 2008 ]
I went to this many years ago, when it was a rough, desolate, smoky hole of a pub - one of the nastiest and scariest I’ve ever been in. The transformation that the new landlord and lady have wrought here is therefore all the more incredible. Now it’s very clean and well-lit, both the landlord are very friendly, jovial, knowledgeable and proud of their well-kept beer selection and willing to let you try beers before before you buy ’em. The locals also seem a particularly amiable and chatty bunch - completely different to those who used to frequent it (I assume some people have been barred?). There is a choice of one (yes, just one!) home-cooked dish per night, which changes daily,and is exactly the sort of substantial tasty fare you want from this sort of pub. The decor is still basic - bare floorboards , scrubbed-wood tables - but all the better for it. There’s a large selection of books if you feel like settling in for the day - as well you might when you see the astonishing 12 real ale hand pumps with regularly changing and unusual ales, more than I’ve ever seen anywhere else to date. My only criticisms would be that the pub feels a bit too open and barn like inside for absolute comfort, and it’s a shame there’s a sports TV (although to be fair it’s less obtrusive than most pubs). A great pub, serving the most real ales in Reading, and the one that would be my second favourite Reading pub to have as a local (after the Retreat)

February 15, 2008 [ Updated April 5, 2009 ]
A fantastic backstreet boozer, a typical shabby run-down victorian beer palace with one difference - 12 real ales on tap, and a landlord who understands that good beer is at the heart of a good pub. The beers are all regional, and just show the breadth and variety of brewers in southern England. In addition to the 12 brews on sale, the blackboards also list what is to follow on each of the hand pumps. It’s almost impossible to resist a return visit to sample some of them. You can check out the website if you want to know what’s currently on offer.

October 21, 2007
Absolutely cracking pub, recently bought and improved. A locals local with a constantly changing 12 Real Ales all specialy selected for variety, check the blackboards by each tap for whats on and whats due to go on. The wine is also selected carefully and constantly changing, very unusual for this type of pub, the food is hearty and imaginative, particularly the Sweeny & Todds pies. If this can keep going like this it will join the legendary British Pubs list, the equal of the Far Cats and Wellingtons of this world. It’s that good.