please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Lovely comfortable rooms and a great breakfast. The Manager really loved his beer and it showed with all the CAMRA awards. However, it's changed. The Manager disappeared overnight (last rumoured to be in Eastbourne) and it seems to have lost its appeal. The beer is still good, but this has gone from being a good value bar to just about the highest prices in the area. A shame really as it has so much going for it.
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A curious one this.
From the outside it looks like a large roadside inn and distinctly unpromising. Step inside and it retains the look of any Harvester/Berni type place you've ever been in. But appearances can be deceptive.
The staff were excellent - very friendly and attentive.
The food was again very good - at the pricier end of the market, turkey escalope £12.95, liver and bacon £11.95, but well worth it and very hot.
Beer excellent - I had 3 pints of Bingham's Total Eclipse and it was 3 of the best pints I've had in quite a while. A little pricey at £3.70 but what the hell.
Don't be put off by the outside - The Bird In Hand is well worth a visit.
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Top place
Assam - 12 Jun 2012 11:52 |
Beer quality tip top. I did have a slight gripe in that I was left waiting at the bar with no service for about 10 minutes, I could see staff coming in and out of a door at the back, a man came in to be served but gave up and left, it was only when I started shouting my order, much to the amusement of the punters in the bar, I got served. To be fair the staff came up to me later and apologised, they had a Diamond Jubilee party out the back. Despite this I will visit again as the beer is so good.
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Had a good weekend lunch here. From the outside, the place has a bit of chain-pub feel and the inside, whilst perfectly pleasant doesn't really dispel that notion. But while I wouldn't necessarily expect good food or drink from a chain-pub, this place certainly has both. The beer, especially, was excellent with an interesting choice and bags of good flavour. (They also had a mini-festival going on with several extra beers but I don't suppose that happens all the time.) Service was pretty good too.
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Very good weekend beer festival in the garden featuring mostly beers from the north west. Its a shame the weather was unseasonably cold because the neat garden is pleasantly hidden away from the main road. The bar inside feels like a gentlemens club with its red leather seats and is perhaps a little soulless in comparison. An enjoyable visit.
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Large pub, food oriented but I was here for the real ale, interesting variety, micros well represented, the beer quality for my beer was superb.
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Large roadside pub (on the A4) with a nice enough exterior and interior and a large car park. The food smelt good and the range of ales were also good - Cottage Marathon Hound, Ascot Posh Pooch, Brakspear, West Berkshire Maggs Mild and Hogsback Tea. The Swanvale cider was disappointing. I'm always wary of going in large roadside pubs as they tend to cater to a passing crowd and are often run by large chains and are dominated by the food offering. I much prefer pubs that are tucked away and rely on their reputation to draw in customers. Having said that, this pub seems to be a rare exception to this general rule and there's a good chance I'll be back here one day.
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If I were to prejudge by exterior looks alone I probably wouldn't go in here, but I'm glad I did. A couple of excellent ales (both new to me) and a good pizza for lunch. Very enjoyable.
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"Sure the beer's in good condition"
Think you'll find that's the main reason why it wins. Quality is consistent and there's always a dark ale of some description available.
Beer quality scores for this area are taken by the local CAMRA branch (as well as nationally through the NBSS website) 365 days a year - the league table doesn't lie!
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This place keeps winning CAMRA awards, though I'm not sure why. I think it's OK but it's not worth making a special journey for. Sure the beer's in good condition but other than that it's really nothing special in that it completely lacks atmosphere.
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Reading CAMRA Pub of the Year 2008 - second year running. Well done!
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Excellent public house. We visit it as often as possible. Friendly staff and good selection of real ales. Well worth a visit
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Fantastic food, but still drinker friendly, I just wish it was easier to get to!
Oh and its not in Reading.
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Fabulous pub with excellent range of real ales, often a porter or a mild or a stout or ALL THREE!
Good food, huge real fire. Allows dogs in. No canned music (occasional live music). No bl**dy TVs or fruit machines or other rubbish. Restaurant. Garden. Bedooms.
Occasional beer festivals which are spectacular. This pub is Pub of the Year and deservedly so.
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Excellent place, Reading CAMRA Pub of the Year 2007 and rightly so. Has a good selection of ale, always featuring a dark (landlord is a dark ale fan) which are kept extremely well.
Lots of history about the place, landlord also organizes some good theme evenings (excellent bonfire night last October for example).
A big part of its business is selling food. Not tried any yet, but my friends say that it is good stuff. However drinkers are always welcome, you aren�t made to feel like unwelcome if all you want is a couple of beers and there�s usually a good atmosphere most evenings.
Clean and tidy, topped off my pleasant, professional service.
Would recommend without hesitation.
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Current CAMRA branch Pub of The Year and fully deserving of the title. Always at least five ales on, all in tip-top condition and they will always change them at the first hint of not being quite right. A mixture of hotel, function rooms, restaurant and just plain pub make this a pleasant change from the norm and it all works together. Only ever come here to drink, but that's all I need it it for!
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Excellent beer,superb food,good hosts.........
What a way to spend a Sunday Afternoon. Can wait to go back.
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This is a fantastic 14th century pub that serves great food. Highly recommended!
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