please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Beware - Greene King IPA comes out of the froth machine - terrible - tasted like gassed up vinegar. Ordered food - 20 minutes to serve a microwave jacket potato and three day old salad. Have eaten here before and it has been OK. For good real ale use Nags Head in Russell Street.
joxer - 28 Jun 2013 18:39 |
Quick response to jeffisgame - yes it is Greene King but did sell guest beers as well and usually in fair/good nick. Why drive - there are regukar buses at the bottom and top of the road and it is near to Reading West station!! Anyway it's not that far a walk from the town centre and you could visit The Nags Head en route. I hear that Jo the Manageress has been promoted and has moved on so things may have changed but generally it is a pretty good pub which is comfortabel inside and has a large patio area at the rear. TV and darts only and RFC friendly.
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just 2 things wromg whith this pub 1 its green king 2 where the hell do you park!
in a word never again
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We visited for the first time earlier this year and it now one of our regular watering holes. It has also become the local for our son and his Reading supporting friends and part of their home game days.
Although, being a Green King Pub, the range of beers offered is not huge or very varied they do usually have a special. The food is well prepared, served in large portions and good value for money. The bar staff all give the impression that they want to be there and are friendly and efficient.
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Visited this pub recvently for the first time in many a long year and was pleasantly surprised with the new decor and the general feel of the place. The pool table has gone but they have kept a dartboard (albeit in a corner). The decor is modern and the large patio area at the rear must be a real bonus in the summer. Beers come from the standard Greene King range but there is often a "guest" or seasonal ale from the brewery. It does food most times of the day with special offers available. If you are coming from Reading West station and heading into town it's worth the very short detour to get to the R&T - you can then head towards the Nags Head after that!!
Good luck to Jo and team - an impressive change of direction for this pub.
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First time back in since the refurbishment and what a massive difference. Jo and her team have done a great job in keeping the atmosphere, despite the changes. The whole place looks much neater and tidier and it's a pleasent place to go again.
A big well done to all the staff
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This was for 18 years my local, 3 min walk from my front door, but not being a local sort of girl (just use pubs when I'm out and about or meeting friends singular or plural) I under-used this place ...
I love Abbot which has been on tap there since I first popped in two decades back. Their wine list is terrific too for the prices.
Landlady Sue does a grand job (Green King really screw their tied houses), and some of the food is fresh kitchen prepared - not all pre-prepared microwave - way superior to Weatherspoon !
It was an infrequent lunchtime retreat on sunny weekdays when working from home on Brunswick Hill, somewhere to go to see Sky footie, and I'd noticed it had got a lot quieter music wise on weekend evenings ... hate noisy pubs.
But decking the garden was a huge mistake ...
Left my mobile phone there one Saturday, on a table ... it wasn't stolen but handed in for me to collect the next day ... what does that say about the clientelle !
- Laura
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Smart and clean inside with plenty of room and good seating. Advertises food all day but not the case when I popped in. Good beer at reasonable price.
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Having ventured into this pub with the rest of my flock of ladies, we found this pub not only a fantastic atmosphere, but anyone who came in there would feel appriecated.
Reading some of the reveiws on the ales, it is obvious to us that it was a man drinking this ale. Shock... women like us drink it too! And we found within visiting within the past 3 weeks the ales have changed 3 times. Talk about diversity for all type of pallets. All those who did taste them, found them clean and refreshing. We asked if this would continue? And was politley told it would. Good on you at the rose for being diverse. Those that love IPA, I would suggest they try something new in thier life, they may get to enjoy it.
The food, drink and people in this pub are the best for people who are not stuck in the dark ages. It caters for all with fantastic landlady and staff.
Keep doing what your doing "the Rose". In turn we will keep coming back for the live music, the food, the drink and your brilliant hospitality.
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This is my favourite pub for food in Reading. The home cooked food is simply superb. There are a couple of real ales, one Greene King and another guest ale, which are always served in good condition. There are a few TV screens for sport but it never gets too rowdy. The other drinkers are well mannered and friendly, as is the lovely landlady. The pub is family friendly and puts on occasional fun weekends with BBQs and bouncy castles. It's a bit out of town but well worth a look.
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Large Greene King pub in a residential side street in West Reading, quite close to the Foresters Arms.
Despite a rather offputting large " loyal to the Royals" banner across the front of the building ( in preparation for the play off game against Burnley ), I found this tobe quite a pleasant pub, if somewhat generic and impersonal in style.
There's an attractive large outside drinking area at the rear of the pub, where a TV had been specifically set up in preparation for the game. Despite the rapid approaching of the kick off, there was quite a diverse and mixed clientele in the pub.
Two GK ales were on, Abbott and Morris Mayhem, which I am presuming is a seasonal beer. Upon asking for a pint of IPA, I was firmly, but politely told - "we don't serve it" - and given a rather quizzical look by the young barmaid which clearly said -"gosh, you're weird, aren't you ?".
The Morris Mayhem was a fine malty pint - worth looking out for. Didn't see any non-GK guest ales.
Whatever one's opinions are of Greene King IPA - and it does certainly divide opinion - I'm somewhat surprised that a Greene King pub appears to have made a conscious decision not to stock what is, after all, one of the country's best known and top selling cask ales.
The pub is pleasant enough, but certainly not worth going out of your way to find
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Now selling a guest alongside the Greene King ales. Quality has been farily good so worth the 5 minutes diversion if you're down by the Nags.
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This has always been a great local pub, nothing changes. We visited it again in November and the place is great. The staff and the landlady, Sue, always go out of their way to greet you with a warm welcome. With a local like this why go anywhere else. The locals are friendly too. There is a wide selection of good food and drink, fantastic.Give it a try.
Special thanks again to Sue, and Eva.
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GO DOWN THE ROAD TO THE QUEEN ELIZABETH. It has just re-opened and the new landlord Rob has turned the palce around. Great atmosphere and not all that expensive. Go on give it a try, it is one of the only REAL pubs left in West Reading!
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Don't usually 'do' Greedy King pubs that much but I have to say I quite enjoyed my pint of Abbot in here a few weeks ago and found the atmosphere congenial enough.
The ubiquitous sport was much in evidence - La Liga was on when I was there.
Black Pudding soup on the food menu sounded intriguing but I had to dash off to the Nags.
I'm going to give the place another go in the near future, I quite liked what I saw first time round.
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This Pub is going down the toilet big-time. Greene King seem to think that all they have to do is to refurbish their pubs every couple of years to keep their customers. Have they not thought that people go into a pub for a decent pint. We all know that Greene King beer is not good but the real ale in here is truly awful. In fact if there was an award for the worst real ale in Reading, the Rose and Thistle would win it hands down. Food pretty good though, and loads of big screens to stare at if you don't like social intercourse.
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The pub has just had a refurb so interesting to see how it is now. The smoking ban has certainly made it a much more pleasant pub to drink in as it used to have major issues with smoke. It has stopped showing football from non-UK satellite stations but Sky Sports will still be shown. Nice garden if we ever get a summer!
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Great local pub, the land lady works her butt of to keep the locals happy with various events. Sky sports has not been lost so plenty of sport on.
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WAS a nice pub until they went football crazy, many locals now go elsewhere. Just has the usual no-home-to-go-to stragglers who seem unable to contribute to a conversation unless its about football.
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This is a nice pub if you like packed, and i must say i do frquent the premises (although not as often as i used to). The rumour is that they have lost their sky sports which means they no longer show reading matches but they still do the bus service to madejski on match days. Food is good for pre made stuff and the atmosphere is friendly. The worst mistake this pub made was ripping out the jukebox. If the Rose is too full on sports etc then try the Butler in Chatham Street (5 mins away) it is more relaxed with less events but has the same community feel.
anonymous - 3 Feb 2007 13:25 |
I used to be a regular in this pub but not anymore.
It is a nice pub to go to if you fancy some food but unfortunatly unless you are addicted to every sport knowen to man then it can get annoying. I like watching the football but do they have to have the tv's on all the time? I like to listen to a bit of music in the evenings, not be subjected to sky sports spanish football coverage. Also they do not have a juke box so you have to listen to the repeated cd they play all the time. I have to say it is great in the summer when you can sit outside in the large beer garden and enjoy the BBQ'S they put on at the weekends. But i wont be using this pub anymore. The Butler which is a little futher for me to walk to appeals more to me now. I would surrgest that anyone who enjoys the footie and likes to have a good crack then they should visit the Butler!
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Unassuming local pub, with a fantastic atmos inside
- filled (usually) with a selection of older "locals" and quite a few younger ones too(30 something's) of which I am one.
cool friendly punters, quiz's on thursdays (free) and sundays (quid) which can be taxing on lager fuelled brains.
worth a go to see if you can beat the papercups (in-bred locals with internet brains).
lots of sport to watch on good screens, and excellent front and rear gardens to soak up the sun in summer.
food is good and plentifull with sue at the helm, service at the bar is usually prompt and with a smile.
many charity nights and events - usually worth a look although Australia day / night was pants this yr...
top pub - seems to have what the rest of the Reading's pubs dont - character! (now wheres my free pint)
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backstreet local, good place to chill in the mini beer garden and look down the hill at the action on Oxford road. Beers OK, they do food i think but i'v enot eaten here.
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Good local pub, recent refurb didn't ruin it, nice place for a few drinks.
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As local pubs go, you can't beat this one. Recently refurbished inside and out, the owners have done a great job retaining it's charm and providing excellent facilities. Quiz night is every Thursday night - watch out for the table of boffins who take it very very seriously... otherwise the people are great and the atmosphere friendly.
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Got to say, doesnt look much but a very friendly pub all round.
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Fantastic local pub with friendly staff and good food - great newly refurbished beer garden at the back - well worth a look.
Local - 7 Oct 2004 13:32 |
