Bull, Sonningback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I have no idea what 'Sebastion James' is on about... I have been drinking in The Bull for 20 years, and it's as wonderful today as it has ever been. I haven't noticed any 'Cloony effect' (apart from he never buys a round) and as for being like a after match 'footy pub', first of all as a frequenter of after match 'footy pubs' what on earth is wrong with that, and secondly as its not like that at all. If the Bull has a fault it is that sometimes you do get overbearing snooty types who think they are better than the rest of us in there, but George and I won't let them ruin our enjoyment of the fine ales they serve at one of Berkshire's best pubs.
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The Bull is situated in a very picturesque village and has a lovely location next to the village church. Unfortunately, the whole village appears to be one huge traffic jam with traffic heading from all directions to the bridge over the river. We eventually managed to get parked up and found a nice old building that was packed inside and out. This felt the most touristy of all the pubs we tried in Berkshire today. I gather George Clooney has frequented here? Maybe that was the reason it was so busy. But there was a fair smattering of locals here too. Food appeared to be popular. This is a Fullers pub. So London Pride & Chiswick Bitter were on, alongside Gales HSB & Spring Sprinter and a guest - Everards Blue Boar. I had the Blue Boar, which was a honey and mead ale. It was different, but not exactly my cup of tea. Nice enough pub. But a bit too popular to enjoy and the traffic is a definite drawback.
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Unfortunately since a well known celebrity moved into the area The Bull has really hit rock bottom although obviously not financially. Queues outside the door, an outdoor festival vibe and the rowdiness that ensures means a once quaint venue now resembles an after match footie pub. Awful in other words. Why the chav hordes and council estate mentality think celeb spotting is a UK pastime is beyond belief; clearly they have nothing better else to do.
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It was the last day in September and one of the hottest ones of the year when the RambleThenLunch team decided to walk from Shiplake to Reading. A number of lunchtime stops presented themselves but, desperate for a drink, we plumped for the Bull at Sonning.
And very pleasant it was too. Inside it's a traditional low beamed, slightly dark pub, but the sunshine being too good to waste we sat outside near to the conveniently placed serving hatch.
Beers available were Red Fox, Discovery, London Pride and Chiswick - all Fullers - and Gales HSB. Condition when served was good.
Given it was a Friday lunchtime and dead hot the place was very busy. A very small car park at the end of a cul-de-sac makes for tight manoeuvuring, and I'm sure there's the odd scrape or two. Many folk seem to park in the nearby church car park, making no doubt a suitable donation.
The Bull is pricey though - four pints were �14.80, which averages out at �3.70, which is quite a lot.
The quality of the food was good. Two of us had Steak and Venison Pie and two had Liver. Portions not huge though and and the liver was very lightly cooked, even for my blood loving carnivorous colleagues. Again quite pricey - Pie was �15 and Liver �13. Pub doesn't sell chips at all, which makes a pleasant change.
The loo is hidden away but has some interesting posters in it.
Although expensive, the Bull is a very pleasant place to spend a lunchtime and we would happily return
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A wonderful low beamed interior is a high point of this classic village pub, up the hill through an idyllic churchyard from Sonning's pretty eighteenth century brick bridge. Minor quibbles would concern the expensive cars in the car park that encroach upon the beer garden and the choice of ales which are restricted to Fullers - I'm a fan, but was hoping for something more resonant of the countryside.
The food we nejoyed was excellent including a mammoth slice of steak and venison pie and a house platter containing home made scotch eggs and sausage rolls flecked with black pudding: rich, but welcome after a long tramp from Henley. It verges on being more of a restaurant and might not be that welcoming to those who want to live on beer alone, but is still an appealing stop off.
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Ate here during February 2011. Decent food, nice staff, lovely location.
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Pride, Discovery, Chiswick and HSB. �3.05 for Chiswick which was pretty good. Dark inside, low beams etc. Not far from the Thames Path and worth stopping.
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Range was Pride, Discovery, HSB and Chiswick (Organic Honey Dew on keg). Discovery and Pride were both served in poor condition, although not bad enough to be worth the hassle of taking back. This was disappointing, especially when paying �3++ for a pint. Food was top notch, Steak and Ale pie is delicious and the Sticky Toffee pudding was very good, but the place is perhaps a little overpriced. The cars parked next to the beer garden where we were sitting is a tad annoying.
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This pub will always hold a place dear to my heart as my recently departed father is within the churchyard over the wall and, as such, I feel I'm having a pint with my old man every time I go there...I have been going here for almost 30 years now and there have been many changes over time, yet it still retains the air of an ancient village inn buried deep within the core of the village.
The gripes about parking are, frankly, worthy only of dismissal. This is an ancient village with a centuries-old layout and nowhere to concrete over just to satify people who are too rich or too lazy to find spaces within the village or - best tip - park up on the through road (Sonning Lane) from the A4 above the village and stroll 3 minutes through the churchyard to get to the pub courtyard.
The Fullers beer range is wide and well-kept (this was a Gales house before that takeover) and the staff are unfailingly polite. The food is excellent, although I do agree the kitchen could be a little more "behind closed doors" as they always leave a door open directly onto the courtyard where many people sit. Being a "posh" village means prices are not at all cheap (a pint of Discovery and a G&T costing �8, for instance), but it is nonetheless a fine
hostelry.
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I stopped here for a light lunch on a walk from Reading to Henley. They had Gales Festival Mild on. It's a seasonal brew from Fullers, so has to be grabbed wherever it turns up, being exceptionally nice (unlike most people's assumptions about mild). It was superb, so I had two pints. Food wise was not so much fun. Being a veggie always limits my choice, but increasingly I find that the sandwich choice available to me is Cheddar (with or without chutney or pickle) or Cheddar. That was what was on the menu. At the till I was offered some additions, so I had tomato. Being a foody looking place I expected something reasonably grand. How wrong could I be ! Two bits of anaemic soft baguette, straight out of the microwave, with grated mousetrap spilling about over the plate, all finished with 3 thin slices of tomato sliding around on top. I'm sorry guys, but I consider soft baguette to be one step up from sliced white! A good wholemeal cob can also be frozen, and then be revived in the old microwave, and still be ten times better than this.
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As far as I can see, the locals bar is still the same as it used to be.
Fullers Chiswick, Pride and Discovery plus Fullers (Gales) Festival and HSB today. Pride at �3.25 is expensive but normal for a Fullers pub.
Food menu is OK but not cheap - probably reflects the area.
I do agree with fatbob1968 that the shouting from the kitchen is, at best, unproffessional! Seems to be a place with lots of "E European" staff and little management!
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�3.15 for a pint of Pride!!! Locals Bar now a dining room - no where to sit as the only seats available by the bar were taken up and all the other seats are dining tables. What a shame the place as turned into a resturant! I sat outside and the noise from the kitchen was awful! Lots of shouting, swearing in english and eastern european - if they are behaving like that preparing the food then i wont be eating there. Also a RAT was scurrying around the bushes - i know its rural but the kitchen door was open. Had a pint and left. The place used to be buzzing with local drinkers but no more... i suppose the money is in the food but at �3.15 a pint then i think the money is in the beer!
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Clearly a very old village pub/inn, timber framed with black and white exterior and low beamed ceilings. The pub has four connected areas, one end seems to be purely for dining, as perhaps is the room behind the bar, deserted on my visit but interestingly the exterior (unused) door is marked "Locals Bar". No Royston Vasey feel to the place though, however I was a little unsure of the "meet and greet" style reception on entering, but I suppose the place is a small hotel too.
Back to the pub, the bar area is warm and welcoming, the fire was not necessary today, but I bet it makes for a cosy atmosphere on a crisp day. The fireplace in the "Locals Bar" is huge, Inglenook style.
Generally wooden floors, mix of seats including wing back chairs by the fire....The comedy character "ver ver drunk" sprang to mind.....Whitehouse(?)....old photos, pics of the area etc. The courtyard outside is nice with plenty of seating but I do agree the parked cars take the edge off it a bit, Clarkson would love it though, no old bangers here! Nice hanging baskets, and climbing plants, Wisteria I think.
The building itself is large and nowadays includes accommodation. I'm fairly sure there was a brewhouse here once, the front attached cottage is "Malt Cottage" and at first floor level there looks to be a grain store, now converted.
Fullers now, Pride, Gales HSB, Chiswick and Discovery. �2.80 for Chiswick.
A good looking food menu, ranging from the pricier Chefs Specials, but also including smaller offerings and sandwiches/snacks. A nice spot.
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This pub is a must for well kept beer - have never had a bad pint! But take a full wallet! �3.25 for Red Fox - �2.05 for lemonade! Makes a trip out with the kids expensive! Or do as I do - kids not allowed in the bar area (resturant ok) so we always sit outside - and take lemonade in cans with us. We have been known to take our own sandwiches too!
Good beer - far too expensive! Yet we still go back, but not as often as we would!
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Jerome K Jerome was utterly right.
The place is so impossibly idyllic on a quiet early summer afternoon that I could sit outside near the car parked in the court (something I generally hate to do) and still feel completely immersed in its country charm.
Choice of Fuller's beers on tap is excellent and even if I sat outside (just for a pint, no food), I could see how beautiful the inside is, the toilets are also above average.
An excellent little corner of England and one of my best pub experiences ever.
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A fairly pleasant village pub with a bit of rustic charm. Bigger inside than it looks on the outside.
Usually packs in four of the Fullers-Gales range, including HSB. Beer is usually in good nick, although pricey.
I've never sampled the food, but they do olives as a bar snack, which is unusual. I agree that the plasma screen TV does seem rather at odds with the rest of the place.
To get the parking moans into perspective - the majority of Sonning was built 300+ years ago. It's inconvenient for a driver, but get over it! They've already sacrificed the lovely garden for the cars, so I'm with CaolineNo on this.
Worth a visit, best sampled on a cold winters evening or a lazy Sunday.
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One of the best pubs in a Thameside village. Still, I agree with Caroline's comment on the reviewer who bemoaned the lack of parking spaces. Come on, get your priorities right. Pubs are for drinking, so why drive there? Try walking, it's better for you.
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The Bull is mentioned in Jerome K Jerome's "Three Men in a Boat" and is described thus :
"If you stop at Sonning, put up at the Bull, behind the church. It is a veritable picture of an old country inn, with green, square courtyard in front, where, on seats beneath the trees, the old men group of an evening to drink their ale and gossip over village politics"
As you'll see from the photo above, the trees have long since been cut down, the green courtyard dug up, all to make way for an ugly car park. And yet angryinvienna still sees fit to post a complaint that there aren't enough parking spaces! Perhaps he/she would suggest demolishing the entire pub to create a huge drive-in open-air cinema in which we could all watch and salivate at the wisdom of Jeremy Clarkson on non-stop repeats of Top Gear.
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A pub that seems to have lost its way-the usual gastric pub menu of "airmiles" stuff and a staff with little interest in proceedings. This place has expanded in area over the years and as a result whoever is in charge cant manage it. As it is practically all "passing trade" I dont suppose it matters but what a waste of position and location. I must say the coffee was good-most British pubs/restaurants fall down on this so perhaps put the coffee person in charge. A great shame and Im not happy posting this.
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I've been dragged along to the Bull several times now by eager friends but have still to see the attraction. Some people just fall in love with the place I guess.
Food is average (though the portions are large), beer is quite good, service is prompt and its not too expensive.
BUT. The country pub feel is wrecked by the ambience in the main bar, where a plasma TV under barfly control is seemingly used to deter new visitors from sitting nearby. Its obviously been an issue in the past because the locals are rude and abusive to anyone suggesting that the volume should be turned down a bit. The bar staff themselves dont seem to give a damn, even if you happen to be sat in front of the screen with your elderly relatives having dinner when some dimebar decides he wants the telly on. Fair enough - its a local pub and the only decent one in Sonning, but ffs, treat all your paying guests equally.
Another big negative - there are about ten parking places and they are always full. People park on the road and because of the pubs success the cars go right around the corner and up to the main junction. At busy times, expect to have to fight to get a parking space.
I havent visited the rear garden, but the seating around the car parking area isnt bad at all.
Go midweek if you want to try the place. Weekends it is packed.
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A great pub been going since i was two weeks old as a family friend (dennis) used to run it. Good food and beer in a lovly setting. Not sure what the bloke who wrote the previous review means by "good for a pommy beer"?? Since when have the ozzys brewed anything decent. cheeky tw&t.
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The food is excellent, the staff pretty keen and the beers are very drinkable. Pity about the car park but you don't have to sit next to it since there is another beer garden on the other side. And the car has to go somewhere. We used to travel from Twickenham just to enjoy this place and now live a lot closer. You don't need to have read 'Three Men in a Boat' to enjoy the Gales HSB -- amazing for a Pommy brew. The river's a two-minute walk away through a lovely little church yard ... what more do you want?
anonymous - 19 May 2005 14:39 |
Mmm, obviously the other people who have left comments don't go out much.
Pretty boreing place, flat coke and poor quality beer with expensive though nice food.
Only pub in village so on that count its a winner.
Friendly staff.
Overall not a pub I would go back to a second time.
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Excellent pub - just what you need after a walk along the Thames from Reading. It would be even better if they'd use the car park as part of the beer garden.
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This is the best place I have ever been to. Now live in Cambridgeshire and happily drive down to Sonning to enjoy a meal out in the pub.
Great settings for a wonder around after the meal.
Lotte Kolind - 19 Jul 2004 16:20 |
I love this pub! Great ambiance, good menu, decent pints, and a really nice location with an outdoor beer garden
Turk - 17 Mar 2004 18:12 |
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