BITE user comments - Upton_Parker
Comments by Upton_Parker
Still good, nice environment - stable bar at the back and courtyard are more young/busy/'party' (on weekends) and the front drinking & dining area (the 'old'pub) is laid back and nicely renovated. They have good beers on usually (even found some Jaipur in there last Christmas) Worth a visit.
3 Jun 2016 14:53
Jewel Of The Severn, Bridgnorth
Good quality popular Wetherspoons - not a 'real pub' atmosphere but they have some good beers on and the staff are usually pretty good.
3 Jun 2016 14:49
This is now a Prezzo 'Italian' restaurant.
http://www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk/restaurant/bridgnorth/
3 Jun 2016 14:45
Closed forever - private housing now.
Another one bites the dust....
9 Jan 2015 16:42
Thankfully very much open!
A great pub in a great location. Very busy when I was in there last (early Jan 2015)
Good pint of Titanic Iceberg (IIRC) in a handle glass...
Well worth a visit between High and Low towns
9 Jan 2015 16:40
It may sound like a pub but, as pointed out, this is a Thai restaurant. Very pleasant inside and the food looks good. They did have some beer on and were quite happy for me to sit at a table and just drink
16 May 2014 16:17
Best of the three central Reading 'spoons. Some pretty good beer on normally, and a pleasant enough place although they could split it up a bit as it's very much a big long featureless rectangle at the moment. Not bad though
17 May 2013 14:01
The Oakford Social Club, Reading
Some interesting beers and a reasonable environment - modern bar style
Worth a visit.
17 May 2013 13:57
They did fix the toilets eventually, so well done to them!
Some good beers on - in fact <heresy> I think I've enjoyed the beer here more than the selection at 'The Alehouse' recently </heresy>
Not bad at - well worth a visit
17 May 2013 13:54
The hotel is the Old Lamb I think - the Lamb is the newer building next door (heading west towards the Volunteer)
Appears to have scaffolding round it now, which it didn't a few weeks back
10 Dec 2012 21:48
Better news - was open again Friday 14 Sept, with Rebellion IPA and Mutiny on. Well worth a visit.
18 Sep 2012 10:46
Nice looking place. Large beer garden, which unfortunately overlooks the car park and housing estate on one side (could to with some screening bushes/shrobs/Leylandii!!)
Fullers, so you know what you're getting beer-wise. Reasonable nick - I tend to stick to Chiswick. Their summer ale is a bit dull though, to be honest.
New manager ? Seem like a friendly bloke, and staff are efficient and pleasant.
14 Sep 2012 16:47
Reasonable place, proper boozer, no frills.
Beer selection not too interesting for real ale types, but the locals seem happy enough with it. (I've rather taken against Doom Bar , seems to be even more bland than I remember it)
Last pint of bitter I had in here was at 'lager temperature', which cures itself eventually (in summer anyway) but is a bit offputting ...
14 Sep 2012 16:42
Hmm, not good news. I like this place, hope they can get it open again. They were a friendly crowd, and I'd always pop in for a pint when passing through for work.
14 Sep 2012 16:38
Station pub, but not a bad one.
Plus points--
Good beer selection. Friendly staff. Plenty of seating in and out.
Minus points--
Lacks atmosphere (although inevitable with a station pub)
Long walk to toilets and NO LOCKS ON CUBICLE DOORS (this is so easy to fix but they've been like that for ages)
Overall , not bad at all for a quick pint or several waiting for a train, or before hitting Reading
14 Sep 2012 16:36
Looks very shut to me.... but not converted into anything else (yet)
24 Aug 2012 17:37
Staff seem a bit more cheerful these days - perhaps it's the refurb and name change ?! :-) Good beers on usually, a fine place.
24 Aug 2012 17:09
Pleasant enough, clean spacious, friendly - but not impressed with the Wadworth's beer. Perhaps it's not my style, but I remember I being OK years ago. Oh well, personal taste I guess.
Seem to do good business with the food, which I haven't tried yet.
24 Aug 2012 17:06
Agree with cheshirecat - nice friendly decent pub, but could do with a few more 'interesting' beers on. They did have Otter last year which was nice, but seem to be stuck on Pride/Doom Bar*/ Youngs etc
There are a lot of decent breweries within 30 miles of here - how about something from Loddon/West Bershire etc.?
Still a goodpub though, so this is a 'positive' review !!!
*(Pride I can understand, but why is there so much (dull) Cornish Doom Bar around? - is it just Molson-Coors having a good distribution network?)
24 Aug 2012 17:03
Excellent scruffy REAL pub . Good selection of well kept real ales, and ciders for them who likes that sort of thing.
Gruff, unsmiling service (but efficient) - probably preferable to oily and obsequious:-)
Nowt wrong with toilets these days.
8/10 long may it continue.
4 May 2012 15:28
Still think this is a great looking pub - fantastic interior, nice atmosphere BUT they seem to have gone back to Fuller's 'London Pride'/Molson-Coors "Doom Bar"/St Austell 'Tribute' as the only beers. Not an interesting selection really. Tribute is OK if in good nick but last time I was in I Had a 'Doom Bore' and Tribute and they were both very average - not 'take back' bad , but not particularly enjoyable. Looking round, most of the tables seemed to have a wine bottle on them, and the pint glasses were usually Guinness or lager so perhaps the regular clientele aren't too bothered. Seems like a wasted opportunity though - there's agreat local brewery (Windsor & Eton) - just ONE consistently good real ale and I'd mark this as a 9. Doesn't have to be anything flash - just a good bog-standard bitter. I'm still going to drink in there as it's a nice place, but hope to see a change in beer
16 Mar 2012 12:17
Seems to be shut/for sale
Perhaps it will open rejuvenated.. perhaps not. Being between the Bell and the King's Head I've never bothered with it as it wasn't really a beer-drinkers pub.
22 Jul 2011 16:07
Shame it's not actually on the riverside, but separated from it by a really busy main road (not the pubs fault of course)
Still, you can sit upstairs and watch the traffic. Not a bad place if you've got enough money..
(Historical question: was this place Riki Tiks club in the 1960s - Yardbirds, Who etc?)
22 Jul 2011 15:55
Really lovely interior and the lighting is just right , about 'candlelit' level, very atmospheric. Beer selection seems much improved (but not cheap).
I had 'Guardsman' last visit which was fine.
Classy place...
22 Jul 2011 15:50
My previous (positive) review was possibly a bit too lukewarm. Plenty of visits later I�m happy to confirm this is a cracking pub � great beer selection, nice staff. Toilets much improved.
Well worth a visit if you are in the area.
22 Jul 2011 15:47
Proper real pub, just like they used to make 'em. A welcome break from the 'Ponce Central' that is Windsor on a Friday night
15 Jul 2011 17:33
A bit soul-less and cold . But I was there on a (very quiet) Thursday night
15 Jul 2011 17:30
Don't think twee folk or edgy drum n'bass would go down too well here. Their target demographic is the rock/indie /old punk crowd.
You do get a reasonable number of women in here - proportionally more than the 'Spoon I'd say. At least they've got some semi-decent beers on now.
15 Jul 2011 17:29
Nah - not demolished. They've only done the bus station and Unisys so far. It's still there vacant - with 'for sale boards' on it now. Are you thinking of the same pub ? This is the one that started out as the Phrenologist and Firkin then went through various name changes (Assembly/CODE etc)
Probably will get demolished egventually - the local authority seem to hate anything more than 30 years old (what happened to William Herschel's cottage???!)
15 Jul 2011 17:25
Moon On The Square, Northampton
Visited a few Sundays ago - sadly restricted to Becks Blue due to work.
Very quiet, but nice friendly barmaid and excellent burger which was really cheap ! have to try again when I can drink real beer
27 Oct 2010 15:12
Lovely place. Looking forward to going back next time I'm in the area.
21 Oct 2010 14:04
Nice place, great views towards Clee Hills.
Excellent beer when I was last there.
21 Oct 2010 13:50
The Pheasant Inn, Linley Brook
So the 'customer service' is still at the same level then ??!
21 Oct 2010 13:49
I miss this place - it had (has?) its faults but whenever I reminisce about Farnham this is the place that pops in to my head. Had some great times here, and i wasn't even a student (mid 30s then , so it does appeal to some of us oldies)
21 Oct 2010 13:47
Modern pub attracting a youngish crowd. Step inside and you could be in any chain pub on any High Street in England. Fills a niche I suppose, for locals who want that sort of thing, but don't bother with it if you're visiting the town - You can get the 'Crown experience' back home. Try one of the proper pubs that are all within a few hundred yards of this place.
9 Oct 2010 18:49
Archivist - I'd agree with you if the 'old' Kings Head had boasted an attractive traditional interior ,but in fact it was pretty drab - very '1970s pub' with fruit machines, horse brasses and and all the usual junk. Honestly the new look place is a vast improvement. The beer seems to be cosistently good too.
9 Oct 2010 18:45
The Golden Lion Inn, Bridgnorth
Nice unfussy traditional pub with excellent well kept beer.
9 Oct 2010 18:41
Guess what. Still shut - looks like it'll never reopen as a pub.
Frontage is now filling up with litter and vomit.
What an awful place Slough is - bulldoze the whole bloody place and start again (just keep the nice old church by the Red Cow)
9 Oct 2010 18:37
Well its a hairdressers and a Costcutter supernmarket. Just what Slough needs.
Meanwhile over the road "Code" is still closed and rotting away..
9 Oct 2010 18:34
Boarded up , and on the market for just over half a million...'suitable for alternative uses' apparently.
What a waste - best music venue in the area and a good bunch of regulars from the rock/biker end of the spectrum.
We've lost the Newt and Cucumber, The Grapes, The Phrenologist(Code) and the Rising Sun
Now the only pub left at this end of the High Street is the bloody Wetherspoons. Perhaps we end up with the pubs we deserve, but what have I done to deserve that ? I'm going to start drinking in Windsor I think.
9 Oct 2010 18:32
Update: This pub IS on the website but you need to click on the (unlabelled) red dot near Reading to bring up the details. Not very clear in my opinion - could do with a redesign.
17 Oct 2009 17:37
Thanks Quinno
That is the 'official' hopback site though isn't it ?? You'd think they would know which pubs they operated in Reading...
Got me worried it might be a 'phishing ' site now .. :-(
4 Sep 2009 18:58
Shut. Demolished.
Now replaced by new development which looks to be be 'luxury' flats made entirely of steel joists, chipboard, and fake brick panels. (Really - check it out) Hmmm...nice timing. How's the new-build housing market ?
Assume they'll have to keep the grouind floor as a commercial premises but unlikely it'll be a bar as they just don't seem to make enough money in Slough (perhaps it's because Windsor is so close)
23 Oct 2008 18:19
Not much atmosphere but does the job. Been to plenty of work leaving do's here - it's ideally placed next to Windsor central station. Have to walk practically to town boundary to have a fag as the whole area is 'enclosed'
Nothing exciting for real ale fans but at least the lager is drinkable.
NB: If you want to get served quickly go to far end of bar towards toilets...
23 Oct 2008 18:11
Surprisingly good - could be awful given the 'tourist trap' location near the castle. Interesting beers, friendly bar staff, relaxed atmosphere. Managed to avoid overdoing the 'Olde Englishe Traditional Pubbe' crap
Downsides ? - looks a bit tatty in some areas, and the toilets smell of damp/decay, which is noticeable even at tables near the stairs !!
They sell a whisky called 'Dadwhinnie' apparently.
Overall a good place which could be brilliant ! 7/10
23 Oct 2008 18:04
Don't really like chain bars but this one is OK. Staff good and it's quite cosy, unlike some chain bars which look like IKEA showrooms.
12 Sep 2008 18:23
Nice friendly local - better than the location would suggest ! Never felt threatened in here, unlike some of the other pubs on or near the High Street
11 Sep 2008 17:43
The Famous Cock Tavern, Islington
Better than it looks from the outside. Barman was really nice and friendly, and beer was OK. I've been in a lot worse (particularly in Islington)
11 Sep 2008 17:32
really nice -lots of character (the right sort)
Had decent Thai meals in here. Good beer when I was there
11 Sep 2008 16:20
Complete renovation (unrecognisable as the 'old' Kings Head) and some good beers on offer.
23 Jun 2008 17:16
The roof garden is nice - BUT it was closed for a 'private party' last time I went there (Tue 5 Jun) -so not much use.
Beer generally good condtion,and efficient staff.
16 Jun 2007 18:08
Visited here for the first time last night (Fri 15 June) Staff were friendly and efficient and we got served quickly. Clean and confortable - atmosphere seems better than the other two central Reading Wetherspoons - not as scary !
16 Jun 2007 18:02
It's been shut for weeks now - will it open as Nine 2 again ? Looks like it's getting a total refit anyway. So in the last ten years this has been
The Grapes
The Sports Bar
The Honeypot (??!)
Nine 2
I rather hope it reappears as Nine2, as it was considerably more pleasant than most of the other pubs in the area...
22 Sep 2006 17:23
Always a good pint in a nice clean pub . Good luck in the next place Mr Exlandlord, hope the new lot maintain the standard !
27 Jun 2006 17:32
Back to Upton_Parker's profile
The Oakford Social Club, Reading
Now a regular stop on my Reading tours - often have interesting beers (and Siren in bottles usually)
Slightly 'good student pub'/Shoreditch Hipster vibe with friendly staff. Can get busy but OK at 6pm Friday when I normally wander in. They have live bands later and possibly DJ sets ? Very handy for station, just over the road.
3 Jun 2016 15:01