please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Good range of beer (especially Hop Back but also interesting guests), friendly staff, and a good mix of locals as well. Sadly we had already over-indulged at the Nag's Head before visiting, so our stay was brief. Will definitely pay another visit.
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Beer still excellent, good range on including guests from Downton brewery.
Often frequented by the University Real Ale Society and for good reason.
Darts board often in use and a warm community atmosphere inside. Quiz machine wants to pay, although it flickers something chronic, so don't put a quid if you’re epileptic. Bar Billiards table as well, which quite often gets used.
One of my favourites in Reading, worth the short walk from the town centre.
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Busy, welcoming pub serving the full range of Hop Back beers including Odyssey, which I hadn’t heard of and regret not trying, esp now I read HB’s interesting tasting notes (coffee & marmalade?). Reading is something of a concrete mess but cherry-picking the handful of pubs that are so rightly praised on this site makes a visit very worthwhile, although getting around the 4/5 best ones will certainly result in a hangover as you’d have to be very disciplined not to want several pints in each.
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Miserable old landlady now gone the same way as the cat, definately a more friendly experience for it too. Beer quality first class, would now wholeheartedly recommend.
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Well the former landlady has now left and been replaced by an Agency Landlord who is now making an effort to cater for the punters, without any cat kicking or door slamming antics! This is a great pub and now the p!ss paddling pool that made going to the gents an adrenalin sport, has been drained the old place is almost sanitary.
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One of the best, if not the best pub in Reading. Excellent beer, which is served at a cheap price too for Reading pubs.
anonymous - 12 Nov 2006 15:00 |
Mardy goat behind the bar whose face would turn the beer sour. A little bit of a hike out of the city centre but well worth it for the beer, not for service with a smile.
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Well the surly woman is still there and it's probably her name over the door along with the other two licensees.This pub always let down by its extremely smoky atmosphere...the worst in Reading..ok so there's the Hobgoblin. Smokers sit at the bar even at the place that says 'no sitting here.' Sort out the smoking/surly bar staff and this would be a fine boozer.
The pub serves good beer (note good - as it once would have rated excellent) but it is not a patch on its sister pub (The Duck Inn in Laverstock)
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The start of our Reading pub crawl last Saturday.
Got there 5 minutes before opening. Surly-looking woman opens the door bang on 12 and looks rather disappointed to see paying customers, eager for (as i have been hyping it up to my mate) a quality Hop Back brew.
Go in, pat resident cat on the head, order two GBF's and sit down. Surly woman disappears out the back, shouts "get out of the f*ckin way" and boots the poor moggy into the middle of next week, judging by the unholy howl it emits.
Surly woman returns 5 minutes later with sandwiches, sits at the end of the bar scowling at her platter and ignores us (which was a shame as we were debating the ins and outs of mystery shopping, a subject I am sure she could have contributed to) until we finish and leave.
In short nice place and great beer, ruined by atrocious customer service and atmosphere.
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My second favourite pub in Reading after the Hobgoblin.
Always has good beer and a friendly crowd. Has a bar billiards table so you can watch the students make the rules up as they go along.
Has been a bit smokey in the past and slightly dated seating. Excellent beer though and a nice mix of students and locals.
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Nice, comfortable pub with a good range of ales available.
blamm - 19 Apr 2006 14:15 |
Lovely pub indeed, Great beer (summerlightning mmmm), good snacks, late hours at weekends, bar billiards and just a 100yards from home. Nice.
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I like this place, the beers are great and well kept. It's definately a drinkers pub but none the worse for that.
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well smoky but the beer makes up for it, all mod cons, even darts computers for when the intake of excellent ales hampers the process of subtraction. a hidden beaut of a pub.
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To be honest I was a bit disappointed. I have visited Hopbacks pubs in South Wimbledon and Weymouth and enjoyed myself at both of them. Here was not as friendly, the woman (don't know if she was landlady but a young scottish woman with glasses) behind the bar was rude and customers very cliquey. Awful fruit machine which involved a 'pinball' type mechanism which makes you lose was there. Not the best Hopback pub there is
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Nice pub with darts and bar billiards. But for some reason I cant get on with these hopback beers. Fortunately they also serve Stowford Press cider - very nice! Fond memories as I saw Ireland beat England on the telly here in last years 6 nations!
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Nice place, cracking beers on tap include Erdinger Dunkel and Weiss. Shame about the smoke though
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A wonderful pub, excellent ales, good atmosphere, bar billiards, fine selection of whiskies if thats your thing, just an all round great place, 10 out of 10 !
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Great pub, one of the best beer selections in Reading with interesting guest ales plus HoffBrau!
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A sign on the door suggests that smoking "at the bar" is prohibited as from 1 Jan 2005. I went there last weekend & saw two old boys merrily puffing away with their ashtrays on the bar in clear view of all the bar staff. So, as far as this pub's concerned it's a case of "up yours" if you're a non-smoker & fancy a decent pint in clean air. A great shame, because the beer here is excellent. Maybe one day they will realise that non-smokers would visit more often, stay longer & spend more money if the place didn't stink.
anonymous - 12 Jan 2005 16:36 |
An absolute goldmine. Friendly atmosphere, excellent beer and very reasonable prices.
Bob - 13 Nov 2004 19:01 |
Went to the Hop Leaf on way to Reading v West Brom game in May. Great pub, friendly welcome, good food and wonderful beer - what more could you want!!
Tony Vass - 28 Jun 2004 11:36 |
This is my local and a great pub. Best beer in town, a CAMRA favourite and not at all strictly for wrinklies. Not since they put tellies in for the footie anyway - it attracts all types these days. My favourite Reading pub.
Justin - 21 Apr 2004 22:52 |
One of only a few beers tied to Salisbury's marvellous Hop Back brewery (think Summer Lightning), the Hop Leaf is a friendly local that caters for everyone. The newish management are having a real go at running a proper community pub, with raffles, a new menu and a pub football side. The best thing though is the beer. This place is always rated highly by CAMRA and should not be missed by anyone who really likes their beer. It's just fantastic.
Justin - 21 Apr 2004 22:50 |
nice firendly contry pub atmosphere but in the town centre. Great selection of beers.
julian - 29 Feb 2004 18:31 |
They have bar billiards. No idea how to play it, but great fun when your legless.
anonymous - 27 Jan 2004 11:11 |
Strange place, full of crusty old miseries crowded round their cribbage or something.
Strictly for wrinklies and crumblies.
PsychO - 16 Dec 2003 18:59 |
Excellent pub and always has well kept beer! Christine will remember your drinks order until the end of the evening.
I - 8 Oct 2003 19:45 |
This is a pub with proper beer (real ales from the Hop Back brewery) well served and with friendly bar staff - like a pub should be!
S - 20 Jun 2003 14:59 |
