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.
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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