The Bull, Sonning - pub details

Bull
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Address: High Street, Sonning, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 6UP [map] [gmap]

Tel: 0118 969 3901

Nearest train stations Twyford (2.2 miles), Earley (2.4 miles), Wargrave (2.5 miles)

Pub facilities/features:
Cask Marque accreditation

Pub added by flateric. Last visited on 14th Mar 2004.

NB: Information may be incomplete or out of date as this pub is not currently registered.

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> Current user rating: 7.1/10 (rated by 10 users)
> Local guides: Reading pub guide, Berkshire pub guide
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other pubs nearby:

Great House, Sonning (0.1 miles), Shepherds House, Woodley (1.0 miles), Flowing Spring, Playhatch (1.0 miles), Wee Waif, Charvil (1.0 miles), Shoulder of Mutton, Playhatch (1.1 miles) - see more nearby pubs

 

user reviews of the Bull, Sonning

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

5 most recent reviews of 9 shown - see all reviews

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.
CarolineNo - 20 Jan 2008 11:06
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.
diehard54 - 28 Oct 2007 15:30
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.
angryinvienna - 15 Aug 2007 11:26
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.
Riggers - 2 Apr 2007 15:26
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

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