BITE user comments - camra_colin
Comments by camra_colin
Rude staff, tragic beer prices and a distinct aroma of dung in the air. The Woolpack it is not.
10 Jun 2013 13:42
Too true WD, this boozer almost makes me long for the return of the shut-down polish hole a stone's throw away! Granted that was a den of inequity but less aggage of a weekend eh!
10 Apr 2013 18:55
I'd have to agree with the comments below, the assistant manager comes across as quite arrogant and rude if not outright racist towards the English.
9 Apr 2013 12:33
I have to agree with the reviews below, since the rather abrasive previous landlord/landlady left this boozer has vastly improved. The new couple are friendly and have an actual sense of humour; something the last lot clearly couldn't grasp other than when getting dressed that is...
9 Mar 2013 16:32
One of Newbury's finest and a great choice of REAL ales reasonably priced. What is not to love?
8 Jan 2013 12:13
Greg, it wouldn't surprise me if the ever desperate 'spoons chain started hosting "Which Wetherspoon's Employee (past & present) Has The Biggest Gut?" nights. Granted in the Reading area they'd have plenty of contenders; Dan and his missus alone would be strong contenders although I'd still say Claire from Monks would win hands down.
2 Jan 2013 18:19
Any character this venue had has been destroyed via a modern, sterile wine bar makeover. I give it six months tops.
17 Dec 2012 10:51
Turn it in "whisky diet"or should I say David from Bob's kitchen. Why not take your guide dog back to the Monks and stop trolling these here forums eh?
2 Dec 2012 14:17
Now closed thanks to a wise decision by the brewery. Good riddance to a crummy pub and the crummy couple who ran it. Smirk.
11 Oct 2012 15:33
Now re-opened as Spin but all the negative comments below are still valid. Unbelievably the club has, if anything, got worse. It won't be long before this place goes the way of the Face Bar...
24 Aug 2012 10:22
I went in there when they had some local band on. Suffice to say it was amateur hour with some indie/dance/stuck in the nineties cobblers. In fact the last time I heard something this vile was a bunch of chavs drunk with a beat up PS3 and a copy of Dance Nation to hand. Only that was quite decent by compare. Reading; it gets worse before it gets far worse.
28 Jul 2012 10:03
Dogma Bar and Kitchen, Reading
The type of place failed failed X-Factor contestants would consider "current". Satan surfing the Thames with a fez wearing chimp on his back would stand a better chance of finding a decent beer in the house.
28 Jul 2012 09:59
I am delighted to report that this diabolical venue has been shut-down by the powers that be with it's licence revoked. Considering the noise, violence, and general dubiousness that this place inflicted upon Reading it was a no-brainer really. Although granted the majority of Polish dregs that frequented it were equally sans the grey matter other than the Neanderthal level IQ required to rustle benefits and increase the local crime figures. One can only hope their next establishment of choice is a bar in Heathrow or Gatwick on a permanent outbound flight...
3 Jun 2012 09:40
The Greyhound, Rotherfield Peppard
A great selection of wine and cheeses; must be a speciality here. Mind you I wouldn't leave valuables lying around...
11 Jan 2012 22:05
Bring back the town's favourite skankage; LAURA. She is a sight for sore eyes cor blimey guv'nor!
3 Sep 2011 15:01
Please note I have nothing against those of a homosexual bent (no pun intended). However since the Hob has been under new management these disco evenings and flamboyantly themed quiz nights have given the impression the powers that be are trying to distance themself from the lifeblood of the place; the regulars. I am pretty liberal with a live and let live attitude to life but when you have a six foot drag artist sit on your lap and then proceed to sing Right Said Fred dittys it all gets a bit much. Especially considering this was 3pm! At this rate I'll be drinking in the Wynford or Nags Head!
31 Aug 2011 16:53
LIKE a bloated geriatric whale bobbing in a sea of young, trendy gastro pubs, The Hope Tap has chosen to eschew 21st century fashion and give its clientele what they want.
And what do the good people of Reading want?
Make no mistake, they don�t want some tiny strips of overpriced game garnished with vegetables so unusually named you need the aid of a dictionary to know what you�re consuming.
They want meat � big juicy slabs of flesh, sizzling and spitting on a hot plate like a scorned weightlifter who�s just checked in to the athlete�s village in New Delhi and forgotten to bring his anti-bacterial wet wipes and snake repellent.
As if welcoming punters to Dante�s seventh circle of hell, the sign outside picturing a steak engulfed in flames proudly announces The Hope Tap as a Flaming Grill pub.
While the decor is what you would expect from a chain pub � impersonal and charmless � this cavernous family boozer with a dark polished bar and tables is not entirely without a soul.
And this is mainly down to the exceptionally friendly and helpful staff who go beyond the call of duty to make you feel welcome and provide that all too often rare quality in pubs today � customer service.
From making sure I had all the condiments I needed to fastidiously checking everything was up to scratch halfway through my meal, the waiting staff were attentive without pestering.
I was so impressed I didn�t have the heart to tell them my so-called black and blue burger (�5.50) lacked both enough stilton cheese and blackened cajun spice to justify its name.
Fortunately, there was a dazzling array of ales, lagers and beers to wash the disappointingly bland grub down with.
With autumn already here, the beer garden has probably seen the last of The Hope Tap�s fresh air fiends retreat indoors, but it�s still a pleasant area where smokers can puff on their cancer sticks.
The last time I ventured into Reading borough I feared for my life at The Bugle also in Friar Street, where there�s apparently now a dartboard with my name on it.
Although I�m thankful they didn�t choose a toilet bowl for their voodoo curse, the threat was such I bided my time before returning to this neck of the woods again.
But it was worth the wait and The Hope Tap is proof that quality of service does not always have to suffer because of a pub�s size and a corporate chain�s logo tagged before its name.
However, with not a spot of water in the area, I am slightly miffed about the boozer�s nautical name.
Perhaps residents are preparing for a biblical flood and hope to use the pub as a giant ark?
If so, I�ll be more than happy to hole up in this pub�s immaculate cellar for 40 days and the first round is on me.
17 Jun 2011 10:34
The Back of Beyond, Reading
Can someone explain why all the previously barred regulars have been given a free pass and returned this past week. Rather a coincidence they reappear the minute the landlady and her rotund half go on their hols isn't it? What beggars belief is these "people" are clearly unemployed/unemployable yet the social must be good as they are supping the ol' Marlon nigh on 24-7!
23 Jun 2013 13:27