The Ale House in Reading

One Drink and left the smell from the toilets awful toilets are so so dirty not good. Glasses no clean bar staff no the most helpful

Visited earlier in the evening and enjoyed a lovely pint. Went back for a night-cap later. Ordered another ale, which was sour. I returned it to the bar person. They poured themselves a taster and said it was supposed to taste that way. I asked if the drinks could be exchanged and was told no. We therefore walked out. As a CAMRA good beer guide listed establishment I expected better customer service. I will not return.

This is a great place and really all about the beer. A classic pub but with a nine casks, multiple cider options, mead, and then a lot of bottles that you don't see in other English Pubs. Great ambience with regulars that are super nice. There is a small outside area and an area inside with quiet booths if you want quiet. Well done Ale House.

Impressive range of drinks available at a reasonable price. The booths are nice and secluded. Had a nice old fashioned feel

I ordered a pint here and was disappointed by the quality. I drank a mouthful which was sour and lacking in condition. The beer in question was supposed to be a west coast pale ale called space taxi. I made it clear to staff that I was dissatisfied with the quality of the pint saying “I’m going to struggle with drinking that.” I was greeted with being openly laughed at and told “fair enough”. I walked out having paid £5 for something I couldn’t drink.

Hadn't been to Reading for a pub crawl since COVID and decided to start here at an old favourite. For me the great thing is it hasn't changed in four years , it still has a great selection of beers and ciders at reasonable prices. The cholate stout was to die for as well as the mild , all beers are served at just the right temperature . Background music was heavy rock as usual , and the cliental was a mixed bunch with lots of long beards etc , but everyone is friendly. Just like a good pub should be.

Fantastic pub! Best in Reading but if you fancy a Carling and/or want to watch the footy go to O'Neill's. Proper old style pub serving real ales, real cider/perry and mead, but they do, do Czech Budvar and possibly another guest lager if that is your bag. Wide range of bottled beers and they do have a small wine and basic spirit selection if that is your thing. Food is limited to crisps, nuts and pickled eggs but I have seen people eating on the outside benches. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly (as long as you are civil, so be nice!) The pub is for socializing so phones are encouraged to be on silent but they are not banned, just be civil. No one really wants to hear what you are planning for dinner. Everyone is welcome there, no one gets judged, so give it a go.

WORST PUB I HAVE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO USE BAD BEER AND WHEN TOLD IT WAS NO GOOD WAS TOLD TO DRINK OR LUMP IT

The beer is great, the staff are really friendly (and nice!), there's a proper pub atmosphere and plenty of regulars who also are very friendly.

We have been searching for many months all over Reading for a decent pub with good beer, without realising that we had many times walked past this absolute gem in the centre of town. This one of the best real ale pubs I have ever visited. The range of beers is superb and wide-ranging and kept in perfect condition. A great selection of continental bottled beers too and a friendly and wecoming atmosphere. We have finally found what we were looking for!!

The pub is fantastic but even more so the lovely girl that went to Durham Uni is absolutely incredible, absolute gem taking our photos and even better when we lost one of our phones. Absolute credit to the pub and we hope to see her every time we visit. Lovely pub, made fantastic by your amazing staff (she is fantastic)

It’s been a while since my last visit as the pub was closed during Covid. It’s handily located in the centre of Reading and there’s a small area of pavement seating but plenty of quirky alcoves inside. Always a good selection of beers but thank goodness no Doombar or the like. Had a couple of pints of Fugglestone and my friend also had a half of the ginger and chilli infused IPA which not surprisingly he couldn’t finish! Then I noticed the foreign bottled beer chalkboard and this enticed us to a few more drinks - one of the Belgian beers was 8.1% so sip it slowly! Plenty of banter with barman and regulars, plus if you like your music on the heavy or prog side then you’ll enjoy visiting all the more. Walls and ceilings covered in beer mats and mobile phone conversations are absolutely discouraged..👍. Overall, the Ale House is well worth a visit if in Reading as there’s not a lot of “proper” pubs around the South East these days but you will have to visit elsewhere for food.

What a discovery, a busy old style drinking house. Very freindly, busy and classic old style service. Many beers covering just about all tastes. several alcove/snug seats but mainly a standing bar. Looking forward to the next visist...

I was in Reading and waiting for a friend to get an eye test so thought I'd have a pint, found the Ale House just down the road and decided it looked a good place to wait for him, after a little banter with the regulars at the bar I ordered a beer and it was a great choice, anyway, decided I'd have another to make sure I really did like it, I did. While ordering my 3rd the barman mentioned the eye test was taking a long time, I said great, I may try another! Music was ideal, great conversation. No heirs or graces, what you see is what you get. My ideal kind of pub.

Wow. Just how do I go about describing just how awful the beer in this place is? I tried about five different ales in the hope of find something even remotely quaffable; failed dismally. Avoid it like the plague.

Found this place by chance , one Sunday evening . Glad we did. They have an amazing choice of real ales , Belgian bottled beers, cider and even Perry. They are also very knowledgeable and when said what I like and I didn’t they recommended a pint which I throughly enjoyed and it was also cheap for area. As it was quiet we had one of the back rooms/snug to ourselves . The choice of music was interesting as it was very very heavy rock with the lightest track being one by Metallica . No idea if that is what is normally played but it made a change although couldn’t have stayed for a whole evening of it

Dropped in here with friends as having a bit of a crawl. Tiny place from the outside. Wow the selection of beers was really good. The staff knew their stuff, landlord too. Told yo about the beers and allowed tastings to make sure you got a beer you liked. I like that. Sort of pub you'd expect to find in a village not in the middle of a big town.

una tipica casa publica mas conocidos por pubs, este tipo de lugar tiene un charma, una atmosfera familiar intima que me resulta fabulosa, mingun lugfar mejor para compartir unas cervezas y unas picadas. y este en especial, muy buen servicio muy buena oferta.

Excellent array of beers, but the atmos is not very lady-friendly and the militant anti phone thing is a bit off-putting. The booths through the back are cool if you can get one.

We called in here on Sat 25 May for a pint. Four of us found a table near the bar and ended up staying here for a few pints. Lovely relaxing atmosphere, within a real old traditional quirky pub. The toilet area however took me back many years as I have literally not seen one in need of so much TLC for some time. Apart from that area the bar staffs are very efficient and the beer on tap was simply perfect. The decor is quite unique with literally hundreds of different beer place mats stuck on the ceilings and walls.

Huge mix of real ale in a quirky pub in central Reading. Great place to visit if you are a fan of real ale and appreciate beer that has been cherished and cared for.

Good ales good music great staff.... Superb place to drink fine ales.. Good atmosphere of like minded people who enjoy the finer things in life...

Qué desorden. nunca desde que lo hice, he olido tan bien, sin lavar los cuerpos juntos. Cuando fui al baño, me recordó el silencio de los corderos con varias de las clientelas escondidas en un cubículo que pretendía ser Frrd West, ¡bueno, espero que estuvieran precediendo! ¡Nunca volver!

An old fashioned pub for the ale drinker. Not the place to take your other half for a romantic evening.

Quería probar este lugar, así que lo visité con un único amigo. Pedimos en el bar y tomamos asiento hasta que el personal. . . . nos dijeron que no podíamos sentarnos aquí, estaba reservado allí, podíamos sentarnos en otro lado si pedíamos comida. . .Dejamos nuestras bebidas y fuimos a otro lugar a beber. . . .Demasiados no lo hacen y no pueden. . .

A beer lovers paradise with a great range of local beers on tap. Reasonably priced considering the central Reading location. Toilets are "basic and functional". Did I say Beer mats? Ceiling and Walls covered with 100's of them.

Llamé mientras pasaba y me sorprendió. Detrás del bar hay una serie de agujeros cubby con paneles de madera con mesas para dos o cuatro personas. Hubo una gran elección de cerveza barril y el West Berkshire suave que elegí fue una de las mejores pintas que he tenido en mucho tiempo. Súper lugar!

We stopped in here for one before dinner and it was excellent. Great choice. It's worth dropping in for.

Great choice and good quality in this quirky establishment. Rather cold inside though and loos even more so.

Good friendly local, good range of local and guest beers. Love to go into one of the small rooms with friends and compare notes. One of the few places you can go into on your own and feel comfortable. Will be back when Dry Jan is over,

Called in as I was in Reading and looking to sup some local beer. This pub read well in the Good Beer Guide and on the Reading CAMRA website, in terms of supporting local microbreweries and having a quirky interior. On all counts this pub is recommended including a welcoming barman who was happy to talk about the beers on offer as well as a great vibe with other people at the bar joining in the crack. It was that sort of pub. Loved it!

Love this quirky spot. Well worth a visit. Fab selection of Ales. Staff and customers really friendly and gave great recommendations!!

A Reading institution for beer lovers! Tiny little bar with snugs at the rear and some outside drinking but it's the beer range you come here for. Always a seleciton from West berkshire Brewery plus guest ales from micro-breweries around the country (you can't miss the collection of pump clips displayed everywhere!) No food but you can bring your own. A selection of foreign bottled beers as well as imported Czech lager and a couple of "craft beers". Conversation is the order of the day and a mix of customers make it a pub not to be missed.

Buena variedad de cervezas en perfecto estado, y la idiosincracia cabinas de madera son geniales para tener una natter. El loos de la parte trasera son eternamente a mediados de reforma y olor como un antiguo café francés; en wc el aspecto positivo. . . . Significa por lo general puedes encontrar una mesa vacía, cerca de la parte trasera.

How a pub should be, a little slice of heaven on horrible high street, real beer, no food, beer mats on the ceiling and little booths to sit in, the best thing in reading by a mile

I had 50mins between trains so I popped in here for a pint. It has a very good selection of real ales and a varied Belgium and German selection of bottled beers.

Aún tan popular como cuando se inauguró como el Hobgoblin hace muchos años. Un lugar para reunirse y elegir entre una gran variedad de cervezas. El edificio y las instalaciones de 'están mostrando en serio desgaste que es triste experiencia.

Además de las cervezas locales en el proyecto, el Ale House sirve también mead y sidras. Prueba la lavanda Mead para un cambio de ritmo.

Precioso pub británico, la cerveza siempre es buena. Esto es lo que debería ser un pub. ? Las cervezas son siempre en forma y se las arregla para permanecer abierto a pesar de las autoridades tratando de cambiar las cosas que son el camino a la vida. quieres

having an hour to kill in reading we found the alehouse amongst a sea of shops and department stores this a traditional pub with cosy snugs where you can chat a massive range of real ales some local beers not to missed its only 5 mins from station easy to find in broad street

Great selection of beers as well as friendly staff and locals. Due to being in the centre of town, this place is always worth a visit if you are in Reading.

Real gem of a pub with an excellent choice of Beers, Ciders and Perry's that constantly change - a must for any ale buff. And the Beer Mats aren't, they are the name plates that go on the front of the pump.

A proper old fashioned pub every time I visit this area I head straight to this pub.Excellent range of real ale's, Lovely little cubby holes to sit in.Not enough of these pubs around, Few and far between.

we visited here whilst shopping a great choice of real ales a very different pub with beer mats on all walls and ceiling and small cubicles to sit in,an experience

Very good little pub with some nice local beers! FYI me and my family found best value nearby parking at Church St, RG1 2SQ!

A real surprise this pub, probably my 10th visit.Huge range of beer, cider and basic spirits. No mineral water, but Reading Tap on offer at no cost. No food except packet bar snacks.Often smells of wee and bleach in the cubby seating at the back, all part of the character. Tiny little place with limited seating outside.A must for any good natured, quiet pub crawl.

great choice of local and guest ales and ciders, knowledgeable and friendly staff - I could sit there all night just looking at all the beer mats on the ceiling

What a shame more pubs are not like this, a large selection of well kept beer (I don't drink cider) in a good old fashioned boozer - 4 or 5 booths to hide away in and admire the beer matt collection on the celling. Staff and customers all very friendly.

We had been before, but our friends had not! They LOVED it! Great places for make lovers! Quirky and cute! We loved it!

I've been here with business associates and with friends. The pub scored points for its knowledgeable service and especially the great atmosphere - if you go to the back you'll find tiny booths you can sit it, sequestered away with good company and booze. What more could you ask for?

I've been coming here for years. It's a no-frills, beer-drinkers place, but serves some the best ales in town. In fact, it's one of the few places in the immediate town centre for real ale. You need to go a little way out for something comparable. Seating is limited, but I don't mind standing. It's got some interesting little booths at the back.

Friendly CAMRA pub decorated with bar mats on walls and ceilings. Good selection of beers. Seating was a bit of an issue so only had a couple of beers and moved on.

I visited The Ale House with my parents one Saturday daytime and was very disappointed when the woman serving me sneered at me for ordering a fizzy water.I feel that the staff ruin what could be a great pub with their condescending nature.

Been drinking in here for years best pub in reading, and very handy for my bus home??A great watering hole always a fine selection of local beers, if in doubt Carl and Ricky are very knowledgeable and will point you in the right direction beer wise.

brilliant pub, not trying to be anything it isn't just does great beer and has knowledgeable staff, what more could you want, toilet Is a bit manky but can live with that

From J Boy of DerbyA very good pub right in the centre of Reading,a very good selection of real ales, my favourite is the West Berks Good old boy.A proper pub with helpful and knowledgeable staff who know the different ales on display.The ceiling and walls are covered in beer mats and there are plenty of little alcoves to have a quiet drink.Toilets are in the yard a little old fashioned but in keeping with the general pubI have been going in here for years remember the days when it was called the HobgoblinPlease don't use mobile phones in the pub

Called in here a few time while on a weekend in Reading . Great selection of local alea and i was pleased they sell fruit beer .....my fave !

Just a sparkling selection of real ale and continental varities here, it really is a must for any beer aficionado that finds themselves in Reading. No frills. You're not here for the ambiance (which is otherwise perfectly acceptable). You're here for oft rotating handles of local and regional real ale and a few dedicated handles to continental lagers and other fine brews. On my visit(s), I happily imbibed a fine range of brews, from a local West Berkshire mild in fine form,to a berliner weisse from Siren, and a delightful weizenbock from Mahrs Brau out of Bamberg, Germany. A fine bottle selection, in addition to the numerous taps, ensures there's something for everyone. Do yourself a favor and stop in for a pint or three.

We've been to the Alehouse (formerly The Hobgoblin) several times down the years, and one thing that hasn't changed is the great selection of excellent and very well kept ales that are on offer.On this particular visit, we enjoyed a very nice perry, as well as some good golden ales, including an excellent pint of Dr Hexter's healer from the West Berkshire Brewery.I felt that the young lady who was working the bar when we visited was one of the most pleasant members of staff I've ever encountered in this pub, some of them in the past have been abrupt to say the least, and this is one of the good changes I found this time!If you want a Reading town centre pub that is a bit quirky, with secluded booths as well as a more open bar area, then you'll like The Alehouse. If you also want good beer then you'll love The Alehouse!

This is a very good pub with great beer, but the staff need some training in hospitality.As I walked in I ordered several pints of ale. However once the barman noticed we were in a large group (we were in a stag party and numbered 10) we were told abruptly "stag parties should call ahead". We were unaware of such a policy and could not see it on any signage outside the establishment. I immediately said "shall I cancel my order then?" (more than £25 of drinks). Unsurprisingly, the barman said no!The same barman then took offence to a singalong of the stag party to Bohemian Rhapsody - it is not an offensive song by any means. But we were told to calm it down.By all means if you like real ale come and have a pint. If you are in a group over 4 or 5 then please call ahead!!!

If you're looking for a traditional drinking hole, then this is the place. An amazing selection of real ales in a traditional drinking pub. Beer mats line the walls and ceiling and there is absolutely nothing "upmarket " about it! One word of advice: don't visit the toilets - hold tight - they are absolutely dire.

Popped into the Alehouse whilst I had an hour to kill before booking into my hotel.Excellent selection of different ales and ciders from Berkshire breweries and further afield.Cosy pub covered in beer mats and tiny little alcoves to sit and sup in away from the main bar.Cracking little Alehouse.

The Ale House is a great place to breathe and taste hops, barley and local beer culture! Beer selection is always good and varied and the atmosphere increases the enthusiasm. Unfortunately, there are not many seats available but this does not stop anybody from enjoying a really good beer.

Good choice of real ales most of which where local and real ciders. Quirky little bar. Got very busy and there isn't much room inside.

Over the last couple of years my visits to our construction site in Reading have occasionally left time for a swift half before the train home. Reading is a town that turns out to be a whole lot better than it looks at first sight, but everywhere I looked the pubs seemed pretty grim; rubbish beer, endless TV, ugly building etc.And then the Ale House. How did I miss that one? Bloody brilliant. Great beers and friendly staff in a delightful warren of timber compartments stretching back from the bar. "No finer real ale pub in the land"? Maybe not quite, but now I try to think of a better one, I can't.

I've been drinking here for fifteen years and I can't believe I haven't written a review. That fifteen years should immediately tell you something about the place because its no frills appearance would put some people off, as would the lack of food, keg lager or Guinness. But this pub is about real ale and along with the Nag's Head it's the best place in Reading to get it. They sell proper cider and perry too, and mulled mead in the winter. The bar staff might, on occasion, give you a bit of ribbing if you make the mistake of asking for Stella, but if you can't get over yourself and want staff in suits and pinafores who bow and scrape then there are plenty of places up on Friar Street that will suit you perfectly. But this place, as the Alehouse and formerly The Hobgoblin, has been in the CAMRA Good Beer guide every year since it opened in 1993, and that should tell you all you need to know about whether it's the place for you or not.

I believe this pub used to be called the Hobgoblin. Anyway it was our first stop last night and they serve extremely good real ale according to my old Uni chums with me. I had the unfiltered Bud and really enjoyed it.

No meal, just unbeatable offer of draught ales, ciders and perries - mainly local production but also some imported ones. Excellent service and great atmosphere. Highly recommended for lonely drinkers and small groups of beer lovers. Still good old Hob Goblin, only the name has been changed.

Small pub, full of nooks and crannies inside, in centre of Reading. Focuses on a wide constantly changing range of cask ales, ciders and perries - at least a dozen on at any particular time. More recently has started to dabble in the craft keg field as well. Claims - and believe them - to be only pub in Reading to have mead permanently on.Bit scruffy, eclectic collection of customers - lovely.

The Ale House is small and traditional. There is a verity of real ales available and the beer is very nice. I really like the classic little seating areas. The only improvement that could be made, is a toilet refurbishment.

Just popped in here for a couple of drinks before home.The place needs a good clean but despite that, it's welcoming with a nice selection of people and beer.It's nice that mobile phones aren't allowed, bliss!

This is what I wanted the local to be like. Good beer, colorful people and little bit edgy. Lots of students and people having a good time. Did I mention the beer?

The Ale house is a rather small pub in the main shopping street of Reading. It has 5-6 real cask ales on offer (and if you see an ale you want to try, have it at that moment, or it might be gone the next time you pass) and a decent list of foreign bottled beers. For sitting down you have a number of "cubicles" at the back, and there is also some outdoor seating, for the smokers. Service very knowledgeable. You can only pay cash.

After visiting the Alehouse tonight I feel like I cannot justify not leaving a review. I was very impressed when I first arrived, amazing atmosphere with great beer and cider as well as quirky boothes to sit in. However the main reason for my review is to commend the staff. After feeling rather ill during my visit, the staff members really impressed me. Coming to bring me water and sugary food to make me feel better (free of charge!), they really showed care towards myself. I will be visiting this pub again as I loved everything about it and I would like to thank the bar staff and owner again for the care I received. Thanks again.

Called in for a drink but couldn't get anywhere near the bar due to people hanging around the bar, gave up in the end, very disappointed because we were quite looking forward to having a drink here

Called in for a quick drink. Lots of real ale to chose from. Really nice pub with lots of little nooks & crannies. The only bad bit was the music, too loud and rubbish. Otherwise would have got 5 stars.

A real pub serving a choice of well kept ales in the shadow of a modern shopping mall. A relaxing step back in time away from the hustle of modern life.

This place could be good but the staff are a bit up themselves and seem intent on telling you what size of beer you can have rather than trying to be helpful. If you can't stand outside be aware that some of the clientele have a bit of a b o issue!

A wonderful place with some inside seating including little nooks here and there, with a few tables on street at front of pub - this sounds a bit naff but it's good cos in the decent weather you get some good street musicians performing a spit away (not literally obviously - that would be nasty). Great choice of beers with one lager and red, white or pink wine - you go there for the beer, ambience and music (quality 80s stuff when we visited). Definitely recommend it if you like good beer and old style pubs.

Another great find in ReadingMassive range of ales, loads of little nooks and crannies to take them - plus a couple of tables outside. Only downer was the know-all attitude of the barmaid who gufffawed in the face of the only non-ale drinker amongst us who dared ask for lager

A real find for reading. It's a small bar that serves real ale, decent cider as well as a wide range of other drinks. Although it's always busy and quite small there's a quirky area round the side of the bar with lots of quiet cubby holes to sit in.Great place for friends or couples looking for a good beer and a chat.Best of all it's not a large standard chain pub!

TripAdvisor have put this remarkable place under Restaurants!?! Tain't about food - tis about BEER!! Now on with the review. Found The Ale House nestled in the eclectic Broad Street, Reading, Berkshire (a mixture of the old, the new and the naff). The building catches the eye as being of the original architecture of the town and the name promises what it delivers. This DEFINITELY is the place which any true lover of 'the hop' should seek out when in Reading. The over 300 year old building features original, wood paneled booths where you can snuggle away you with fellow drinkers to enjoy a REAL drink. With a massive choice of draught and bottled local, UK and continental beers,The Ale House also serves ciders and even mead. No fuss - no frills just excellent drinking! A word of advice - to really enjoy your visit to The Ale House DON'T PLAN TO DRIVE HOME!!