The Black Boy in Wokingham

Had a desire for spare ribs for a birthday lunch and so googled "best ribs near me" and the Shinfield Arms was top of the list. A reservation was made and a confirmation email was received which was appreciated. We arrived and were shown to our where the menus were perused. Our drinks orders were taken as well as selections from the bountiful menu (a full offering of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes is also available from the menu) from staff members Sam and Darren whilst the day's specials were explained to us by the pleasant maître' d' , Victor. Garlic pizza bread with garlic and herb dip was a great start to the main course and was full of flavour. Mains followed shortly afterwards and the ribs lived up to their reputation! They were tender, tasty with oodles of barbecue sauce - absolutely divine! Slightly larger portions of chips and coleslaw would have been nice as they did not last partircularly long. Other items ordered were the pan-fried calves liver and bacon, the bacon double cheese burger, a prawn cocktail and chicken goujons and chips for the youngest diner which are all applauded. Dessert was graciously declined but a number of tasty dishes were available. Our glasses were kept charged during the entire meal by the attentive staff. A thoroughly enjoyable outing to the Shinfield Arms was had by all and kudos to Darren and Sam for their splendid service. A return visit will definitely be on the cards!

Amazing experience - all round. We popped in for an afternoon meal and were so glad we did. We were warmly welcomed by the young bar man when we entered the pub. Very friendly quick service for drinks and we were handed menus when we said we would like a bite to eat. An extensive choice on the menu, a good selection of classic dishes plus some more adventurous ones. A very large bar seating area plus a nice larger area around the side and rear of the pub. Once we chose our meals the table was laid promptly and shortly after the manager came through the pub and asked if our order had been taken and everything okay. The food arrived promptly and was delicious. Beautifully presented, well cooked, nice sized portions - tasted amazing. All in all one of the best experiences we have ever had for pub food - would always stop there again without hesitation. A very well run pub, 10/10 for the owner/manager - service as it should be, doesn’t get much better than this.

An ideal venue close to the M4 where we were able to meet up with family from Wales, Gloucestershire, Sussex, Hampshire and Cambridge. The food was superb- we chose in advance from the set menu. The staff were friendly and provided excellent service. We sat in the covered area with room to mingle. I have no hesitation in recommending The Shinfield Arms.

We had a wonderful first visit to The Shinfield Arms on Sunday.Thr staff taking our booking over the phone were fantastic catering to our large group needs. On the day we were warmly greeted by staff and looked after the whole way through the meal. The food itself was beautiful and we never felt rushed. The deserts were a particular highlight. A great afternoon in a lovely venue.

Great venue, lovely friendly staff but food was very average, tepid, portion size very small especially desserts and as a result poor value for money 2 mains 1 pudding 1 coffee £63 !! Sadly won’t be going again.Such a shame as our local !

First class service, food, drinks, and atmosphere!! Such a cool place! I had the calf liver and mash and my partner had the fish and chips - both were absolutely delicious. The spritz drinks were perfectly mixed and the outdoor patio with heaters was a dream. Our server was excellent - wish I could remember his name, tall brunette gent with a mustache and glasses. Completely wonderful evening!

Visited on Sunday to watch the football and it was amazing! Special shout out to Vibah she was great! 🫶🏽 all the staff were happy and we will defo return!

Went for an early evening meal. The menu had a great choice. We did not have a starter which was just as well as the main courses were more than adequate. Between us we had the sea bass, salmon and a fantastic chicken and ham pie. There was a great choice of deserts which came excellently presented. The wine list had a great selection and I would recommend the New Zealand Sauvignon blanc and an excellent Tempranillo Lastly the service was very attentive and efficient. So all in all a great venue.

The service was amazing and all the staff were lovely! They brought out a birthday cake that we brought on a special plate - these little touches really made the experience :)

First time in this place, Very friendly staff and a very good atmosphere. We ordered the fish and chips, and it was amazingly good. Large piece of fish and plenty of chips, Will return on our way to the airport.

My daughter booked a table at 12pm to celebrate her birthday with family. There were 5 adults and a 3 year old. We arrived promptly, but service was very slow, so it was gone 1.45pm before we received our main course. It was a Friday, but especially considering that we had a small child the wait was unacceptable. A member of staff did chase up our meal, and we were told it was being plated up, but it still took another 20 minutes to arrive. I considered walking out, but that would have ruined my daughter's birthday. The final insult was the service charge added to the bill! We asked for it to be removed, and explained why. It was such a shame because the food was quite good.

Ate a fabulous Sunday roast here today - one of the best I have had. Had a bit of a wait as they were so busy. Staff were attentive. Will definitely be back.

Sadly a very disappointing meal. The prawn cocktail was very nice but came with white bread, not brown and with the butter not covering the whole slice. The ribs, what little there were of them, were cold. The best thing was the chips which was the only hot thing. Won't revisit.

Review left on their site ...This was a great pub...last 3 visits have been disappointing. Local, you hope it will improve but nope. Likely to have been last visit. Food...overpriced for quality, no effort, I can you were advertising for a chef... A microwave and deep fat fryer operative may also suit. The staff...one waitress literally plonked everything, not heavy dishes just, dumped on table...tables either side looked at the delivery too. Not what would be expected. If when booking, you made it clear you wanted us to speed through - fair enough but whether it be the lack of customer service training with your young waitresses, it was actually annoying. Never in a restaurant, have I had a bottle of wine dumped on the table. Even with a screw top, not unusual these days, you expect it to be opened and a little poured into each glass. This again suggests lack of training. Also the dishwasher needs some salt as the wine glasses were misty, clean but misty. If you want to continue to be called a Gastropub you need to concentrate on what you deliver not just how your pub looks and consider staff training.

Our first visit and really enjoyed. Staff very friendly and food excellent. Lovely atmosphere. Will definitely return.

As a regular visitor here we were slightly disappointed with the large increase in the price of food and drinks. It certainly wipes out the benefit of having a Barons Card. At these prices the starters should not be served in red plastic baskets. All 3 of us had the half rack of spare ribs, disappointingly overcooked chips, micro dish of coleslaw and it was reduced in volume to look like a childs portion. Higher prices reduce food portions not very smart. In addition the service was ok but still hardly ever truly professional. Sometimes running around like headless chickens. Probably caused by a high turnover of staff. Huge price hike with the bottle of wine. Mark this place will lose our custom as with the Barons card discount its still not worth the price we paid. Will give this place a wide berth.

Lovely atmosphere and ambiance. Birthday dinner with family . Would thoroughly recommend. Food delicious and hot.

Ana and the whole team at the Shinfield Arms were amazing yesterday - we had a farewell event with around 20 people joining, the food and drinks were lovely and the service fantastic. This is the second event we have had at the Shinfield Arms and I couldn't recommend it highly enough - perfect will hopefully be back soon

Thoroughly enjoyable meal. The food was excellent quality, particularly the Sunday roasts. My one-year old granddaughter was with us and staff (particularly Aimee) were superb with her - even getting a tiny bowl of strawberries for her to munch. Highly recommended and will definitely be back. Thank you!

Lovely meal before dropping daughter off art Reading Uni. Had a booth and it was really nice and private. Good menu choices and food was very good. Thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be back again when we visit Reading Uni again.

Lovely historic pub, service was OK to very good depending on who you were dealing with, food was tasty and the portions were large. My open prawn sandwich on granary bread with salad and skin on chips was delicious and excellent value., perfect for lunch.

We waited over 45 minutes for our starters and over 1 hour for our mains. My burger was the most plain and unbeatable burger ever. I ordered Pig and cheese burger. Please read description of the main in the picture then have a look at how many pickles, how much cheese and how much burger sauce was in the burger. Bun was dry. Burger was burnt. Just not edible. Highly disappointed. Would not recommend.

Love this pub, it's quite local to us so we go regularly. Food menu is extensive and great quality, it would be good to add a few more specials to shake it up a bit thought, our fault for coming too often! Service is always good, yes people are training but be patient...we all have had to learn in our time! The team are welcoming and engaging.

I chose starter and side dishes as I didn't want a big meal. The chilli chips were alright, the chips were a bit crunchy, maybe overcooked. The hot garlic and herb dough balls were more like golf balls. Deffo overdone. Garlic butter rather than the dip provided would have been better. £4.95 for 5 dough balls £8.50 for chilli chips (normally with cheese, but I don't like cheese on my chips). The food was served in plastic baskets. Not what I expected for the price and how the place seems to think it is. Nearly £5 for a pint of lemonade!! £6.20 for a pint of Guinness!! Wtf?!?!! Needs to go back to a local country pub called The Black Boy.

Great selection of beers, wines and food. Something for everyone I'd say. Friendly and welcoming service can always be found here.

DO NOT EAT HERE. I was totally surprised to see a dog owner feeding it some food from the pubs plates and bowls; the dog was sat on the chair with it head on the table and at times it's paws. I spoke with the...

Great food with a good selection of gluten free meals, including desserts. Friendly, helpful service. I also had the Shinfield Arms house ale, also very tasty.

I’m really disappointed with both the meal and the service we received last night. While the staff were nice enough when we arrived it was quite clear they were very new and lacking guidance. After our order was taken we were barely spoken to, other...

The change of name has done the establishment no good. The food was basically okay, but the staff were not very enthusiastic, and to find out that we were forced to give them a 10%-tip in form of a service charge was rather frustrating.

Great place for lunch, food delicious and shelby our server was brilliant and service was very quick

We met some friends here for lunch. Lovely pub with a great covered outside seating area if you wish to stay outside. Inside, pub is lovely. We had a lovely meal, waited on m=by really friendly efficient staff. Would definitely go there again if we...

Fantastic lunch with friends in the Outside booth area. The Arms always delivers... waitresses kind and attetive. Food excellent and massive portions. The hum of the M4 gives it a peaceful quality.... always come back here, best pub in South Reading!!

If you want average tasteless lukewarm food, and unbelievably slow service, you couldn’t beat the Shinfield Arms today. Was there a couple of weeks ago and had similar experience but thought we were just unlucky and went back today. It was actually worse, very slow...

Food over cooked and fish was severely battered and oily. Overall was ok ish/ poor but …. Expensive for what you get. Food was what you would expect from a low end chain at half the price. Waiter wore a trainer badge which I think...

Has this place changed hands or something? Stopped in for dinner tonight and were seated in the totally empty restaurant, where our order was taken by a young lady wearing a trainee badge. “Trainee” implies being trained, not abandoned, yet when our order failed to...

Had a lovely lunch meal here with friends. We were a big group and pre booked our table. Communication was great and as we were a large group we pre booked our food. On arrival staff were attentive and the food didn’t disappoint. One of...

A warm welcome from Holly. A lovely choice of food on the menu. The meal was cooked to perfection. This is our favourite local restaurant and we had amazing service from Megan, fantastic interaction with us. Will definitely be back.

Lovely pub garden and the confit duck was fabulous...definitely will be retuning soon. Customer service was great

Usually we love the S.A but noisy bar staff throwing glasses into the dishwasher really was off putting. I always give S.A 10/10 but this particular evening wasn;' the greatest....

Nice cocktails with 2 for 12.95 offer between 5 and 7pm but charging 4.50 for a coke is scandalous. Outrageous price for the cheapest and most marked up beverage.

This was a family birthday visit (10+baby) at lunchtime. We all enjoyed the food, all 3 courses were cooked to perfection, very varied menu. The food was delivered at a nice pace served with a smile and in a professional manner. Our server was Jesse...

Another fabulous visit to The Shinfield Arms Delicious freshly cooked hot food Warm friendly and welcoming service from Mark again would not hesitate to recommend Great atmosphere outside too Be back soon

We booked a roast on the basis we liked their sister pub in Egham & were not disappointed. The portions were ample, cauli cheese was perfect & the beef was slightly pink & good quality. Roast potatoes could have been crisper but the food was...

I visited late on a Saturday afternoon with my son and his family and was very disappointed in the length of time we had to wait for our food to arrive. From ordering the food to receiving the first course took well over an hour...

We have been eating at the shinfield arms quite a lot recently, the staff are very nice, well presented and helpful, the ambiance is great, and the food surpasses all the above. Wonderful quality and generously portioned.

We sent for Sunday lunch for a double birthday celebration and annoyingly I cannot remember the name of our table server but she was absolutely fantastic and went above and beyond to ensure we had a great meal and experience. She was attentive, detailed but...

A perfect evening here . Food was cooked to perfection, the wine was chilled. Our favourite local restaurant. We received excellent customer service from Chloe, we thank her for that. Everything here is to a high standard and for that i thank Mark. Will be...

A trip to the Shinfield Arms for Mothers Day should have been a lovely afternoon, but I will keep it short; 1) Starters took an hour to come out 2) Mains was a further 45 minutes after that 3) Requested more veg 3 times, which...

I visited the pub twice this week. On Wednesday 15.03 I had a couple of drinks with my colleagues. Shelby was super helpful with my booking regarding my birthday dinner on 18.03. I had a great time and the food was amazing. Thank you Shelby...

Came in yesterday for a lovely meal Georgia c was our waitress and was so lovely couldn’t ask for better service, fast and friendly what more could you want, will defo be returning

A good venue, very attentive manager in Mark but disappointed in the hike in prices. By example, £14.50 for sausages and mash, really!

The visit was amazing from start to finish. I rang up yesterday and requested a booking for 20 people. They were A DREAM they booked it all up, fitted us in and when we got there it was soooo breezy! I want to give a...

I booked a table for myself and a friend which was a very easy process. We also got a reminder email just in case we forgot or wanted to cance. We arrived and were immediately seated. The staff were very attentive and friendly. I wish...

This chain of pubs goes out of its way to cater for Vegetarians and Vegans. They are not content, (like many other pubs), to offer a single Vegan option that they reckon will cater for all of those awkward Vegetarian and Vegan customers. The Shinfield...

My family had lunch in the Shinfield Arms today. Not only was the food and service great but then my Uncle had a funny turn and the manger came over and attended to the situation. He called an ambulance and he along with all the...

Mark and the team made such a special effort for our late valentine's. The booth was setup beautifully and the food was amazing - we've eaten here loads of times now and are always impressed with the quality. Thank you for taking the time to...

Lovely people that serve you and the pub is lovely as well.But and it is a big But,the prices are astronomical considering the food that was presented.It’s not value for money at all which was really disappointing. We had no starters, no wine and only...

Came here last week for dinner and drinks and had a lovely time. It’s very popular, we came on a Tuesday without booking and that was a bold assumption it would be empty. We sat outside (lovely area with heaters) and had a drink while...

So I should say I’m all about the food. I don’t care if the surroundings are amazing, if the food’s poor. Likewise if the surroundings are grotty but the food is banging, you’re getting a 5-star review. Sadly, this place was the former. Lovely surroundings...

I love this place. We’ve been a few times now when we visit reading. The food is good and lots of vegetarian options. The staff are really attentive and the atmosphere is good.

Poor service from the staff, rude, everything seemed like an absolute chore and unwelcoming Food was no more than average and for the prices paid, would at least expect good service from the staff!

We recently booked in here for a family Xmas meal. We chose the location as it was equidistant for all members of the family. First time any of us had used the venue or any of the small "Barons Pubs co" groups venues. I rarely...

My family were really impressed with our Christmas lunch at The Shinfield Arms. The food was delicious, and the staff were fabulous. A special mention to Jess for taking great care of us. Thanks!

We had such a lovely time at the Shinfield Arms today. We had the Christmas menu, everything we had was good! We had for mains: salt and pepper squid (not too oily and the lime mayonnaise paired really well with the squid), and maple glazed...

We rushed into the pub for a bite for lunch. Not local to the area, just passing thru. Hadn’t booked and stupidly forgot about it being half term and that Christmas parties would be taking place. We were found a table straight away. Staff were...

top class food and service from Aimee The Mountain of ribs was incredible outdoor area was very nice we will be back

Booked well in advance as it was my son’s graduation day. Arrived slightly early showed to our heated pod which had no door on a very cold night! Drinks came quickly, waited half an hour for starters with one coming 15 minutes later than others,...

Met friends for lunch and report the food and service was excellent. We were served by a very helpful, friendly and efficient waitress named Shelby who could not have been accommodating and made the whole dining experience at the Shinfield Arms enjoyable. We will definitely...

Booked for lunch arrived at one o’clock was seated and drinks order taken waited forty minutes for drinks to arrive even after asking three times when they we’re going to appear told they only had one bar person who obviously couldn’t cope Food arrived over...

We booked the Shinfield Arms for my mother's 90th birthday for 31 of us and we had a lovely family lunch. They catered for us all very well, the staff were very friendly and attentive, they could not do enough for us, excellent service. The...

We really loved this pub. The food was great and the service was excellent. We had lovely drinks (virgin cocktails). The price we payed for the food and drinks was really good.

I arranged a family meal for 21. We pre-ordered from the set menu, which made it easier for us and the restaurant. In the run up to the day, Helen couldn't have been more helpful and everything was organised well. On the day, the restaurant...

Ordered 2 roast dinners that were not cheap, nearly £40! Very disappointed as plates were cold and the food was tepid. The potatoes were not roasted at all and very greasy. I would say that they had not been in the oven for more than...

The fish and chips I ordered was cold and soggy when it arrived to the table. Genuinely one of the worst fish and chips I’ve had. The pie that my friends had was served with gravy that had the consistency of slime and the vegetables...

Easily the worst night out for a long time. They arrange two large noise parties on the same night and put our table between the two of them. We had children screaming and noisy adults shouting until 9:30 when we left. There was no consideration...

We came for my 18th for lunch and was not dissapointed! great, friendly staff and lovely food. reccomend!! I believe our waiter’s name was Stewart and he did an amazing job of looking after us! thank you :)

Excellent Pub with great staff and good food. The staff are brilliant, this time we were served by Stewart, who was excellent, but we have been before and everyone has been good. Food good and not too expensive. Great outside booths with heaters.

Was on a late work finish and rang to speak to Shelby who was very friendly and advised food was served until 21.45. Got there around then and the team were happy to seat me where I had a lovely salmon meal followed by a...

First time back since Covid. Great atmosphere, vast choice of food on the menu. Opted for spare ribs, absolutely fantastic. The staff are attentive, friendly and professional. Our personal waitress Becci gave us excellent customer service and made our evening special. Will return.

Popped in for a quick late lunch on our way to bath. Great service, tasty food. Would recommend! Garden area is really cool! Thank you Stewart

Food & Service were exquisite. Lovely atmos. Managerial staff Holly and Shelby were a particular highlight, and General Manager James’s professional, respectful and attentive attitude made the whole experience a one-off. Of course any self-respecting food enterprise lives and dies by its Kitchen Porters and...

We came on Saturday evening to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The food as always was outstanding. Lots of choice for Vegans. Hot and we'll presented. The staff were very friendly.

Went here on Saturday evening my Wife and I,felt like some Rib's. so did a search ,found the Shinfield Arm's ,read the review's sounded good , Was Not disappointed , the Rib's were to die for,as was the rest of the food ,had to wait...

Lovely pub grub, great customer service and good size. Even weekday, I’d recommend booking a table. Thanks Stewart for a great evening and the food recommendation!

Visited this evening with my husband,daughter, her partner and our 2 dogs! So nice to find a dog friendly place! We are always on the look out for places that welcome our furry family members 😀 Lovely food! Nice staff and beautiful place. We will...

Stewart was amazing, from taking our phone call at lunch time and squeezing us in on a busy Friday evening (last minute surprise trip to visit the parents from Spain) to making a point of coming to say hello and taking care of us during...

We had a good meal here! Good outside seating area with uncover and heater seating. The inside restaurant is nice, service is good. It is just off the early roundabout and parking could be difficult.

Fantastic place to eat. Great choice on the menu and great buzzy vibe. The ribs are just awesome and Stuart was a great host. Will come back for sure.

We’ve been here many times before and what I like about coming back is knowing how well the staff will take care of us. Today, we had Jen, who was lovely and always readily available when we needed her. The food was made to perfection...

Shinfield Arms, we're again brilliant today. Shelby made sure we were looked after well. She was so sweet to my friend and I. Food was very tasty ,again. So was the Porn Star Martini! I'd say the nicest one I have had. We have decided...

We had diner here for our last day of holiday. Lovely and warm welcome by our server Shelby! Super nice and polite. Food was delicious and seasoned well. If you needed any changea made to your meal it was no problem. The ambiance is very...

After waiting 35 mins for the starter which in fairness were ok little did we know of what was to come. After 1.5 hours or mains arrived. The fish was in thick soft batter and the chips were the scraps left at the bottom of...

We stopped here on the way down to Gatwick and was so good we came back on the way home after our holiday. We wish you were closer to Wales as the food is outstanding. Highly recommended.

Really good food Great atmosphere and absolutely brilliant service given by Becci. She is very friendly and an asset to your company

The food is incredible as always, a lot of options for vegan and vegetarian. Staff were also the same standard as the food, our server was Shelby who always had a smile on her face, and happy to carry out any needs we requested.

Disappointing experience due to poor service missing many ‘basics’ you expect when dining out. Started well when greeted and shown to table and the drinks order followed quickly, but went downhill from there. After waiting around 30 minutes for our food, we were notified of...

We went for lunch with friends today and were sat in one of the cabins in the garden , and as usual the food was excellent. However we have to give a shout out to Connor who provided a really great service today. We do...

Great food, great service from Louisa. A totally customer oriented approach and understanding to meet the customers' needs. I would come back here and hope that the service levels were the same. Well done and thanks again Louisa

Although the outside nicely covered area has all it's tables set up for diners, if you ask and if possible, they will let you sit there to just have a drink. At first, I sat in the outside smoking area, but the language, effing and...

My friend and I visited this restaurant last week and were greeted and served by the lovely Stewart that was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and made our visit a happy one. The Shinfield Arms are very lucky to have him The food is always excellent and...