The Goat Bar @ The Grumpy Goat in Reading

This was a great place. Shame that they got closed down by their landlords.

Interesting cheese and beer shop hidden in the Harris Arcade. Quite a small shop with a limited selection of beers but worth a visit. 27/08/22 - Since writing this about 6 years ago, Grumpy Goat has moved to Smelly Alley in Reading into a bigger premises and a week ago they opened a Taproom upstairs which I will be commenting on. Access is via a set of stairs to left of store entrance so it's not suitable for those in wheelchairs unless there is a lift. The venue is pleasing. Seating is a combination of stools and wooden sofas with cushions. The latter has power sockets where you can charge your phone. The beer selection is reasonable and the venue tends to avoid the big local breweries eg Siren, DB and Phantom. Taproom doesn't have a big screen to display its wares but instead relies on scrabble letters which is interesting but not easy to see from afar. There is no draught cider option and the bottled stuff is local but very craft and pricey. Food option is a variation on cheese platters but you won't get anywhere asking for crisps. Dogs are allowed and the vibe was good. It's good to have another craft venue in centre of town. Nice touch was the security chap on door. Shouldn't be needed but the alley can be iffy at night. 04/11/2023 - Unfortunately Grumpy Goat closed for good on Saturday 28 October 2023. Problems with contract charges with landlord apparently. A real shame :(

Brilliant local independent, great range of beer and cheese among other things. Loads of character too

So sad that this place is going, through no fault of their own. Landlord gave them a weeks notice. 😡 I hope they find somewhere else to set up. 😢

The best thing about Reading. Full stop.

The Grumpy Goat offers a variety of things, but by far the best thing is their grilled cheese. I will often make a special stop just to pick up one if I am in the area - they have a few different grilled cheeses available (including a vegan option) which are all great, although the Rueben is a particular standout. In addition to the grilled cheese, you can buy cheese (to eat in as part of a cheeseboard or to take home) and they feature a range of great local cheeses to try. The taproom is a lovely little chill space serving a range of craft beers - they also have wines available. The staff are all incredibly friendly and the venue is dog-friendly.

Poor customer service at the cheese counter. Waited to be served for 15 mins before giving up and going elsewhere . It wasn’t busy so not sure why we were ignored for so long ?

Amazing beer and cheese shop, now with a brilliant bar/tap room upstairs!

I got a latte and the reuben grilled cheese. Best sandwich ever eaten in my life! MMMMMMMM so freaking good

Everything is great except the price, which is a little bit on the expensive side. Beer and cheese, what is there not to like about this place. Good central location as well.

Food and drink return to Union Street with this speciality cheese shop. Upstairs is a small bar room with performance area. They have quality beers and a special atmosphere.

All local sourced products. Great staff and know lots about the products they were selling . Would highly recommend.

Best beer shop in Reading. Apparently does cheese too.

Want a vegan cheese toastie? Head upstairs at The Grumpy Goat! Their Paparika cheese with peppers and Sriracha is amazing!! Sorry no photos, devoured it quickly!!

Good beers on draft, seemed like a smallish selection but nice place in town for craft beer - can get cheese and charcuterie plates as well

Best place for cheese (and vegan cheese!) In town. Lovely service and atmosphere

Love this place. Always a friendly welcome. Nice local beers and just tried the classic grilled cheese sandwich. 👌

Great little bottle shop plus bar, always a good choice of beers and cheeses! Pop in for lunch and have a grilled cheese sandwich, or on a weekend evening for a curated beer or cheese tasting session.

What a place, so good. Yes the deli and booze selection is top notch but the service and food is also really good. The Ruben especially! Can’t wait to visit again

Great cheese selection and awesome beers. Bar upstairs is great and really knowledgeable and friendly service

Nice toasties and soft drinks. I would have had a craft beer, but I'm not paying £1.50 on top for them to open it. Sat outside, as there was a loud yapping dog upstairs. If there was no empty seats outside, we wouldn't have went in (because of the yapping dog). It's very nice produce and products, so expect to pay more.

Great selection of beers, cheese and other local produce! Friendly and welcoming staff, such a gem of a place.

Lovely grilled cheese sandwiches at lunchtime

I only found out about this place whilst in Tescos picking a can from the non alcohol section of the beers and spirits. Let me explain....a couple who were also stood around the non alcohol section told me that the Grumpy Goat along "Smelly Alley" in Reading offers great choice. We visited on Sunday afternoon and bought some samples and drank them in the upstairs bar. Will visit again very soon!!!

A true Reading icon - great beer, wonderful cheese, lovely service. Come for the beers, stay for the toasties and cheese boards.

Always good. Always fun. Always great!

Best staff in Reading, cute decor, nomilicious drinks, and droolicious brownies... 5 billion stars out of 5. Highly recommend to all cool people. 👍

Amazing fromagerie on the downstairs with a fantastic selection of cheeses but also craft beer and select brilliant quality wine!! You can also get the best cheese toasties in Reading on the upstairs there is a bar area for a beer/wine/spirits drink which you could combine with your own made cheese platter! If visiting Reading this is definitely worth a visit!!

Blonde bar lady with tattoos is very kind and helpful, lovely beer & cheese too!

Always an amazing experience coming here. Genuinely fun and caring bartenders and staff. If you want to know more about the beer or cheese you're interested in, all you have to do is ask!

Best place in Reading to pick up a few bottles of beer or cheese. Also now a taproot for a few evening drinks. They serve toasties in the day and some other food. I'd recommend going if you've not already.

What a cracking place this is...craft beer & cheese! Big selection of cans in fridges downstairs along with the cheese & the amazing cheese toasties (£8). Upstairs a little taproom with 8 taps covering pales ales, dipas, cider, stouts & lager with a very knowledgeable guy behind the taps happy to give samples.

Nice place to be. Very friendly staff and good environment to chill out, love it.

Small and simple but it does it so well. Exceptionally good cheese toasties, brilliant combination of flavours. Apparently they get some grumbles that they don't use massive wedges of bread in their sandwiches, but when the ingredients and blends are that good, you let the sandwich contents do the work. Friendly staff and good value too

Can't beat The Grumpy Goat for amazing local beers and absolutely sublime cheese toasties! (Plus a well stocked cheese counter if you want some to take home). Friendly and knowledgeable staff, beautiful new upstairs bar and seating area... Go there, you won't regret it!

A little gem of a place , service and food excellent

Grumpy Goat is my happy place in Reading! Staff are lovely, knowledgeable and welcoming. Great range of cheese, beers and gins. Can not resist popping in every time I'm in town.

Cosy bar on the second floor - kind and friendly staff and delicious beer and cider options!

This place rules! Great selection of cheeses and some good vegan options as well. It’s really cute and lgbtq friendly too.

Had a couple drinks here last night. Very simple and relaxing place to have a few drinks with your mates and chill.

Exceptional produce and excellent service The staffs advice was brilliant.

We ordered 2 toasties to take away on what apeared to be a not particularly busy Saturday afternoon and had to wait more than 25 minutes for them. We were in full view of the kitchen and only saw 6 toasties made before us. 25 minutes just seems like a very long wait for such a simple order. There was only one staff member making toasties and at least 2 more were observed just sorting stock. While the toasties did taste good I would not recommend unless you enjoy long waits,. It definitely put a dampner on what was planned to be a nice lunch out.

Fab cheese toasties and great coffee. . Excellent service. The cheese counter had a very good selection including my favourite, Baron Bigod. I definitely recommend this eatery/ deli.

Great cheese and biscuit and relish selection and wine and beer , decent...

Superb flat white. Friendly staff. Nice vibe 👌

Always brilliant. Great selection. Lovely staff. And they like dogs.

Great beers and snacks. Friendly staff and cool atmosphere

One of the best places in Reading to have a beer and grab a bite to eat. Extremely helpful staff and relaxed atmosphere.

One of Reading's gems. Brilliant selection of beer, cheese, spirits etc. Always busy at lunchtime - no surprise given the quality of their toasties. Friendly staff are really knowledgeable as well. Love this place.

Amazing gluten free toasted cheese sandwich!! Great place to go for a beer and lovely coffee if you're the designated driver 👍🧀🍺☕

Excellent choice of Cheese & Beers

I love this place, every time we’ve been we’ve had a wonderful time. The staff there are great, I’m not into beer but I’m told the selection is great too! Yet to try the food but would like to. Highly recommend!

We popped in here yesterday and it was 10/10! Cosy little upstairs, nice selection of beers on tap and the cheese toasties were banging (just be aware that food and beers aren't served until 12pm). We had a coffee while we waited for the bar to open and they were lovely as well. Great selection of cheese and beer to buy to takeaway downstairs as well. Highly recommend this place and it's super close to the train station. Thank you! 😄

I don’t often publish reviews, but I can certainly recommend The Grumpy Goat, whether it be the plethora of delicious cheese, coffee or the swathes of beers; it’s all here. I had the pleasure of being assisted by Charlotte who advised me on the fantastic beers I had secured, as well a loyalty card if used wisely can come in very handy. I have not used the upstairs taproom, but I look forward to doing so. I will be back.

A lovely friendly bar, with a beer and cheese shop below. Excellent range of both beer and 🧀 cheese.

First time visiting, but I found one of the bar staff to be very loud. Shouldn't be able to hear his conversation at the bar when I can't hear the person I'm sat next to, across the room.

Best place to get your craft beer and cheese.Sometimes it can be quite busy and you'll have to wait awhile.

A good range of beers at half decent prices. Plus some nice platters of meat and cheese. The pickled onions were to die for!

Awesome cheese and bootle shop. New bar upstairs is nice as well! If you love been you will find somthing nice (just dont expect discount beer like supermarkets)

Good section of cheese and beer.

5 stars is very little for this place.. great variety of craft beer, cheese and spirits.. the latest additions of coffee, toasted and the tap room upstairs just add more to the place.. the staff is super friendly and helpful..

A great place to meet with friends, have a quiet coffee or beer and chat to the very friendly and knowledgeable staff on local beer, events or the cheeses they stock! It felt weird at first paying money for a toastie but can confidently say they beat anything I'd make at home and by far the best in town, and I love bringing friends to show them this place. A wonderful spot and great venue, the upstairs Bar has been a welcome addition to give more space for bigger groups. Keep doing your thing, GG! 🍕🍺🐐

Apart from using Full Fat milk and charging for 330 ml drinks but only serving 250ml drinks it was a good set up.

Great choice of drinks, tasty snacks and friendly staff. Upstairs is a cool place to hang out

Great Combo - Cheese and Beer. New location is even better, especially given the addition of Coffee!

Delicious cheese and nice selection of beer. The new upstairs pub is nice addition too, love the decor

Cracking little find between the trains, as we headed south west. Downstairs has a huge variety of bottles cans and speciality cheeses. Upstairs is a newly opened bar, which had a nice selection of keg beers on tap. Unfortunately we could only stop for half an hour, but we took a couple of cans with us for the journey into Devon. All in all, a great little bar, and only five minutes walk from the main railway station.

Awesome beer selection from local breweries

Great range of delicious cheese and more, plus bar upstairs for a quiet evening drink

Cosy little bar upstairs with 8 beer taps. 3 Bean Stout by Lervig my favourtite at 12%.

Nice selection of beers and charcuterie. Finally something nice in Reading! Well done

Excellent selection of beers and cheeses, great service. Highly recommend!

Great new addition to the Reading bar community. Good choice of wine and beer with a selection of food boards.

This shop is located in the alley (Smelly alley) of Reading town centre. At night, on the month of December, there are Christmas lights that brighten the alley. The shop is catchy as it has a unique colour of dark green paint outside. They have delicious grilled sandwiches and I also love their hot chocolate! Not too sweet and is good for me. They also have lots of cheese choices including vegan , and also spirits, wines and craft beers. A must visit!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 they are also in deliveroo just in case you can’t go to town and you’re craving for their cheeses and craft beers. The staffs are also friendly , accommodating and knowledgable with their selection of cheese. 👍🏻👍🏻

This is an excellent new venue in Reading, serving top notch craft beer on Tap and amazing toasted cheese sarnies. They also have a superb selection of cheeses. The Goat is run by a lovely couple and their very pleasant staff, do not avoid if you are in the area.

Went in today and told the lad what type of cheese we like and his choice of cheeses didn't disappoint 👏👏👏

Great selection of local alcohols and cheese!

Extensive beer and cheese selection with cool, intimate tap room serving 8 rotating craft beers, wine and cheese plates. One of the best independent venues in Reading. Highly rated.

Delicious high-quality cheese plates, an amazing selection of 8 rotating craft beers and wines, and excellent service! Not to mention the gorgeous bar upstairs!

We were lucky enough to visit on the opening of their new upstairs area. Bright and airy with a great selection of beers and the Reuben sandwich was exceptional

Great drinks, great food and amazing atmosphere. Staff are so friendly and welcoming too. Highly recommend a visit!

One of the best coffee shops in Reading. They have Really good Cortado and flat white.

Really lovely staff who know their cheese. They can recommend cheeses to try if you know which ones you like

Great people and very friendly experience.

A Reading institution. A must visit shop in Reading. Toasted cheese sandwiches recommended

Very friendly and delicious food. Dog friendly too!

Tucked away down a not so busy alley. Amazing selection of beers and cheeses and amazing toasties. Beer is top notch, they have some cool beers from local indie producers which is great to see. Customer service was spot on, greeted like a friend the moment I stepped through the door even though it's my first time.

If only every street had a Grumpy Goat. Or if only I knew it existed when I lived in Reading 5+ years ago. Really good selection of beer - had a fair few West Coast IPAs and Hazy's, which is my preference, so I left a happy bloke.

Enjoyed our beer and cheese pairing evening. They had Vegan cheese which was good, could perhaps do with 1more.

Wonderful shop, wonderful produce, wonderful people

It’s always wonderful to walk through the door at the grumpy goat. The incredibly knowledgable staff are always cheerful and will greet you with a smile. Then passionately guide you through the latest beers or cheeses with an unrivalled enthusiasm. The produce is a curated selection from some wonderful local suppliers, along with some of the best from around the world. It always brings a childish smile to my face when I walk out with a bag load of treats I know I’ll be enjoying that week. And definitely try the cheese toasties !!

The Grumpy Goat. A really great, local, find. Just down Smelly Alley in Reading. (Union Street) Great locally roasted coffee, delicious grilled cheese sandwich and amazing selection of cheeses and friendly, knowledgeable staff. If you're in Reading pop in, great selection of beers, spirits , sauces too.

Friendly staff and sell some locally roasted coffee. I like it.

Amazing cheese toasties to eat in or takeaway! Well worth a lunch time visit

Lovely selection of cheese. Friendly and well informed service!

Always a delight supporting this local independent. Great selection of cheese and beers. The toasties are fantastic, but get there early for lunch as they are very limited on seating

Great bottle shop with a really wide selection of beers. Can drink inside again!! Also great cheese section as you walk in the aroma is quite outstanding

Love cheese and beer then this is the shop for you. Staff are knowledgeable and give great recommendations.

Paradise!! I was like kid in a candy store with the awesome beer selection (whole fridge dedicated to sour beers!!!!!!) And amazing cheeses another love of mine. Staff are uber friendly and knowledgeable. Will be back for more

Great choice of beers. I'll be back