the moderation in Reading

It's no accident that I am returning to this amazing gastropub for the eighth time, and it is high time that I gave a review, so here goes. I stumbled across the Moderation while attending a conference at the hotel across the road. By 6:30 pm on a Wednesday & Thursday, the place is packed with customers who, like me, clearly love the food, the beer, the atmosphere, and the attentive and friendly service. So, whether you're visiting Reading or you live locally, if you like Thai food and a traditional pub atmos, the Moderation is an absolute a must!

English pub. Very lively. Nice waitresses, very helpful. We'll let you taste the beer if you're undecided 👍

Sat in the garden, looking in towards the kitchen. Could see the chef pouring out my curry into a bowl from a plastic microwavable container clearly from the microwave. Meat was subsequently hard and tough. Such a shame as the curry was very tasty. The place is pretty pricy now. We were asked if we wanted to order carbs with one of the dishes as it didnt come with anything.

I recently visited The Moderation and was impressed with the Asian cuisine. The food was authentic and had a great taste. The staff was friendly and welcoming, making the dining experience enjoyable. The restaurant also had a good selection of dishes to choose from, making it a great option for those looking to try a variety of authentic Asian flavors. Overall, I highly recommend The Moderation for anyone looking for a good Asian meal in a friendly atmosphere.

Lovely evening once again . Always get good service from the staff here and really tasty food .

100% great food,service and it's a lovely gem in Reading. Highly recommended

Probably the best pub food in Reading! Friendly service and atmosphere. You can also enjoy TV sports whilst having an excellent quality meal.

Amazing food with generous portions and very friendly service

I love the moderation. Great food, great team and great location. See you again soon.

Once a traditional town pub, the Moderation today is half pub serving a decent range of ales & drinks and half restaurant serving a variety of quality Southeast Asian cuisine alongside some traditional English meals, plus desserts. The restaurant decor is both modern & tasteful and a complete contrast to the pub drinking area. The staff were friendly and accommodating when we called in here. Worth a visit as some interesting Asian dishes on the menu that are prepared by the head chef who is from Java Indonesia, would love to try when next here.

Can but fault this place at all!!! Great friendly staff, fantastic food. Was here working reading festival and ate here as much as we possible could! Just delightful!!

Ordered the pork massaman curry. And it was not good. Too salty , no nuts and the meat was smelly All the female staff are so unfriendly and don’t even smile at you.

Thought this was just a regular pub but the Asian food inside is brilliant

Service certainly doesn't come with a smile. Landlady I presume very miserable wasn't made to feel welcome at all.

Delicious food and nice service.

Have eaten in a few times. Their menu is wide, reasonably priced and consistently delicious. With a solid selection of beers and solid service, what is not to like.

A truly friendly pub with great variety of English and Asian pub food. The staffs are polite helpful and efficient with quick service. Ambience is pleasant and TV’s installed at good locations to view from all angles. There are more seating and BBQ Station in the back yard. It’s a great ambience and the place was lively. Food was reasonably priced. Unfortunately there were very few Ramen Noodles in the Laksa dish. The dessert ‘Moderation Mess’ had little strawberries and loads of cream but little to none ice cream. Deffo not recommended at that price and quality. There’s no parking on site and you may have to use a parking away from the location and have a few minutes walk to the pub.

Great food, Nice food , lovely atmosphere and friendly, helpful staff and service

If you’re seeking the perfect venue for a date night, Moderation Restaurant is an excellent choice. From the moment you arrive, the inviting atmosphere sets the tone for a wonderful evening. To start, the vegetable spring rolls are simply divine—crispy, flavourful, and utterly irresistible. For the main course, my personal favourite is the Panang curry, a dish that’s rich and perfectly spiced. My husband, on the other hand, is a fan of the chicken stir fry, which is always fresh and vibrant. The drinks selection pairs beautifully with the meal, and the desserts are a delightful way to round off the evening. Having the opportunity to book a sitter and head out for an evening of exceptional food and relaxed ambience is a rare treat. Moderation Restaurant makes it easy to enjoy a memorable night out, with starters that could easily be featured on the Off Menu Podcast, main dishes that are worth every mention, and puddings that are simply lovely. It’s a charming experience from start to finish.

Food was fantastic, beer was great, but being asked to give up my table half way through what was my 1st pint was just rude...didn't even get time for my food to settle! I get they want to sell food but it took me 10mins to find a free table, half the place was reserved, if they can't take the covers they shouldn't sell the food!!

This is our regular for the lush Sunday roast, easily the best traditional Sunday roast for miles. This restaurant is both meticulous and relaxing. Everything was done professionally, with friendly efficiency. The food is excellent and unpretentious, beautifully cooked. We finished with a Mod Mess, which was seemingly expensive but actually we have that again as well. Eton Mess with some great touches; seasonal fruit, chopped mint and delicious coulis. It was wonderful.

the most delicious crispy chilli beef. Yes the owners are a little blunt and its very busy but the quality of food was brilliant. This was the strangest fusion mix i have ever seen but wonderful!

Amazing Asian food selection Possibly the best and most underrated south east Asian food in reading. Fantastic atmosphere and decent prices Bring back Lamb shank Massaman ( they recently removed it from menu ) this was my favorite for a few years

The Asian food is really tasty and the service is second to none. The atmosphere was brill on semi finals night of the Euros, so good in fact, we went the following night too!

Nice pub with a good size outdoor sitting area. Delicious Thai food. Good selections of beers. Only downside is a too noisy. Otherwise a great pub no

Loved the food here!! The fish & chips and the burgers were amazing!! Our server was super friendly too! Will definitely go back when in England again.

UPDATE: Came back to try the full menu. Tasty crispy squid starter and crispy spicy pork belly main. Great lunch and hospitality! Well, I know the Southeast Asia menu looks fantastic but I chose to wait and explore later, so I went for the Rendang Burger on first visit. They apparently grind the beef in-house but the utterly delicious and spicy Rendang sauce both slightly masked and at the same time complimented the beefiness of the thick patty. Anyone who tops a burger with a fried egg is OK with me.. Roti Canai had a really nice hot curry and flaky roti; yum. The staff were utterly delightful and professional, even opening just a little early on a Monday lunch with a good discount 12-3! Very nice lunch, regular menu looks gluten-free friendly. Coming back at night with wifey to sample the rest of the menu. It has been been at this location 16yrs, I’m late to the party but thoroughly recommended; a real restaurant. Best/only parking is the Thameside Parking a short walk away.

Whilst working away this place was just across from the hotel, if you like Asian food this is great place, I had crispy tempura squid and the portion was that big I could've shared and it was good quality, I then had beef rendang for a main, for me it could've been spicier but they probably cater to a more western pallet, where I love spicy food...if you're in the area stop by and you won't be disappointed, I wish I was here longer than a day because the other food brought out looks amazing too so would love to try.

Had the crab cake and full rack of ribs, sat outside and had an enjoyable meal. Would have liked the ribs to be a bit more tender, but i ate the whole thing so can't complain. Very well priced.

Great service and consistently good food at good prices.

The pub is around the corner from the Premier Inn (Caversham) where I stayed. Met up with a friend after returning from Henley. Really great food and I enjoyed the beer.

Good place for food. Alittle expensive for drinks

Awesome place with some great food. Had the beef rendang, which was really well spiced. Would definitely recommend.

The Rendang Burger will save your marriage

Lovely food, GREAT service. Would have been 5* on food but 2 dishes out of 8 weren't the best. Rest was amazing! Really enjoyed the pork belly ramen!

Amazing food, couldn't choose as selection was so big, so ordered half the menu!

We visited for Sunday lunch… it was busy but not full…. The service was great and friendly… all our voices were good and some unexpectedly great… four of us shared a selection of staters and mains… we will visit again…

Really enjoyed the Thai/Asian food and will def be back for more.

Good value food and good choice of ales. Great choice of Thai dishes. Pub grub too. It can be very noisy so not ideal for a quiet meal or those with hearing difficulties.

One of the best pubs in Reading. Always brilliant service. Superb food. Great choices

Beautiful pub! Really food choice of food and drinks. Beer garden at the back and to the front. Lots of space inside. The food was amazing!

Very nice Sunday Roast. Highly recommended.

Enjoyed a very tasty lunch for 8 of us. Really good quality food, hot, well presented and definitely recommended!

Really delicious Thai and Malaysian food. Good portion size, nice and fresh and cooked to perfection. Really helpful and friendly service too. We were a big group of adults and children and we were all very impressed. Thanks for a great meal! We will certainly be back.

Lovely food and nice outdoor area

I’ve been a few times now and never had a bad experience, quality food, great atmosphere, good selection of beers and friendly and attentive staff. Reasonably priced too, what’s not to like? A+

Great little pub with a Thai twist the food was presented amazingly and tasted as good as it looked will definitely be visiting more often.

1. Mahol (vibes) - Very friendly and energetic. Will make your liver work overtime. 2. Staff - We were the only brown dudes in otherwise whitest pub - the staff made us comfortable with small talk and made us feel welcome. Little gestures make the world beautiful. 3. Food - Fish and chips, hands down. Unfortunately I did not click snap of fish and chips dish. But here is one with Nasi Gorang.

Amazing food, everything was delicious. Really friendly and helpful staff who were lovely with my one year old and went out of their way to keep her happy too, that doesn't happen everywhere so really stood out!

Food was fantastic and brought out quickly. Service very good, definitely a great place.

The food here is better than I expected. Unthinkingly we asked for prawn crackers before even looking at the menu and these were really very good. A much soother texture than the standard fare and with a lovely chili sauce. We took so long talking at the start of the evening that we had more starters. I had probably the best spring rolls I have ever had in my life and my friend was impressed by the salt and pepper squid. My main was a beef salad. There was a gorgeous lime based sauce and good quantity. My only complaint is that in my mind this is still a pub and I therefore expect the food to be of a certain standard. There were two ales available. I cannot remember the name of the first one I tried; I selected it on the basis that it was not Doom Bar, which I normally avoid as it is often quite watery. The other ale unfortunately was even worse, lacking in flavour. I switched to the Doom Bar, which was the same it always is. How hard is it to get a decent beer with your meal in Caversham!

I kinda thought this would be a pub that served food, but it’s not, it’s a great resto with a pub too. Really recommend the chicken right and crispy beef

When entering "the Mod" the first thing to notice is the warm reception and welcome. The pub is clean with well spaced tables and is pleasantly furnished. The menu is extensive offering Thai and other more regular meals such as risotto and fish and chips. There was also a shorter two-course lunchtime menu with a good selection. We were a party of four: one having fish and chips and three opting for Thai. The lentil and aubergine curry was delicious. I highly recommend this pub / restaurant.

Had a fantastic Sunday Roast and the rest of the menu looked really good - will be returning!

Without any doubt, the best place to eat and drink in Reading. Always maintains a high standard and the food is all cooked on the premises. Never had a bad or even mediocre meal.

Amazing- great food, great for just a drink too and with screens. Highly attentive server's who seemed to be doing at least 3 things at once (meant positively, they were all incredibly attentive and service orientated). Can't wait to return.

Wonderful Atmosphere at The Moderation. Unexpected Kareoke session and live football! Drinks were slightly pricey but overall would recommend for a night out.

I had an amazing experience at The Moderation Pub in Reading a few days ago with my partner & my family for Christmas Day Lunch. The food was cooked lovely, lovely atmosphere & the staff took the time to talk to us during our meal & ask if everything was ok & made us feel very comfortable. Very good customer service. The price we paid per person for Christmas Lunch (£60 pounds per person) was extremely good value for money. I have eaten at the Moderation Pub before and they do amazing Thai food there. I would highly recommend this place. A friendly place to dine there or go for a drink.

Lovely place, the hosts welcomed us as soon as we walked through the door, and showed us to our table, we not once needed to get up to go to the bar as the host were constantly checking tables for top ups on drinks.

Obviously catering to make as much money as they can really 🙄. Understandable in the present climate. Some personal service as made my curry mild due to my annoying dietary requirements 😑. However they don't have time to check whether you're happy with the food. Mine had a loose bone in it which was sharp like a thick huge needle. Good job I didn't get it stuck in my cheek or choke on it. Paying at the end of the meal was torture 😩 due to bad back and having to queue in 2 separate queues for around 15 minutes in total! Food not bad considering and I know they were very busy as intended but don't go there expecting customer care.

Unusual and varied menu, we went mostly Thai & Indonesian - and weren't expecting much on the same menu as wings and ribs, but all was very well done and tasty. Prices weren't bad, so worth the walk out of the town centre. No steak was a shame, but enough other options to satisfy.

Thai food great, beer good, just need someone doing essential maitenance

Four of us went for a Sunday roast . The food was delicious with very good portion sizes. Very friendly staff with a good cocktail menu too .

I've managed to sample many different items from the menu here and never been disappointed. They offer a good selection of traditional Thai food which is full of flavour and packs a spicy punch - if you want it to. There are milder dishes too if that's what you prefer. Good beers served too.

Best roast dinner, great cocktails, and 1st class service

Really enjoyable meal - the Thai food was so full of flavour, the service was very good and atmosphere was excellent. Good value for money too. Will definitely come back here soon.

Ordered fish and chips and it was amazing the batter on the fish I've never tasted anything like it and the fish itself was good .I live in devon going back to Reading in a months time and this is where I. Shall be eating again Toni Hunter

Great food, great atmosphere and great choice of beer! Heard lots of great things about this place and it didn't disappoint!

Love the Mod, great food, friendly staff and always a perfect pint. Update - back again 4 years on. The Mod is as good as ever and so is the food, the beer and the service.

Great Thai food and lovely beer. Friendly staff.

Amazing Asian food, great service.

An Asian and British pub hybrid. Saw they had my favourite real ale St Austell Brewery 'Tribute' so was already hooked. A great menu with choices to suit all. The crispy chill beef was plentiful and very tasty with just the right amount of heat for me. Really recommend and will visit next time I am in Reading

A great place to eat in Reading. I highly recommend it. There are many choices for having a meal in Reading near the Caversham Bridge. Several on both sides of the bridge. I have tried many of them when I was visiting. I tried this particular one the first time and came back 3 times in a week. It is located at the southwest corner of A4155 and Randolph Road. The only parking seems to be street parking but it is easily walkable for the area. It is a very nice pub-like atmosphere with Tables in front, inside, and out back of the building in a courtyard. The seating is a variety of options from 4-seat arrangements and bench seating to large outdoor picnic styles under a tent. The inside is wood floors with a bar. The staff was wonderful and helpful. The food and drink came out quickly. They have a large menu with a lot of variety. I tried the Sunday roast dinner, the burger, and something like Peking Duck. Every meal I got was delicious. I tried their cider and it was also excellent. Overall, it was excellent every time that I went there. I highly recommend this to anyone in the area hungry for a good meal or looking for a nice place to share a drink.

There are many choices for having a meal in Reading near the Caversham Bridge. Several on both sides of the bridge. I have tried many of them when I was visiting. I tried this particular one the first time and came back 3 times in a week. It is located at the southwest corner of A4155 and Randolph Road. The only parking seems to be street parking but it is easily walkable for the area. It is a very nice pub-like atmosphere with Tables in front, inside, and out back of the building in a courtyard. The seating is a variety of options from 4-seat arrangements and bench seating to large outdoor picnic styles under a tent. The inside is wood floors with a bar. The staff was wonderful and helpful. The food and drink came out quickly. They have a large menu with a lot of variety. I tried the Sunday roast dinner, the burger, and something like Peking Duck. Every meal I got was delicious. I tried their cider and it was also excellent. Overall, it was excellent every time that I went there. I highly recommend this to anyone in the area hungry for a good meal or looking for a nice place to share a drink.

I would normally give this restaurant 5 stars, but my birthday dinner experience was not great last night. They couldn’t help the noise level as it was very full, but there were some shortfalls sadly. We got seated at the table close to the toilet and smoking area, which was not great. The food was excellent as usual, but the payment bit brought it down. We paid and everything seemed fine. Just before we left, they came over, stating we still owed them £20. We showed them our bill, which was different from the one with the £20 shortfall. We had the receipts for our payment. They mumbled something and walked off. As we exited, they just said ‘sorry’ which I didn’t think was sufficient for embarrassing us earlier.

Amazing food, great wine, patient service, thank you.

Fantastic pub. We went here several times while we were staying in Reading. Lovely traditional pub with great beers and south east Asian flare and hospitality. Great food. Highly recommend the roast duck.

Good local with a decent beer selection and great food. I've been through most of the Indonesian/Thai menu and it's very good, so much so I haven't had any of their regular pub fare but I'm planning on a beef pie for my next visit.

Fabulous place in Reading city centre. Thai food of excellent quality. Good drinks options. Fantastic and huge outside seating area. Bustly and bubbly atmosphere on a warm Thursday summer evening. The curry sauce with the roti is highly recommended.

Honestly, one of the best pubs in existence but Shhhhh.... don't tell anyone, and don't complain about the food being too spicy please, it's Thai food at it's best. 💜

Not eaten here for a good while (no reason, just busy) but wow !!! What we’ve been missing out on , treated to a meal by my mother in law before our holiday , we returned immediately after we got back for our wedding anniversary- so pleased to see it busy on a Monday night and I can see why. Super friendly, attentive and warm service, and seriously good quality, authentic and stunning food. This is now our go to place for food locally. Couldn’t recommend enough, thank you 🙏🏻

Very busy and popular pub, food looked lush, but we only had drinks. But after visiting the toilets glad I didn’t eat, mould on walls smelt very damp, paint all peeling off, so I wonder what the kitchen is like ?

We visit Reading every few weeks in the summer. We first dined at the Moderation in June last year (2022). I gained the impression that the management was fairly new and working hard to build a successful business. Fast-forward to 2023, and the place is visibly busier; it's buzzing with customers most nights, and it's easy to see why. The staff are very friendly and attentive. Service is prompt and food and drinks are delivered with a friendly smile. The menu offers a selection of British and Asian dishes. I can only vouch for the quality of the Asian section of the menu; I'm happy to say that all the dishes that I've tried have been well-presented, tasty, and served promptly in decent-sized portions for the price. I have no idea where the "one star" reviews came from; certainly our experience of the Moderation bears no resemblance to those descriptions, and we look forward to drinking and dining there whenever we are in Reading.

Amazing Thai food. Recommended this place by our Airbnb host and it did not disappoint. Wish we lived nearby so we could keep coming back

Tricky to describe this place. It's an old belt and braces boozer modernised with an asian fusion restaurant attached. Bags of character, small but well curated range of ales. Very good, sometimes excellent food quality though a little too seafood for my taste. Has a locals vibe and was packed the few times I have been in. Might disappoint if you're looking for high end Thai, but absolutely knocks it out of the park for pub/gastropub fayre. I liked it very much and would recommend you give it a shot on a family/mates night with beers, as portions are generous and flavourful. They even play sports on the screens. Recommended.

Great food, something for everyone. Great location with parking close by at Thameside Promenade.

Ayam Bakar Bumbu £16.5 Chargrilled & tender chicken coupled with the spicy chilli paste yumzz

Great food, good beer, sport and a decent beer garden! Just make sure you book in advance, it's always busy!

The food is absolutely amazing! Staff are so lovely. Cocktails delicious. Please please please sort the toilets out. They smell strongly of damp, cobwebs and in need of re decorating. The only thing that lets this great place down.

Very pleased with this unusual pub packed with Asian flavours, great yummy food, generous portions and lovely service. I will be back!

Food was ok but too noisy, we just couldn’t finish our food., we left due to the noise and slow service. Disappointed

Walked in to what seemed like a nice bar. The barmaid took our order without a word to us, then handed me the card machine and walked off with no explanation or clue that I might want to pay with cash. She then asked someone to stand behind her so that my partner could not see her putting short measures in the cocktail! The cocktail arrived, weak and watery! The cocktail was handed over without a word. No welcome, no hello, just a very rude, surly barmaid! We will not be back!!

Crazy busy for a Thursday evening in July but the service was great and the food tasty. Unfortunately our first choice wasn't available but the alternative was yummy. Good beer too.

Food is good. But sadly the service was very disappointing. We waited for our food for over an hour, and when we brought it to the attention of the staff they told us the kitchen was very busy and rudely offered us to cancel the order if we don’t want the food anymore. Unfortunately this ruined the experience for us.

What wonderful food choices and really well cooked. As a family we had, Thai sharing platter to start, wow what a start! English and Thai main meals that were generous and tasted great. finishing off with a Moderation Mess that we had to share as well as we were full by that stage. Staff were really attentive and cheerful, and lots of family groups of all ages. We will definitely go back again. If you go, I don't think you will be disappointed.'

Delicious food, excellent service, food came quickly & good choice of drinks. I've told all my friends about it and will definitely go again.

My sister, her boyfriend, my nephew and I visited recently for Sunday Dinner. Service was fast, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was so warm and inviting. Highly recommend.

Loved the food , very friendly staff will visit again soon

We spent 2weeks in reading and had a great experience at this pub. Great food, great service and a friendly environment would recommend this pub to anyone

Fantastic food. Service decent. Toilet broken