The Shinfield Arms in Wokingham

I do like the Shinfield Arms, I’m local and have been going here on and off for years. Used to be called The Black Boy (meaning black horse) & has a long history. Nice food here, presented well and a pleasant atmosphere. Staff reasonable amount of attention to the table taking orders and food arrival quite fast.

Great place to sit and discuss amazing ideas

Visited here for our work team meal. Was pleasantly surprised as the venue itself was really nice and it had a decent sized car park at the rear. Food was great, service was really good and staff were all friendly. Would definitely visit again.

I have only ever been for drinks so far. I will be trying the food. It's always hard to get a seat to just have a drink :( But its a beautiful place and service is always good and fast

A really great pub for a pub lunch - loads of ales on even tho I went for a Guinness good selection of wine too and the light food dishes were ace - great friendly staff and quick service 🍻🍷😊😊

Food and beer selection is really good

All a bit meh! Neither good nor awful. Expensive for what it is.

Very nice Guinness, downside, no indoor seating as it was busy for food with reserved tables.

Food is good, service good. I'd go again.

Great location for a lunch while you’re travelling. I’d recommend to book, it’s lovely to sit in the booths with heating lamps outside. The only thing that could be improved is to have more beef (see photo). For two meals and and two drinks we paid 58£ seems slightly on a higher side especially in a random location off m4 (on our way back to London). It is a very popular location so seems like booking is highly recommended. We would return here. Lovely to see so many vegan and gluten free options - well done for that! This is the reason we stopped here.

Nice food and good service. A good vegetarian menu. The crumble desert was too sweet. Nothing to shout about but nothing to complain about either.

Had a lovely, family evening here. Food was really tasty and felt authentically homemade. A lovely pub that opens up at the back as a restaurant, the staff were really attentive and bubbly. Overall a good experience and would definitely come back. I marked one star down, as a third of the steak was a little under done to my liking which I’m not sure how that happens when the meat is the same thickness throughout. The two thirds that I did eat was delicious though. I should also add it came with a big mushroom and grilled tomato. Desserts were fabulous but slightly disappointed that there was not a cheeseboard available. None the less though the cookie and hot chocolate was dreamy! ❤️⭐️

Welcoming staff and good food and drink. Very attentive. Easy parking and dog 🐶 friendly in the bar and outside snuggly warm booths.

Great menu, delicious food but felt like a diner without a great retro feel.

Great staff, always chilled atmosphere, food is good.

Lovely pub/restaurant on the outskirts of Reading. We took a relative with limited mobility, and we were exceptionally well looked after. Food was delicious and generous 👍

Felt like a good British pub and serviced some good pub grub.

The Shinfield Arms went out of their way to welcome 29 members of our family today. Their administration was efficient, the food delicious and served hot to everyone despite the large numbers, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The covered seating and dining pods were ideal for people to mingle. A big thank you to all the staff.

Great place, great atmosphere and lovely staff. Food was amazing with great veggie and vegan options.

Nice pub. Very disappointing food, and not cheap!

I found that this place was overpriced and expensive. we went for a family meal and the service was rubbish they brought the starters out and then it was over 45 minutes before the mains appeared I had what to me is the worst jacket potato I've ever had,the potato was undercooked and I struggled to find the beans and cheese! because it was a family meal I was asked not to complain. to make things even worse when the bill arrived they had the cheek to charge 20% service!!

Enjoyed my visit to this pub. Good food and convient parking.

We had been seated for 15 minutes before we managed to ask someone if we could see a menu, this should have been the first clue the service would be poor, every interaction was with someone different. When the starters arrived it wasn't what we ordered, potato skins were literally just that, skins, no potato, and impressively under cooked. Eventually the mains came out, mine was over cooked this time, glad to see they are consistent in the cooking!! Desert was actually OK but sadly one of our table left early as they were suffering from stomach ache (read into that what you may!) Bill arrived with an already applied 10% service charge, not sure what service we were actually paying for, maybe some service a different table got because it certainly wasn't us!! Drinks were shockingly expensive too. Since getting home, you'd think we had a sofa and a TV in the bathroom judging by how much time my wife has spent in there, so out of the 4 of us that went, 2 have been glued to the toilet and I'm not feeling great now either. Do yourselves (and your toilet roll budget) a favour, find somewhere else to eat and give this place a miss. Got to go now, off to the loo...... good night all 👋🏻

What a wonder place to eat and socialise. Great food, great service, great atmosphere. Staff very happy. 5* all round.

Went with a large group of friends for a drink. Had a great time. Staff put up with us with a smile on their faces and friendly chat.

The food was fantastic brilliantly cooked to perfection will definitely be back soon

Stunning place. Absolutely amazing food. Thank you for that experience.

4 of us went for a meal at 5 o clock. Table booked. Restaurant very quiet. Ordered meals and drink £100. 2 of the meals were satisfactory. Other 2 had veggi burger with fries and coleslaw. The burgers were like flat anemic sausage very unattractive and unappetising. One person ate top of bun and other tasted theirs and left. The fries were barely warm. Very disappointing. Staff did not question why full plates going untouched apart from coleslaw. We were only visiting friends so won't be eating their again. Nice surroundings terrible food. Definitely don't order veggi burger.

Plenty of space to eat but car park cramped.

And yet again I visit an establishment where I just get that gut feeling that quality of food is slipping. 17.50 for bacon burger, bland chips and a thumb full of shop bought coleslaw. Prob won't visit again.

Manager is extremely rude and allows customers to illegally park outside the front causing a danger for pedestrians.

Amazing food inside such a cosy place! Loved it!

Food I think always great, really good menu and always cooked well. Don’t be put off by the main road outside, once your inside or in the garden you don’t know it’s there. Staff really friendly. And dog friendly!

Lovely a place to visit and chill in garden .

Food was really nice, good size portions well worth a visit, thank you.

It is hard to put into words how awful their Euro final offering was. I would have had a better setup in my garden with my laptop. They had one small TV in the whole establishment and the sound wasn't connected to any system so no one could hear what was going on. I like this pub but this is unforgivable for such a major sporting event like this. We went down to the six bells at half time and they had a proper major tournament environment that was in comparable.

I've been a moderately regular visitor to the pub and it is always fine. The food is consistent, as is the service but my most recent visit was frustrating. It was quite busy but it didn't seem that they had the staff to deal with the number of customers. I also get annoyed when it's assumed that diet Pepsi and diet Coke are interchangeable. Unfortunately my body doesn't deal with Pepsi varieties very well but I wasn't aware that is what I'd been given (they have diet Coke in bottles) and I'm now paying the consequences!

A very charming place, the food was delicious and the service was very attentive. We tried to change the fish and chips, the chicken leak and ham pie dish, I will definitely return.

Amazing food, very friendly staff. Looks fantastic in there

Found the staff helpful and really friendly, food is really good as well.

Great pub. The food was excellent, serving staff friendly and polite. Will definitely be going back to try other dishes on the menu 😋

Great food and great service . We love this place !!

Food was good, albeit smaller portion size of the steaks, both beef and lamb. Food arrived very fresh. However, the service was slow as manpower was thin on the ground. Be prepared to have a long meal!

Very busy pub. Nice staff so service was good. Food was tasty. It was very loud and at times tricky to hear ourselves speak

Food is not great and expensive for what you get.

A lovely place with great Staff, food and all you need to have a nice time with Family and friends

Nice pub. Friendly staff. Glasses are dirty and food is horrendously bad.

Love this place, great food and what a lovely outside area.....top notch puddings as well what more could you ask for. Plenty of parking and great service.....go along you won't be disappointed!!

Went here for Sunday lunch which was excelant well good filling food.

The food was great and the service was super friendly. Great evening!

I love the sister pub at Minley, but this place just doesn't quite match it sadly. Chips were dry and old, I got them replaced but had pretty much finished the fish by this point. I quite like my batter greasy, but my friend didn't like hers. Not bad, by any means but I wouldn't rush back. The staff are lovely and friendly, cannot fault them.

Not been here so visited at the weekend with some friends. Nice pub grub. Naturally, I went for the ultimate burger which was pretty good. Well presented and tasty with fast, pleasant service. Only let down for me personally was the lack of local beers available on tap. A touch on the more expensive side of pub grub though.

Fabulous food and plenty of it. Prices were very reasonable.

Ordered 6 ultimate burger and all came as medium well - well done ,both patties were different size so was hard to eat the burger also Very disappointed on the food Stuff were very friendly and good atmosphere

Plenty of parking great service and pleasant decor. It suddenly got manic and really loud when lunch hit and then you saw one who couldn't park in the great big car park. I thought it was expensive but plentiful and nice I woukd just avoid these peak times if possible.

Great place, been coming here for years. Food is always excellent. Service is always good! And the atmosphere was to be expected.. Busy as usual.

Took my team of six out for a great lunch today. Great menu with loads of veggie options for the two of us that were vegetarian. I couldn't believe how busy it was on a Wednesday lunchtime so make sure you book!!

Beer expensive (was drinking a 3.4%ale at £5.50!), burger was tepid at best. Covered Garden at rear was good

I love going to this pub just a stone's throw from my daughter's house when I come to England. Very good creamy Guiness, food and nice atmosphere.

Enjoyed an exceptional lunchtime meal here (can recommend the duck confit). Clean pub, friendly atmos, great service.

Food is great, pub has decent atmosphere and service is good

Always a good place for food and drinks in Shinflield. The services is nice as we always get serviced with good smiles. Food is good! The price is also reasonable. I would recommend this to anyone.

Very nice pub. The food others had looked good although i only had a coke. That cost the same has 6 Litres in the shop. Hence 3 stars.

Lovely pub. Good food and beverages. Still prefer the pub's old name.

First time was there. People and atmosphere were super great. Service speed and food taste was good, was expecting a bit more. Overall we were happy with the experience.

Nice place to spend time with friend. Good food

A lovely evening with delightful Jess who looked after us so well.A warm welcome as we arrived, comfortable restaurant. From the road you would not expect such spacious rooms. The meals we had were cooked perfectly and served piping hot. Our visit was a Monday evening. We will definitely return. Thanks to all the team.

Very noisy. Good parking facilities Frendy service.

Wonderful food, brilliant service. Such a great meal, with good gluten free operations. Waiters were very helpful. The satay chicken skewers were lovely.

Really great Sunday lunch ,lovely food lovely service nice beer

Great food and Service. Lovely outside area that is dog friendly. Thank you

Lovely atmosphere, great food and service.

Restaurant and bar staff very friendly and a really nice atmosphere. I had the ultimate burger which was just okay to be honest. At £19.50 I was expecting something bigger and tastier. It was a bit underwhelming. Miller and Carter, 7 Bone and GBK are £3 to £5 cheaper for the same meal and are all much tastier than here. I would return for drinks, but the food is too expensive for what it is.

If you like over priced fried food then this is the place to go. Was there last night the rudeness of the manager/owner was very unprofessional, remember the customer is always right.in a positive way the girl who served our table was amazing and totally deserved the tip we gave her.

Pre reservation is required. No halal option available but a lot of vegetarian and sea food options . I had virgin mojito but taste not good . Salt & pepper squid is so yummy . Toilet is fresh and clean . In the ladies washroom they have lovely facilities to moisturise hands . Vegetarians nibbles are good too . If you are a Coca Cola lover try Coke here

Ribs were great, great pub with a very cool atmosphere!

Great outdoor area. Prices on the steep side

Went for a large family meal in between Christmas & New Year. Service was very good - staff were friendly and efficient, no big waits between courses etc. Beer is well kept, although the range isn't terribly exciting. Unfortunately, the food was average at best. Starters were ok (for example, salt & pepper squid was well cooked, but a bit bland). My "ultimate burger" was dry & slightly tough, the portion of chips with it was very small. My wife's scampi was nice enough & a fairly generous portion. No one else was particularly enthusiastic about or disappointed with their food. Prices are very high for what you get, although I suspect that's the case everywhere now.

Lovely people. Always warm and cosy. Everyone friendly. Thank you.

Great lunch, busy as it was on the run up to Christmas but plenty staff available to keep things running smoothly. Good menu with specific gluten free and vegan sections. And the toilets were super clean and fresh 👌

The pub is lovely, service is great, however, the food is really unfortunate. Low quality ingredients, little thought to flavour. I wouldn’t be bothered if it was cheaper to eat there but it can add up when having a decent meal. There’s a really vast menu but all low quality food. They should focus on a smaller menu with high quality dishes that keep people coming back for more. There’s always a steady stream of people but probably because it’s the more decent pub within the area, but could be so much better with a few adjustments.

Very nice pub, service is excellent and staff very friendly. Totally reccomend!

Lovely place for spending a time with friends and family, delicious food, very nice atmosphere and excellent customer service. Highly recommended.

Had a fab meal here. The food was lovely and Abi our waitress was fantastic. Really good experience, great staff and atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Beautiful restaurant, I would recommend to add Halal options to the menu

Girls night out met by lovely food in a cosy pub. Parking spaces are always busy tho.

Was busy but service and food good.

Great food with a good portion size.

Really nice pub! Friendly staff, lovely home cooked food and a lovely big outdoors area too! Defo visit again!

Nice pub, good design and nice vibe The food is okay but it’s not amazing

Lovely people, staff really looked after us, beyond and above normal expectations. Food was great and good value for money. Then the relaxing lED candles appeared and I didn’t want to leave! Thank you so much

Follow Mr & Mrs R on TikTok. Handy stop off before the M4 after my wife visited her auntie. Can’t give a full review as I didn’t eat there. Had one small issue. My first choice of beer was off. But in their defence they changed it without question. Thank you the new pint 🍺 it was delicious 👍

Staff friendly and food and drink good

Nicely decorated pub with cosy feel and a very nice outside seating area. I really like this pub and the punters

Never Again!! Food was awful!! Potatoes were like rock! Had to ask 3 times for mint sauce and waited 50 mins for our roast and it wasn’t that busy!! As for the service 4 waitresses walking round like Zombies…

Sunday roast was OK but roast potatoes was so hard couldn't cut them and was not soft inside either. Roast beef was chewy

Once you've parked in the slightly chaotic and busy carpark it all gets better! The servers were incredibly friendly and super helpful. We adjusted a dish due to dietary requirements and the waiter suggested lots of options for the substituted item which was helpful and greatly appreciated. We sat outside, there are booths with a light and heater, which you turn on, at each booth. There was a party in one of the rooms outside too, it looked like a great way to celebrate as you had your own space but still got the atmosphere from the rest of the pub. They're dog friendly, outside and in the bar. This place is more expensive than most pubs (approx £13.95 for a meal) but there's ways to save a bit if you want, you can get the sharing platter as a main and add a side between two of you. Soft drinks were about £4.95 a pint.

Had a lovely meal out with the family.

Should still be called The Back Boy

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