The Hive, Crowthorne

Coffee shop-cum-craft bar. IKEA in feel, grey and white with laminate floor and some untreated wood. Three rooms in all; a long main one on entry, a side room off-left and a more atmospheric room at the end which feels more like a drinker’s den. Sadly that was unoccupied so the front bar it was along with a smattering of upmarket Berkshire conversation. Modern music and young staff, who could be the offspring or grandchildren of the punters Six craftykeg, a bit samey in style but served well. Downer is that in true craft style there's no halves or pints here, just thirds or two thirds. Loads of canned beers in the fridges but no obvious price list, which seems weird. Can't say I was mad keen but it was doing a healthy trade.

A self styled craft beer and coffee shop set in an older style shop building with a picket fenced off seating area at the front. Although the building is more attractive than many shop conversions you see nowadays the frontage is painted in a rather dull grey. The main room as you enter has several tables with the servery/bar in the top left corner. there is a smaller seating room to the left and a further room to the rear with another four tables with a mix of upholstered bench seating along with short stools. Decor mainly consists of hundreds of brightly coloured beer cans sat on shelves within wooden casings mounted on the walls giving the effect of sitting in a beer Library. Beer wise there is no cask but six craft beer taps ever changing and featuring top division craft breweries, I had a Majora from Elusive at a relatively reasonable £3.20 for two thirds, other beers were from the likes of Vibrant Forest, Verdant ,Siren and Double Barrelled. It was very busy on my early lunch time visit being used by an equal amount of beer and coffee drinkers and even cake eaters. I found it a very pleasant place and although it has designed its own identity I would say it qualifies as a micropub in the modern sense of the word, although I drove here it is handily just a hundred yards from the train station and worth the visit.

Facebook page of Hive - www.facebook.com

Official site of Hive - www.thehivecraft.co.uk

Facebook page of Hive - www.facebook.com

Official site of Hive - www.thehivecraft.co.uk