The Alehouse, Reading

Top pub, great choice of beers with a couple of West Berkshire ales supplemented by 4 or 5 guset beers.

Excellent and interesting range of real ales are reliable here. Situated around the pub are loads of beer mats representing many different breweries and their beers, both past and present. You'll find some amusing names! Lack of seating is an understatement. Quite a tight fit if you're going to get a seat but I can't see how this pub can hold that many people. Beer can be well over 3.30 for a pint as well.

Has the feel of a grotto about it with the whole place festooned with pump clips and other advertisements. A small front bar with alcoves and cubby holes further back. Good selection of beer that I imagine turns over quickly. It is quite expensive, about 30p more than other pubs in Reading serving same beers. Definitely a place to put on a Reading crawl, provided there's not too many of you.

A rather shabby careworn interior, wooden floor, scruffy old tables, stools and benches. The walls and ceilings are literally covered with hundreds of beer mats, behind which the bits left showing are a dark nicotine brown, whether from age pre the smoking ban, or by design I don't know. Mobiles not to be used, an old tin John Smith's Magnet Ales sign, metal/rock from the juke box....not overly loud though.....and great beer. The main bar has a real Boho/studenty feel, but step up to the raised area and follow the corridor round and there are a series of tiny individual booths, seating from three or four up to around six, in privacy. Most unusual. The clientele are mixed, metalheads, biker types, students, beer fans but also shoppers and even me. Great selection on, my visit had, West Berkshire OldFather Thames, WB Dr Hexter's Wedding Ale, WB Mr Chubbs Lunchtime Bitter, Church End Stout Coffin, Burton Bridge Have a Heart, Ascot Alley Cat, Isle of Purbeck Harry's Harvest Pale, plus for cider fans, Westons Old Rosie, Perry and Vintage. There was also on draught something called Lovibonds Henley Gold and Henley Dark. A search reveals this to be a craft brewery, based obviously in Henley, but the beer is served from continental style fonts so I'm guessing that it is of the filtered keg or bright variety, but I could be wrong. I loved the place, a very laid back anything goes/all welcome vibe, and I'll certainly be back some time when I have the chance to do a proper tour of Reading pubs.

Perhaps the Hobgoblin has gone off the boil a bit compared with two or three years ago, don't get me wrong this is still in the top three of Reading pubs, is still quirky and still serving decent beer. It serves great beers from small breweries, notably West Berkshire, in great condition. The decoration is best described as idiosyncratic, pump clips and beer mats cover almost every available surface. Often packed to the rafters with the weird, the wonderful, and even the normal, but usually with fast and attentive service. Other than the beer, the pub is noted for lots of funny little spaces and fairly disgusting toilets. However it is a unique experience - don't miss it.