The Hope Tap (JD Wetherspoon), Reading

Located on Reading’s main binge drinking strip, the Hope Tap is a large, shop-converted Wetherspoons with a familiar layout that balances functional design with modest traditional features. The main servery runs along the right-hand wall, while the largest seating area extends down the left, offering a mix of booths, banquettes, and regular tables and chairs. There are more high tables through the middle and a small front alcove with etched glass screens creating some semi-private booths. The interior is decorated with a mix of dark wood panelling, pale upper walls adorned with paintings, local history boards, and assorted modern knick-knacks. Several large TVs were present but turned off during a quiet Saturday afternoon visit, giving the place a slightly subdued feel. Three regular cask ales and six guests were available, with a pint of Loddon Hullabaloo setting me back just £2.63. The barmaid was cheerful and welcoming, contributing to the pleasant atmosphere. The pub wasn't overly busy, but the service was smooth and friendly and my pint was in decent nick and went down pretty well. I found this to be a fairly run-of-the-mill 'Spoons with a few points of minor interest, but nothing much that you can't find in pubs like this up and down the country. I appreciated a broader ale range than usual, including a few local options, and felt the service was a notch ort two above the chain's usual standards, but it's not really somewhere that's going to get the pulse racing and with plenty of strong options elsewhere, is perhaps more likely to be somewhere to call by in passing rather than making an effort to visit. Date of visit: 11th January 2025

Pretty standard Spoons. Always difficult to get a seat in here as it's always rammed. The Back of Beyond the other end of town is my preferred choice. Always seems to be plenty of staff on hand. Not the best Spoons by a long shot.

Absolutely typical town centre Spoon's. Seemed quite well-run, if rather unexceptional, but a reliable place for a pint or three.

Cheap and cheerfull as most "Spoons" pubs are. Nice enough place will use again.

This is a typical old school Spoons as described below consisting of a long low ceilinged room with typical furnishings. There seemed to be a daytime brigade contingent on a Saturday afternoon. Although there are two banks of six hand pumps the beer choice was poor with two not on, IPA, Abbot & Doom Bore doubled up, the pathetic One Is 90 and Hobgoblin leaving just Sharp's Atlantic or Loddon's Reading Dark. I went for the Reading Dark which was in good nick. Maybe I was lucky but I didn't have any real problems with this place but thought it was a fairly average JDW.