Nags Head, Reading

This is a drinkers pub.Few frills but lots of varied cask beers.I always find new beers here and often new breweries.Love the way they let you know what beer is coming next on each pump.Its a tickers dream.Tillingbourne-Extreme Amerillo was very good.

I had the misfortune to be here last week when, having cheered my team scoring in the Derby, I was immediately confronted and verbally abused by some mini-Hitler who had emerged from behind the bar to shout at me to SIT-DOWN! I say verbally abused but, incredibly, he went on to actually ‘offer me outside’ the next time I was in Reading!! What a charmer. Dear oh dear Nags; if you retain idiots like this then the slippery slope, whence you came, beckons.

This traditional single room pub, tucked away down a side street slightly out of the town centre, is a multiple CAMRA award winner and a must visit for ale and cider drinkers alike. On my inaugural visit, the options were almost overwhelming and I was grateful for boards hung over the servery which listed the ale options. The handpulls were dispensing Ramsbury Silver Pig Stout, Buxton Dark Nights and Moor Top, Siren Craft Gordon's Strong, Wesk Bershire Magg's Magnificent Mild and Braggot Amber, Hopcraft Vanoffee Porter, Butts Blackguard, Springhead Drop of the Black Stuff, Allgates Pretoria and Vale The Knowledge. A fine line up from which I eventually opted for a pint of the Moor Top which was outstanding. I noticed at least one cider on handpull, but a board listed an impressive fourteen different ciders and perry, so there must be more hidden away somewhere. A quick look around the packed room saw a mixed crowd with lager drinkers conspicuous by their absence. The room is a decent size and a good amount of standard tables and chairs fill the space, with pews arranged around the perimeter. The servery runs along the back wall from the rear left corner and has some nice decorative panels above with pint pots and pewter tankards hanging down. A few bottles are on display around the bar, as well as some old Good Beer Guides and a pump clip collection that snakes its way around the entire pub. Elsewhere, the room is decorated with mirrors, old pictures, paintings and posters and a few bits of brewerania, which all combines to provide ample visual distraction. An unusual feature is a light shade made from old whiskey boxes. An area to the right of the servery houses a dartboard and plenty of Reading FC memorabilia including some nostalgic images of their former Elm Park ground. TV screens at either end of the room were showing football and rugby respectively, whilst background music played unobtrusively. The day's papers are available in a rack on one wall, books are stacked up on a shelf on the left hand wall alongside local CAMRA magazines and I also noticed some board games piled up on an upright piano over on the other side of the room. Having visited straight after watching a match at Reading's Madejski Stadium, I found the pub to be packed to bursting, so it was a bit difficult to get a good look around. However, it was very apparent that this is a very well run establishment, fully deserving of the accolades that have come its way and I'm very keen to make a return visit at a slightly quieter time.

The Nags Head is a square open plan pub with a bar on the back wall which has a dartboard to the right of it. A webcam, which is connected to the two plasma screens, points at the board so any interesting games can be viewed by the entire pub. As Soupy was being thrashed by one of the locals the Ashes was shown via Sky Sports in preference to the arrow chucking. There was some background music playing at a low volume. Some premium draught products are available from the bar, but this pub is all about the ale as there are twelve hand pumps that were drawing a variety of ales during my recent sunny Saturday afternoon visit. There is also an interesting selection of bottled beers and ciders that are all listed in the menu. Breakfast is served from opening until 13:00 on Saturdays and roast dinners are available on Sundays from opening until 16:00. The rest of the week there is a selection of sandwiches and pies. I felt a little peckish and decided to have the steak and ale pie which was excellent in taste and value for money. Out the back is some covered seating and a car park. Beyond was a marquee which was covering some picnic tables. The service was friendly and the locals didn’t seem to mind their pub being overrun by the Pubs Galore shed dwellers as they wandered around pub taking notes. This was the best pub of the day and is a must if drinking in the area.

Good traditional pub offering a good range of 12 ales on the bar. The staff were welcoming and friendly, offering tasters of their beers and were able to follow up with good background knowledge about were they were brewed. The pub also had a good selection of rock music playing at a reasonable volume, maybe it was the barman's choice as he was wearing a Motorhead t-shirt. Soupy went straight for the Smoked Mild as expected, have to agree it was good. I also went for the Wild Weather Stormbringer, which I really got to grips with. I also enjoyed the Vale Grumpling ale. Would like to spend a good afternoon supping here.

This is the place to head in Reading if you want an outstanding range of real ale,foreign bottled beers and ciders.Quinno nails all the main points.Among the 12 handpumped ales my beer of the crawl emerged from Sherfield Village BHB (Black Hoppy Bitter).There was an excellent range of styles(including a MILD) and strengths with a lot of local microbrewers in evidence.The feel is very much of a friendly drinkers pub and I liked the table of two dart finishes from 110 above the board.My only regret was not spending more time in here,next time I'm in Reading I will put that right.This is a very fine example of what can be achieved in a modest sized pub away from the main drinking circuit.With loving care and attention a true gem has emerged.I will be back.