The Butler, Reading

Fullers pub which, going by the enthusiasm of my Reading pub guides, has gone down hill a bit. Still a decent pub but was very quiet on both my visits and seemed a bit disorganised. Hasn't got a great location and don't imagine there's much passing trade. Beer was decent enough and there's a pool table (£1 a game) and a juke box.

Slightly isolated pub beside a major road. A pleasant Victorian building, internally it is one uneven U shaped room. To the left is a lounge area with a nice mid victorian fireplace and comfortable seating. A piano and TV sit just by the entrance to this area. To the right is a long room with sparce bench seating and very few tables, this area houses the pool table, a poker table and leads to the outside gents. No smoking is allowed in the rear yard between the gents and the pub although the front patio area with picnic table doubles as a smoking area. The bar is centrally located along the front face of the pub, the counter being plain but honest in panelled wood with scrolls supporting a pine bar top. Above the counter are two very fine cast iron ceiling roses. Five handpumps but only London Pride and ESB on sale, reversed clips for London Porter and Jack Frost on two others. My pint of Pride was one of the best I've had in a very long time. Keg offering of Guinness, Amstel, Fosters, Strongbow, 1664 and Stella. A quiet Tuesday evening with a solitary but attentive landlady and a mixed bunch of customers of various age groups.