The Monks Retreat, Reading

This is another old school Spoons consisting of a long room with a small bar on the left as you enter and the main bar on the right up a few steps. Although there are fourteen hand pumps in total the beer choice was poor with one unused, one available soon, doubling up, the IPA variant on the JDW Trio Of Doom, the pathetic One Is 90, Loddon's Ferryman's Gold & Reading Dark and Caledonian First Dawn. I went for the Ferryman's Gold (£2.19) which was in good nick. This one is for the chop and the reason is almost certainly because it's cheaper than the other two in Reading. Once again I thought it was a fairly average JDW.

My god - a single Road with not 1 but two Wetherspoons. Suppose you cannot argue about £1.99 for a decent pint of Doom Bar. I have my CAMRA 50p vouchers but cannot bring myself to use them. I suppose there is the lack of atmosphere. And strange mixture of tourists and tramps. But you know what you are getting.

All of the tables under the awnings on the path outside the entrance were full of smokers at 11:30 on Saturday morning last week and the occupants looked as though they had settled in for the day. The usual Wetherspoons posters are in situ advertising cheap beer and food and there were no complaints from the members of the Pubs Galore shed dwellers who had decided to tuck into an assortment of grilled meat with chips. I had a pint of boring brown beer which slid down a treat. At the front of the pub is some seating that is bookended by a small bar on the left hand wall and some booths on the right. Beyond are some steps that lead up to a larger L shaped bar and more seating. Standard draught products are available and there are four hand pumps on the front bar and ten on the rear. Unsurprisingly there was no background music and the two plasma screens were showing muted rolling news. I thought that the barmaid could do with cheering up a little, but all-in-all this is a pub worthy of a visit if passing.

This is a terraced 'Spoons chain pub/eatery. The place sits at the foot of a plain brick building, in Georgian style, with a stone string course and the odd keystone. The frontage is of stone and mainly glass, with a patio area in front. The interior is on split levels. A bar greets you to the left - where the foolish go before checking out the bar at the rear. Needless to say, i got my drink at the front bar. Anyhow, the room goes up and round to the right. It is in heavy wood panel, with a few info boards on the walls - Archbishop Laud being one celebrity (not from the X-factor) that is displayed. The place is laid out for food of course. The most interesting feature is surely the monk that is pulling on his bell-rope (ooh err) - you will find him blocking the light from the skylight. The service was fine and the clientele the usual mix really (PG Group aside). Beer; usual tap stuff with the handpulls listed by the Captain below - just can add GK IPA to that. It is, all-in-all, a typical spoons - this was a place chosen as a PG tour meet-up point by Quinno ME: Hi Quinno Q: Hi Soupy ME: This place has two bars - that's different Q: Aaaah! had you read my review, you would have known that ME: That is the one [below] that said don't use this place as a meet-up point, as you can't get a mobile signal? Q: Yes, that's the one ME: Hmmmmm....... when do we get to the Nags Head?

The different levels helps to break up the interior of this 'spoons,and there is a dog leg at the rear on the way to the loos.The lower level bar has four handpumps,but it is worth wondering around the upper bar as there are two further banks of five handpumps.Besides two real ciders,Ruddles Best and London Pride doubled up,the other nine handpumps were dispensing a variety of microbrewery output including Three Castle's Barbury Castle,Blindmans Golden Spring,Rebellion Mutiny,Loddon Forbury Lion and Salopian Darwins Origin among others.The decor is classic 'spoons apart from the model of a punter trying to escape through a skylight.This would be a good place to sample some Locales at the usual very reasonable prices.It competes well with the other pubs in the immediate viscinity.

A bit of an odd setup, with a small bar (with four handpumps) near the front doors and a much larger counter (with eight handpumps) further back up a few steps). 'L'-shaped layout overall, but a very dark interior. A few patio tables out front too. Didn't appear to be very well staffed (but perhaps I just caught it at a bad time?). Having said that, once served, I had a very good pint of Edwin Taylor's Extra Stout (£2.09).

Can get pretty full, there seems to be a lack of seating compared to other Spoons, I recommend visiting at quieter times.

This was just meant to be a breakfast stop on the way to Reading beer festival but we were really impressed with the service and the ale here. The choice of ales was good and we enjoyed Rebellion Smuggler and Lymestone Gaul Stone as well as a good breakfast. I didn't realise till we went in that it is one of the better Wetherspoon outlets and has made it into the 2011 Good Beer Guide.