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Beer of the Week (w/e 17th March 2024) with Mobyduck on the Pub Forum

King Charles Tavern, Newbury

54 Cheap Street
Newbury
RG14 5BX

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve C left this review about King Charles Tavern

The King Charles Tavern has a U-shaped bar that serves standing room at the front entrance, a seating area to the left and a larger bar area to the right. The handful of locals in attendance during a recent Wednesday afternoon visit were all in the right hand side of the pub watching horse racing on the television. On my way to the toilet I spied another small seating area in the left rear and a small outside area out the back door. The bar supports a limited keg range and eight handpumps. Three were unused which left Oakham Ales’ Citra and OPA alongside Goffs Brewery’s Cheltenham Gold, Wadworth’s 6X and GK’s Yardbird. I found the service to be friendly and the OPA was on good form so I would visit here again if passing.

On 29th June 2022 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5158 recommendations about 5127 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Quinno _ left this review about King Charles Tavern

A pub that veers between good and ropey seemingly every other visit. Seven on today, and my Elgoods Cambridge had an aspiratory feel and was served in a filthy glass (NBSS 2). It’s a GBG regular…

November 2018
Have popped in a few times in the interim and generally the beer has been pretty good. Seems to be quite popular these days too (which may explain the former!). It’s by the train station and really should be a default visit as the first or last. 7.5

September 2015
Well after the unbridled optimism of February, down to earth with a bump. Our group sampled a wide range of the ales and all bar one were substandard. Hmm – I really hope this was a blip on a scorching hot afternoon. Rated 6

Feb 2015
Refurb alert! And quite good too. Has been stripped back a bit, tidied-up and given a splash of green paint in places, along with some undressed brick walls and new wood flooring. Look upwards and you see a map on the ceiling of old Newbury – nice. Seven pumps, with five on and two off. Sampled a good half of Oakham Citra and Butts Barbus (it's a Greene King 'local heroes' pub). Quite a young and upmarket clientele, a far cry from the previous occupants. Pretty good and with the opening of the Cow & Cask, plus the emergence of the Catherine Wheel from the ashes of the Jack, Newbury town centre has – in a short space of time – gone from beer desert to respectable crawl territory. Rated 7

April 2014
I heard on the Grapevine that this place has been selected for GBG 2015 so decided to pop in to see if I’d missed something last year. I hadn’t, it’s pretty much the same! Just two ales on, GK IPA and St Austell Proper Job which in fairness was pretty good. Beer festival advertised though it looked very corporate I suspect it's similar to Spoons eg just some slightly more interesting ales on the pumps over a fortnight. Fairly quiet, a bit of animated (and interesting) football chat at the bar. Small selection of papers spotted. I don't really rate the place over others in town, but it's the nearest pub to the station so worth a stop on that basis seeing as the beer’s decent. Rated 6

June 2013
Fitted a very swift one in before the train here. Three ales (GK IPA, Abbot and Hooky Lion). The Hooky was in good shape if slightly cloudy. Layout is two rooms with some crude knock-through in the bar area, bare boarded (not even varnished) throughout. Slightly more upmarket punter profile than some of the other Newbury pubs though that’s not difficult to achieve. Quarter-length whitewashed wood panelling and red walls. Mish-mash of seating including some off-white sofas that looked like they’d been salvaged. Again, a bit rough and ready to the average punter. The lone barman was like the Scarlet Pimpernel, people were seeking him here and seeking him there. Coffee was advertised but I saw no sign of a machine, perhaps it’s Maxwell House? Anyway it was an OK stop and could probably do well with a re-think of the internal décor. It certainly didn’t seem to be the bistro-style that OB encountered. Rated 5

On 12th April 2022 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5030 recommendations about 5013 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Ian Mapp left this review about The King Charles Tavern

Traditional boozer inside and out - a central bar - some nice cushioned benches and the usual pub tables.

Not the usual collection of Greene King Abbots and IPAs - they may have been on but my side of the bar - it was Exmoor Ale, Darmoor Jail Ale and Wickwar Bob. Like being on holiday in the West Country.

Perfectly reasonable pub - doing what all pubs should do.

On 1st June 2021 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1328 recommendations about 1314 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Thuck Phat left this review about The King Charles Tavern

A traditional town boozer which has undergone the Greene King refurb leaving it reaching for the modern and clad with varying shades of grey on the walls.
No shades of grey on the GK ale and that was studiously avoided which was perfectly possible as they stock a decent number of guests. Available on our visit were: Greene King Doosra and Back of the Net, King Charles Finest Ale, possibly GK again, Skinners Cornish Knocker, WBB Good Old Boy, Tring Pale +Four and Black Wolf ROK, which was ok.
Service was friendly and efficient but there isn't enough of interest to make the place a destination although worth stopping by to see what they have on.

On 4th August 2016 - rating: 6
[User has posted 676 recommendations about 675 pubs]


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Bucking Fastard left this review about The King Charles Tavern

A modest sized Greene King house that thankfully offers a wide variety of guest ales.The front door leads you straight up to the smallest serving part of the three sided bar,but step to the left and examine the selection chalk board,or wander around clocking the 8 handpumps dotted around the bar.The interior has modern decor,with a jumble of furniture ,possibly too may sofas and pooves with much cheap pine along with some fine sturdy older furniture.It's trying hard to be hip without succeeding,but there is a decent fireplace in the largest section.
On my trip the GK dross was Doosra,King Charles house beer and Back of the Net,while the guests consisted of Black Wolf Rok,West Berks Good Old Boy,Skinners Cornish Knocker,Penpoint Creation and a decent Tring Pale+ Four which seemed the best option.
We were discussing the demerits of West Berks Brewery ales when a gentleman described as the village idiot after he left felt duty bound to intervene in our discussion in an aggressive manner,indicating we were dissing his area of birth.He claimed not to be a beer drinker,or maybe too many pints of Good Old Boy had put him off ale permanently,which was the nub of our discussion.
A lot of real ale doesn't always add up to a quality selection ,although this is a safe bet in town I wasn't inspired.

On 16th July 2016 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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Moby Duck left this review about The King Charles Tavern

A nice old pub given a modern but sympathetic makeover,a good range of beer was available,Wolf Golden Jackal, West Berks Good Old Boy, Oakham Citra,St Austel Tribute and HSD along with Camerons A-hop-alypse now leaving one pump with a turned round St Austell Proper Job clip , not a bad Sunday lunchtime lineup. Well worth a look in here.

On 5th June 2016 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1853 recommendations about 1827 pubs]


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Danny O'Revey left this review about The King Charles Tavern

Lovely old inn, parts stripped back to brick and wood, there is a contemporary twist with sofas, lighting & easy listening music. 7 real ales including a good choice of local beers, nice feel, comfortable & relaxing.

On 28th April 2016 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]


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Peter Rydings left this review about The King Charles Tavern

Liked this pub but its struggling with two wetherspoons next door to it holding relief in it trying to keep the place open. Like Tim Martin says doing his best to keep them open how many as he shut down

On 5th August 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 948 recommendations about 917 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


hondo . left this review about The King Charles Tavern

The pub wraps itself round a central bar. 6 real ale taps 3 on during my visit. Food served. Live music advertised

On 21st March 2014 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about King Charles Tavern

Bistro style Greene King pub, rooms to left and right plus a larger one at the rear but without a counter. Furnished with pine tables and stools with a corner bench in one room, sofa in another, dining room type tables and chairs at the back. There are drippy candle wax bottles providing the candle power for most tables. The bar counter is U shaped having three faces, a small one with 2 pumps facing the entrance door and forming part of a small vestibule, three pumps and a Guinness fount on the left hand arm and only a collection of keg founts to the right. Greene King Abbott and IPA on pump, in their usual sort of condition. The customers were a mix of slightly weird locals, trendy middle class diners, and youngish working men. I will issue a purple wall warning as well.

On 11th July 2010 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3201 recommendations about 2912 pubs]