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The Greyfriar, Reading
Reading
RG1 1PA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Greyfriar
Corner pub near the station and in the current Good Beer Guide. Reconfigured at some stage, but there are still two distinct seating areas facing the bar counter along the back wall. The refurbishment is a slightly odd mix of traditional and modern, and the furniture is fairly sparse (as were other customers mid-afternoon on a Friday). That aside, there was quite an interesting selection of four real ales - including the Storms Pass from Good Chemistry (£4.50) - and a cider from five of the seven handpumps on my visit.
On 4th June 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The Greyfriar
Visited on a quiet late afternoon. On the day I found 2 hand pumps for cider and 4 for ale, plus a font offering about 8 quality craft keg. There was no food. I grabbed a couple of pints of cask (Vocation being one of them); both perfectly fine.
while I've no idea about later, it served a relaxing purpose between trains (though it's fair to say I could have caught an earlier connection). Not a bad option if you're prepared to walk a few minutes from the station (quite possibly in the rain)
On 17th June 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 453 recommendations about 425 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Greyfriar
Suffering post-COVID and lack of office workers - cask range and quality both down. I've had a few duff ones since January.
July 2016
Seems to have come through its sticky period all guns blazing - the ale is consistently excellent now, with some casks that you wouldn't see elsewhere in town. Does suffer a little from its location - rammed directly after work and quite often quiet in the later evening, though local developments nearby might well see this even out a bit more. Keep up the good work...
August 2015
Swings and roundabouts here - some days the ale is A+, other days it is barely a C-. Cellar issues?
June 2014
So things have gone a bit funny here. The lass (Ashleigh) who was doing such a good job in the cellar has gone (to the Sultan in Wimbledon) and quality has dropped off somewhat. Hmm.
March 2014
Newly-opened craft beer outlet, run by a licensee who has credibility in the local area (ex Nags Head, Rose & Thistle). Six ales with a heavy local slant and some choice brewers (WEBREW, Siren Craft, Bingams, Two cocks SVB). Local real cider available (Tutts Clump) as well as some interesting premium keg (Siren Craft Limoncello on Thursday gone). 20% discount on pints for card-carrying CAMRA members (until the end of April 7th). Décor is London-esque, a bit minimalist for some tastes but there is still internal works ongoing so may get a little cosier in due course. Antipasti dishes planned for the evening crowd once the kitchen is up and running in a few weeks. Papers available. Well-worth getting off the train for, only a few minutes walk down Garrard Street whilst Station Hill is closed. In current climes, a gentle Alehouse-Greyfrair-Nags ale crawl can be done in less than two hours, with plenty of other options available inbetween.
As the Malthouse, closed 2011
Used to be an old man pub called Tudor Arms (GBG 1982 entry). Then got a makeover into a gay boozer, with a thudding late disco on Friday and Saturday nights. Now being seemingly converted into flats.
On 31st May 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Greyfriar
Modern light pine fix, a few real ales, quite trendy in beardy kind of way
On 2nd November 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Greyfriar
Quiet pub on a Sunday night..Seven cask beers on.My Binghams -vanilla stout was decent.
On 7th December 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Greyfriar
Another high quality real ale oasis in Reading. They are quite blessed with boozers.
Enthusiastic staff, unusual beers perfectly kept and high quality music at just the right level.
Probably the best Central pub in Reading.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2yuLhXK
On 6th October 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Greyfriar
You can't miss the Greyfriar - it's grey and next to the station.
Inside is modern and open plan with tellies showing the news and a very long and well staffed bar.
The beer selection was good on our visit and comprised Hogs Back HBB, Red Squirrel Hopfest Pale Ale, Pheasantry Lincoln Tank Ale, Binghams Williamette, Weard Beird Five O'Clock Shadow and Mauldons Black Adder. Some interesting beers there they're not afraid to go up the strength scale. Everything tried went down well but we did only stay for one.
The beer selection would make it one of the first I'd head to in Reading.
On 4th August 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Greyfriar
I was impressed by this ale house and it's proximity to the station mean it would be a good place to start and /or finish a crawl around Readings real ale pubs.It's open plan with the bar running down one wall,with 6 handpumps offering a mix of mainly local micro brewery output.My Binghams Williamette Extra Pale Ale was on song,and my colleagues also reported good quality pints.We were on a crawl ,so didn't hang about ,but I would certainly return and it should feature on any crawl around town.
On 15th July 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Greyfriar
I was in here yesterday and noticed a 20% discount for CAMRA Members,this was hand written and pinned up behind the bar,(which I cleverly failed to see until after my purchase),there was a North Hants CAMRA group doing a tour yesterday so this is maybe a one off.Beer selection was OK and my Anarchy Smoke Bomb 3.9% was particularly good.
FEB 2014
This looks like being a very good addition to the Reading pub scene,decoration works are still ongoing inside so a slight smell of paint still hung in the air,it is a single room pub with plenty of seating available about the room, or if you prefer stools at the bar which stretches along the rear wall.A good selection of ale was available from the 6 hand pumps,on my visit these were, Growler Hound Dog,Siren Craft Undercurrent ,Windsor& Eton Windsor Knot, Windsor & Eton Conquerer, Darkstar Revelation and Binghams Coffee Stout. There are 6 taps for various craft/lager offerings ,I didn't make a note of these but I did notice one of the taps was dispensing Delirium Tremens ,something you don't see every day.I liked it here and it should be a fixture in an future Reading crawls, as Arnie once said,
"I'll be back".
On 12th April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tony Watt left this review about The Greyfriar
@Quinno _. Quality hasn't not dropped off what so ever. Made a trip down from london and was very surprised just how good the greyfriar is. I was there when the 'lass' managed the pub and i must say if anything the pub has improved. the staff are extremely friendly and the selection was great (even for london standards). its such a shame when people like yourselves put silly reviews up when i can imagine you've only been once or twice? camera discount is still on too.
On 1st September 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]