Ship of Fools: Reading (the place, not the activity) eating places

Thread: Reading (the place, not the activity) eating places Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :

Tapping into the massed wisdom of the Ship - is there anyone living in the Reading area who could recommend an eating place not too far from the crematorium there? A group of about eight of us will be gathering from different directions to attend a funeral in the afternoon and would really appreciate any recommendations for somewhere to eat together afterwards before going our separate ways.

Oh, and I might have omitted to mention the word "inexpensive".

Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :

Mcdonald's.

[Killing me]

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

Smudgie, will you wait until he gets there in April and slap him yourself or do you want me to do it for you?

Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :

Weasel, why waste time arguing, why don't we BOTH do it?

Are there really no shipmates in Reading or who know Reading?

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :

I'd love to help, but I've only been in Reading once, and it was about 20 years ago. We did have a rather excellent Indian meal IIRC, but I can't for the life of me remember the name of the restaurant.

Google provided this, if it's any help.

Good luck!

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

There's a Travellers' Rest (pub) on Henley Road but I don't know anything more than what the various reviews on Google say. Which day will you be in Reading? I know someone local I could ask, but won't see her before Wednesday, which may be too late for you.

Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :

I used to live in Reading, but I moved somewhere more interesting 12 years ago so all my information about restaurants is out of date. And I have no idea where the crematorium is...

There used to be a selection of (fairly) inexpensive places - mostly big national chains like Bella Pasta - in Broad Street and Friar Street (aka the Street of a Thousand Pubs), near the railway station. However, if you are all coming by car it would be better to find a pub near the crem. The one-way system was terrible when I lived there and my spies tell me it has got worse since then.

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

It's just east of Caversham. If you go down All Hallows Road (which is where it is) into Henley Road, that's where the pub I mentioned is. But again, no idea how good it might be.

Posted by Jane R (# 331) on :

Well, that explains why I didn't know where it was - Caversham is the posh end of Reading, so I never knew anyone who could afford to live there [Biased]

The Bird in Hand at Sonning Common used to do nice meals, but as I explained above, the last time I went there was over 12 years ago... and you'd need a car to get there.

[ 19. January 2015, 19:15: Message edited by: Jane R ]

Posted by IngoB (# 8700) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Smudgie:
Tapping into the massed wisdom of the Ship - is there anyone living in the Reading area who could recommend an eating place not too far from the crematorium there? A group of about eight of us will be gathering from different directions to attend a funeral in the afternoon and would really appreciate any recommendations for somewhere to eat together afterwards before going our separate ways.

Oh, and I might have omitted to mention the word "inexpensive".

I have lived in Reading for two years now, but I'm afraid me and my family tend to not eat out much. The London Street Brasserie is pleasant, but perhaps a bit pricey? Along the riverside of the Oracle you can find half a dozen different restaurants, among them one of the wagamama chain, if you like "Asian fusion". The good thing there is that if you don't like the look, you can just walk to a different restaurant. A bit closer to the crematorium is Quattro, a decent Italian restaurant.

I'm currently alone at home, so if you ask me nicely I can go for some exploratory eating at some other place next weekend. [Smile]

Posted by Pia (# 17277) on :

I left Reading at about the same time as Jane R. However, the Standard Tandoori near Caversham Bridge is at the right end of town and used to be a staple of works outings and such back in the day.

More recently, I've had a nice meal at Bel and the Dragon though that's a bit further away and not particularly cheap.

As IngoB says, The Oracle, while soulless will furnish you with a variety of chain-y options.

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

Having now asked someone local, your choice does look pretty much like either the Travellers' Rest or you would need to venture further into the centre of town.

Hope all goes well on the day!

Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :

Thank you for your help - whoever would have thought that Reading would be the place where shipmates leave.
It looks as though we will be having a look at the Travellers' Rest then (thanks Ariel) as we will not really want to venture far into Reading. We will appreciate your prayers for the day.

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