subject: Enjoy A Surprising Variety Of Choices When Dining In Reading [print this page] Reading has of recent years begun to gain a reputation for being a lively campus town with a real taste for the cosmopolite. The scenic Berkshire township which resides in the confluence between the Thames and Kennet Rivers is famed as much for its shopping opportunities and lively nightlife as it is for the fascinating medieval buildings that are found around the unspoiled British countryside. Of late, however, the mix of exotic tastes and influx of high-brow sophisticates to the town scene has also wrought a significant change in its dining options.
Most of the areas upscale and fine-dining establishments are concentrated near central Reading, while pubs and wine bars align themselves along the scenic waterfront. Some of the areas newer but no less reputed dining establishments also appear in the surrounding villages, although these are also inevitably attributed to the Reading area.
For those who prefer an evening of cocktails in style and ambience, the Cerise Restaurant and Bar at Forbury Hotel is an ideal option, while Forburys Restaurant, which appears right opposite, is considered one of the highest quality restaurants in town and displays distinctly French leanings when it comes to cuisine. The London Street Brasserie is the better bet for the more informal crowd, boasting a relaxed atmosphere beside the Kennet River and a delicious a la carte menu. The Chronicles in the city centre is the place to go for cosy gatherings and succulent traditional English meals.
Caversham is one of the villages that falls under the Reading area which also boasts some of its most exciting restaurants. The Mya Lacarte of Prospect Street is such a one, offering locally-sourced English recipes with a clever surprise twist, whose success has visitors to Reading trekking out of the inner suburbs for their meals without a murmur. Sweeney and Todd is a local favourite specializing in that quintessentially English invention of fresh-baked pies. Al fresco dining at the scenic Bankside Brasserie at the Crowne Plaza Hotel is one of the up-and-coming attractions of the village.
The nearby villages of Shinfield, Theale and Pangbourne also have their share of local dining gems. Chief among these is L'ortolan, the proud and sole recipient of Michelins star grade in Reading. The Blue Cobra Restaurant is an award-winning establishment that excels in South Asian and Thai dishes. Pangbournes charming Cross Keys Inn is also well worth a visit if only for its smoked haddock chowder.
The Gulshan of Station Hill and the Bina Tandoori of Caversham are the haunts of locals with a craving for Indian and Bengali fare. Seafood lovers will find a matchless array of delicacies at Loch Fyne on Fobney Street; the brewery-turned-restaurant is famous for its oysters and smoked salmon. From Classical Italian cuisine at Mari e Monti to the tastes of down under at Walkabout in Friar Street, and the quaint and cosy inns such as Beehive Inn that offer the warmth of home cooking, Reading is a town that presents options for the varied preferences and finicky taste buds of any traveller.
Connoisseurs of the finer things in life should endeavour to stay at a hotel in Reading that also boasts some of the best in Reading restaurants. Copthorne Hotel Reading is a well-recommended accommodation option whose Lakeside Restaurant supplements its succulent offerings with beautiful water views.
