Reading Roars!

There’s not exactly a shortage of coffee shops in Reading, but now we’ve got one that promises something different to the mediocre-coffee-mass-produced-pastry-and-free-wifi crowd. Workhouse Coffee - until now located only on the Oxford Road, away from the town centre - has begun trading from its new branch after a low-key opening on Monday.
Based in the [...]

Last night, I was fortunate enough to experience the Las Iguanas launch party, held at their new Reading restaurant at The Oracle Riverside.  This was my first Las Iguanas (Spanish for “The Iguanas”) visit, although I’ve had a peek inside two of their other restaurants, in Brighton and on London’s South Bank.
I’m grateful to Lucy Harwood, Las Iguanas Marketing [...]

Spring is definitely on its way, as confirmed by this weekend’s bumblebees, butterflies and brilliant sunshine.
Appropriately for the season of rebirth, The Lamb at Satwell, near Henley, slaughtered in the recession, will be reopening this Friday (20 March), just in time for Mother’s Day.  The fantastic country gastropub was closed by previous owner, celebrity chef [...]

Has anyone tried The Oracle’s new Giraffe yet?
I went just before Christmas, perhaps even on its opening day (my festive memory is a bit hazy).  The restaurant, which has a global theme, showed promise, though there were clear customer service teething problems.  Prices were on the normal side for an Oracle restaurant.
What I liked best [...]

Are you looking for somewhere cheap(er) to eat out in Reading?  I have compiled a list of local restaurants offering current promotions and offers (not entirely credit crunch-related), below.  
I am hoping to grow this list to make the definitive credit crunch lunch guide to Reading.  So, if you are a diner or restaurateur with [...]

It has taken me a long time - a little more than two months, to be exact - to update this blog.
I can’t explain my absence.  It’s just one of those things.  You stop doing something, and it sticks.  Only that this has a stuck a while longer. 
I’ve actually enjoyed this blogging break.  It’s nice, healthy [...]

Highly positive reviews of Reading’s Picnic and Moondogs Art Shop Cafe have been published on Cosy Coffee Shops, a smashing blog set up by a 26 year old musician named Tom.
Moondogs is described as “beguiling”, “an unexpected oasis of colour” and “a simple pleasure”.  Picnic is “warm”, “friendly” and “fun”.

Zerodegrees has gone all Heston Blumenthal-esque again, coming up with two exciting new flavours.
Brown lager and Elderflower (or was it Elderberry?) beer are two of the latest from the microbrewery.  Brown lager really does look brown, occupying that niche between Czech-style black lager (which is a permanent product of theirs) and golden-coloured pilsner. 
Much more interesting, I [...]

Late-night favourite (though not one of mine) Bodrum Kebab has gone continental, now claiming to offer relatively ungreasy breakfast treats such as danish pastries, croissants, fresh baguettes and cappuccinos. 
I used to think that putting a coffee shop inside a bank was odd, but this is truly bizarre.  Photo to follow.

Following on from “speciality beers”, we don’t appear to have that many “speciality bars” in Reading (we have mostly yawn-inducing clone bars, as found in most UK cities).  One of the noble few is new Polish bar Gospoda (meaning “restaurant” in Polish) in the heart of Oxford Road’s Polish community.
Gospoda’s interior impressed me.  Its sweet, wooden decor felt rural and [...]