For all the modernity of Reading’s town centre, with its chains and restaurants, there are still some, shall we say, heritage spots if you know where to look.
The Allied Arms in St Mary’s Butts is one such pub.
While venues such as The Boar’s Head, The Bugle, and The Horn are nothing but distant memories in the pub crawler’s eyes, The Allied, along with The Nag’s Head and The Alehouse, retain their roots as proper boozers, ideal for catching up with friends.
Its current incarnation started in 1828, so it’s not far off its 200th anniversary.
However, the site dates back to the 16th century and was a butchers and a brewery at various points.
Entrance is from the side, not the front door. If you try and enter from the front you’ll be stuck for a while as it neither pushes nor pulls.
Inside, well, watch out for the low beams, the uneven floors and the punters – this place can get busy.
It has, like many pubs from this era, a front and back bar. It also has a massive beer garden which is covered from the elements so smokers can have a little paradise.
Real ales are on tap, including, on our visit, from Loddon Brewery.
It is on the pricier side: a Guinness and a Loddon brew came in over £13.
However, it is beer that is well looked after, and the pub’s website says if they don’t like it, they won’t stock it.
Pub grub? You can have a bacon butty if you don’t mind there being no butty and the bacon coming from bacon flavour crisps.
Yes, this is a wet pub, and the only food is crisps, nuts and chocolate bars.
However, it is possible to bring your own food in should you wish to do so.
The pub is popular too, with regular entries in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, the Bar10 brochures and was a finalist for Stonegate’s Pub of the Year.
Our visit, a Wednesday evening straight after work, it was bustling with the beer garden at around half to two-thirds capacity, and inside crammed with a group enjoying a good chinwag.
Yes, it might be expensive but, as Stella Artois reminds us, reassuringly so.
Beer kept in such good condition is worth paying for.
The Allied Arms
57 St Mary’s Butts,
Reading RG1 2LG
0118 958 3323
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186363-d7223199-Reviews-Allied_Arms-Reading_Berkshire_England.html?m=19905
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