Calico Bar & Eatery

Walk into Calico and you'll clock the sort of place that's figured out how to do Indian food without the tired clichés. It's situated right on London Street where the good stuff happens in Reading — close enough to the station but far enough from the tourist drag. You're looking at a spot that takes its spices seriously but won't make you feel like you need a degree to order. The bar side means you can grab a proper drink alongside your biryani, which is precisely the kind of thinking Reading's been missing.