The Victoria Cross

You know exactly what you're getting when you roll up to this Hungry Horse outpost on Basingstoke Road – and sometimes that's precisely what you want. The kind of place where portion sizes are generous, the menu runs to mixed grills and loaded nachos, and nobody's going to judge you for ordering a pint at 11am on a Saturday. The Victoria Cross doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, and fair play to them for it. You'll find all the chain's greatest hits here – think steak and chips that won't break the bank, sharing platters that actually feed more than one person, and breakfast served until the afternoon on weekends. It's functional rather than fancy, but when you're after reliable pub food in this part of Reading without the theatre, it fits the bill perfectly.