The Waterside

You're heading out towards Woodley, away from the town centre bustle, and suddenly you've stumbled onto something that feels properly removed from Reading's usual haunts. The Waterside sits right by the water—hence the name, obviously—and it's got that effortless appeal of a local spot that's earned its reputation through consistency rather than hype. The kitchen takes gastropub food seriously without getting precious about it: proper pies, seasonal mains, the kind of thing you'd actually want to eat. The riverside location means you can nurse a pint outside when the weather's decent, watching the water rather than staring at the ring road. It's exactly what this part of Woodley needed.