Where To Eat in and Near Reading

Reading might not be the first place you think of when it comes to gastronomic delights, but Berkshire is actually brimming with culinary talent. From cool new concept members’ clubs to fine Michelin-starred French cuisine and renowned hotels, there’s something to satisfy all tastes. These are the very best restaurants in Reading.

Best Restaurants in Reading For 2025

The Great House, Sonning

Coppa Club is famous for its dreamy riverside restaurants and clubhouses, which are beautiful spaces to eat, drink and work. You’ll find the original in Reading: The Great House, a former Elizabethan coaching inn set on a quiet stretch of the Thames complete with a restaurant, bar, terrace and snug area, plus hotel rooms. The restaurant is open for all-day dining, serving everything from pasta to burgers, pizzas and salads, alongside an excellent cocktail menu. There’s a great breakfast on offer too featuring the likes of avocado on sourdough and buckwheat pancakes – perfect if you’re heading there to work and fancy a bite to eat, or for a more leisurely brunch on weekends.

The Great House, Thames St, Sonning, Reading RG4 6UT, coppaclub.co.uk

Clay’s Kitchen

If you’re craving Indian food in Reading, book dinner at Clay’s Kitchen, which has been delighting foodies with its Hyderbadi cuisine since 2018. In 2023, the restaurant moved from the centre to Caversham, but the offering remained the same: innovative south Indian plates cooked with flair. Begin with crispy paneer, cabbage pakoras and lamb chops in Clay’s special marinade ahead of mains like bhuna venison, wild mushroom masala, and Andhra-style monkfish curry, paired with sides of okra, Baghara rice and chana masala.

22-24 Prospect St, Reading RG4 8JG, clayskitchen.co.uk

Heckfield Place

Marle at Heckfield

The name at the helm here is culinary director Skye Gyngell, who you’ll be familiar with from her work at Spring, Somerset House. Her seed-to-plate philosophy goes further than any other, with almost nothing going to waste, and menus carefully planned around seasonal, estate-grown ingredients. The menu changes with the seasons and the biodynamic farm’s output, but right now you can choose from the likes of burrata and asparagus, pappardelle with ricotta and nettles, monkfish with white miso butter, and pork belly with fennel sausage and farm kale. Vegetarians will delight in the unmatched quality of the seasonal leaves and buttered greens, they really are good enough to eat on their own, and in large quantities. For farm-to-table in Reading, Heckfield Place is unmatched.

Heckfield Pl, Heckfield, Hook RG27 0LD7; heckfieldplace.com

Osaka

Tucked away in The Oracle shopping centre, Osaka is a favourite with locals. It serves Japanese fare without the hefty price tag: the menu includes an array of sushi, tempura, sashimi , curries and noodles. The tonkotsu is particularly popular: a pork and chicken broth which is cooked for over 12 hours to achieve that rich flavour. Barbecued pork belly is then slow-braised until tender and used to top the bowl, alongside noodles, egg, fried shallots and sesame. There’s a relaxed, lively atmosphere, perfect for catch ups with friends.

Unit R16, Riverside Mall Level, Reading RG1 2AG, osakarestaurants.co.uk

The Reading Room

If it’s fine dining in the heart of Reading that you’re looking for, head to luxury boutique townhouse hotel, The Roseate, Reading, where you’ll find its restaurant The Reading Room. For a decadent dining affair (with tables positioned around the spacious dining room to allow for social distancing and a more intimate dining experience for your party), the tasting menu by award winning Executive Chef Rajesh Maharjan is packed with seasonal British produce and mouth-watering flavour combinations. Tasting menu highlights include the scallop and pork belly starter, perfectly-cooked beef sirloin and a palette-cleansing pre-dessert. If you go a la carte, the Dorset crab starter is a must, as is the rich-but-not-too-rich black winter truffle linguine. Save space for dessert, but just don’t make us choose between the dark chocolate fondant or the savarin baba. Both are absolute perfection.

26 The Forbury, Reading RG1 3EJ; roseatehotels.com

Thames Lido

After an energetic swim al fresco at the beautifully-restored Thames Lido, the chances are you’ll want to eat; luckily in the restaurant you’ll find a most appealing menu on offer. Thanks to strong connections with local producers the menu is tailored to suit the seasons and delivered with sustainability in mind. We’d whole-heartedly recommend the scallops and wood roast hake if you’re in the mood for fish; but check with the team to see what’s looking good for the day.

Napier Rd, Reading RG1 8FR; thameslido.com