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Clifton Arms
Gosbrook Road, Caversham, RG4 8BS
Reviewed On: 4 Dec 2004
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Public Houses in Reading
Berkshire, England.
   
Bar 38
Previous Names:
Oracle (Riverside), Reading, Berkshire, RG1 2AG
0.38 miles from Reading station [Map]
Final Score: 5.5 out of 10
Steve's Score:2 (Out of 5)
Gray's Grade:3.5 (Out of 5)
Steve Supped:Kronenbourg Blanc
Gray Gulped:Kronenbourg Blanc
Garden / Facilities:Seating outside looking out on the Oracle riverside. Good for the evening sun!

RE-REVIEW:

This is now the Ivory Lounge (and has been for some time). Town centre bar for the more mature crowd i.e. me!

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
1 September 2004

Well the bogs are certainly unique with an impressive shared water fountain thingy - and all the girls will know if you bother to wash your hands or not after you've had a slash. As you'd expect in the Oracle it's a bit of a swanky place. Two bars (upstairs and downstairs) and it gets very busy in here. Slightly more mature clientele in here than some of the other Oracle bars - so Steve fit in a treat being an officially old git now. Happy Birthday mate. G.
Thanks mate, thats really sweet! Yeah, Bar 38 is a slightly swanky style town centre bar and does it very nicely thanks but nothing special. Lets face it, you can't even get that excited about the shared hand washing device - it's only a big sink after all. You do get, or used to anyway, staff wandering round taking orders which saves you going up to the bar so that's a bit of a bonus. S.

BEER EXPERIENCE

Blimey, never seen or heard of that Kronenbourg Blanc before - but it was perfect for sitting outside in some late summer evening sun. A very sweet wheaty number that was very drinkable. No doubt I'll find it in every pub I go in from no on what with it being a very mainstream brand and all that. Still, it was in Bar 38 we discovered it first. Other than that discovery though, just a couple of boring standard drinks and no proper beer. Good for wine drinkers though - and I imagine those who like cocktails. A bar and not a pub, so the kind of drinks range you'd expect. G.
Oh what a night, early september back in 2004! Very early in fact, the first, a special day for yours truely and this year it was my big 30, so it was nice to try a new very fruity tasting 'blanc' style beer. The rest is standard town centre fodder but should keep most people happy on a night out at a 'bar'. S.

VISITOR FEEDBACK [Give Your Feedback]

"Used to be a great place to go, but most of the good staff have gone on to do better things. think it started to get bad when team John left. Both great dancers and bartenders (and both called John)!!!"
(Rated 3 out of 10)
Gemma visited in April 2006

"How very right you are Sid. The place has gone to the dogs! I could not be bothered to drink there anymore and why should you when there's such a choice of pubs in Reading! Shame though, it was a fine boozer."
John visited in June 2005

"Gone is the great atmosphere of its heyday most of the original staff apart from one or two have gone. And in has come serious attitude with the new staff! Big shame as it was a great pub. COME ON BOSS SORT IT OUT!!"
Sid visited in May 2005

"Too many men in here on a Friday night and they all look like recruitment consultants or estate agents."
Angelina visited in April 2005

"Not always as pricey as you may think. Me and my boys often start our evenings in Bar 38 and I recall lager costing £2.15 ish a pint, which isnt too bad considering the enjoyable atmosphere of the Oracle complex."
Marcus visited in April 2005

"Agree with wot you two guys said about it being a swanky, classy establishment. Good place to go pre-club when you want to chill with the still before heading off to the big one. Drinks pricy though. "
Edamslave visited in April 2005

Average Visitor Score: 3.00 out of 10

NEIGHBOURING PUBS

The following pubs are within stumbling distance of this establishment:

         
Current Score:
5.5
Original Score:
5.5
Traditional Pub?
No
Party Pub?
Yes
Proper Food?
No
Real Ale Pub?
No
Pub Games?
No

Bar 38 Pub (Reading, Berkshire)
Picture 1 >>
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