London Street Brasserie Reading

Noted for its “old-fashioned values and high-class food”, this personable town-centre brasserie was originally an 18th-century tollhouse for traffic coming into Reading. Occupying a prime site overlooking the River Kennet (bag a seat on the terrace in fine weather), it promises top-drawer service and a relaxed vibe in thoroughly contemporary surrounds. Chef/proprietor Paul Clerehugh also runs the bucolic Crooked Billet at Stoke Row, and a similar freewheeling spirit pervades the menu here: starters of Japanese cured and torched mackerel with wasabi potato and cucumber or fried duck egg with toasted brioche, wild mushrooms and crispy bacon could precede grilled John Dory with sautéed chorizo, squid, courgette and harissa or Glastonbury free-range chicken baked with garlic and herb butter. Drinks also tick all the boxes, from eclectic wines and beers to swanky cocktails. It’s all “amazing value” given the quality on offer, with “great customer service” to boot.

In a very central location, sitting pride of place high above the river Kennet, London Street Brasserie can be found on the edge of the Riverside area of Reading, but is not a part of it really. In an old building, the restaurant does stand out between two bridges, the balcony at the back of the building showcases a good view downriver, so you can see the canal boats gently flow by and the mallards in their lines. The building is very vertical, with several levels of seating – you’ll likely need to be shown where to go if it is your first time visiting – each room varying little in terms of what experience they offer, but slightly in terms of levels of intimacy.

The menu consists of largely rich fare, where you can expect high-quality British ingredients prepared well and served to warm the spirits. Most meals focus on a well-sourced piece of meat or fish that is complemented nicely by a selection of vegetables, fruit, chips, and sauce amongst plenty of things that spark the chef’s imagination.

The restaurant offers reprieve from a busy shopping experience, they’re well aware of this and have geared their service towards facilitating a comfortable break. Aware of the fact that you may balk at the amount you’ve spent in the Oracle centre or on Broad Street, London Street Brasserie usually put on set lunch offers for a very affordable price, allowing a welcome distraction from the needs of the consumer. However, a good dinner is a speciality here, the Brasserie is an excellent place for a small celebration or a nice family meal out, the meals to be had are of a fine quality, but they are not inaccessible to fussy eaters or children, and there are plenty of options that you can choose between.