The Bull Inn

Normally I would never give a five star rating to a pub with rooms to let that were so teeny, tiny, but this is a big departure for me. I was overwhelmed by the charming atmosphere of the bar and dining areas. The premises are leased to them by the nearby church and I suspect that they would not allow any walls to be removed. If the Bull had taken a wee more modern attitude towards their room size then this might qualify as one of the best establishments of its type in southern England.
All of the room amenities were in place and nicely done up, but the space in «Jerome» #4(named for Jerome K. Jerome’s witty travel book in which he mentions the Bull) was just too cramped for the ¾ bed. Aside from my bitching about the room size let’s consider the helpful and wonderfully friendly staff. Rupert the front desk/​handyman/​dining room server could not have been nicer and the waitstaff were delightful.
Now the food, oh my, the food, just wonderful pub dishes with a little upgrading making my haddock and leek chowder something to remember. The banger and mash were yummy. They had a distinct gravy, crunchy onion, and sautéed onion over smooth as silk mash and perhaps local porkers. Their ribeye was memorable for the Roquefort butter, potato cake, peeled tomatoes and perfectly cooked mushroom crown.
I word here about their breakfast is necessary. They offer a large number of the most mouth watering, fresh and cooked to order items. I may have been a bit overzealous and filled up more that I normally would have a home (yoghurt and fruit) and had the nicest, lightly smoked haddock (poached egg and white sauce), all sorts of fresh or poached fruit, croissants, toast, marmite and goodness knows what else. My tummy protrudeth.
I agonized a bit over what the have for puddin’ but settled on a flaky, slightly tart strudel.
The beer and wine was just what one would expect; it’s a country pub after all so no Ace of Spades or vintage XO. That might have been as the bard said, «To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw a perfume on the violet, to smooth the ice, or add another hue unto the rainbow, or with taper-​light to seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, is wasteful and ridiculous excess.»
I want to make special mention of Peter Bilton, the Deputy Manager. Peter went out of his way to be pleasant and charming.
The bull with it’s charm, friendly patrons, guests, food and service make my list, however, as Jerome K. Jerome puts it, «It is always the best policy to speak the truth, unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar.»

I am writing this review as an American with no expertise on traditional English pubs, but here it goes…
This place gave me one of my favorite beer drinking experiences ever. When you approach the Bull Inn from the outside it is very pretty and it almost looks like something you would see in a movie. Once we stepped inside it was impressive how old, yet beautiful it was. From what I understand, the selection of beers could be found at many pubs around the UK (Fuller’s), but that doesn’t make them any less tasty. For food I had roasted pheasant stew and it was incredible.
If you are looking to eat delicious food, drink really good beer, and soak in some history, this is a place you should try.

Good pub. We are on a canal boat going up the Thames. This place was recommended in our guide book and by fellow boaters and a lock keeper. Good food, friendly service, great location. Easy walk up going under the bridge and then up from the river towards the church.
While we were there, two clogger groups performed in the yard. To us Americans, this was quite an experience.

I love this country pub. Perfectly situated for access by foot, bike or canal boat. Probably not so good by car because of the small but ever so quaint roads of Sonning. Love the atmosphere food and drink

A friendly village pub in Sonning, the Bull also offers hotel accommodations. I was here for a pub lunch and I was pleased.
A decent selection of beers, this is a Fuller’s pub so I went with their Ascot tercentary golden ale. For mains, my friend had the lasagne. Extremely hot, he said it was quite good. I saw lots of meat in there and the cheese was grilled on top. I had the green Thai curry, which was vegetarian. With too much rice, it was also very hot. I think they probably cook the stuff before and then microwave when it’s ordered but I’m not sure.
The place started to fill up as we ate and the parking area was completely filled by the time we left. They also have a few tables outside.

A wonderful village pub near the church in the riverside village of Sonning-​on-​Thames. It was mentioned in Jerome K. Jerome’s novel «Three Men in a Boat» on the boat journey from London to Oxford. The pub and the village have not changed too much since then. The pub is now Fullers, so the beer is good as well as the food. It is possible to sit outside overlooking the churchyard in the summer or inside in two bar rooms and a restaurant room. Traditionally, the church owned the Bull Inn, so whether an imbiber or a churchgoer, the church still got your money in Sonning!

The Bull is located near to Sonning Lock and the River Thames. It’s a modest walk from Reading and is the best country boozer accessible by foot from town. A dark, beamed sixteenth century classic. For what it’s worth it gets a mention in Jerome K Jerome’s ‘Three Men in a Boat’…

This is a real gem in the area. Sonning is a quiet little village except during the rush hour when it goes crazy. Its busy because it has a bridge over the thames so its a real bottleneck.
This asside, it is one of the best pubs in the area. its very English, low ceiling and dark inside but is great for beer and real ale’s and has a great pub menu which will not fail. Great starts and main dishes and as always something different on the specials menu.
It does have some outside seating which is nice if you can get early to get a spot in the sun.
Overlooks a church yard and just a stones throw from the Thames if you fancy a liitle walk also. Somewhere around her i am sure dick turpin used to hide his horse.
A must try for any one in the area.

My favorite pub in or around reading.
Old pub with low ceilings and darkened wooden beams.
Open log fires add to the character in the bar.
The food is also top notch.
The pub is one one the places that the characters in Jerome K Jerome’s novel ‘three men in a boat’ visited on their journey along the Thames and found a huge fish on the wall.
Well the fish is no longer there but the character of the place is undeniable.
Located next to the church which is in turn next to the Sonning Lock on the Thames, this pub is a great place to start for a pub walk day.
also offers rooms for the night.