The Ferryboat - Reading

Phoned twice to book a table for lunch as we were travelling for nearly an hour to go there. Both times was a recorded message to say no one able to take the call leave name and phone number and booking request someone will get back to you. No one did. So went to website and booked on line received a reply saying that message received. Drove to the restaurant to find a notice on the door saying “Closed until Further Notice” . So two hours driving and a closed hostelry. How difficult is it to update website and answerphone message. Lazy lazy lazy. Had a lovely lunch at the Swan in Pangbourne on the edge of the the Thames highly recommended

Visited with friends for lunch. Have to say that service was fairly good not too long a wait. Reviews are subjective and depend on expectations and what you’re used to . Ordered battered cod and liver and onions. The cod was extremely disappointing. The piece of fish was very small and not the piece of cod that you come to expect when ordering fish and chips. It was a child portion and more like a goujon. The batter was dreadful it was soggy. The flesh was piping hot so it was fairly obvious that it had been microwaved. Not my idea of freshly prepared. Also, it was supposed to be served with tartare sauce but the only sauce on offer came in sachets! The liver was more acceptable although I am not a fan of microwaved vegetables. The dessert I wanted was ‘off’ so I made do with the Biscoff Cheescake. It was very sweet although that may be to some peoples taste. So, all in all, and because two of our party had fish and only one had liver, I am awarding just two stars and will not going back.

Website says an unassuming pub... This is certainly true that they don't assume customers actually want to be treated equally! Literally just walked in with a look to booking a meal, girl at the bar was just finishing something at the till and I said I was just asking about their beer prices. The chap dishing out food walked in and was told that she would serve me and to sort out the older ladies walking in the door a few minutes behind me. Call me old fashioned, but if you're going to then walk off and start doing something else for 2 minutes, giving your colleague time to seat two very slow pensioners in another room, walk past me, get two menus, walk back to them and then disappear for another bit, surely the customer who walked in two minutes ahead of the others should actually be served?! As I was walking out, I turned back to notice the chap coming to the bar to serve me so as the girl seemingly wasn't going to serve me anyway, so what on earth made me second fiddle to someone coming in behind me?! I get Whitchurch is a bit posh, but being mugged off cos two old dears were dressed up behind me is pushing it a bit far. We'll go to the Greyhound down the road in Tidmarsh again in future... At least I can get served there!

I visited today with a large group for lunch. The menu was huge, the food delicious and the service was excellent. I would highly recommend!

Visited the Ferryman last night with Friends, 4 adults, 4 kids and 2 doggies. Loved the menu and all the food. Specials board was fantastic and asked if they could do a couple of changes to a dish and they said yes no problem. So obviously freshly made. We all loved the food and the waitress and the owner at lunchtime and the manager in the evening were wonderful. I wish them all the best as we come out of this horrible pandemic. Thanks for a lovely time