The epitome of craft beer pub. All thr elements of a neighbourhood pub with the added elements of a modern craft beer selection. The staff live what they do; they have live music; and there are retro gaming and game of thrones nights. Very cool spot to chill with a proper pint.

Quirky bar and I only attend during the week. They have darts nights and entertainment, try the Shanty Night and tell me it's not different!!! Good choice of beers / ales / wines

An outstanding, particularly well run pub that provides all a real pub should from an excellent beer and cider selection, to a good atmosphere. Spotless lavatories and even some parking for those who need it. They even do useful community meet-up activities. Absolutely the other end of the spectrum from an appalling international chain pub offering international blands, err, brands.

A great pub on the outskirts of Reading Town centre. The staff are friendly and they have a good selection of cask and keg beers which are constantly changing.

We had a lovely time in the Castle Tap from start to finish. The staff were incredibly friendly from the moment we walked up to the bar. The bitters were a delight, all of them had been very well cared for. We were there the night before Halloween and each table had a pumpkin on that had been brilliantly carved. It was a shame we couldn't stay for the entertainment later the same evening. A lovely pub, well worth a visit

Marxist signs outside, rainbow flags and toilets without male or female signs. Very unwelcoming to the general public. If you love your left wing politics when you go to the pub, brillaint it's for you. If you want to have a beer and relax without aggressive wokism and backward politics then avoid

Lovely pub, good selection of beer ,surprisingly spacious inside with a huge beer garden and games room at back of pub will be back

A proper pub: small, cozy, dog-friendly, with a good range of interesting beers. No food, aside from a selection of good cheeses, or music, so you can have a snack and a chat with your drinks.

Went to see a travelling story teller here and the venue provided a wonderful atmosphere and friendly staff. Would also recommend the pub as a nice place just yo gather with friends and have a good time.

More ‘modern’ beer instead of ale. But lovely pub with nice atmosphere

Very good pub, friendly staff, good beer, nice and cosy with a good pub garden.

Lovely pub nice friendly pub lovey priced pints honestly really nice and quiet will recommend to all dog owners

One of the last heritage pubs in Reading, and a CAMRA supporter with a small but varied line up on the pumps (the fabulous Sheppys cider is as near to commercial as you get, and all the better for it). Relaxed, familial vibe here with thankfully unmodernised floors, decor and Victorian ceiling posts. Located 5 mins walk south west of the centre on castle hill.... worth a visit to support this ever declining group of historical boozers. Recommended.

Good choice of drinks, nice old fashioned pub with board games and a dart board.

Is there such a thing as the perfect pub? The Castle Tap is pretty close... A proper friendly old school community pub near the Bath Road, high ceilings & mismatched armchairs/sofas, dartboards and music. Great selection of beers and a laid back feel, with good bands and arts events some weeks.

Brilliant place, with a proper comfy lived in feel. Loads of room in the garden. Great beer selection with pints you won't find elsewhere in town. Good, affordable prices too. And for those that need it, a choice of gluten free beers in cans.

Lovely place with a greasy selection of beers and cider. They sell a cheese board which is really good value for money, wish they had more options to go with it other than oat cakes. One of the staff members is quite grumpy and not very helpful but the owner and other stsff are kind and helpful.

Great selection awesome staff and a lovely sun trap garden! Gigs are great too!

The best atmosphere! LGBTQI+ run pub. They have a lovely outside area, gender neutral loos, great service and community.

Cracking little pub. Good beer, and lovely people. Don't think they do food so didn't rate it.

Love this bar. My favourite of Reading's haunts. They have a stellar gallery of obscure and delightful beers, the place feels quite homely and intimate. The staff have always been friendly and the piano is in good nick for a public piano. Thoroughly recommended!

The best kind of pub: community focused with great beers and no one-armed bandit etc.

Visited July 2021. Great selection of cask, tap and bottled beers and ciders (and more)! Spending even a few rounds here will leave your head swimming with the veritable paradox of choice on offer. The whiteboard and online selection of beers/ciders appear to be updated daily. Great service. Cosy indoor and outdoor furniture. Lots of plants in the garden as well as a log burner.

Friendly, right on place with a huge range of drinks on offer. Worth the trek if you're in town.

Although the interior is a bit old, the beer and cider selection is excellent. Friendly staff, decent prices. A nice place to have a conversation with a good drink

Always a lovely place to go. Cozy, relaxed atmosphere and super friendly staff.

A really nice venue, went here on somebody's recommendation and really enjoyed the place. Staff were friendly and welcoming and so were the customers. Definitely be returning when I'm next in Reading

Exceptional choice of beers and ciders. They do not serve food, except for some cheese but you can use delivery to order it.

Very friendly little pub with great beers, board games and cheese what more could you want

Great choice of cask and craft beers in a characterful pub with awesome bar staff and customers. I always stop by here when I'm in Reading.

First time I have been in the pub for many years. Beer was good.

It's a lovely pub with some cracking ales and ciders (especially the 7 Trees cider). It was quiet when we went there but met some lovely people. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Will definitely go back.

Nice little pub, good beer and lovely cheese 🙂

Nice little boozer with a great selection of beer! Very comfy and secluded.

Only stayed in reading for 6 days, but ended up spending the first three evenings in a row drinking at the castle tap. Great atmosphere, and would definitely recommend going to their (monthly?) Quiz if that's your kind of thing.

Cool relaxing place, nice selection of niche beers and ciders, not too expensive but obviously more than your local Spoons etc

A great pub with a really good selection of drinks, from beers to ciders to some of the hard stuff. This place has great friendly staff to boot. Will find myself here more often

Brilliant little local pub with an incredible range of beer and cider, very friendly and knowledgeable staff and overall very inclusive welcoming put 💖

What a gem. Fun beer selection, lots of character, whiskeys, candlesticks, cheese plates: what’s not to love? We are coming back. Maybe later today.