This shop is located in the alley (Smelly alley) of Reading town centre. At night, on the month of December, there are Christmas lights that brighten the alley. The shop is catchy as it has a unique colour of dark green paint outside. They have delicious grilled sandwiches and I also love their hot chocolate! Not too sweet and is good for me. They also have lots of cheese choices including vegan , and also spirits, wines and craft beers. A must visit!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 they are also in deliveroo just in case you can’t go to town and you’re craving for their cheeses and craft beers. The staffs are also friendly , accommodating and knowledgable with their selection of cheese. 👍🏻👍🏻

Interesting cheese and beer shop hidden in the Harris Arcade. Quite a small shop with a limited selection of beers but worth a visit. 27/08/22 - Since writing this about 6 years ago, Grumpy Goat has moved to Smelly Alley in Reading into a bigger premises and a week ago they opened a Taproom upstairs which I will be commenting on. Access is via a set of stairs to left of store entrance so it's not suitable for those in wheelchairs unless there is a lift. The venue is pleasing. Seating is a combination of stools and wooden sofas with cushions. The latter has power sockets where you can charge your phone. The beer selection is reasonable and the venue tends to avoid the big local breweries eg Siren, DB and Phantom. Taproom doesn't have a big screen to display its wares but instead relies on scrabble letters which is interesting but not easy to see from afar. There is no draught cider option and the bottled stuff is local but very craft and pricey. Food option is a variation on cheese platters but you won't get anywhere asking for crisps. Dogs are allowed and the vibe was good. It's good to have another craft venue in centre of town. Nice touch was the security chap on door. Shouldn't be needed but the alley can be iffy at night. 04/11/2023 - Unfortunately Grumpy Goat closed for good on Saturday 28 October 2023. Problems with contract charges with landlord apparently. A real shame :(

What a cracking place this is...craft beer & cheese! Big selection of cans in fridges downstairs along with the cheese & the amazing cheese toasties (£8). Upstairs a little taproom with 8 taps covering pales ales, dipas, cider, stouts & lager with a very knowledgeable guy behind the taps happy to give samples.

Delicious high-quality cheese plates, an amazing selection of 8 rotating craft beers and wines, and excellent service! Not to mention the gorgeous bar upstairs!

Can't beat The Grumpy Goat for amazing local beers and absolutely sublime cheese toasties! (Plus a well stocked cheese counter if you want some to take home). Friendly and knowledgeable staff, beautiful new upstairs bar and seating area... Go there, you won't regret it!

Cracking little find between the trains, as we headed south west. Downstairs has a huge variety of bottles cans and speciality cheeses. Upstairs is a newly opened bar, which had a nice selection of keg beers on tap. Unfortunately we could only stop for half an hour, but we took a couple of cans with us for the journey into Devon. All in all, a great little bar, and only five minutes walk from the main railway station.

What a place, so good. Yes the deli and booze selection is top notch but the service and food is also really good. The Ruben especially! Can’t wait to visit again

Always a delight supporting this local independent. Great selection of cheese and beers. The toasties are fantastic, but get there early for lunch as they are very limited on seating

Tucked away down a not so busy alley. Amazing selection of beers and cheeses and amazing toasties. Beer is top notch, they have some cool beers from local indie producers which is great to see. Customer service was spot on, greeted like a friend the moment I stepped through the door even though it's my first time.

Food and drink return to Union Street with this speciality cheese shop. Upstairs is a small bar room with performance area. They have quality beers and a special atmosphere.

The Grumpy Goat offers a variety of things, but by far the best thing is their grilled cheese. I will often make a special stop just to pick up one if I am in the area - they have a few different grilled cheeses available (including a vegan option) which are all great, although the Rueben is a particular standout. In addition to the grilled cheese, you can buy cheese (to eat in as part of a cheeseboard or to take home) and they feature a range of great local cheeses to try. The taproom is a lovely little chill space serving a range of craft beers - they also have wines available. The staff are all incredibly friendly and the venue is dog-friendly.

I got a latte and the reuben grilled cheese. Best sandwich ever eaten in my life! MMMMMMMM so freaking good

This is an excellent new venue in Reading, serving top notch craft beer on Tap and amazing toasted cheese sarnies. They also have a superb selection of cheeses. The Goat is run by a lovely couple and their very pleasant staff, do not avoid if you are in the area.

Great drinks, great food and amazing atmosphere. Staff are so friendly and welcoming too. Highly recommend a visit!

It’s always wonderful to walk through the door at the grumpy goat. The incredibly knowledgable staff are always cheerful and will greet you with a smile. Then passionately guide you through the latest beers or cheeses with an unrivalled enthusiasm. The produce is a curated selection from some wonderful local suppliers, along with some of the best from around the world. It always brings a childish smile to my face when I walk out with a bag load of treats I know I’ll be enjoying that week. And definitely try the cheese toasties !!

Amazing fromagerie on the downstairs with a fantastic selection of cheeses but also craft beer and select brilliant quality wine!! You can also get the best cheese toasties in Reading on the upstairs there is a bar area for a beer/wine/spirits drink which you could combine with your own made cheese platter! If visiting Reading this is definitely worth a visit!!

Small and simple but it does it so well. Exceptionally good cheese toasties, brilliant combination of flavours. Apparently they get some grumbles that they don't use massive wedges of bread in their sandwiches, but when the ingredients and blends are that good, you let the sandwich contents do the work. Friendly staff and good value too

I only found out about this place whilst in Tescos picking a can from the non alcohol section of the beers and spirits. Let me explain....a couple who were also stood around the non alcohol section told me that the Grumpy Goat along "Smelly Alley" in Reading offers great choice. We visited on Sunday afternoon and bought some samples and drank them in the upstairs bar. Will visit again very soon!!!

Nice toasties and soft drinks. I would have had a craft beer, but I'm not paying £1.50 on top for them to open it. Sat outside, as there was a loud yapping dog upstairs. If there was no empty seats outside, we wouldn't have went in (because of the yapping dog). It's very nice produce and products, so expect to pay more.