Reading, GB

Reading's long-running flagship restaurant beside the River Kennet, open since 2000 with critical acclaim and a loyal local following who call it the LSB. It serves accomplished modern-British cooking in a relaxed riverside room. Best for a special-occasion dinner or a riverside lunch in the heart of town.

One of Reading's oldest and best-loved eateries, a quirky pie shop and restaurant on Castle Street famous for its award-winning pies served in a warren of cosy rooms behind the bakery. It's a true local institution. Best for a hearty pie-and-mash lunch in characterful surroundings.

A historic black-and-white timbered pub in pretty Sonning, beside the church and a short stroll from the Thames, serving proper pub food in beamed, atmospheric rooms. The village setting makes it a destination. Best for a country-pub lunch combined with a Sonning and Thames walk.

An acclaimed Hyderabadi and South Indian restaurant in Caversham serving innovative, flair-filled regional plates well beyond the standard curry-house repertoire. It's the area's most exciting Indian cooking. Best for an adventurous South Indian dinner across the river in Caversham.

A local favourite tucked into the Oracle serving honest Japanese food, sushi, tempura, sashimi, curries, and noodles, without the steep price tag. It's the dependable Japanese pick in town. Best for a well-priced sushi or noodle dinner in the centre.

A long-loved Sardinian restaurant near the town centre serving handmade pasta, suckling pig, and island specialties with a deep Sardinian wine list in a warm, traditional room. It's the town's authentic-Italian institution. Best for a proper Sardinian dinner away from the chains.

A beloved, no-frills Lebanese restaurant serving fresh mezze, charcoal grills, and warm flatbread to a constant queue of locals, cash-only and bargain-priced. The flavours and the value are the draw. Best for a flavour-packed, well-priced Lebanese feast.

A fully plant-based, made-from-scratch restaurant and cafe in Caversham championing healthier, sustainable eating since 2019, with creative vegan plates that win over non-vegans. It's the area's plant-based standout. Best for an inventive vegan brunch or dinner across the river.

A small, independent, family-run cafe tucked away in Merchants Place off Friar Street, perfect for a quality lunch of sandwiches, salads, and good coffee away from the chains. It's a hidden central gem. Best for a relaxed independent lunch in a quiet courtyard.

A Reading specialty coffee roaster with a cafe on King Street, pulling carefully roasted espresso to a coffee-loving local crowd. It's the town's serious-coffee anchor. Best for a proper flat white and a quiet sit in the centre.

A bright specialty-coffee-and-brunch spot serving inventive brunch plates and excellent coffee to a loyal local following. It's the town's go-to for a quality weekend brunch. Best for a leisurely brunch and a good coffee in the centre.

The national trail follows the Thames through Reading, with a lovely flat stretch east from Caversham past meadows and locks toward the village of Sonning. It's the town's classic riverside walk. Best for an easy riverside walk to a Thames-side village pub and back.

Riverside meadows on the Caversham bank of the Thames, just across the bridge from the centre, with flat paths, open grass, and views of the river and rowers. It's the easiest green escape from town. Best for a flat, family-friendly riverside stroll a few minutes from the centre.

The canal towpath threads out of the centre from beside the Oracle, a flat, traffic-free route along the water past locks, narrowboats, and waterside pubs. It's an easy walk or cycle right from the heart of town. Best for a flat towpath walk or ride from the centre out into the countryside.

A country park of lakes, meadows, and woodland southeast of the town, formed from old gravel pits, with flat waterside trails, birdlife, and a cafe. It's a relaxed nature escape close to town. Best for an easy lakeside walk and birdwatching with the family.

Reading's largest park, a sweep of grassland and mature trees west of the centre with a mansion-turned-pub, a miniature railway, and wide open space. It's the town's big green lung for an easy walk. Best for a flat, open park walk and a drink at the park mansion.

Riverside parkland on the Thames at Henley, beside the River & Rowing Museum, with flat paths along the regatta course and views of the famous bridge. It's the gentle green heart of Henley. Best for a flat Thames-side stroll at Henley, paired with the rowing museum.

A free local-history museum in the grand Victorian Town Hall, home to a full-size Victorian replica of the Bayeux Tapestry and galleries on Roman Silchester and the town's story. It's a characterful, free cultural stop. Best for an hour with the Bayeux Tapestry replica and the abbey history.

An acclaimed, surprisingly delightful museum at the University of Reading exploring the history of the English countryside, farming, and rural life, with beautifully designed galleries and a famous social-media wit. It's free and far more engaging than it sounds. Best for a free, charming couple of hours on rural England.

A modern museum at Henley celebrating the Thames, the sport of rowing, and the town's regatta, with a much-loved Wind in the Willows attraction for children. It's a polished, family-friendly day out by the river. Best for a family visit combining rowing history and the Wind in the Willows walk-through.

Reading's main theatre and concert hall, a distinctive 1970s venue staging touring drama, music, comedy, and the annual pantomime. It's the hub of the town's live entertainment. Best for an evening show or concert in the centre.

An intimate arts centre in a converted Victorian school, hosting live music, comedy, theatre, and club nights in a relaxed, alternative setting. It's where the town's more independent culture happens. Best for an intimate gig or comedy night with a local crowd.

An independent cinema in the centre showing a mix of mainstream, indie, and classic films with comfortable seating and a bar, named for the town's Huntley & Palmers biscuit heritage. It's a civilised night at the pictures. Best for a film and a drink in a relaxed independent cinema.

The flagship bar of Reading's acclaimed Siren brewery, near the station, pouring 25-plus of its own and guest beers in a modern taproom. It's the town's go-to for serious craft beer. Best for an evening of top-quality craft beer a short walk from the centre.

A family brewery in Dunsden near Caversham with a relaxed Tap Yard pouring its own beers alongside coffee, cakes, and meals cooked on site. The countryside setting makes it a mellow outing. Best for a laid-back afternoon of local beer in a rural tap yard.

A long-running operator running scenic Thames cruises from Caversham, including the lovely 45-minute trip up to Mapledurham with its Tudor house and watermill. Seeing the river valley from the water is the appeal. Best for a relaxed river cruise, especially the run up to Mapledurham.

The atmospheric ruins of a great 12th-century abbey founded by Henry I, who is buried somewhere on the site, conserved and reopened in 2018 as the Abbey Quarter beside Forbury Gardens. It's 900 years of history in the heart of the town. Best for a self-guided wander of the ruins, ideally with a Saturday volunteer-led tour.

An elegant Victorian public garden beside the abbey ruins, centred on the giant cast-iron Maiwand Lion, one of Reading's best-known landmarks, with bandstand, flowerbeds, and lawns. It's the town's prettiest green square. Best for a relaxed sit by the lion and a stroll into the adjoining abbey ruins.

The waterside stretch of the central shopping centre where the River Kennet flows scenically past a run of bars and restaurants with outdoor terraces. It's the town's go-to spot for a riverside drink. Best for an evening drink or meal on a terrace over the Kennet.

An impossibly pretty Thames village just east of Reading, with brick-and-flint cottages, a medieval bridge, a historic church, and riverside pubs. It feels a world away from the town. Best for a wander of the lanes and a riverside drink by the Thames.

A late-Tudor manor house on the Thames northwest of Reading, with the last working watermill on the river and grounds that featured in film and literature. The riverside setting and the mill are the draw. Best for a country-house-and-watermill visit, reachable by river cruise from Caversham.

A handsome riverside town just north of Reading, famous for its summer Royal Regatta, a graceful Georgian bridge, riverside pubs, and the River & Rowing Museum. It's the genteel face of the Thames Valley. Best for a riverside wander, a Thames-side pint, and the rowing museum.

A welcoming Tudor country house in the Chilterns near Henley, set in walled gardens with a medieval tower, a wisteria-draped courtyard, and rolling estate walks. It's a relaxed National Trust visit. Best for a garden-and-house afternoon with estate walks in the Chilterns.