Bel And The Dragon - Reading

I had a very comfortable experience at The Narrowboat. The staff were welcoming, the interior was brilliant (it was converted from an old boat yard), the room was very comfortable, and the breakfast was fantastic. I would not hesitate to recommend The Narrowboat for a drink, meal, or an overnight stay.

I ordered three roast turkey Sunday dinners, but they did not come with pigs in blankets or chestnut stuffing as expected. Instead, we received macaroni and cheese. The dinner was drenched in gravy, making everything mushy. As a regular patron of Fullers pubs for many years, I can confidently say that this was the worst meal I have ever had at any pub.

We had a brilliant evening at the Narrowboat for our staff Christmas meal! Service was brilliant right the way through from booking and pre ordering, to being served, by name, on the night. The food was absolutely delicious and everyone was so impressed with the menu choices and the quality and portion sizes of their meals. Everyone who had allergies and dietary requirements felt really safe and well looked after too. Cannot recommend highly enough!

Food and service good but the function room on the boat was way too cold for our group lunch in December. Food drinks have to be brought out from the pub so the door to the boat is opened and closed dozens of times. The warm air heaters are near the roof and proved inadequate. Many of our group sat in their winter coats while eating. Plus the chairs were wooden and most uncomfortable for a meal lasting over 2 hours. We went indoors (warm in there! for coffee, which again was good but seemed to take forever to prepare.

This venue certainly looks the part and the refurb is great but the food is bland and disappointing. We booked for a Christmas meal a small party of 3. We had already chosen our courses and submitted our choices online. The plates on which the food was served were extremely cold. The turkey was dry, trimmings like the sausages overcooked (nearing on burnt). Potatoes were soggy. The Christmas pud was also a disappointment you could buy better in a supermarket! Staff were cheery and helpful.