The Walter Arms

The Walter Arms

Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
+44 118 977 4903+ Add website
Hours
Sun
11:30 - 21:00
Mon
11:00 - 23:00
Tue
11:00 - 23:00
Wed
11:00 - 23:00
Thu
11:00 - 23:00
Fri
11:00 - 23:00
Sat
11:30 - 0:00
Improve this listing
Ratings and reviews
4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles

RATINGS
Food
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Service
3.9 of 5 bubbles
Value
3.6 of 5 bubbles
Atmosphere
3.8 of 5 bubbles
Can a vegetarian person get a good meal at this restaurant?
About
The pub dates back to the 19th century. It was originally built by John Walter III – who owned the Bearwood estate at the time, for the workers on his land to have somewhere to go after a hard day’s toil. The Walter family launched The Times and edited it for many years. With a stunning outdoor courtyard featuring our famous fountain and large heated and covered Pagoda, a large garden and two car parks. An impressive gastro inspired Pan European menu changing seasonally. Vegans & vegetarian are well catered for with us. Food at The Walter Arms is just scrumptious all year round! A drink selection from Rebellion Brewery Ales, to a great pint of Birra Moretti. There is a great selection of old and new world wines, handcrafted Gin's, Rum's, Whisky’s & Vodka's as well as a gorgeous cocktail menu. There is a stunning barn filled with charm and character just across the courtyard from the main pub seating 45 or 120 standing, housing its own bar that can be hired out for events.
CUISINES
Pub, Gastropub
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Buffet, Seating, Parking Available, Validated Parking, Free off-street parking, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles951 reviews
Excellent
398
Very good
252
Average
105
Poor
89
Terrible
107

Shelington
Reading51 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 none
Came here the week after lockdown ended and sat outside in the courtyard. They had QR codes for the menus which you just point your phone at and read on your handset from their website. Took a while to get served after we sat but there were only three members of staff serving food to a full restaurant and the rest of the service after we had our drinks was fantastic. Tom was a great guy who sorted everything and once the drinks finally arrived like I say the rest of the team were great and given the new set up/ social distancing etc they really worked their socks off. I think the other two working that night names were Taylor & Harrison. The food we ordered was fantastic - kids size portion fish and chips and pepperoni pizza. They don’t have kids menus but happy to do half size portions and the quality for kids food was excellent. The fish was moist and batter crispy. Very good. My wife had the seabass which was also wonderfully presented and cooked. I ordered the peri peri chicken chicken which was cooked perfectly and had a kick. The profiterole dessert was really lovely and the chocolate brownie dessert very good too. The french rose they sell is excellent although we were not too impressed with the white wine we ordered and sent that back. Overall a great evening out and very impressed with the measures in place re hygiene and social distancing. Look forward to coming back.
Written 26 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gmw2019
Dear Guest Thank you so much for your wonderful comments o The Walter Arms! I have passed these on to the team. We look forward to seeing you again soon Kind regards Jon
Written 4 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dave R
79 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 none
First visit to the Walter Arms for many years following several changes of ownership. Plusses: warm welcome, shown promptly to our table, friendly service, good social distancing observed. First disappointment was to find that none of the choices we were looking forward to from the menu we downloaded earlier that day (pork belly, hake, linguine) were present on the menu we were handed by the waitress. Upon investigation, it transpired that Google had found an old menu which for some reason was (and is) still downloadable from the Walter Arms website (webmaster, please note!). Disappointed, we revised our starter choices to the Bruschetta (OK) and the Atlantic Prawns (not) - the Blood Mary sauce with the latter suffering from a bad case of anaemia. Our amended choices of mains were both fish - my sea bass was lovely and, to my delight, was offered with long stem broccoli (perfectly cooked) instead of the advertised green beans. While my wife's hake was fine, the anticipated and essential mushy (i.e. marrowfat) peas turned out instead to be crushed garden peas, which she hates. On the positive side, our wobbly table was promptly rectified with the regulation folded napkin (the joys of quarry-tiled floors!) and we were kept topped up with drinks, and that went some way to offsetting my wife's disappointment with her starter and main. Would we return? To be honest, probably not.
Written 18 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gmw2019
Dear Dave Thank you for taking the time to review us, we are always happy to receive feedback so that we can improve. We must apologise for the menu being incorrect, this has now been rectified. I am glad your wife enjoyed the Sea Bass dish and I have passed your feedback regarding the Mushy Peas with the Fish and Chips onto our head chef. . Thank you again for bringing this to our attention and I do hope you will give us another try again soon. Kind regards Jon
Written 2 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mike C-D
Winnersh7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 family
Good food and despite being near the road it's very peaceful outside. The outstanding thing is the service. We took our mum who is mid-cancer treatment out for a treat - we've been looked after this afternoon by a young lady called Laura and her care and attention she's displayed to looking after a vulnerable person is exceptional. On top of that she's extremely personable and has a great sense of humour. She's a star and an asset to what is generally a very good pub
Written 12 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gmw2019
Dear Mike Thank you for your very kind comments, I know the team appreciate the feedback on your experience and it motivates them to know all their hard work is acknowledged! Laura is very pleased to read your review, she especially enjoyed looking after you and is looking forward to your return for our belated Mothers and Fathers Day on 26th July! Kind regards Jon
Written 13 July 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

janettrinder
Reading5 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 none
We took some friends last night as we had been here a couple of years ago and at that time were impressed we booked a couple of weeks ago waitress had a problem finding our booking and left us standing in the cold outside, we showed another waitress the email confirmation but she said she was too busy with a wedding, when we finally got to our table the service was really slow, menu very limited , food was ok but nothing special, our friends had the duck salad which was just duck and some sort of white radish possibly mould but definitely NOT a salad and although it said with sweet chilli sauce there was some spice sprinkled all over it so she couldn’t eat it as too spicy , the waitress just said sorry but no offer of a price reduction. At one point we were waiting 20 minutes for drinks that we ordered although a lot of staff about had to ask twice where they were. They said they would give us a couple of minutes too look at desserts but again kept us waiting so long we asked for the bill and went home for dessert. Also the tables were close together and at one point a group of people asked to be moved as they weren’t happy with the lack of social distancing, we spent the rest of the evening apologising to our friends who had travelled from Cambridge to stay with us. Won’t be going again.
Written 29 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gmw2019
Dear Guest Thank you taking the time to give feedback on your experience with us. I and the team would like to apologise for the experience you had with us, we would likke the opportunity to show you that, at The Walters Arms, the guest is our priority and that the hospitality that we provide is very important to each and everyone of us. With this in mind please contact myself as I would like to personally discuss a future visit here with us. I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Jon
Written 2 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jessica H
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 couples
My partner and I came here for a Sunday lunch and the team had really hyped up the roast dinner beforehand to him. He went for the beef roast with cauliflower cheese and was left very disappointed! The Camembert was overcooked and the cheese on the bottom was extremely watery. The beef was tough and chewy, luckily my boyfriend has his chop saw in his van to lend some help with it! My chicken burger meal was not great at all either. The burger bun was burnt and my chips were cold. We are in no rush to return!
Written 2 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gmw2019
Dear Jessica We are sorry to hear you did not enjoy your food here with us at The Walter Arms. We do appreciate feedback at the time, especially if there may of been an issue, this way we are able to rectify and respond to ensure you enjoy your experience. Many thanks for taking the time to review your experience, the feedback is gratefully received. We do hope you come to see us again soon Kind regards Jon
Written 4 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

mumfy999
Wokingham38 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 couples
Made a booking on 16/08 for 25/08 for 2 people at 7:30pm. Booking confirmed on 17/08. Arrived on time and was shown to a table directly in front of open doors. It was a very wet, windy and cold evening. The waitress (who I assumed was some sort of manager) stated before we even sat down. ‘These are your seats but I’ll see if I can seat you elsewhere’. I could see why.. We sat down and ordered drinks and soon decided it was just too cold to accept the table. Table was clearly an after thought. There was no QR code on the table (all others had them). It was was literally in the hallway. (Pictures attached). A waitress approached soon after for our food order. I explained that we would not want to eat here and would prefer a table that was set out for diners and not explorers... Appeared a male waiter (manager??!) His suggestion was we could turn our chairs away from the wind of the doors or eat outside under the umbrella so we wouldn’t get wet. I’m not sure if this was his attempt at having a sense of humour but wasn’t really acceptable. We were then told a couple in the corner were finishing their mains so we could have their place once they had finished. Still a bit miffed we were not placed in a actual table we agreed. I then saw said couple place their cutlery on plates and no sooner they were pounced on by waitress asking if they would swap seats with us as we were ‘unhappy’ with where we were sat????? Disgusted and not wanting to ruin two couples evenings I intervened. The young couple were very nice and would have accepted but not the point. They shouldn’t have had to. I get with the current Government scheme places are busy. I however booked well in advance. We were sat in a totally unacceptable place and were provided despicable customer service. Avoid at all costs. Please contact me management to discuss as I couldn’t find you following the incident. I guess you were busy elsewhere.
Written 25 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gmw2019
Dear Guest Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. I must agree that, we did under very busy circumstances, we did not have your table ready at the correct time. We did provide you with free drinks of your choosing whilst you were waiting for a suitable table to become available. When many of the bookings were taken for this date the weather was fine and very warm, with this in mind we did book out the venue and on this occasion the booking slots were not perfect. With the weather situation in mind we really do apologise, and this unfortunately shows that the popularity of the Eat Out Scheme has meant that you were unintentionally affected. Please contact myself so that we may gain the opportunity to show you both that at The Walter Arms we take the hospitality that we offer very seriously. Kind regards Jon
Written 2 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

readingwillers
165 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 none
Booked last week for last night. When we arrived we were seated at an outside table which I did not request. It was cold and we had t shirts on. When you book a table in a restaurant you expect to be inside. Very helpful staff member seated us inside. However, it was in the barn area and the double patio doors were wide open so we may as well have been outside (I understand keeping fresh air flowing at the moment, but this was not necessary). It was very cold. We got two of our starters which were ok and had to ask for the third. Over an hour after we had sat down we asked about our mains. The manager said that he had pushed our order to the front of the queue, it had obviously been overlooked. When the mains arrived it was obvious it had been rushed out, pale fries, pale pizza and husband’s piece of fish was nearly all batter. We got home very cold and not feeling like we’d had a pleasant family evening out. The staff were lovely and the manager took the cost of some drinks off the bill for the wait which was appreciated. However, they really need to take a few less bookings if they can’t deliver a good service. I’ve eaten here many times in the past with no problems but I won’t be rushing back
Written 27 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gmw2019
Dear Guest May I thank you for reviewing us here at The Walter Arms. I must apologise for the seating arrangements and the time it took for your meal to arrive. We had a very busy evening with the Eat out to Help out scheme and your experience was not up to our usual standard. Please do visit us again as I am sure you will enjoy a future visit with us. Kind regards Jon
Written 2 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Shell G
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 couples
We booked for Sunday Roast on our way home from a trip away and it was the worst meal I have ever had at Watersarms, my leg of lamb was three thick slices of meat that had no flavour or taste at all and as you know lamb has a very unique taste this meat was so fatty and tough that needed so much chewing and even then struggled to swallow. I complained about the meal and left the meat on the plate, the waitress was left with coming to explain that the chef was sorry and knew it was a bad cut of meat. We eventually was informed that the manager was one of the chefs (well that said it all). We have been to Waters arms on various occasions but never experienced such bad quality in the food and as everyone knows if your meat is bad it ruins your whole meal but not only that the Yorkshire was overcooked, no parsnip as advertised, the only best part of the meal was the two small roast potatoes. I am not sure if this place has changed management but extremely expensive for bad quality food. I would rather recommend the Toby Carvery or the George for a Sunday roast at least you will get better quality food for less money.
Written 29 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bergstar55
Hi 151shelleyg I would like to speak with you with regards your visit to the walter arms if you could call me at the pub on 01189774903 that would be great. Kind Regards Jason
Written 9 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Vito d
London18 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 family
Booked for a Sunday lunch at 3pm. Got a call from the manager at 1430 saying we are out of roast lamb and also chicken. Anyway got to the pub and there were no handles on the door to enter or exit the pub. Sat down and then the problems started. The service was extremely slow due to just 2 waiters working. The food is beyond terrible extremely dry and overcooked beef, bland boiled vegetables and the cauliflower cheese was full of water. My partners steak was more than well done and the plate was missing a few items that were stated on the menu. All we got offered was 20% off the bill and yet we still paid £75. Never ever again and please do not bother going to the pub its a waste of time and money. I would honestly avoid at all costs and the best thing for the pub to do is shut down completely.
Written 28 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simon M
Thank you for your feedback, we have since your last visit put in place a new menu and if you wish to contact me directly I am sure we can restore faith for you and your guests.
Written 7 December 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ryan S
Reading5 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2021 friends
This pub has always been a place we loved and visited for special occasions.. sadly it has gone down hill. Order of events.. 1. They didn’t have our booking or table set up 2. It took over 20 mins to get a table and drink 3. There were 4 of us and we were given 2 different menus, which meant one menu was correct, the other one wasn’t and the right menu was very restricted so we had to select our meals again with no apologies from our server Austin. 4. Some of the starters were not available from the very restricted menu without any pre warning. 5. We hadn’t finished our starters and Austin decided we had and took them away! Again he reacted in a strange manor. We asked for another server after a few instances with him. Which was taken care of. 6. All our meals went back. The £24 steak was chewy and full of fat/grizzle. For the sausage and mash was not edible.. the sausages were hard and burnt, the mash was a congealed mess stuck to the bottom of the plate. The fish and chips for another friend was also just as bad, with undercooked soggy batter. My house burger was a mess and it tasted like the bun was out of date and fell apart. 7. Other friends had a table of two booked.. but again no table for them and they waited at the bar for 30 mins before deciding to leave after Austin was rude to them. 8. We complained and asked to see the manager but he couldn’t be bothered to come down stairs and talk to us. What kind of leadership does that show. All the other staff were brilliant and were very apologetic on our experience. For their efforts we may come back. For the other server, maybe another role but hospitality isn’t his passion which was clearly shown.. or he was having a really bad day. Tried to be a fair and honest as possible. Hopefully it returns to its former glory one day!
Written 20 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Simon M
Dear Guest, Please feel free to give me a phone call and I will be happy to discuss this feedback with you and I am sure we can restore faith in our offer and service.
Written 7 December 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Claire O
2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 family
What a shame , I fully understand that pubs and restaurants will need a little time to gear up again but the really should not be booking tables that they are not able to serve . We waited well over an hour for our food , 4 dishes on the limited menu not available and service very very slow . There are other places locally who are offering much better experiences . Shame really as used to love it here
Written 23 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

R4878
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 none
Four of us arrived at 5.30, having prebooked a table, putting in the comments that we would most likely be having roast dinners. We were placed under a noisy air conditioning unit, so asked to move to another table in the same area. This was fine. We sat and waited to be asked for a drinks and food order. After 40 minutes, we managed to get someone's attention and ordered drinks. Another 15 minutes later, we said we still hadn't received our drinks, and the lady came back and said they hadn't been put through and could we repeat our order. When the drinks finally arrived I requested to order food straight away and we would like 4 roasts. This is when we were informed by the waiter that they had no roasts left as they had no veg and we had the choice of a burger, ceasar salad, gnocci and a fish dish. The waiter was not even apologetic, so we asked for a few minutes to discuss and could he come back. He never came back so we eventually asked someone else for our bill and paid for our drinks and left. The pub wasn't even busy, the staff just made no effort at all with their customers, even making eye contact with us and then just ignoring us and walking back inside. Such a disappointment, limited menu and disinterested staff. Incredibly frustrating to walk out seeing other customers eating roast dinners that were not available. This place had a good rep, but it seems to be going downhill and I wont be rushing back.
Written 22 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bergstar55
Hi Rachel if you would like to contact me on 01189774903 i would like to discuss your recent visit with us. Regards Jason
Written 9 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Luke
Wokingham102 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 family
Having finished off another chocolate brownie after several visits during the Government eat out scheme, I'm reading through here and genuinely surprised at some of the reviews being left. Living a short walk down the lane, I've seen this pub change hands more times than I care to remember including the fish called Walter days... It feels that in John they finally have a manager who does care. He understands it's not going to be perfect everytime, but most importantly he wants it to be that way. The first two times we came in we sat out in the large beer Garden and were served by Max who couldn't do enough to help and was a real credit to the team. With my wife being heavily pregnant we decided that we would come Mon - Weds for the remaining weeks. Each time we were served promptly and our food always arrived efficiently. Our two daughters were with us and they especially loved the amount of halloumi on offer. The menu was slightly more limited than previous experience, however given how busy they were because of the scheme it was perfectly understandable and we know it is going to be expanded as things settle down. On most occasions we were sat between the courtyard and the Barn and struck up conversation with Laura and Clarissa every time who were always accommodating. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the Courtyard for the autumn/winter months and if the barn remains open as the one thing I've always found over the years is the bar space in the pub limited. It would be great to know we can wonder up more frequently for a drink and there will be space to sit. All in all we look forward to returning with our new baby for everyone to meet, once she arrives in the immediate few days. Well done everyone for all your hard work in getting this place going again.
Written 31 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gmw2019
Dear Guest Thank you so much for your glowing review and faith in our future here at The Walter Arms! It shows that we are headed in the right direction, and that the team are providing a personal touch with our hospitality, and so, this is very pleasing to see our guests appreciation. Good luck from all of us here with everything in the coming days and I know we are all looking forward to meeting your new addition to the your family! See you again soon Kind regards Jon and the Team
Written 2 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Hannah T
39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 couples
We come here often as it's our closest pub. Always lovely food and Laura was a brilliant server this evening. Great when they have pizza/beer deals on! Staff are very attentive and the food is tasty, especially the halloumi fries!! Lovely beer garden and atmosphere in the summer and cosy and warm in the winter :)
Written 9 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gmw2019
Dear Hannah Thank you for the lovely review! We are so happy to read such great comments and appreciate the time you have taken. We have a new menu arriving shortly but the halloumi fries are definitely staying!! See you again soon Kindest regards Jon & The Team
Written 14 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rob C
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 none
We were guests of family living locally and we had such a great evening. The atmosphere was great with a number of people having a good time. The food was lovely, three of us having sea bass and one, the burger. We were brilliantly served by Anika who was not only helpful and efficient but also great fun, which added to the evening's enjoyment. She was ably supported, when needed, by Rashnik, both providing excellent service. Thank you all and thank you Anika. x
Written 22 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-15 of 948
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing

THE WALTER ARMS, Sindlesham - Bearwood Rd - Updated 2024 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Things to DoFlightsTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire