Food you have to eat in Reading before you die

Milanos didn’t quite make the cut


Reading’s the kind of place that caters to your every food need in a really generous way. You’ve got burgers, biriyani, bibimbap and everything else in between. Forget campus catering, we’ve rounded up the best places you’ll want to be spending your maintenance loan at this year.

The cherry on top? All of these restaurants are available on Deliveroo – result.

Coconut Bar & Kitchen, 62-63 St. Mary’s Butts

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Most popular dish: Big up the Bibimbap (starting from £9.50), the traditional Korean rice dished served in a stone pot with chicken or beef.

Try before you die: The Chicken Katsu Curry (£9.50) is a big fella not to be missed, and the Chicken Gyoza (£4.85) are little bites of heaven.

Student discount: From 11am-4.30pm you can get the entire evening menu at a discounted price.

Courtesy of Coconut Bar & Kitchen

Coconut’s Pan Asian menu covers most of Asia: Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand – we could continue. All the food is prepared in-house with fresh and authentic ingredients and the menu also has a choice of fifty delicious cocktails.

Kitchen Manager Paul McDonald said: “We’ve got an amazing dessert selection for every palate – if you’re stuffed after a meal, we’ve got light desserts and if you’re ravenous, there’s something for you as well. We’ve got it all covered.”

Apart from the amazing food and drinks, Coconut goes the extra step and turns the restaurant into a club at the weekend. Paul said: “Every Friday and Saturday night after 11pm, we stop food service, clear the tables and have a DJ who mixes around on his decks.

“We think the customer is king so we aim to deliver whatever the customer wants and we just try and cover every base while they’re here and make them happy. We’re not a chain, we’re an individual, unique restaurant – there’s only one Coconut.”

Relish, 11 Castle Street 

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Most popular dish: The Bacon Cheeseburger (£8) with added jalapeños and chilli relish.

Try before you die: The Wild Boar & Chorizo Burger (£8) 

Student discount: Yes – check out their loyalty card in the restaurant for more details.

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Relish sits above PUBLIC, a spot which proudly boasts 40 different board games, ping pong, darts, a pool table and Pac-Man machines – it also transforms into a club at night and serves banging cocktails. 

The menu takes its inspiration from the owners’ favourite burger joints around the world. Toby, who works for Relish, said: “We keep the concept of the burgers really simple – the standard burger is lettuce and cheese, but we allow you to pick all of your own ingredients, sides and relishes. 

“There is the option to add grilled mushrooms, different cheeses, tomatoes, pickles, fried onions, avocado, whatever you want. Then you’ve got your choice of relish which is the next big thing for us.

“We also wanted to do something different – instead of a brioche bun, which is very popular at the moment, we use a pretzel bun which is inspired by a New York theme. It’s more like a bagel.”

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What makes Relish ideal for students? Every single burger, including of additional toppings and relishes, are priced at delightfully cheap £8.

Cafe Madras, 73-75 Whitley Street 

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Most popular dish: The Big Boss with chicken or lamb (starting from £5.50) – you’re intrigued by the name, aren’t you?

Try before you die: For Vegetarians, give Vadas (£2.60), Amritsari Kulcha (£4.99) or Channa Bhatura (£4.99) a try. Meat eaters should order the Tandoori Chicken (starting from £4.50) with Dosa (starting from £4.50).

Student discount: Just for you guys – show your student card and get 10 per cent off. This is not advertised so you must ask.

On the origins of Cafe Madras, owner Anu Verma said: “I was a housewife, but when my son grew up I wanted to return back into the working world. Not as an accountant, which I was before, but doing something with my passion – cooking. It was the obvious choice.”

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You’ll notice the menu is a delicious blend of north and south Indian food. Anu said: “I am from Mumbai, where the food variety is a mixture of these places, so this is what we try to achieve at Cafe Madras.”

The most popular dish, The Big Boss, may seem out of place on an Indian menu. Anu said: “My husband is from Nairobi and he enjoys his food. He especially likes to have his meat cooked in a rich gravy with vegetables, so when the chefs asked him what he wanted to eat, this is what they produced for him.”

Anu believes Reading is the ideal place for Café Madras. She said: “It has a diverse population and of course the students who need quality good food at a reasonable price. What they love the most here is the good quality home cooked food and the really reasonable prices.”


Get all of these amazing restaurants, as well as the favourites you love like Wagamamas, Pizza Express and GBK on Deliveroo now