The Old Boot Inn - 18th Century family pub nestled in the beautiful Berkshire countryside — Restaurant in England

Disheartening to write a poor review for one of my favourite places but we did not have a good experience here yesterday from the moment we walked in as we were not greeted and left to find a table on our own. Most of the tables outside were reserved but we found one without a reserved sign. We were then given both the boot fest bbq and normal restaurant menus. After having ordered drinks we were told by one of the very young waiters that we had to pay for the drinks at the bar, even though we were seated and receiving table service.

My partner went into the bar to order food and was then told that the normal restaurant menu was not available for outdoor seats even though we were seated next to a table full of meals from the normal menu. Additionally he was told we needed to vacate our table as it was reserved even though there was no sign on the table. It should be noted that it was around 2pm at that stage and the reservation was apparently not until 4pm so we had plenty of time and there was no need to rush or even mention the apparent reservation.

The atmosphere behind the bar was very stressful and unorganised, likely due to the place being run by children and the only adult on site giving false information to long standing and loyal customers.

The Boot needs to sort itself out as I'm sure we can't be the only people who have noticed...

Stanford Dingley is a pretty village & the peacefulness & lack of traffic is a welcomed rarity but should you require parking then there are plenty of spaces directly opposite the pub in their large car park. The Old Boot Inn is a gem & you will always receive a warm welcome by the owners, the staff & even the locals. My favourite cider is on draught here which is a treat as it usually can only be found in tins & bottles. The lunch & evening menus are always exciting & mouthwatering to read with the added bonus of chef specials. The food is absolutely delicious & much is sourced from local suppliers. Great choice of starters & scrummy puddings are also on the menu. There is a log fire in the main bar area which is wonderful in winter, plenty of cozy tables for you to choose from, a conservatory area or a pretty garden to sit & relax & listen to the birds!!. Very nice indeed. The pub is very dog friendly & the village is perfect for a leisurely stroll & if you are a bit more hardcore & fancy a hike then this is a great place to start. There is so much local history to explore & Berkshire is packed with places of interest. All in all, if we want a delicious meal &/or a great place to sit & chat with friends/family then this is where we head for. It is easy to find & only a short distance from Reading &...

A very lovely village pub. Unfortunately, after arriving early (17:45) for our booked table at 18:00 we had to ask about menus when our drinks got brought to us to be told that the food would start at 18:00 and that was when we would be given menus. At 18:15 we had to chase for menus, 18:30 we got given menu's, 18:50 we had to find a member of staff to ask if we could place our order to be told they would ask a colleague. 18:55 we ordered our food, 19:20 came around and a member of staff approached us to say the food would be five minutes longer and offered drinks on the house; this gesture was appreciated however we didn't take them up on the offer as we were getting annoyed with how long we had already waited. 19:25 cutlery was brought out to us ready for when the first meal came at 19:30 and the second also last meal arriving 8 minutes later. After the apology about the food delay staff became attentive towards us. However, this pub has made us feel that unless you are a local regular you are not valued as a worthy customer. We understand about places being busy and waiting times but when you have sat there for a length of time watching people come in after you and be served... We do want to thank the gentleman that was doing the live music as he certianly made the waiting...