Finally, after a torrid time in the wake of lockdown and inflation, the food scene in Reading is looking up with lots of new openings. Here are some of them.

The Lounge Company, behind the likes of Alto Lounge in Caversham, have opened a branch of their cocktail orientated bar Cozy Club at the old Lakeland shop on the Minster Street entrance to the Oracle.

In St Mary's Butts Dolphin's Caribbean recently opened following a move from The Atrium in Tilehurst, and on the other side of the town center Thai chain Rosa's opened, with reports that burger chain Fat Hippos is also going to open in the old Jackson's Corner building.

With the rise of home delivery, micro restaurants are all the trend. Just Momo, serving just Nepalese noodles and momos, Paeseno's pizza and Italian street food outlet Amo have opened opposite the relatively new Rosie’s Thai on King’s Road, with another burger bar, Fat Hippo said to be opening next door at Jackson’s Corner.

Further down Kings Road YL Restaurant serves Chinese tea, dim sum and Cantonese cuisine (see our review).

But the most exciting news is that restaurateur Angelo Colao behind the area's best restaurant, Ruschetta in Wokingham is opening Angelo's, a new Italian trattoria next door to Sirens Brewpub and there are other new openings on Station Hill too - 1650 Coffee Company from the Cafe Yolk team and a new Japanese Kawaii from the team behind the successful Osaka, plus Notes, a coffee shop come cocktail bar.

Café Yolk has already opened a new take away orientated outpost on Wokingham Road at Cemetery Junction.

There are also a number of more activity orientated venues about to open.

The Hollywood Bowl may well open during 2025 at The Oracle. Urban Fun in Broad Street Mall is set to also open shortly with basketball hoops, pool tables, table hockey and video arcade games. Spinners around the corner next to The Biscuit Factory cinema already has an indoor crazy golf course and two bowling alleys.

Lane7, which had proposed to open a bowling alley at the old Mothercare unit on King St has also apparently reconsidered its plans and may emphasise other indoor activities.

But the development of Bowl Central at the former Dawson’s music store on Caversham Road seems to be set to open a third bowling centre for the town, although development has been slow since planning permission was granted in 2022.

Meanwhile, in the old Verizon warehouse off Kenavon Drive the town’s first padel centre is about to open.

It seems that as people are consuming less alcohol and with the decline of traditional pubs, going out and doing things is the new night out.