The best student bars and clubs in Reading

Prepare for uni in the only way that really matters - becoming an expert on the best Reading student bars and clubs.

Skiddle Staff

Last updated: 4th Sep 2024

If you’re heading over to Reading for uni, just know you probably won’t be getting many early nights. Between live music, club nights, beer gardens, and two-for-one cocktails left, right, and centre, Reading has killer nightlife.

But there are also a few bars and clubs that are probably best avoided. So to cut out all that trial, error, and wasted time and money, here are the best Reading student clubs and bars to check out plus some standard venues you'll probably encounter at some point during your studies.

Reading student bars

Market House

Photo: Market House Reading / Facebook.com

Where: 1-2 Market Place in Reading RG1 2EQ

Market House is easily one of the best Reading student bars and general hang-out spots. If you want a sough dough pizza, a burger, a taco, a cocktail, a pint, or to enjoy beautiful weather from a rooftop bar, it's the place to be. It's even a hotel! Is there anything it can't do or be? And with plenty on such as quizzes, boozy bingo, the rooftop cinema, Sky and TNT live sports, karaoke, darts, ping pong, shuffleboard, and comedy nights, we reckon you’ll spend a good portion of your uni years here.

Find tickets for events at Market House

Walkabout

Photo: Walkabout Reading / Facebook.com

Where: Wiston Terrace in Reading RG1 1DG

Walkabout is an Australian-style bar with live sports, a dancefloor, and an outdoor area for those drunken late-night chats. They have free pool Tuesdays, karaoke nights every Wednesday, beer pong every Thursday, and quiz nights every Friday. Spread across two floors, there's plenty of seating, so you can comfortably enjoy the footie, boxing, NFL, cricket, or rugby union matches on HD screens. If that’s not your vibe, simply kick back and enjoy the DJs. They even do bottomless wings on Sundays to help you get over the night before's antics.

Milk

Milk-Reading

Photo: Milk Reading / Instagram.com

Where: 8 Merchants Place in Reading RG1 1DT

With over 100 rums on offer, Milk is the best bar for rum and/or cocktail fans. Head over on Wednesday to take advantage of the rum club, which offers a third off all rum. Or go on any weekday for the happy hour that includes four Estrella, Red Stripe, and Asahi for £12. And if you’re looking for something a bit different, they put on regular comedy nights, a nice change from just sinking drink after drink.

Mojo’s Bar

Reading-Students-Union-mojo

Photo: Reading Students' Union / Facebook.com

Where: University of Reading in Reading RG6 6UR

Proper student bars are heaven when you’re skint. Because they’re insanely cheap. But Mojo’s Bar, located on the University of Reading campus, is a great bar for a few other reasons, too. As well as being cheap as chips, the bar also shows live sports and hosts quizzes, karaoke, comedy, live music events, and has a pool table. There’s also a little patio area so you can squeeze every last bit of enjoyment out of the summer before the sun hibernates again. RSU also offers 3SIXTY as a main club room, Glitch for games, and Flex, a multi-purpose venue.

Oakford Social Club

Photo: Oakford Social Club / Facebook.com

Where: 53 Blagrave Street in Reading RG1 1PZ

Oakford Social Club has it all: live music, mouth-wateringly good food, cocktails, craft beer, cask ales, and a lovely outdoor area to enjoy your drink in the sunshine. Open every day, it's the perfect place to meet your mates to catch up and have a bev paired with one of their delicious burgers or wings - they offer lunch and a soft drink for a tenner or you can upgrade your drink to alcohol for an extra two quid. They also have quizzes on Sundays with a different specialist subject every time.

The Boundary

The-Boundary

Photo: The Boundary / Facebook.com

Where: 21-23 St. Marys Butts in Reading RG1 2LN

Showing Sky and TNT sports on HD screens while also boasting a pool table, a beer garden, and cocktails, The Boundary is a favourite among many students in Reading. Dog-friendly so you can make a new mate, The Boundary also serves real ale and quality cask ale. Showing F1, footie, rugby, cricket, darts, and more. They also do the occasional bit of karaoke if you fancy taking to the stage to belt your heart out. Oh, and they do an award-winning bottomless brunches every day. Yeah... good luck getting to any early morning lectures.

Zerodegrees Microbrewery

Zero-Degrees-Microbrewery

Photo: ZeroDegrees Microbrewery / Instagram.com

Where: 9 Bridge Street in Reading RG1 2LR

Just a minute's walk from Oracle Shopping Centre, Zerodegrees is a brewery that serves award-winning wood-fired pizza and frozen 2-pint steins. Boasting two-for-one steins on Fridays from 5-7pm, live music on Fridays from 7-9pm, and DJs on Saturdays from 9pm until late, Zerodegrees has a lovely calm atmosphere. Brewing their own multi-award-winning craft beer on-site, they take pride in making each new brew the best it can be.

The site features a balcony, terrace, and beer garden space plus pool tables, and it’s also dog-friendly. Head over on Saturday or Sunday to take advantage of their bottomless pizza and beer/prosecco offer for £30pp.

The Nag’s Head

The-Nags-Head-reading

Photo: The Nags Head / Facebook.com

Where: 5 Russell Street in Reading RG1 7XD

A proper traditional and simple - but brilliant - little pub, The Nag’s Head is a CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) award-winning public house near Reading town centre. Specialising in keg and craft cask, but also offering plenty of incredible ciders and continental lagers, they have 12 hand pumps that are constantly changing.

There’s a beer garden - some of which is covered - where they break out the barbecue when the sun’s out. The atmosphere is friendly and cosy with a fireplace and quaint décor. They’ve also got a very impressive selection of bar snacks and toasties (vegan options too!) you should definitely try out if you’re stopping by. If you love proper beer and cider, this is the place.

The Cocktail Club

The-Cocktail-Club-Reading-2

Photo: The Cocktail Club Reading / Facebook.com

Where: 6 Gun St in Reading RG1 2JR

With a happy hour on every day the bar’s open (which is every day), you’re almost certain to make a visit to The Cocktail Club over the next few years. Over in the centre of Reading town, TCC is spread over two floors and is perfect for big nights out. As well as offering plenty of cocktails and a place to get silly, The Cocktail Club offers a 90-minute noughties-themed bingo bottomless brunch and occasional live music.

Reading student clubs

SUB89

Photo: SUB89 : Reading / Facebook.com

Where: 110-117 Friar St in Reading RG1 1EP

Underground club SUB89 has been going strong since 2009, bringing raves, gigs (including tribute acts), themed club nights, and Just The Tonic comedy club to Reading, much to the delight of the town’s students. Having hosted DnB, indie, metal, trance, techno, reggae, and so much more, there’s certain to be something on at SUB89 that’ll catch your eye.

Find tickets for events at SUB89

Lola Lo

Photo: Lola Lo Reading / Facebook.com

Where: 126-127 Friar Street in Reading RG1 1EP

This Polynesian-inspired venue is certainly one of the best Reading student clubs. Skint Thursdays are definitely worth a visit if you're low on cash. There's rock music in one room, and alternative, electronic, and R&B in the other. And Red Stripe, VK, and Jagerbombs are all £3 with sambuca and tequila shots for £2.25! Or check out Waiola Fridays for two-for-one drinks until 12 am and dance, house, tech, and R&B bangers. They also do Lost Saturdays with two-for-one drinks before midnight to the sounds of R&B, house, and hip-hop. And did we mention it has an outdoor terrace and bar?

The Purple Turtle

The-Purple-Turtle-Reading

Photo: Purple Turtle Reading / Facebook.com

Where: 9 Gun Street in Reading RG1 2JR

Visiting The Purple Turtle isn’t really an option. It’s a rite of passage for students in Reading. It’s been one of the most popular bars in the area for over thirty years, making it one of the must-visit Reading student bars. And it’s open until 3 am (3:30 on Fridays and Saturdays) every night!

There are plenty of beers on tap and resident DJs to kick the party off properly. On Mondays, the bar offers an emo, metal, and rock club night plus Turtle Underground, which showcases live bands. Tuesdays welcome amapiano, afrobeats, and afrohouse, while Sundays are for reggae. As such an iconic late-night venue, we’d be surprised if you don’t dive in for a pint or two at some point.

Find tickets for events at The Purple Turtle

Gun Street Garden

Gun-Street-Garden

Photo: Gun Street Garden / Instagram.com

Where: 5-6 Gun Street in Reading RG1 2JR

If dancing all night long, particularly to R&B, is a vital part of a top night out, you can count on Gun Street Garden to make your night a goodun. This urban-jungle-themed club is spread across two areas with house, pop, hip-hop, garage, and, of course, R&B tunes blasting through the night. GSG is known as one of the cooler clubs in the area, making it popular with younger crowds. And if you get a bit hot after dancing for hours, head to the rooftop bar and enjoy the fresh air.

Club Era

Club-Era

Photo: Club Era / Facebook.com

Where: 16-18 Friar St in Reading RG1 1DB

Reading’s biggest and (currently) newest club, Club Era sits in the heart of the town centre with three bars and two rooms of music. Boasting a capacity of 1,000 and staying open until 4am - making it the latest nightlife spot in Reading - Club Era is the only of its kind in the town. With state-of-the-art lighting systems, LED screens, CO2 cannons, confetti cannons, and more, it’s the place to be for total immersion in the music.

Reading’s student clubs and bars are unreal. With bottomless brunches, live sport, beer gardens, and some mad nightclubs, you’ll barely have any time to fit in lectures. But who said uni was about learning, anyway?

If you’re off to Reading for uni this year, kick off the year properly at a killer freshers event. Click or tap here to secure your place at one of Reading’s hottest freshers parties.

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.