Still all open
Every bar and restaurant that has taken part in Reading Cocktail Week since 2026 is still open. The best way to keep it that way is to go and see them.
Still pouring in Reading
Venues that have taken part in Reading Cocktail Week and are open now. Tap one to see what they poured.
What Reading Cocktail Week does for hospitality
Reading Cocktail Week is about getting people out to local bars and restaurants. The venues host and pour and we bring the customers.
Real footfall
Wristband holders plan their ten days around the line-up, so venues meet people who have never been through the door, often at a quieter time of year.
Money in the till
Every signature cocktail is bought at the bar, so the money goes straight into the venue's own till, along with whatever else people order while they're in.
Awareness
The guide, the website, social ads, emails and local press put every venue taking part in front of people across Reading.
What Reading venues said
Reading Cocktail Week was fantastic to be a part of, especially as our venue had only opened its doors in Reading two months prior.
Flight Club, regional marketing manager, after Reading Cocktail Week 2026I believe cocktail week gives Reading's bar scene a chance to show its creativity and flair. We have such a vibrant and diverse scene that its great we can all be part of something to show off the skills and creativity of the individuals of Reading.
ZeroDegrees, general manager, after Reading Cocktail Week 2026
Why your local needs you
A bar or restaurant is someone's first job, a regular order for local suppliers, the place you go for birthdays and the reason Reading still feels alive after six o'clock.
Costs have climbed on every side: wages, energy, food, business rates and VAT. When a venue closes, the staff, the regulars and the nights out go with it. The best thing any of us can do is simple: go out and go local.
How you can help
- Go midweekWeekends are busy. A Tuesday or Wednesday visit goes further.
- Try somewhere newPick the bar you always walk past and finally go in.
- Book, then turn upCan't make it? Cancel, so someone else can have the table.
- Leave a reviewA kind review takes a minute and helps the next person choose them.
- Bring the groupBirthdays, leaving dos and catch ups. Book them local.
- Buy a gift cardChristmas sorted and money through the door when it's needed.
- Back the VAT cutSign the #VATsTheProblem petition for a 10% VAT rate on hospitality. Sign it here.
Why VAT matters
In the UK, VAT on eating and drinking out is 20%. The campaign points out that France, Spain and Italy charge 10% on hospitality.
The #VATsTheProblem campaign, led by chef Tom Kerridge and backed by UKHospitality, the British Beer & Pub Association and the British Institute of Innkeeping, is asking for a 10% rate for hospitality. More than 400,000 people signed its petition before it was handed in at Downing Street on 14 October 2026.
The Budget on 28 October 2026 did not cut it, so the campaign carries on. We're behind it.
Sign the petitionVAT on UK hospitality now, and what the #VATsTheProblem campaign is asking for.
Plan your night out
Questions
What venues have closed in Reading?
None. Every venue that has taken part in Reading Cocktail Week since 2026 is still open.
How can I support Reading hospitality?
Go out locally, midweek if you can. Try somewhere new, book and turn up, leave a review, bring your group and buy gift cards from local venues. You can also sign the #VATsTheProblem petition for a 10% VAT rate on hospitality.
What does Reading Cocktail Week do for local hospitality?
For ten days, wristband holders plan their nights around the venues taking part, so they meet new customers. Every cocktail is bought at the bar, so the money goes into the venue's own till and the guide, website, ads and local press put every venue in front of people across Reading.
What is the #VATsTheProblem campaign?
A campaign led by chef Tom Kerridge, with UKHospitality, the British Beer & Pub Association and the British Institute of Innkeeping, asking the UK Government to cut VAT on hospitality from 20% to 10%. More than 400,000 people had signed its petition by October 2026. The Budget on 28 October 2026 did not cut the rate and the campaign is carrying on.
The next Reading Cocktail Week
The next Reading Cocktail Week runs 2 to 11 July 2027. One wristband unlocks signature cocktails from £6.