Things to do in Berkshire
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French Brothers
Run a variety of boat trips to Runnymede (adult/child £5.20/2.60, 45 minutes) and around Windsor and Eton (adult/child £8.40/4.20, two hours). Boats leave from just next to Windsor Bridge. If you fancy doing the hop-on/hop-off bus plus a 35-minute boat trip, a combined boat and bus ticket costs £12.50/6 per adult/child.
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Mozzarella Joes
For quick eats, this bright and airy pizza joint in the station is a good bet with simple wooden tables, a good choice of tasty pizzas, pastas and salads and a friendly attitude to children.
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Crooked House Tea Rooms
This little black-and-white house looks like it's had too much to drink. Enjoy a light lunch, a Royal cream tea (tea and scones with clotted cream and jam) or dinner (bring your own wine). A member of the Slow Food movement, which advocates healthy eating, this adorable restaurant sources its produce locally.
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Windsor Great Park
Do not miss the beautiful Windsor Great Park for a walk if the weather is good. This 1920-hectare park, where in 1999 Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip, had an avenue of ancient trees beheaded because they got in the way of his horse and buggy, extends from behind the castle almost as far as Ascot.
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Waterside Inn
Voted among the world’s top 50 restaurants, this Michel Roux establishment serves French haute cuisine in a rustic riverside environment.
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Riverside Brasserie
This is Blumenthal’s pitch to the less adventurous (and possibly less loaded) diner, with a more conventionally British menu, though this is still a real experience. Tuck into pork belly, its most famous dish, while overlooking the river, secure in the knowledge that every reservation covers a table inside as well as one by the river, for those unpredictable English downpours. Note that the Brasserie is closed for six months of the year, and booking is advised for the six months it is open.
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French Brothers
Runs a range of cruises, including 35-minute boat trips from Windsor to Boveney Lock (hourly 11am to 4pm mid-February to mid-March and Saturday and Sunday November to mid-December, half-hourly 10am to 5pm mid-March to October).
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Fat Duck
The Fat Duck is the baby of self-taught chef, Heston Blumenthal, and regularly tops various polls of the best restaurants in the world, so eating here is an experience to be cherished, even despite a brief closure in 2009 following a mystery outbreak of illness among diners there (nothing amiss was found with the food). Blumenthal’s fascination with the science of taste means menus include incredible (and sometimes insane) combinations, experimenting with nitrogen (in nitro-green tea and lime mousse) and bizarre taste combinations such as sardine on toast sorbet, oysters and passionfruit, salmon poached with liquorice and smoked bacon and egg ice cream. It’s all delicious…
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Olde Bell
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Two Brewers
This 17th-century inn perched on the edge of Windsor Great Park is close to the castle's tradesmen's entrance and supposedly frequented by staff from the castle. It's a quaint and cosy place, with dim lighting, obituaries to castle footmen and royal photographs with irreverent captions on the wall.
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Tower
Giant windows with views over the castle give this place an immediate allure, as do the grand chandeliers and high ceilings. The menu is brasserie style with a choice of classic British cuisine, featuring grills, fish and steaks simply and perfectly done. It's also a good spot to sample the finest of English institutions: afternoon tea.
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Legoland Windsor
A fun-filled theme park of white-knuckle rides, Legoland is more about the thrills of scaring yourself silly than the joys of building your own make-believe castle from the eponymous bricks. The professionals have already done this for you, with almost 40 million Lego bricks transformed into some of the world's greatest landmarks. You'll also get live shows, 3-D cinema and slightly tamer activities for the less adventurous. If you prebook online, you can save about £8 off the whopping ticket prices.
The Legoland shuttle bus departs opposite the Theatre Royal from 10am, with the last bus returning 30 minutes after the park has closed.
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Henry VI
Another old pub, but this time the low ceilings and subtle lighting are mixed with leather sofas and modern design. It's the kind of place where you can sit back with an afternoon pint and read the paper. There's a nice garden for alfresco dining and live music at weekends.
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Green Olive
A great spot for a light lunch or tantalising evening meal, Green Olive dishes up generous portions of traditional Greek mezedhes in bright, simple surroundings. You can choose from over 50 different dishes and combine a riot of flavours before rolling out the door.
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Gilbey's
Small but perfectly formed, this little restaurant with a big heart is one of the area's finest. Terracotta tiling and a sunny courtyard garden and conservatory give Gilbey's a Continental cafe feel. But the bold artwork and understated decor are reflected in a superb modern British menu, which is almost surpassed by the wide and interesting choice of wines.
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City Sightseeing
Open-top double-decker bus tours depart from Castle Hill opposite the Harte & Garter Hotel.
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Windsor Arts Centre
The Windsor Arts Centre is a comedy, film, theatre, live music and dance venue with events for kids.
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Vanilla
This funky bar-club has a champagne-and-cocktail bar, dance floor, lounge area and a snappy dress code.
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Two Brewers
A gorgeous 17th-century inn perched just near Windsor Great Park and the Long Walk.
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Theatre Royal
The Theatre Royal features a wide repertoire of theatre productions, from pantomime to first runs.
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Reading Abbey
Founded in 1121 by Henry I and consecrated by Thomas Beckett in 1164, this abbey was one of the most influential in medieval England and a popular destination for pilgrims. It once covered most of the town area. Most of the abbey's property was destroyed after its dissolution in 1539 by Henry VIII. Today, the ruins can be seen in the Forbury Gardens.
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Museum of Reading
Explores Reading's history and development from the Iron Age to the present, including a history of the Reading Festival. Contains the only full-size replica of the world-famous Bayeaux tapestry. The Silchester Gallery displays Roman artefacts found at the nearby Calleva Atrebatum site, as well as a collection of photographs documenting the digs.
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