The Purple Turtle
WHERE
Reading
What it’s like
A late-night bar and gig venue in Reading that stays open until 3am, or 3.30am at weekends.
This is a bar for grown nights out, not a family stop. Doors run from midday and stay open long after most places have called it a night, with last entry pushed to 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays and up to 2.30am on weekdays if the venue fancies it.
The ID rule is worth knowing before you queue up. After 9pm they want photo ID from everyone, no matter how old you look, so leave the out-of-date student card at home and bring a passport, driving licence or similar. There's no dress code, which the venue is quite cheerful about on its own site, so you can turn up in whatever you were already wearing.
If you fancy shisha, it's set up in the garden from 8pm every night except Sunday. That's about as much planning as this place asks of you: sort your ID, pick your night, and know that Sunday's the one evening without the garden shisha going.
Need to know
- Last entry
- 1:30am Fri-Sat, up to 2:30am weekdays at venue's discretion
- Photo ID is checked after 9pm regardless of age, so bring it even if you're well past looking young
- Sunday is the one night without garden shisha
- Opening hours stretch to 3am most nights and 3.30am on Fridays and Saturdays
Plan your visit
What time is last entry?
1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays. On weekdays it can run as late as 2.30am, at the venue's discretion.
Do I need ID?
Photo ID is required after 9pm, every night, whatever your age. A passport, driving licence, provisional licence, Citizen Card, PASS card or military ID all count.
Is there a dress code?
None. The venue's own line is that trackies are fine and nobody should tell you otherwise.
Can I smoke shisha there?
Yes, it's in the garden from 8pm every day except Sunday.
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