Tucked above my longtime favorite The Barley Mow sits the hidden gem Light in the Attic and during Restaurant Week, it absolutely delivered. Finding your way upstairs adds to the speakeasy-style charm. The reception area alone sets the vibe: playful, stylish, and full of photo-worthy moments before you even sit down. It feels like you've discovered something not everyone knows about. We went with the small plate prix fixe menu (three courses), and each dish was thoughtfully prepared, beautifully presented, and -- most importantly -- delicious. Every course left us wanting just a little more, which is exactly how a tasting-style experience should feel. Nothing felt rushed, and the pacing of the food was on point. Cocktails were also excellent, creative, well-balanced, and fitting for the ambiance. The only hiccup of the night was drink service being a bit slow. Not a dealbreaker by any means, but noticeable. Overall, a great Restaurant Week experience in a space that feels both intimate and fun. I'll absolutely be back to explore the full menu soon. read more

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Visited for their NYE dinner which was a price per person limited menu. When we arrived, we sat and were told that "one" item was not on the menu. Little did we know that would be the continual theme as we were only given a choice of one of the 4 appetizers(one being warm olives) , two of the four entrees and ended up receiving what felt like the leftovers. It was truly a disappointing experience. Their manager let us know that because we prepaid there was nothing they could do that night. Just avoid this experience all together and perhaps find a date night somewhere you are able to spend time together rather than hangry. read more

For a small town this restaurant provides big town tastes. First of all, you walk in and get a speak easy vibe with the old fashioned telephone booth, library books, and librarian like check in stand. You go up some steep wooden stairs and enter the restaurant. Shout out to our pro server, Graham! He definitely cared about the experience he provided and that we would leave satisfied. Everything he suggested was awesome, lamb, duck, and sticky toffee cake were packed with flavor. But all the other dishes we had were amazing. You must not miss out on the liver pate with the bread as a sharing dish. We brought our own wine as I like to control that aspect when I can and going to an unfamiliar restaurant. They charge a $40 corkage fee, which many think is expensive, but that is the going rate when fine dining. read more

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The Light Shines.....as a spot of bright but faded to dim. Eagerly anticipated our Valentine's Day dinner at A Light in the Attic. A Barley Mow fancy and couldn't wait to experience. We entered and were seated prompted with a 8pm reservation. The ambiance is delightful- cozy, romantic, dark. Our waitress was wonderfully attentive and super conversational. A High Light of the night in our interactions with her. Dinner was paced well and we enjoyed our section of seating, by the far back window. We had cocktails. An Old Fashioned and another whiskey cocktail. The cocktail menu is clever, whimsical recipes and extensive selection. Not on the variety of spirit offered though. It's local and house spirits. The cocktails were tasty, and the short whiskey glass cocktail has a snazzy lightbulb on the cube. The menu is small, which is a hopeful result in expert dishes. (Key word- hopeful) We entered appetizers and got the cauliflower soup and bread plate. The bread plate was gimmicky in having a butter compound candle that wouldn't light. And the bread was not worth the price. The cauliflower soup had good flavor, but I could replicate it at home. On the entrees, the critique is....over-saucing. My husband had the duck entree and my the sea bass. The duck was somewhat chewy and overcooked and too much sweet sauce. And undercooked beans. Oh the Sea Bass- a favorite fish!! But the sauce was an oil bath overpowering this beauty of the sea. The fish was cooked well, but was not the star. Where A Light in the Attic falls short is the quality of food at the price point offered. The pricing is off. Too expensive for what is presented. Almost every appetizer was $20ish. I'd envision A Light in the Attic as being such a great upscale, cocktail and small plates spot. But no true small plates are offered. A Light in the Attic is good, but nothing to set it aflame. read more

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If you look closely, you will see the small sign beckoning you behind the Barley Mow and up the stair to The Light In The Attic. As you enter the small room it feels like you stepped into a hidden library. We were lucky enough to be seated in the loft with a view of the downstairs. Or server was very friendly and offered many great suggestions. Try the carrots! IYKYK Cocktails were unique and delicious. Food was just as exciting on the pallet. Portions were perfectly sized. All in all, an excellent dining option. Prices are high, but for a special occasion, worth it. read more

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Gorgeous place, excellent service, and a truly unique experience. If you're looking for inventive cocktails and creative meals in a higher-end setting, this is the spot for you. A seasonal menu in and of itself is hard to find in these parts! As far as I've been able to tell, they don't post their menu online, so unless you're a frequent flyer, you'll have the fun experience of not knowing exactly what to expect. This especially goes for the drinks, as this is not your typical fruity cosmo place. The beverages are fun and experimental and it being springtime, that means they are heavy on floral and herby ingredients. You might be doin' a google or two. I will say that everything was good, but not everything was amazing--especially if I close my eyes to the ambiance and just focus on the food itself in isolation. For starters, I do not recommend the breadbasket appetizer. It's $21 (!) and while you do get a variety of breads, I wasn't wildly impressed with the quality of any of them--they were not warm and didn't taste especially fresh. The butter "candle" that accompanies them is a fun gimmick, but it isn't practical and ultimately just frustrated me. You have to sit there and wait several minutes for the flame to work its way down (when you're at peak hunger) for it to melt. Ours never really did; the flame went out, our server tried unsuccessfully to relight it and that was just kind of...it. It never got to a spreadable consistency and we weren't offered a substitute. Trying to spread cold cylindrical butter on cold bread was just not my jam. That said! The osso buco was tender and so hearty and flavorful and will keep you fed for days if you take it home. Additionally, the roast carrots appetizer alone was a "must return" item--skip the bread and get the carrots, I guess, is the lesson here. The other big winner was the lobster toast. Absolutely worth the price, and they do not skimp on the portions. We would definitely return. It's a lovely date night spot and this is exactly the sort of place we need more of around here. Kudos to everyone involved! read more

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I asked if I could have my hanger steak medium, instead of medium rare, and was told that wasn't possible because the chef wouldn't allow it. They sat it down in front of me and it was burned and all I could taste was char. Char is carcinogenic and so I don't need a plate full of it, especially as someone currently taking a targeted cancer medication. I ate the little bit that I could that didn't taste completely like char. So, if you're going to force people to have a certain temperature, you need to know how to do it right, especially when that dinner is as expensive as this one was. Other than that, it was delightful. The focaccia bread was amazing. Desserts seemed like Sweet Street, so I wouldn't bother. I think it's overpriced for what it is, but it is a very cool spot. read more

We went to A Light in the Attic for NYE 2026 with friends. While I enjoyed pre-paying for the evening that covered the four-course meal and a complimentary glass of sparkling white wine, it was a very expensive meal. Negative: The best course of my meal was the salad. The second best course was the cheese and cracker starter. The third best course was the dessert. The fruit pie/tart was tasteless. The lemon-infused whipped cream on top was the best part. The worst course was the hanger steak. Despite my friend saying his steak was over-salted during a previous visit, I ordered it. And it was overly salted. It came with roasted potatoes and mushrooms, which were good. It also included scalloped potatoes, which weren't included in the description on the menu, and were uncooked. Because they were undercooked I was trying to figure out what they were. And why would a chef include two types of potatoes on a dish? Drinks are expensive, starting around $16 a cocktail. Positive: The decorations and warmth of the space. I will not be visiting again as there are better restaurants in Berks County that can prepare food correctly. There are also better places to get cocktails. read more

Light in the Attic is a gem for West Reading, for that matter, any town! It begins when you first walk in and feel you are no longer in West Reading, but a Jazz bar and restaurant in Philadelphia, New York, or Chicago. The menu is small and eclectic with each dish aesthetically pleasing. Everything was delicious, but my lamb chops were extremely rare. I should have sent them back for a bit more char, but I did not. My bad. The only negative I had from our wonderful experience was our server who I understand is no longer there and how close the tables are to each other. That being said, we will be back many more times. If you have a special occasion, Light in the Attic is the spot! read more

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Not for picky eaters, drinks and food are complex ingredients recipes. Price was a bit high. It did have a cool atmosphere and great service read more

This place is what West Reading needed ... I started off with The Muse We shared - Rosemary Bomboloni pinot noir beef short rib / roasted onion / black truffle pecorino snow I had for main meal - Duck Confit Agnolotti wild mushroom / roasted shallot / carrot turmeric ginger jus / duck jus / mustard green I ended as my dessert was the Pistachio Coffee Martini The atmosphere, food, cocktails and staff is amazing This fine dining is above the Barley Mow that is one of my favorite places to grab a few brew off of their amazing rotating brew list It's a win -win place I highly recommend checking it out read more

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Our hostess was very nice, the waitress was a perfect fit for our table and the drinks and food were SUPERB! Desserts were delightful as well. All 4 of us enjoyed everything we ordered. We were celebrating a dear friend's 50th birthday and the night could not have been better. read more

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We were excited to finally try this place out. Heard some mixed reviews but happy to report there were zero issues! The service was great, the food was unique and delicious, the restaurant was super cute, drinks were good. This was the best fine dining meal we've had in Berks County. Definitely will be going back. read more

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Very cool and hip place for reading. Atmosphere is fantastic. Service was very attentive and on top of it. Food was great too. We loved the bread basket and the bomblino things. I got the ribeye and loved every bite. The one thing I will say is they deff have funky types of alcohol so if you're looking for the classics (Tito's, jack, Jose, etc) you won't find them at this bar. They have unique choices that aren't everyone's cup of tea. Wine was good, though! read more

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Have eaten here three times and the experience has been wonderful. It is a gem in West Reading and is a much needed breath of fresh air. The ambiance is excellent and perfect and really takes you to a different place. The dining area is spacious yet cozy and intimate. How they were able to fit so much in so little is beautiful. Service was excellent. The servers that I've had were informative, thorough, and attentive. The food is excellent. It is pricy but they are worth it. It has been a few months at A Light in The Attic but the I'm still craving their Bone Marrow appetizer and their Ube Cheesecake Dessert. Highly recommend this place Great for: Intimate dinners, mocktails, gourmet fine dining, exploring new foods, escapism, and dates read more

The couple we were meeting were already there and had texted us to meet them at the bar for a drink. When we arrived a young and snippy young lady told us to wait and she would see if the couple were in fact at the bar! When she arrives back at the curtain which allows you to enter she tells us that yes they are at the bar but since there are not two seats next to them that we could not meet them there that we had to go to our table! OK whatever... but we literally walked past them exchanged greetings and proceeded to be led to the table. (there were several seats at the bar including one right next to them) Our waitress was very nice and attentive and personable. Everything you want in a server. The two appetizers...The scallops were cooked properly but the sauce was odd and listed as to "share" but only three for over $30!! The steak tartar was ample but tasteless and so bad we only ate half. I had the wild boar which was cooked well and tender but lacked seasoning. $44! Other entrees included Red Grouper $42 which was just OK, The Favo Mac (yes mac and cheese for $30+) and the lamb rack passable but not great and $40 plus... It was a disappointing visit which is a shame as the ambiance and service gets an A but the meal and hostess get a C. read more

Unique place with unique food. The ambiance was lovely and service fantastic. The food was very creative, however the menu seemed rather limited if you didn't want wild boar or a vegetarian meal. Had hoped there were more fish or seafood options. Hubs and I shared everything, the fav was the ahi tuna. The bombolini were too much dough and not enough meat. The berry cheesecake was unimpressive and very small. When I go back, and I will, I would sit in the bar area and enjoy the creative cocktails and a few appetizers, but nothing more. Loved the vibe but ask to avoid the restroom vicinity, as there was a line for most of the night for the single unisex bathroom. Also, be prepared to climb some steps, extra step lighting would've made the descent easier in the dark. read more

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A very unique gourmet dining experience from the house drinks to the appetizers, main course & finally dessert! The intimate setting & extremely knowledgeable, friendly staff make it one of my favorite places to go for "date night" with my wife! read more

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A new speak easy style establishment in West Reading! Yay! I have a lot to say so here's the tl/dr Great atmosphere, innovative but expensive, good food, shallow drinks and decent service . It's priced and feels of a fine dining establishment but slightly misses the mark. Hopefully just growing pains. The details... We hit this in week 3 of operation, according to our server, so it's early in the life of the restaurant. You should make a reservation if you plan on giving it a try. It's a speak easy so there isn't a big sign with an arrow pointing to the door. It sits atop the Barely Mow, as your facing the restaurant the stairs can be found on the left side of the building. Once your in, the entry way is very cool! It is complete with a stylish old fashion phone booth and a library/study look and feel. The overall atmosphere is A+. There's music in the background, which felt a bit loud, but still added well to the experience. The service was good not great, as our server did keep trying to steal our drinks with a few sips left. He should probably ask if we're done. He also insisted on calling a boulevardier a belvedere which was funny, sort of. If you don't know what a Bool-a-var-de-ay is, it's the most underrated bourbon cocktail! It was a little heavy on the Campari but other wise tasted OK. Onto my first beef! The beverages were pricey, which I feel is to be expected anymore but the pours felt quite lacking. I ordered a $14 glass from a $20 bottle of wine and got a pretty small serving (see pictures). The boulevardiers also seemed a bit light. I make this cocktail regularly and felt it was about 75% full. They did have nice large square ice cubes, kudos there. Several of us order apps as a meal, those were served with the apps so the dining experience was awkward. We ordered the meals after the app round so it was clear to us, just seemed to get over our servers head. Otherwise, our server was mostly on top of things. We did experience a long delay on a few of the 2nd round of drinks we ordered. Overall service was about a C+. The food was generally good, however, nothing was hot. Warm yes, so this could have been worse but very unexpected when your average dining price was about $75 per person before tip. The menu, see pictures, offers a nice variety of unusual items. We liked this aspect and I got the cabbage dish and it was delicious. We got the Lamb ribs, breadbasket, cheese plate and Rosemary Bomboloni as appetizers. The cheese plate was the winner, with a nice variety of cheeses with some jam, nuts and fruit. It was excellent. The Rosemary Bomboloni was ok, this was our first 'warm' dish. The short rib inside was awesome but the rosemary was absent and the breaded casing felt soggy, perhaps because it was no longer hot? The bread plate, while boasting a eye-catching presentation complete with a butter candle (cool), was somewhat underwhelming. Some of the breads lacked depth of flavor or seemed dry. Fine dining equals artisan bread, in my mind, this was just a little off. The lamb ribs described as very good and they looked good, I think that was second place after the cheese. Appetizers as meals... The other appetizers that we got as meals (almost anyway) were the scallops and Ahi Crudo. The scallops and large and well cooked, the accompanying sauce was also good. The negative here? Three scallops for $31. If it was a scallop meal on a bead of risotto or something like that, maybe $31 is justified? The Ahi Crudo, was ok, I would describe the sauce a citrusy and it wasn't bad but the tuna was high quality and we felt the sauce didn't do the tuna justice. Justice must be served!! The comment from the person who ate it, it was good but I wouldn't get this again. The main course... I got the Miso Roasted Caraflex, unique, delicious, and almost perfect as it was also not hot. The cabbage was cooked perfectly and the yogurt sauce paired really well with the chili crisp on it. I thought the spice level was spot on. Really really good. Two people got the Fennel Roasted Wild Boar shoulder, also very good, also not hot. I forgot to ask them about the spaetzle, it looked yummy though and no complaints and it was all gone. The Vietnamese razor clams, were also very good. Check out the picture, they are super long! Last but not least the grilled ribeye, that disappeared from the plate quickly and the only comment was that it came sliced and the individual eating it would have preferred it in one piece. One of my pet peeves for fine dining is that the food needs to be served at the same time and hot. They were fairly close in the delivery but as noted, ad nauseum, not hot! One last note, the presentation of the food was really good. To whomever is plating, job well done! A+ :) We're going to give them some time to work out the kinks before we consider another visit but I think it's worth a try and would be interested to see how others feel. Bon appetit! read more

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Ambiance is 10/10. Awesome veggie options that were actually flavorful and filling. The burrata salad and miso karaflex were my favorites. The lobster toast and duck were also a hit. Cocktail list was extensive and we loved each of them. My favorite was the high fashion and the fireside. We had a few people try mocktails and were thoroughly impressed. The service was exceptional. I've already gone back twice and can't wait to go again. Definitely a good place to take someone you want to impress. read more

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Everything, food was great! Great atmosphere. Service was excellent! Great place to go in West Reading! read more

What a beautiful place to dine and/or grab delicious drinks! They have quite the extensive list for drink options whether you want cocktails or wine (they also have beer). The food is eclectic but flavorful. I found that most portions were hearty. Both times I was there I was extremely impressed with the service. I think the pricing is fair given the quality of food - it's just not "Berks" county pricing. Overall, I enjoyed it here. read more

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First of all, are you a foodie ? Do things like Razor Clams, duck confit, Ube cheesecake excite you? If you checked yes to all these boxes, you should dine here. Made our reservations (Happy 44th to me), and showed up and got sat in a very efficient manner. Our waiter, Graham, was absolutely phenomenal and if there is any sort of argument of why you should pay a few dollars more to get quality help, Graham is it. He took us thru the cocktail menu, he took us thru the meals and gave his personal recommendations as we sat and looked over our menus. This is not your normal "night out". This is a fine dining menu brought to you by the proprietors of the Barley Mow. We have been going to the Barley Mow since Day 1,and seeing them getting to THIs level is phenomenal.. Graham came to our table, (as we were debating a few things) Sold us on app (Rosemary Bobolina ... you have to get it, it's absolutely amazing), and got me ( a notoriously not going to change my mind once after I make up my mind diner) to change my meal. My better half got the Razor Clam entree. It was really good. Like really good. The pasta was maybe a bit overdone, but the clams were awesome, and so was each bite. The clams got better each time,and as huge fans of New England seafood , this was our first taste of a Razor Clam, and it was fantastic . I was stuck on ordering the Wild Boar. After Graham came to our table, he sold me on the Duck Confit. He asked me how I wanted it , I asked how people ordered it, and he started off with "the chef likes" and I cut him off (sorry Graham, but after eating at the Barley Mow for years, the chef is always right)l and said "what ever the Chef wants, I'll take. Both meals, the same basic thing holds true, the Chef is a master of sauces and each swipe on our plate thru an amazing sauce made each bite better. I really want to ding this place for a few things, as I'm sure they have a shared kitchen and shared bar but I can't.. I will say if you're into beer you should stop down below at the Barley mow (turns out they had Hill Farmstead on tap tonight and I could not order it) as the Light in the Attic has 5 taps and and nothing that Barley Mow had on tap was there. The owners are trying for a cocktail/fancy dining place and I get it, but you literally had the best brewery in America down below and the folks spending $150 for dinner with tip had no access it to it. read more

Great special occasion stop. The food was amazing, unique drink menu. Wait staff was fantastic. The only issue was we were told at we had to leave our table because someone was waiting for it. While I have zero issue with them needing the table, if there is a time limit on the reservation they really need to make that known up front. Will definitely go back read more

One of the best meals we've ever had - we honeymooned in San Sebastian, Spain over the summer and this was on par, if not better! Our server, Graham, was incredible and did a great job with recommendations, a happy attitude, and food knowledge. The restaurant itself is cute, classy, and feels very "exclusive" since it's a speakeasy, but approachable. The prices are beyond reasonable for the quality. We had an impeccable experience and we will be back! read more

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Unbelievable dining experience. The menu is innovative and everything surpassed my expectations. The flavor combinations are crazy good. All the cocktails are legit and go down way too fast. The vibe is perfect. It's a true experience. read more

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Loved the vibe and ambiance. The drinks were also really good. Service was good and efficient. Food was not good. We got the ribeye and the gnocchi and they were not good. The plating was a mess (food just piled on with random sauces and toppings all over). They were also just doing too much with the food- the gnocchi was like curry flavored? And the steak was covered in sauce - a good steak should stand on its own. They took 'a twist on...' a little too far. Also the steak came out rare but we ordered medium. It was $60 for the most mid steak ever. We took most of it home and plan on cooking it to the correct temp. Recommend coming here for some drinks but deff skip the food! read more

Food, service and ambiance were all amazing. We will definitely be back. Loved the creativity with the drinks and the upscale menu.

Food and drinks are amazing and the staff was just as great. Creative drink selection and dishes.

A great place with the best craft cocktails and wonderful food! They have the best selection of liquor I have ever seen.

Food is amazing. Atmosphere is amazing. Staff is fantastic. Definitely a great date night.

We went to A Light in the Attic last night and sat in the actual restaurant level. It was amazing from the hostess Candice to the bar tenders to our waiter Vlad. The food & service were great and the ambience was great as well. I definitely recommend it and reservations are needed. Make sure you ask for the restaurant level and not the private rooms in the attic. read more

I rarely do reviews.....this was my first visit and was looking forward to it. The food was unique and all was delicious. The service was also very good and our waiter explained options very well. The issue came when we were told that the next reservation for our table was early and the servers began clearing all glasses and utensils from our table and wanted us to leave. We weren't aware that our table had a time limit! We were essentially finished and would be leaving shortly anyway. At a nice restaurant, with high price for meals and drinks, it's very rude to push people out, I have never been to a place where this was done. There are plenty of good places, I won't go to this one again....pushing people out is bad business and poor management planning. read more

Well decorated inside, great theme...But the only positive. Eclectic menu, pricey and extremely small portions. So small that we had a second dinner nearby. Drink pours were tiny too. Wish the experience was more positive. read more

Expensive but cool experience. Staff and service were great. Drinks were good. We had several apps (I do not recommend the salad) and I had the ribeye as the main. Definitely get the béarnaise sauce on the side...my steak was extra saucy. read more

Awesome atmosphere, great food and drinks. Staff were very knowledgeable about their menu. A little bit pricey, but very much worth it in my opinion! The lobster toast was amazing!!! read more

Exceptional food & atmosphere. Our waiter, Graham, was so knowledgeable. Great service & cocktails. Can't wait to go back!!