The Swan, Walsall

Excellent traditional pub, retaining two separate bars and a good atmosphere despite the fairly plain furniture and football on the numerous sports TV screens. A few benches can also be found out front. However, whilst the decoration inside is largely limited to pump clips, the impressive display is enough for any real ale drinker to take an interest and it becomes obvious why this is a regular Good Beer Guide entry. A pair of handpumps can be found on each counter, and on my visit I found a fine Holden's Golden Glow (£3.20), Wye Valley HPA, The Hoard from Backyard and Oakham's Bavaria Mandarina. Well worth seeking out.

The swan is an excellent pub and is well used by locals. There were 3 beers on and my pint of Scrooge from the Elland brewery was in good shape. Nice to see cobs for sale behind the bar and a pool table. This is the pick of the pubs in the area for me and I would happily return.

I'd been looking forward to trying The Swan ever since it reopened last year and on a visit back home last week I finally made it. Well worth the wait. It was a Thursday afternoon and a mate and I were there for the 4pm opening. Soup Dragon's review tells you what you need to know about the interior. I'll just add that the pool table and dart board are indeed in a side area, but it's really a separate room beyond an archway, still with with bar access. You don't feel at all cut off in there, yet it's independent enough to have its own sporting atmosphere, as it were. The Sharp's Doom Bar was excellent (on offer at £2.50/pint), as was the Holden's Golden Glow and Satisfaction. The two main rooms each had a plate of black pudding and polony slices on the bar to pick at, which went down a treat. It turned into a mini session, such was the good atmosphere and friendly service, and it was much appreciated that when I finished off with a whisky and asked for a dash of water I was handed a jug, rather than having to shout 'when' at someone wielding a hose-fed gun. A proper pub that deserves to flourish.