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The Swan, W4
W4
W4 5HH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Swan
The pub dates from 1871 and features four lanterns with Charrington’s name plates attached; also featured are some of their trademark Toby leaded lights to the right-hand side, which probably date from the 1930s; otherwise, this is a pub which features on CAMRA’s list of heritage pubs, this having an interior of Some Regional Importance.
The interior is pleasing enough, probably dating from the 1930s, with wood panelling and a traditional feel, visible on CAMRA’s and the pub’s websites. It’s quite a smart affair and there’s certainly an emphasis on food, but this doesn’t mean that drinkers can’t occupy tables, although I couldn’t as they were all taken on my Wednesday evening visit. Décor came in the form of framed period adverts for various continental aperitifs – the sort of thing you see in cafés in France and Italy – and cut flowers in vases to windowsills. Customers were a mixed age bunch and undoubtedly all local, many having eaten, judging by the empty plates on their tables.
The ale front delivered up the seemingly unchanging duo that was Landlord and Tribute at £2.80 a half and good, served by a friendly barman.
This is quite a nice pub, certainly the best of the six visited of the evening and definitely worth the minor detour from Chiswick central, but I agree with BS that I don’t see why it garners a GBG listing with just Landlord and Tribute; a wider and more imaginative ale choice would get the score up.
On 10th November 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1993 recommendations about 1959 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Swan
This is another one of those pubs that has retained many of the Covid era practices, in that you need to reserve a table in order to get in and no drinking is allowed at the bar.
As the last pub in the Good Beer Guide in West London I had not previously visited, this was one I'd been trying to get to for some while. My attempts had been hampered by the fact that it does not open during the daytime on weekdays. So, we made a special trip to visit it today only to find it fully booked with diners. It seems most foodie pubs aren't interesting in saving space for drinkers anymore. I can see why, when most of their profits will come from food. But it's immensely frustrating for the casual drinker.
Eventually we decided to bite the bullet and have a drink outdoors on the pavement in the West London drizzle. Not tempted by the real ale choice of Landlord or Tribute, we ordered a couple of bottles of cider, which came to an astronomical £12.
Quite frankly, I'm really not sure how this pub has managed to gain a Good Beer Guide entry with such a bog standard (and unchanging) ale choice and also considering that the casual drinker is unwelcome. Pretty poor all round.
On 20th February 2022
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2493 recommendations about 2492 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Swan
This pub is essentially unchanged since the previous reviewer's visit, except that on our early evening midweek visit the service was friendly and efficient. The ales on were Butcombe Bitter, Otter Amber and St Austell Tribute - two pints of Butcombe and one of Amber came to £12.60, thus averaging £4.20 a pint, and easily the most expensive of the six Chiswick pubs we visited that day. There's clearly a West Country emphasis regarding the beer; indeed the landlord may well be a Kernowphile, as he took the trouble to explain to me that the Korev Lager was in fact Cornish, and not Irish. Food is still a major player here, but I didn't see a menu.
The decor is unchanged as well, although I suspect that some of the fielded wood panelling may be modern additions. Our table had a little square piece of slate on it with the word "reserved" (but no time) written on it. Luckily we had some of our own Pubs Galore beermats with us, so we didn't have to resort to using the bit of slate! Nonetheless this is a comfortable enough pub, and fair enough to include on any Chiswick crawl.
On 3rd January 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Swan
Outside has some nice preserved green and brown tiling, inside there are boarded floors, a red and dark stained beamed ceiling, good quality wood panelling and some leaded glasswork. The room is kind of L-shaped, drinkers mainly catered for at the front with a dining room plus a small snug area to the rear. Beyond is an attractive garden for the warmer times of year. Mostly regular seating plus bar stools where there are those useful coat hooks, board games, daily papers and free WiFi. Seems foody judging by the set tables at the back but no menus out at the time that I saw.
Two sets of three handpumps, Butcombe Bitter, St Austell Tribute and Otter Amber repeated. A montage of Otter Brewery stuff suggests their beers are constant. Friendly chatty service, this is a decent pub worth seeking out, tends to open late on a weekday I understand.
On 3rd January 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
aleand hearty left this review about The Swan
A former Bass Charrington house, now independently owned and positioned firmly at the gastro end of the pub spectrum. Tucked away in the ‘des res’ back streets of west Chiswick, it has quite a bland exterior, but with some attractive tiling on the Evershed Walk side of the building, plus bay windows on the Acton Lane side. The old brewery globe lamps soften the façade as a whole.
Internally, it’s a medium sized two roomer, lined throughout with dark wooden panelling, which adds character, or makes it rather dark, depending on your point of view. The larger of the rooms has a definite dining bias, although food may be eaten in either area. Incidentally, the pub’s reputation for food is excellent, based largely on a Mediterranean menu. Local wisdom has it that the meals aren’t cheap, but represent good value for money. Certainly, the plates I saw being carried through looked very good indeed.
At the bar, four hand pumps were on the go including St Austell ‘Tribute’ and Sambrook’s ‘Pumphouse’. Opting for the latter, I found it in decent nick, but a tad dull. However, guest ales are rotated. Service, although friendly, was rather erratic. Somehow, an order of two ales and a white wine became an ale, a lager, a rose and a white wine. I suspect when the kitchen’s working at full pelt things become a little strained elsewhere. When we asked if we could sit in the beer garden (the access door was locked) we were told quite firmly that it wouldn’t opening that evening, as it looked like rain. In fact, the opposite was true – the sky was brightening by the minute! I suspect the real reason was that nobody could be spared from serving to turn over the picnic benches. A shame as it looked an inviting space. However, these were minor niggles, during what was a lively Friday evening visit with a very good atmosphere. Overall, I rather liked it here and fully intend to return the next time I’m staying in west London.
On 5th June 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 583 recommendations about 565 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john gray left this review about The Swan
Great little back street pub with good but expensive food.Beer is always in good condition but major brands dominate .Well worth a visit.
On 9th November 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Swan
The barmaid in here was OK without being very friendly and the Pride and Harveys were very good. Black Sheep was also available along with Peroni, Hoegarden, San Miguel, Staropramen, Kronenburg, Fosters and Guinness.
I visited here around 18:00 when it was quiet so it didn't have a gastro feel that i'd imagine onsets after reading snippets from Timeout and GPG that have their pride of place in the toilet and on the board outside. From reading the Timeout review I can imagine it being a bit uncomfortable in the evenings if you just want to sit at the bar and have a few beers, but this is only conjecture. There are a couple of benches outside the front of the pub and a beer garden out the back that is “open when the sun is shining”.
This place is a bit out of the way and due to only opening in the evenings during the week I doubt that I'll return
On 12th March 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5268 recommendations about 5236 pubs]