Old Swan, Newport Pagnell

An attractive, thatched pub in this small village it benefits from a beer garden at the rear with some well-tended shrubbery as well as a few tables and chairs overlooking the village green opposite. The pub is privately owned and the current landlord has been there about twelve years. Apparently he has turned it from something that was rather tired and shabby in to the very pleasant pub that it is today. Inside it consists of two rooms, an L-shape bar and a cosy restaurant area. The main bar has some well-polished flagstones on the floor, plenty of black beams on the ceiling and the obligatory selection of horse brasses, country water colours and framed salmon as well as a large collection of keys. At one end was a large dresser with a huge selection of pottery and there were a couple of brick fire-places with wood burning stoves, piles of logs and copper pans. The restaurant area looked to have similar décor with a carpeted floor and an even lower ceiling. Food wise, the menu offered a good selection of dishes, perhaps a step or two up from your usual pub grub, although there were still pub favourites such as Fish & Chips, Chicken Tikka Masala and a Beef & Guinness Pie. Most of these were around the £10 - £12 mark, although some of the steaks were obviously more. There were also another half dozen or so dishes chalked up on a specials board. My Chicken in a Creamy Vermouth & Mushroom sauce was a pleasant and tasty dish, although if I were being critical I would say it was a little on the small side for £10.95. I was especially disappointed that I got charged an extra £2.50 for a side dish of vegetables. I queried this and was assured that this was stated on the menu, which it may well have been, but when you’re asked if you’d like “chips or potatoes with your meal” as opposed to “would you like some vegetables with your meal” then the implication is that they’re included. Together with the fact that the meal would have been very one dimensional without them, and this is a pub, not a top restaurant, this somewhat soured what was otherwise a very pleasant visit. Beers on tap were just London Pride and HSB. There was a third pump on the bar that appeared unused, so there may on occasions be another choice. The solitary cider was Stowford Press which makes a pleasant change from the usual dross around these parts. Overall, I’ve mixed feelings about this. It’s certainly a very nice pub in an attractive setting, but the unexpected charge for the vegetables and the somewhat uninspiring beer choice detract from it somewhat.