The White Swan, Twickenham

My records show that I've been here before, probably the same time I visited the Barmy Arms further along the river. The White Swan is quite a secluded pub reached by steps from the narrow riverside road. There is outdoor seating across the road. Once inside, the drinking space is fairly limited. There is a small seating area at the front, with a little more to the rear of the bar. We sat in the window at a very strange shaped table, an area called the triclinium. A written explanation on the wall described how the table had been made and fitted. This pub can be found in the latest Good Beer Guide. Regular beers are Twickenham Naked Ladies & Otter Bitter. The guest beer was Dark Star Hophead. Keg options included Portobello VESPA & Beavertown Neck Oil. I opted for a cider which I don't believe I've ever seen on draft - Hogs Back Hazy Hog, which was quite refreshing. Toilets are down some steep stairs back down to ground level. It felt like I was entering the dungeons. This pub certainly possesses a fair amount of character.

Facebook page of The White Swan - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The White Swan - www.facebook.com

Official site of The White Swan - www.whiteswantwickenham.co.uk

Official site of The White Swan - www.whiteswantwickenham.co.uk

Characterful riverside pub located a short walk from the town centre. 5 real ales and food served. Patio area adjacent to the river.

Just a short walk from the town centre, through the attractive York House Gardens, this is a nice riverside pub which is elevated from street level due to the fact that the Thames occasionally reaches the pub boundary during particularly high tides. Stairs lead you up into the main bar where the servery stands to the rear right and there are comfortable seating options to either side of the front door, giving good views out to the river. There is a nice old fireplace to the right which looks like it gets a bit of use in the colder months, whilst to the left there is a nice dark wood, mirrored shelving unit which is lined with books, trophies, tankards and the like and helps give the impression of a slightly larger room. The seating is a mix of button backed banquettes and standard tables and chairs and additional seating is available in a small rear room which has its own fireplace and was full of diners on this particular visit. In warmer weather, there are a number of options for alfresco drinking, including a raised patio area next to the front door, a decked riverside seating area with lots of benches and flower boxes and a small grass/beach area with no official seating, but plenty of people seemed content to lounge on the ground here. It was interesting to watch people come an go via various forms of waterborne transportation, with boats, dinghies and paddle boards regularly being hauled in and out of the water as customers came and went. There were five beers on the go here and my pint of the local Twickenham Naked Ladies was in very good shape and went down nicely in the sun on the decked area outside. Whilst most punters here were eating on our lunchtime visit, we didn't partake, as the menu seemed a little pricey. It certainly seemed like the pub had found a nice balance to accommodate diners and drinkers alike. This is a very nicely presented pub with a fantastic location that makes it well worth seeking out. I really enjoyed relaxing outside and watching the river go by, but I can equally imagine spending a winter's evening inside the pub, as it was a comfortable and welcoming place.

A very charming pub overlooking the semi tidal Thames and not far from Eel Pie Island dating from 1690.The lane outside floods on spring tides,so the pub is elevated up some steps,with an outside veranda,and an open plan interior with a wooden floor ,traditional furniture ,nooks and crannnies.It isnt large but very atmospheric.There is also a decked seating area over the lane and directly above the riverside ,another charming spot.There is a sign on the exterior wall giving high tide times and the expected height of the tide,plus a diagram of what gets flooded so there is no excuse for finding your motor full of muddy river water! Food is served from a short menu ,with mains starting at £10 up to £16 ,and I was impressed by the cooking.At the bar 5 handpumps were drawing Adnams Fat Sprat,Belleville Northcote Blonde,Hogs Back HBB,Doom Bar and a very fine Twickenham Naked Ladies.Fully deserving it's GBG listing and should not be missed if you are in the area.I will most certainly be back.

Another Riverside pub sensibly on a raised elevation,so normal access is up a steep set of steps and through a small verranda seating area.There was an amusing sign on the roadside with a telephone number, saying "if you want to use the pub and the road is flooded, ring this number and we will let you in through the cellar door", which luckily is to the rear of the building at a higher altitude. The pub itself is basic and traditional, an L shaped wooden floored room that had a real authenticity about it along with a good buzz of conversation amongst the locals and visitors alike.Five handpumps with a choice from Vale VPA,Adnams Southwold Bitter,Twickenham Naked Ladies,Doom Bar and Thames Side White Swan. This pub's well up with the best in Twickenham.

This pub remains unchanged from my visit a few years ago. It is still the traditional pub it always has been. When I was in the other day all five handpumps were in operation, but I guess most Twickenham pubs will want all their handpumps in operation with the Rugby Worls Cup underway. The ales on were Doom Bar, Hogsback HBB, Truman's Runner, Bingham Space Hoppy, and Aylesbury Brewing Company Long White Cloud (£4 a pint) which seems to be some New Zealand inspired beer based on the Maori words on the clip. Jolly good it was as well. I didn't get to look at a menu, but there was a chef's special advertised on a chalkboard of cider pulled pork, pearl barley and mixed pepper stew, with mashed potatoes, at £12. As nice as this pub is inside, it's best feature is the outside seating on a jetty by the river just over the small road - when the weather's nice enough to appreciate it. This is a pub is one not to be missed on any visit to Twickenham.

The White Swan is in an ideal position facing the Thames and there are steps up to the pub this is probably to avoid flooding when the tide is high. There is a small seating area outside the pub which has great views and once inside the pub is fairly small and it has a cosy feel to it. There were four real ales on the bar i had a drink of Shepherd Neame Spitfire this was a very nice drink the other beers were Bombadier, Gk IPA and Courage Directors. The pub was fairly quiet on my visit but i would imagine it would be packed in summer. I thought this was a very nice pub and i was quite happy looking at the river flow by. Pub visited 13/12/2003

Busy on a bank holiday Monday with the riverside area packed and the barbecue doing good business. Room to sit inside though with the bonus of not having to use a plastic glass. The pub is entered up a series of steps, a precaution against flooding from the regular high river tides here. The bar area is L-shaped, fairly small with wood flooring, brick fireplaces each end. One wall has a series of mirrors and dark wood shelving, displaying a few books, mostly rugby related, as well as some jugs, pots etc. Rugby shirts in frames are hung on the walls in the back area. Several pairs of oars hang on the walls around the pub and over the olive green painted bar. Dimpled jugs hang over the bar but straight glasses seemed to be the default offering. Another attractive outdoor terrace with flowering baskets is accessed directly in front of the bar, giving good elevated views over the river. The clientele were mostly well heeled but not brash or loud. Five handpumps ,but only three on, Ringwood Boondoggle, Adnams Broadside, and Twickenham Original. Doom Bar and some GK/Westgate offering were reverse clipped. I liked it here and I imagine the pub is especially cosy on a crisp winter's day with the fire going. I'll have to go back and check.