Black Swan, Woking

The last few visits in 2011 have been a little disappointed and the last visit in Decemeber 2011 leaved a fair bit to be desired. The service was amazing slow and the staff in general seemed uninterested and not that friendly. The beer was however a bright spart of the pub with Hogs Back beers being especially good. Lacks a warmth however which it used to have. 45-50 minutes for a main course seems excessive.

Official site of the Black Swan, contains menu and wine list - www.blackswanockham.com

Official site of the Black Swan, contains menu and wine list - www.blackswanockham.com

Good pub with a gastro theme but highly expensive. Light coloured decor.

Unfortunately I never knew the previous incarnation but it's obvious upon crossing the threshold that an atrocity of monstrous proportions has occurred. If you can blank that from your mind and repress the urge to turn tail and look for somewhere resembling a pub you will discover a reasonable selection of beers including some Belgian bottles and currently a wide range of ciders. Both Doom Bar and Shere Drop in fine fettle this afternoon. Once you've got what you want your chances of finding a seat inside are pretty thin as it's nearly all laid up for eating so best to go outside to use some of the daftest garden furniture I've ever come across. It was surprisingly empty for a Bank Holiday Sunday afternoon. I suspect that the gastropub joke is wearing a bit thin these days, even in fabulously wealthy recession-immune areas like this, and that the pubcos will have to dream up some other dastardly scheme to torment us with.

The old 'Mucky Duck' has changed beyond all recognition to anyone who used to know it. Now a 'Geronimo Inn', totally refurbished inside and out and mainly given over to posh food with prices to match. Somewhere to take the boss rather than go boozing with your mates, but still some good and well-kept beers and an excellent range of bottled stuff including rare ciders.