The Pilot, Swansea

A proper tradition pub this one and the best of its type we visited whilst in Mumbles. A solid stone pub with lots of internal dark wood, stone flagged floors and no TV, no music, no games machines, just good service, good drinks and good conversation. Although the available beer range has been reduced during these restricted Covid times there were still enough ales on to make it interesting, including a couple from the in-house brewery and my pint of Pilot Gold was spot on. I can see why the local CAMRA branch like this one.

This is a fairly innocuous looking seafront pub on the South Eastern edge of Mumbles. Inside it's something of a real ale Mecca which includes a small brewery at the rear. As noted below it's an L shaped room with the bar at the front and a slightly raised area at the rear. There is loads of boaty memorabilia around the walls. The brewery can be seen at the rear on the way to the Gents. There was a fair crowd in on my Thursday afternoon visit, possibly helped by the fact that other Mumbles pubs worth visiting are late openers. I counted eight hand pumps which had a cider, three from their own brewery, Tenby Hang Ten, London Pride, Worthington White Shield and one unused. I tried the Pilot Gold (£3.20), Revolver (£3.20) & Black Storm (£3.40) and the Tenby beer (£3.30). All were excellent. I liked this pub and would happily return.

Attractive seafront pub, and home of the eponymous brewery. Pleasantly traditional inside, with a compact 'L'-shaped bar with an interesting stained-glass gantry above the counter and a mixture of nautical decor and old photographs of the former tramway, etc. Limited seating at the front, and nearly all high stools and chairs at that (which won't suit everyone) but there is also a further raised seating area at the back with standard furniture. Excellent choice of real ales and a cider from seven of eight handpumps, including their own Revolver (made with Delta hops, £3.20) and Viper Vermont IPA.

I last visited this pub in early 1999 during a crawl of the now seemingly defunct 'Mumbles Mile' pub crawl, of which this was, for most participants, the final pub of the crawl. Returning over 16 years later - a period which has seen so many of its contemporaries close or converted into coffee shops, cafes etc... - it was reassuring to find the place much as I remembered it. In fact, the only significant changes I could detect were the signs advising large groups, such as stag and hen parties, to steer clear and a much improved ale range, thanks in part to the pub's own Pilot Brewery. Three of their beers were available on this visit - Pilot Gold, Black Storm and Black Revolver - alongside a varied selection of Weird Beard Mariana Trench and Little Things, Bass, Wells Bombardier and Hook Norton Old Hooky. At least one real cider was available on handpull, but a board listed a great many more cider options. I tried the Pilot Gold, which was a good session ale and kept in excellent condition. The bar area was packed on a Friday evening yet the friendly bar staff successfully served me over half a dozen punters' heads and seemed well drilled in dealing with such crowds. The pub is typical of many of the old Mumbles pubs, occupying a small seafront property with a compact L-shaped layout. The front part is a tile floored bar area with the servery directly opposite the front door. The bar has a nice dark wood counter, tongue and groove bar back and an eye catching back-lit stained glass canopy which depicts pleasant images of rural and urban life. To the left there are some high tables and stools under arched windows and a large board listing all of the beers, whilst over on the right hand side a few more tables and stools stand under bare brick walls with a drinking ledge running along one and a ship's wheel on display under a high shelf stacked with various bottles, glasses, tankards and the like. The room extends further back on this side, passing a series of ship's flags, a lovely low stone fireplace, a collection of board games and books, some CAMRA certificates, plenty of photos and paintings, a rack with the day's papers, a couple of tables and chairs, a stack of wood for a small burner and a most unusual old ship departures board. Eventually you reach a small rear raised seating area with more standard tables and chairs and a few low stools in an area with half panelled walls, local photos and info boards and a stained glass window with a ship's wheel image. A bar skittles table was propped up to the rear and I also noticed a shove ha'penny board. No music was playing and there was a TV screen in one corner, but it remained off and didn't look like it got much, if any, use. This is an excellent pub that has reacted to the loss of trade now that students no longer complete the Mile, by targeting the more discerning drinker and judging on this evidence, it has been very beneficial doing so. There are a few very good pubs in the Mumbles and this one might just be the best of the lot.

Official site of Pilot Inn - www.thepilotofmumbles.co.uk

Official site of Pilot Inn - www.thepilotofmumbles.co.uk

Hi grumpy bastard. I don't remember trying to lick anyone last time I was in the Pilot, but then I had drunk several pints of the Oystermouth stout. Fortunately my doggies know their way home! They also drag me in 'cos Joe keeps jars of dog treats on the bar! My excuse etc.. I was trying to add some links to their websites,but as a semi-luddite, I don't know how. So here they are......... http://www.mumblesbrewery.co.uk/ and........ http://www.thepilotofmumbles.co.uk/ Keep up the grumpy good work.........Phredd