Lion & Swan, Congleton

Very smart hotel, with glass doors, expensive wallpaper, and mirrors on all the pillars. The bar counter, at the back of this impressive foyer, had two hand pumps in the far right corner, one of them clipped with local Kodiak. But when I asked for this I was told that it had just gone off and had not been changed yet. So, a lucky escape by the looks of it.

The Lion & Swan is an upmarket hotel, bar and restaurant found in a 16th century Tudor building on a predominant corner in the centre of town. Any signs that this used to be a pub are long gone, but some of the small seating areas still remain… too many to describe in great detail. Light wood panelling is found through, as is a mix of furniture. The bar counter is found on the rear wall where it faces open plan seating and the entrance. Premium and craft keg is supported, I went for half a Beartown Inception which set me back a whopping £3.50. I thought this a bit steep bearing in mind the brewery is a short walk away. There are a couple of hand pumps hidden on the far right of the counter, but these were both unused. There was some low mood music playing in the background, but no other distractions. The walls are adorned with paintings of animals which add a bit colour to the neutral décor. In the main bar area is an ornate fireplace, next to which is a very small door that I took to be some sort of old safe. The toilets are signed Lions and Swans, the barman explained that I would need the lions, which I thought was a bit presumptuous in this day and age. I was disappointed that there were no posh paper towels to steal, maybe these are reserved for the swans. Some people like these swanky hotel bars, but I prefer a proper pub so this place isn’t on my revisit list.

A large pub/hotel. A small bar with pool table in separate room is to your left with another bar by reception. One real ale, Sharps Rockpool, available at the time.