The Swan Inn, Milton Keynes

This is a quaint looking thatched roof pub that was apparently in the original village of Milton Keynes, long before it was surrounded by the concrete metropolis. Consequently it’s one of the few pubs in the area that looks as though it might have some character, although if you’re expecting it to be located in a quaint old village you’ll be disappointed. It seems to have been pretty much swallowed up, and is largely surrounded by cheap looking housing, although there is still an old church just behind it. Inside the country pub theme continues, with the main bar at the front having a pleasant and cosy ambience. The floor is partly attractive flagstones and partly some pine boards. There’s a low ceiling with plenty of black beams, and a large, brick built fireplace that had some logs burning away. To the left is a snug with some bench seating with plenty of scattered cushions, and a few pictures of swans on the wall as befits it’s name. There was also a fireplace here with a wood burning stove, and a small bar counter, although neither were in use on a recent visit. The lighting might be described as atmospheric or dark depending on your point of view; suffice to say that if it hadn’t been for the lights from the Christmas tree I would have been unable to read my menu. The main bar seemed to be busy, with mixed groups stood around chatting. At the rear is a larger area that looks to be more geared up for dining, although I didn’t check this out. Staff were all friendly enough, although service was somewhat haphazard – I was waiting at the bar for some time with numerous staff walking passed and ignoring me, and when I did get served they didn’t seem to have much of a clue, like not knowing if they’d started serving food yet, or what the pie of the day was. As I said, pleasant and friendly enough though. Food tended more towards the gastro-pub side of things rather than your traditional pub fayre, and most of the main courses were in the £12 - £15 bracket. Whilst there were a few more traditional dishes such as Sausage & Mash, Pie of the Day and a Burger, even these were all priced at over a tenner. Some of the dishes were really off the wall – I spotted a desert of Lemon Possett with a Raspberry Compote and Popping Candy! What on earth is that? That said, what I had was pleasant enough though. Beers on tap were Brains SA Gold, Bombardier, Young’s Bitter and Hydes Owd Oak. The solitary cider was Symonds Founders Reserve.