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The Swan, Banbury
Banbury
OX16 9AA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Strongers . left this review about The Swan
There are bay windows either side of the central entrance to the Swan where banquettes face large chunky wooden tables and high stools. The serving counter with standard and premium keg alongside Neck Oil faces the entrance, there were a handful of locals in attendance early on a recent Wednesday evening when the televisions on the left and right-hand walls were airing GB News with sound. On the left-hand wall is an inglenook with a fireplace full of chopped logs ready to go at the hint of a drop in temperature and the highly trodden flagstone floor in the bar area continues up the left where more seating runs up to a dartboard at the rear. In the right rear is a separate room with a pool table and second dartboard. The service was polite and the pub is well maintained, but the lack of interesting draught isn’t going to draw in the discerning drinker. That said, I think the major draw for this pub is when football or live music is being hosted.
On 12th June 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 6168 recommendations about 6131 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Swan
Looks like an interesting old pub, but it's a nondescript semi-refurbished sports-bar mess inside (although, if you have a vivid imagination, you could still just about envisage what could have been done instead.) No real ale from the solitary handpump, nothing of much interest in the fridges and only the likes of John Smith's (£3.60) on the keg taps. However, having said all that, it does offer regular live music, and I might have had a different opinion had that been the case on my Sunday evening visit.
On 7th May 2023
- rating: 4
[User has posted 8813 recommendations about 8813 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Swan
Old stone building housing a modern sports bar,with the keg only servery infront as you enter and two wings back with lots of high tables and two large flatscreens. Packed to see Man City v Arsenal,a laddish atmosphere and nothing authentic about the interior at all.One to avoid ,unless you like pub televised sport.
On 27th April 2023
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2997 recommendations about 2997 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Swan
A smart-looking building with a fairly modern sense of branding on the outside, though the inside is a little more traditional in character with clunking wonky wooden ceiling beams, flagstone flooring, undulating ceiling, large hearth fireplace (sadly unlit) and a rambling interior with a number of different rooms. This is a sports-led pub, with four TVs offering up two separate football matches and a rugby union game. The pub dog, a large but friendly beast, patrolled the pub and was happy to hoover up any bar snack chucked her way. Two ales available – Greene King London Glory and Purity Gold. The Purity was pretty good and the barmaid said that ale had only just come back after an absence but was selling very well (at least two pints of it were sold during my 20 minute stop). A downside for me was that the interior felt a little dank and lacking life, a bit of brightening up wouldn’t go amiss. Still, it’s a good pub for Banbury and I’d be happy to pop back sometime.
On 31st December 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5657 recommendations about 5638 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Swan
The Swan is a decent looking pub from the outside and once inside it was just as good,there were a couple of smartish rooms i had a drink in what looked like the lounge.
The pub was a Courage tied house and there were three real ales on here,i had a drink of Smiles best and this was a very nice drink the other beers were Courage best and Websters Green Label.
I quite liked this pub.
Pub visited 13/9/2003
On 13th September 2003
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]