The Swan, W4

This is another one of those pubs that has retained many of the Covid era practices, in that you need to reserve a table in order to get in and no drinking is allowed at the bar. As the last pub in the Good Beer Guide in West London I had not previously visited, this was one I'd been trying to get to for some while. My attempts had been hampered by the fact that it does not open during the daytime on weekdays. So, we made a special trip to visit it today only to find it fully booked with diners. It seems most foodie pubs aren't interesting in saving space for drinkers anymore. I can see why, when most of their profits will come from food. But it's immensely frustrating for the casual drinker. Eventually we decided to bite the bullet and have a drink outdoors on the pavement in the West London drizzle. Not tempted by the real ale choice of Landlord or Tribute, we ordered a couple of bottles of cider, which came to an astronomical £12. Quite frankly, I'm really not sure how this pub has managed to gain a Good Beer Guide entry with such a bog standard (and unchanging) ale choice and also considering that the casual drinker is unwelcome. Pretty poor all round.

Outside has some nice preserved green and brown tiling, inside there are boarded floors, a red and dark stained beamed ceiling, good quality wood panelling and some leaded glasswork. The room is kind of L-shaped, drinkers mainly catered for at the front with a dining room plus a small snug area to the rear. Beyond is an attractive garden for the warmer times of year. Mostly regular seating plus bar stools where there are those useful coat hooks, board games, daily papers and free WiFi. Seems foody judging by the set tables at the back but no menus out at the time that I saw. Two sets of three handpumps, Butcombe Bitter, St Austell Tribute and Otter Amber repeated. A montage of Otter Brewery stuff suggests their beers are constant. Friendly chatty service, this is a decent pub worth seeking out, tends to open late on a weekday I understand.