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Detail Pages
Sapphire, Leicester
Leicester
LE1 5WR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about Swan & Rushes
The Swan and Rushes is a traditional, quality, town centre boozer and I'll add my voice to the many positive thoughts below.
Many of the features have been detailed and I'd only add that there is a, slightly disconcerting, life sized astronaut to the left as you walk in, a framed Tigers shirt made me twitch slightly as a Saints fan and the pub could have done with slightly more heating on a chilly November evening.
It was curry evening on our Friday visit and many were partaking. It looked home cooked and smelt good.
The service was friendly, easy and knowledgeable.
Beers on were: Oakham Green Devil IPA, which was excellent, JHB and Bishops Farewell, Thornbridge Jaipur IPA, Moon Gazer Black IPA, Tollgate Kalika IPA, Cameron's Apocalypse Now, Bateman's XB and Salopian Vortex. A fine selection from recognised breweries over varied strengths and styles.
One of Leicester's finest and well worth a visit.
On 10th November 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Swan & Rushes
Doesn’t look much from the outside and situated a little off the beaten track. However this is a standard-bearer for traditional ale pubs in the city and has been for number of years. There are two bars either side of the central servery, with the main front room hosting bar billiards (and a full sized space suit) whilst the quieter back room has darts and a curved banquette. Furnishings are indeed a little worn and perhaps - dare I say it - the interior could do with a little brightening up in places as the building doesn’t really catch the light. However it’s certainly a cosy place to be and is quite vibrant most days of the week. Up to ten ales are available (look for the list at the bar, as the handpumps are spread across the pumps in both bars and I always manage to miss one) with Oakham, Grainstore and Batemans usually occupying half of the slots. There’s also an impressive range of Belgian beers in the fridge as well as a few ciders too. Decent cobs are often available behind the bar. Recent policy is that vaping is allowed in the pub. I have cause to pop by here a few times every year and the quality of the ale is uniformly excellent. Service is usually friendly and knowledgeable. Near to the stadia, so the pub gets very busy on match days.
On 27th January 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Swan & Rushes
One of my favourite pubs in Leicester, well described below, so I don't have anything to add to that. The beer quality was excellent, I had the Salamander X-Ray Zulu & the Tunnel Trade Winds and it's nice to see a bar billiards table so I can relive my mispent youth (Quinno, OB you need practice) :-)) Don't miss this one when in Leicester, I certainly won't next time I am.
On 11th June 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Swan & Rushes
I came to this pub with no real expectations and was pleased to find an excellent two bar ale house that probably turned out to be my favourite of an extended crawl around the city. The main front entrance takes you into the main bar, which is carpeted with half panelled walls and some decent banquette and standard seating. The servery area is surprisingly small, beyond which there is a bar billiards table with a TV screen suspended above. A framed Leicester Tigers shirt was proudly displayed on one wall (their stadium being just a short walk down the road) and there is a collection of whiskey boxes on a ledge above the servery. A second bar can be accessed via a side entrance or through a connecting passageway at the back of the main bar. This room was also carpeted with similar banquettes and a few low stools. A dartboard was hung on one wall and the room seemed to be a bit brighter and more comfortable than the main bar. A small paved beer garden can be accessed from the connecting passageway, as can the toilets, which boasted some snazzy modern tiling, a bit out of keeping with the rest of the pub.
The line of hand pumps, some of which were double clipped to indicate beers served from the second bar, offered one of the widest ale selections we encountered in the city. The choice on our visit comprised Batemans XB, Oakham JHB and Bishops Farewell, Brewsters Sadie the Goat, Tunnel Trade Winds, Wentworth APA, Salamander X-Ray Zulu, Kelham Island 45 rpm and Grainstore Rutland Panther. I sampled the APA, which was in fine shape and admired the sound range of bottled beer available in the fridges. A good value pub grub menu was also in evidence.
There is much to recommend about this pub and I’m shocked to see that it didn’t even make the top five of the Leicester CAMRA pub of the Year 2013 awards. Pub of the day for me and top of the list for my next trip to Leicester.
On 24th April 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Swan & Rushes
Another visit to this excellent Ale house and the five double clipped pumps in the back room are a sight for sore eyes on a chilly day. So much so that it seems that it completely distracted me from noticing the bar billiards table in the main room before and have walked straight past it to get to the back room on previous visits.
And as on previous visits, Oakham Ales along with Bateman's and Grainstore offerings are to the fore, but good to see Brewsters Sadie the Goat, Kelham Island 45RPM and Salamander X-Ray Zulu complementing these. And both I tried were on fine form. A must visit when in Leicester IMHO.
On 2nd April 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Swan & Rushes
A classic ale house ,wedge shaped with the entrance at the apex.The main bar room has a bar billiards,a drinking ledge at the front and a few tables and chairs dotted about.There is a listing of 10 real ales,with Oakham seemingly a regular contributor to the range.My Bishop's Farewell was in fine condition.
I particularly liked the back room with it's own bar access,a large curved banquette and a darts board.It seemed a calmer area ,due in part to the PuG crawlers congregating on the other side to watch the bar billiards.
There were some inexpensive rolls to be had ,and from what I saw this pub should always been on a list if engaging in beer tourism in Leicester.It's been a GBG regular for years.
On 23rd March 2013
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about The Swan & Rushes
My second visit to the Rushes. The first was a year ago on Royal Wedding day when we were delighted to find a Cider and Cheese festval in full swing. Imagine our surprise this year when the same festival was on again. Result! I sampled an excellent pint of Biggus Dickus and was amused to see what the staff have chalked behind the bar. The cheese was excellent and provided a much needed snack on our crawl of the city. Nice staff, clean toilets and great beer. What more do you need?
On 28th May 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Swan & Rushes
A well run traditional pub and only a few minutes walk from the Criterion. Staff and customers friendly and chatty, six ales available on our visit. I went for the Oakham Midnight Mild and the Oakham Scarlet Macaw. A pub not to be missed when on an ale tour.
On 11th May 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Swan & Rushes
The Swan and Rushes is probably the best traditional real ale pub I have visited so far on my jaunts up to Leicester. Two bars either side of a central serving area, both with an assortment of comfortable wooden seating and one bar sporting an array of posters of previous Jazz events.
Very good ales and seven hand pumps on the go during our mid week visit. As well as the usual Oakham JHB and Bishops Farewell, and Batemans XXB, these included Microbrewery beers from Potbelly Brewery in Kettering and Crouch Vales Brewers Gold.
All beers tried were in excellent nick and although fairly early evening and not particularly busy, the barmaid was courteous and efficient and we encountered none of the service issues referred to below.
On 28th November 2009
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
paulof horsham left this review about The Swan & Rushes
Essential post-match stop (it's en-route from the Walkers to the city centre).
Basic 2-room boozer with half a dozen or so ales, including Oakham & Batemans, & 2 draught Belgians from Lefebvre. Plus, an extensive bottled list, mainly Belgian but also including Belarussian Wheat Beer, if that's what you're looking for.
On 1st June 2009
- rating: 10
[User has posted 453 recommendations about 425 pubs]