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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Swan, Stafford
Stafford
ST16 2JA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Swan
The interior in here is very stylish and slightly upmarket. We called in here on a Sunday afternoon and the place was mainly full of diners. A lot of family groups, with well behaved children. The interior is pretty well described from previous reviews below. So i'd only add that the original oak ceiling beams were quite stunning along with a sky light along the central corridor, with lots of bric a brac hanging down from an old clothes rack and four large class chandeliers displayed above the main bar counter.
There were 3 pumps in the first bar with one on, serving Green Duck Uprising. The second bar had 4 pumps all unclipped with no beer.
On 29th March 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Swan
The Swan is a large hotel with rooms upstairs and a ground floor that is split down the centre by a windowed partition. The main hotel, lobby, seating, restaurant are to the left and to the right is a coffee and cake shop followed by the bar area before lots of seating towards the rear. The tiled bar area has a serving counter on the right wall that supports Green Duck Brewing’s Swan Blonde and Satellite. Premium and craft keg are also available from the polite staff. The seating is high tables and beer shelves. This isn’t my sort of place so I can’t see myself returning.
On 21st March 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5231 recommendations about 5199 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Swan
The entrance to this attractive former coaching inn is through what looks like it would have been the entrance to the stables and courtyard. Covered over, this area has the feel of a small shopping arcade with the different aspects of the hotel trade having their own different locations. The dispensing of alcoholic beverages takes place in two different areas, one an open bar counter with seating just off the passageway to the right, the other - further along on the right - a closed area which is evidently available for special events. A quick look through the window of the latter showed the same beers on hand pumps as in the open bar: Green Duck Session IPA and a beer badged as Swan Blonde, which on closer inspection was also brewed by Green Duck; in reasonable condition but unimpressive.
On 20th January 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3470 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Swan Hotel
Now run by the Coaching Inn group, this is a smart modernised hotel, brasserie and coffee shop with an elongated seating area in the covered-over former courtyard. Features two bars, both on the right-hand side, usually with a reasonable of different real ales on handpump if you check both parts. Separate dining rooms on the other side of the passageway, and altogether a very unusual layout.
On 2nd December 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Swan Hotel
Hotel that has opened-out the ground floor in a modern manner for the weekend fun seekers. Long and narrow with a runway effect (former corridor I suspect). There’s a bar area to the left as you enter which is stark and modern with a few stripped beams in the mix. Surprised to see four pumps clipped; Banks Sunbeam, Thwaites Wainwright, Hobgoblin and Joules Blonde (unsparklered) which was fine. I didn’t make much effort to explore the rear area but it sounds like I should have done as others report a further bar here with different ales on – but then again if the place can’t be bothered to inform of me this at the first bar, should I (and you) really be bothered? Pretty quiet inside apart from a bunch of goons who were trying to cram in as many pints as possible before time. So – perhaps worth a punt for a crawling wildcard.
On 14th December 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Swan Hotel
Happily I had read the reviews below and went to the higher up bar to be rewarded by Owd Roger at 7.4% ABV. Decent enough place in all fairness.
On 3rd January 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Swan Hotel
I wished I had taken a closer look at the details below before coming here as I too missed out on the other bar and the CAMRA discount. As noted below it's a modernised hotel bar with rooms for coffee and food on either side as you enter. After this the first bar is on the right having four hand pumps with one unused and the rest having Marston's beers. I went for the Oxford Gold which was well kept but unexciting. For the first pint of the day it went down well. It's GBG 2015 listed but isn't really my sort of place.
On 6th August 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Swan Hotel
A large terraced bay-windowed Georgian styled hotel, restaurant and bar, with rear patio
The interior is an interesting use of space if nothing else. To theft is a coffee-shop, to the right the bistro, laid out for food. The actual bar area is the old coach entrance and passage way to the stables at the back - even the internal windows are also bays. The bar is in two parts, a sofa area at one end, while the more standard tables and chairs are at the other. The serving bar is half way down on the right. The decor is a mix of white, cream, red, with white and beam ceiling and some undressed brick. There is some abstract art on the walls as well. The service was fine and the clientele mixed. They do food in the bar area as well, but i haven't eaten there as yet.
Beer; tap stuff along with four handpulls - GK IPA, GK St Edmunds, Slaters Queen of Hearts and a hoppy Lymington Einstein were on at the last visit. Had a decent Spekky Hen the time before.
This is a hotel and restaurant, but the bar area does have a decent selection and thus i feel warrents inclusion here. It may have improved it's selection since ETA last visited. I would happily pop in for a look on a crawl, it just isn't so homely as other places.
On 24th February 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Swan Hotel
The Swan is a former coaching inn which has been renovated and transformed into a first-rate modern business with two large bars, a restaurant and a large out-door function/barbecue area, all in keeping with the rest of the historic City centre. The upper floors have spread into neighbouring buildings to make a rambling establishment with a lot space and a traditional feel. The bars sell Speckled Hen on draught and Slaters Top Totty in bottles. Also sold are Freedom organic beers. The food is extremely good and a decent selection of wine is available. The staff have always been exceptionally pleasant and helpful, making me feel at home whenever I stay here (it's my preferred hotel in Stafford).
I wouldn't suggest including the Swan on a crawl, as there are many better real ale pubs nearby, but I strongly recommended it for a meal, a party or a relaxing evening.
On 8th June 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3281 recommendations about 3246 pubs]