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Detail Pages
The Swan, Bristol
Bitton
Postal town: Bristol
BS30 6LN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Swan Inn
As Rex has pointed out below, this is an attractive Bath Ales pub on the main A431 between Bristol and Bath. It’s a good sized pub being divided in to three separate areas, and there is also a decent sized beer garden alongside as well as a couple of tables out the front. It’s very much food led, as seems to be the trend with many of their outlets, and as a consequence service at the bar could be a bit hit and miss. The guy serving was helpful, friendly and chatty (even telling me about his head gasket problems!), but since he was the only one on, there could at times be a considerable wait to be served.
The central part of the pub has old farmhouse kitchen style red tiles on the floor, cream wood panelling on the ceiling and mustard colour paintwork on the walls with some green wood panelling lower down and a few old pictures of the local area. Up a couple of steps to the right is a wood floored area with otherwise similar decor, and to the left an area perhaps more geared up for dining. Again, the decor was similar but this time there was carpet on the floor and there were chunky wooden tables. Beyond this up a couple of steps was a slightly cosier room with wood flooring and a sloping roof and as is often the case in Bath Ales pubs, there was plenty of their merchandise around for you to buy – bottles in gift packs, mini beer barrels, even a Bath Ales branded hat.
The menu offered a decent selection of pub grub dishes, such as Ham Egg & Chips, Fish & Chips, Sausage & Mash, etc., and these were mostly priced between about £9 and £12. We opted for the ‘Special Pale Ale’ battered haddock, chips and peas and this was a tasty dish with succulent fish and chunky chips, although if I were being critical I would say that it was perhaps a little on the small side considering it’s £11.95 price tag and it was getting a bit greasy by the end. It was also served on a board covered with a piece of Bath Ales branded paper, which although fairly tough and grease resistant, was starting to disintegrate by the time I had finished. What’s wrong with a plate? Their famous ‘Dark Side’ steak & mushroom pie was also a decent and tasty dish, so despite some minor quibbles we were quite happy overall.
Beers on tap were all from the Bath stable with their Forest Hare, Gem and Spa. Ciders were again their own Bounders and Bounders Traditional.
On 15th September 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Swan Inn
A Bath Ales (sorry, I refuse to spell it bath ales) pub, it had Gem; Golden Hare; and SPA on when I visited it on Wednesday lunchtime. I had the Gem, which was absolutely superb, and at £2.55 a pint seemed very reasonably priced to someone used to paying London prices. There were only a handful of other drinkers in there – a couple of hikers plus two or three others who looked as if they were passing trade. I suspect it is a different story during the evening.
The pub itself looks very attractive from the outside with some well tended hanging baskets, but the inside has a more functional appearance. There are some attractive floor tiles in the front bar; to the right it is bare-boarded with a few normal tables coupled with banquettes and stools; and the bar to the left looks slightly more comfortable being carpeted and is probably used by diners (although no-one was eating when I was in there). My overall impression of this pub is that it is welcoming and functional, but not luxurious, and is a pretty decent place to enjoy a few excellent ales in reasonably comfortable surroundings. Definitely worth dropping in for a pint if you are driving past.
On 15th August 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]