We came here late on a Thursday night in August for some beers. We did not eat, so I'm basing this review on just the beers. I tried a few options, between the pale ale, amber, and a raspberry blonde. They were sold out of the IPA which based on the reviews below, seems to be the best of their offerings. I will admit that the raspberry beer was my favourite although nothing ground breaking, and both the pale ale and amber were quite boring and unremarkable. Service was friendly though, and the place was big enough to cater to our group so given the circumstance we were in, I'll give it a generous 3 star review - despite the fact I won't be rushing back should I come back to Victoria. read more

We love this place! We did not think we would end up eating there two days in a row but visiting Victoria during Christmas week with very few restaurants open and most completely booked we were so pleasantly surprised we were able to walk in on Christmas Day and be seated immediately. The manager was gracious and friendly, the waitstaff very cheerful. They had a special holiday menu and everything we ordered was delicious. I had the best Scottish egg I have ever had and they had a delicious vegan option shepherds pie on the menu which I ordered. The place is quite large but very cozy. read more

Swans Pub - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Liked the beer. Really liked the scotch ale. The stout is pretty good as well. The other four I sampled were fine, but nothing like the first two in terms of quality and uniqueness. So give them a try. Also, get some Yam fries. these were some of the best I've ever had. The sauce they serve with them is a winner as well. They don't give you much and want a $1 for another ramekin. Which I sort of understand, but that does generate some ill will, when you don't serve a reasonable amount and then charge for more. Also got a salad, with berries. Other than the dressing coming off a truck it was pretty good. Supposed to be a vinaigrette but more like some creamy mess. Also had the smoked salmon pizza. Calling it a pizza is a bit of a sin. The crust is basically some preformed prepackaged cardboard. But the toppings were pretty good. But I think the capers on there was a bit of a miss. So stay away from the smoked salmon pizza and go for the dark beers and yam fries. read more

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We came to Swans for brunch because the wait for Mole's was an hour and we had a ferry to catch. First of all, the location and patio was perfect. Super homely and inviting. The restaurant is part of a hotel and liquor store. It was not that busy but it took forever to get our drinks (and we had to ask 3 times for water). I ordered 1 egg ($2.50), half of a tomato ($2.50), a GF bun ($3.00), and a side of hash browns ($3.50). The food was ok but it's so ridiculous when places up charge for food. Especially mediocre food. My friend ordered the pancake stake that comes in a cast iron pan with bacon, blueberries, and green onions. It also comes with syrup on it but it was definitely dry. They do not provide any more syrup unless you specifically ask for it. My other friend ordered the margarita pizza which she enjoyed. The last meal was the Brewmaster's Breakfast (two eggs any style, choice of double smoked, bacon, bangers or chorizo sausage, breakfast potatoes, Swans special ale toast, beer jelly). It was a good size but the "beer jelly" was gross. It smelled like feet and she did not think it was right. Service was not good, especially for it not being that busy. The manager (a guy with an accent) was inappropriate. He was doing pull ups at the bar and when we left, he told us to have a good day. We said thank you and he responded with a smart comment. It made us uncomfortable. read more

My husband and I were in Victoria to celebrate our anniversary and do some beer tourism. This happened to be the first brewpub we stopped at during our trip and I think it was the best. My review is based solely on the beer since that's all we had here. We sat down here and bellied up to the bar. Our bartender, whose name is escaping me, was awesome. We decided to go for it and try one of each beer they had on tap. What else is vacation for? This produced quite the line of beers and we started in. The beers were all pretty good. Some either my husband and I didn't enjoy, but that was usually since the style wasn't our favorite. As we worked our way through the beers, the bartender explained the history of brew pub, special things about the different beers, and even poured us little samples of other things. He gave us a sample of their root beer, which was also delicious. And he made a little concoction of the root beer plus the stout. OMG it was amazing! Overall, it was a great experience and the hubby and I wished we had some more time in Victoria so we could have come back here! read more

Swans Pub - A flight of each beer they had on tap - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

I went yesterday to Swans Brew Pub with my friends from abroad. The food was good but the service was a bit slow. I had the BBQ salmon. It comes with potato's but the potato's weren't good so I recommend ordering a side of fries. My friend order the fish and chips and it was great. The IPAs are amazing, and they have many different ones so you can choose a couple. read more

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During our trip to Canada my husbands goal was to try as much local beer as he could. By far his most favorite was the Extra IPA from Swans. He said is was more like the west coast/california style then most the others we found in Canada. Swans is a cool little spot. It is also a Hotel and has an attached store where you can by beer. While at the restaurant we did try the spicy turkey nachos. Pretty good, but not that spicy. It was a very large plate. If you are in Victoria and like beer I recommend you try Swans. read more

Swans Brew Pub is and Elegant Equation for a Restaurant and it should not be missed. Brought a group of my Friends here for a Morning Breakfast before a day of Cycling. The Server happily moved a table so our group could watch our bicycles that where locked in front of the restaurant. (Helpful). The server coffeed us and and took our orders. The wait between orders and our food arriving was a bit long. A Manager helped serve our the orders and the food was great. The Turkey Sausage I had with my meal was outstanding. As I went to the restroom, I remembered why I came here in the first place. Swans Brew Pub has Outstanding collection of British Columbia and Coast Native Art inside the Restaurant. As I was leaving the Restaurant I asked the Manager how long he worked at restaurant he told 17 years. I shared with him that I had not been at Swans in Ten years but it was still as good as I remember it. He told they try their best to keep everything that same. read more

Sausage stuffed pizza and the beer sampler. That's all you need to know. With quite an eclectic decor ranging from native art to a portrait of Pierre Trudeau, this pub has character. I started with the beer sampler (4 generous mini glasses) and got the server to surprise me. Can't remember which brewery they use, but they had unique flavours with one actually tasting like white wine. Price was a steal at $7 or so I think. We weren't that hungry so we shared a sausage stuffed pizza (pretty much a calzone). No faults found. Fresh dough, perfectly baked, and amply stuffed with good stuff, I'll be back for more. read more

Swans Pub - beer sampler - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

We walked to Swans during our first evening in Victoria recently. It was about 5:30 pm, and finding a cold beverage, and possibly light dinner, was on our minds. This was our first time to Swans. The pub was very busy, and warm when we arrived, but thankfully, we were able to catch a table next to one of the windows open to the outside patio, and were able to get some fresh(er) air. After scrutinizing food and drink menus, we decided our visit would be a beverage break only. Daughter and I decided to try a flight of their beers, and opted for what they call the 'Taster Nest' - which included: India Pale Ale, Arctic Kolsch, S.O.S. Swans Oatmeal Stout, and Berry Ale. Mom craved a root beer float, but had no idea her craving could or would be satisfied. When daughter told our server, a root beer float it was to be, but with a rather cool addition - stout! She's not much of a beer drinker, but heh, this was a float, and she enjoyed it! I cannot say that daughter and I were as excited by our flight of tasters - they were just 'ok'. We wished each of their "personalities" had been more distinctive - the flavours seem a touch subdued, and a little 'flat'. If I had to pick what we enjoyed the most - for me, it was the India Pale Ale, and for she, the Berry Ale. It was fun to finally see and experience Swans, we had missed getting there during our past February stay in Victoria. read more

Swans Pub - Beer menu, and our bill. - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Prompt wait service and explanation of craft beers available. I ordered the caesar kale salad with grilled salmon. The spouse got tomato bacon soup and bacon banger sandwich. Grilled salmon was melt in your mouth good. Loved the pepper blonde beer, easy to drink and reminded me of my dads beers. read more

Swans Pub - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

My first time at the Swans Brew Pub on Pandora! I had the slow braised beef shank with mashed potato, pan jus, pickled fennel, and mint. The beef was super tender, juicy, and packed with beefy flavour. The smoked west coast fish dip, made with smoked salmon and cod, caramelized onions, cream cheese, and served with beer bread crostini, is also nice. The flavours of the fish is nicely balanced with the smokiness without being overpowered, although the portion size is a bit small for the price. Also pictured is the Buck Breakfast Sandwich, which I didn't get to try, with Canadian "peameal" bacon, an over easy egg, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, on a toasted brioche bun. I did get a taste of the Chicken Cheddar Ale Soup that came with the sandwich, made with roasted chicken, cheddar, ale, leeks and corn - very hearty flavours yet not nearly as thick or heavy as I had expected it to be. Can't really comment on the quality of their beverages as I don't drink, but overall, this was a pleasant dining experience that I'd recommend! read more

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I wanted this place to be great since it was right next to where we were staying, but I was not impressed. They had 2 IPAs on the chalk board but neither were on. That's lazy in my opinion, or poor management of the bar. I don't know why they can't anticipate that a keg can run out and have another ready, or have an alternative available. I probably won't go back, there are quite a few other places within walking distance. I didn't try their food because I figured that if they put as little effort into the food as they did their beer it probably wouldn't be very good. read more

Our 39th Anniversary dinner was perfect, because of this amazing Brew Pub! Ambience, service, food... all of it was perfect! Their house beer special, Irish Stout, was fresh and a better Guinness! read more

Swans Pub - The Brew Pub Club was incredible!! - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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I stumbled across this bar while taking a day trip from Washington, U.S. They have a great selection of beers, and the bartender was really great too. I genuinely hope I have a chance to go back just so I can pay this place another visit. read more

Great atmosphere and service. Definitely a place to come back to. Dirty fish sandwich is the BEST.

This was the worst experience during a recent trip to Victoria. Save yourself the time and money. My husband and I wanted to grab a quick happy hour drink and bite before dinner, and we weren't greeted for a solid 10 minutes (the restaurant was about 15% full). One of the current guests had to tell us we could seat ourselves. The waitress seemed rushed and distracted, she didn't even ask how we were! Food came fast. But it was terrible. We got the "bruschetta," which was burnt white toast, cut into triangles, with a side of tomato bruschetta. The fried pickles appeared to be okay, until we bit in and the pickles were so over cooked they were near mush. Victoria has some amazing places, unfortunately this was not one of them. read more

WOW, FABULOUS! This place may be our favorite of the trip! We started out thinking it would be "just a place to grab a seat and a beer. 2.5 hours later Jillian was still smiling and talking beer and whiskey with us and helping us craft beer combos. I love what Sean O'Donnell's in Washington state calls "the Perfect Irish" (Guinness and Smithwicks half and half) and wanted something Guinness and... but they didn't have Guinness or Smithwicks. What they did have was an Excellent porter and a great raspberry lambic... I am not a fruity beer fan, but 3 pints later it is still on my list of favorites. The bourbon list had a couple of great surprises as well for those in our party who seek the best bourbons, and the scotch list was well rounded. We tried the scotch eggs on happy hour, it's one our favorite foods and one we have tried in many places. While the spicier sausage was a surprise, it was a good one! This is a gem of a place, get there if you can and tell Jillian her beer brewing friends said hello! The whole Swans team was welcoming, friendly and on top of their game! read more

Beers-average at best with a $7-7.50 price tag for a pint Ordered the pulled pork poutine and it came loaded with green onions not only on top but throughout the dish which was not mentioned on the menu. I hate onions. Won't go back read more

I don't know what the hell is going on at Swan's, but I'm verging on depressed at the current state of what the kitchen is putting out. It's like reading your favorite author, the one you've raved about to all your friends and family. They've always been there for you, but one day you finish their latest novel and think, "What? What WAS that? What happened?!" That is Swan's for me now. The past few times that I've gone there, I've gotten the same thing. It's been different every time, and not in a good way. Last night was the final straw. My burger was burnt. Not just flame broiled, BURNT. Charred beyond recognition. But I choked it down, hoping to find a silver lining. Maybe the patty would be juicy in the middle? Maybe the bun would be it's saving grace? Sadly, there would be no saving this meal. Upon paying, we asked our server if they had changed their food supplier in the past couple months. Her response was a sheepish, "Yeah. Can you tell?" Yes, we could tell. But something like concurrent terrible meals can't be blamed solely on where the food comes from, but also how it's being used. The combination of lower quality food products and a seemingly dis-interested or overworked kitchen staff is breaking my heart. I'll give Swan's another try in the fall, but until then, I'll be going to Rosie's. read more

I've been a customer of Swan's for the past 5 years. I have organized business lunches, dinners, and catered events at this establishment. The service at this pub has gone completely downhill from what I remember. The majority of the wait staff and bartenders are rude and slow and they take forever to tally up your bill. I had a crappy experience in mid July where a bartender told me that I would have to wait until my waitress (who had already made me wait upward of 20 mins for my bill) was "good and ready" to give me my bill. I then lodged a complaint with Swans, to which I have not even had a response. There are so many other restaurants/pubs downtown that deserve your hard earned money...Swan's unfortunately isn't one of them. read more

Okay, so there was a combo lock on the bathroom door. Maybe it's just me, but that had to be one of the weirdest experiences of my life. The beer was good. Actually, it was very good. Because we were on a cruise ship tour we got to try several kinds. The big room they put us in was nice. Big wooden beams for decoration with a cozy feel to it. Then food we got was ok. I can't really judge what the restaurant food is like from the appetizers we got, but what we had was ok. Decent selection of stuff and it was all good. Definitely would go back to Swans if we were in Victoria and try dinner this time. read more

A friend recommended this pub to my fiance and I, so we decided to check it out. The pub has a cozy feel to it, and has a nice patio as well as plenty of seating inside. We were given menu's by the manager, but it took a long time for the waitress to come ask us for our drink orders. My fiance got the beer sampler and I ordered a pint of the raspberry ale. The waitress messed up one of the beers in the beer sampler, but all of the beer's were pretty good. For food, we both ordered the Franken Club. Be warned, it is a big sandwich. It is quite good, with strong hints of goat cheese. It comes with either a side of the house salad, or a mixture of fries, yam fries, and onion rings. I have never seen that mixture offered before at a pub, and it was fantastic. Highly recommended. Overall, the service was pretty terrible (hence the 1 star deduction), but the food and beer were great. I'm sure this place would be fantastic with a better server. read more

Worst customer service experienced all weekend in Victoria. Came in for a few drinks and food. Then was told by the server if we wanted a drink we would have to serve ourself at the bar because she was too busy. Is that not her job? Place wasn't even full or as busy as it usually is on a Saturday. Would have loved to have a few drinks and some food but was too put off by the servers attitude and left. It's a shame this place is always one of my must go to's when in town. read more

Man, what a let down! You never set your sights too high when dining at a pub. Food is expected to be alright/good and more filling than anything. This place is overpriced for the crap they deliver. The old man got a 14 dollar tiny sandwich with a handful of fries that was "okay." I got a BURNT pizza. I ate the middle and left the rest of it and not a peep from the server who was actually pretty good despite serving that crap to me. The IPA is great for Canada, good for US IPA drinkers. Let me be honest, we didn't eat a lot of great food in Victoria. Maybe we needed to get out of the downtown area? Food 1 Booze 3 Customer Service 3 Ambiance 3 I'll never go there again and will steer others clear... read more

Swans is a nice classical establishment. A pub with a certain older charm, and a almost English feel in Victoria. Their beer is a reflection of the feel, English and Canadian style ales certain to please the majority. Many of their beers are hand-pulled, giving a lovely well rounded cask taste. The ales give you a great feel of a classical English pub, a feeling that's a bit out of place on the west coast, but totally fitting for the old Victoria feel. I can't speak to the food, but if you're looking for a nice quiet place and a well rounded pint, this is a great choice. The two to try, and the most classic of the English hand-pulled styles, the Brown and the ESB are the top highlights. The brown, is perfect for the style, the ESB balanced and elegant. If you've never tried either of these styles done right, you can use these as a great example. read more

I've been here a couple times, the most recent as a part of the Dine Around Victoria promotion. They have the most amazing poutine and their wings are pretty decent too. Their regular fries are well made and crispy whereas their yam fries are okay. They brew their own beer and its pretty good. They have live bands playing Friday evenings and the atmosphere is pretty cool. Their menu of the dine around Victoria was okay - nothing spectacular, but I have a feeling the stuff they have on their regular menu is good. I've been happy with all the "pub" food I've had here. read more

Highly recommend a pint of raspberry ale, particularly if you like fruity (not hoppy) beers. Deliciously tart without being overly sweet Their fried chicken burger is awesome! House battered and fried chicken breast that is peppery and oh so good. Worth eating here for it alone. Also had a beef burger... mehh... and tomato carrot soup, double meh. But that chicken... need to eat here again and get my own! read more

Have the raspberry beer. Sit on the patio part. You will be inside and comfortable but have fantastic people watching. It's like being in a greenhouse, it's fantastic. Food is good too and so is service :) read more

Very busy for a place NOT to take reservations. So you have to scout out your own place to sit...i.e. watching people and staking out that table which can have some unpleasant side effects. As in I met my first mean Canadian.....Service was terrible. I can't even get around how bad it was for this place. First, it is for early in the evening a restaurant that morphs into a bar trying to be a restaurant. Early in the evening the service is brisk. The drinks arrived timely but after the appetizer, the waitress was nowhere to be seen. The table next to us was able to receive its meal even though we arrived first. There was a big celebration table that monopolized a huge portion of staff...I can give them that...However, we seated around 6pm or thereabouts and got drinks and the appetizer. But not until about 730 did dinner arrive. The food was fine and a step above pub food. The table next to us was finished with their dessert by then...At 9 pm was a band which we had hoped not to be there to listen. However, it took us 3 times to try to get the waitress to give us the bill...we asked two different people and the waitress herself for the bill...by 9pm we had given up and just walked up to the actual manager to get the bill. By then, the restaurant was a bar with people standing everywhere, a loud band, and people dancing were the restaurant had moved dining tables out of the way. The food was not bad but the service was a disaster. The pasta special was good. The burgers were good. Don't come here at night. The beer sampler was excellent! read more

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If you are walking through Victoria on a hot summer afternoon don't hesitate to stop into swans pub for a cool one. They have a very good tap list, and the place is real funky. However, no recommendation for food. Eat here only if you are really hungry and haven't finished your beer. read more

The Ruben was underdressed and underwhelming. Along side a tomato soup that was both watery and in need of a strainer. The chicken wings come in 13's, which in itself is strange. They were unfortunately also under seasoned. All in all, this meal was mediocre at best. read more

During a recent trip to the Island we popped in here for a quick dinner before catching the ferry back. My only regret was not being able to stay longer and sample all their wonderful beer! As their name suggests, Swans is a brewpub that offers up what they claim is some of the best micro brew in Victoria. Based on the IPA I had there may be some merit to that claim. The IPA was very much in the style of IPAs you get here on the West Coast. It's a very hoppy aroma coloured with a lot of grapefruit. The beer itself is well balanced. Very bitter and crisp at the start with a nice malty backbone. The food was equally as good as the beer. The duck burger is a thing of beauty. I'd say more about it, but I was soo hungry (and the burger was so good), it didn't last long on my plate. If you're in the area I suggest you stop in for a pint and something to eat. read more

What a strange, bizarre, perplexing place to be on a Saturday night. I'm not overly familiar with Victoria and its dining potential, and my partner and I were starving around 8pm on a Saturday night and had heard the beer at Swans was amazing, so we went off in search of food and drink. I was a bit let down when we arrived. The furniture and decor were very dated, and the crowd looked to be mostly 50+. Not exactly the night out in Victoria I was hoping for, but whatever, it was bone-chillingly cold outside and there were tables available. We ordered some beers which were good, but by no means mind-blowing for a brewpub. We also ordered the curried prawns and smoked salmon skewers for appetizers, and the vegetarian pizza for our main. The curried prawns were surprisingly delicious. It was served with rice, which combined with a side salad, would have made a reasonable meal for one person in of itself. The smoked salmon was okay, but it wasn't as flavourful as I have come to expect from smoked salmon. The pizza exceeded my expectations for pub fare. The crust was thin, and the toppings were fresh and plentiful. My partner and I were deeply engaged in conversation for awhile and didn't really notice the shift in atmosphere and clientele until halfway through our meal. The retired folk have cleared out and gave way to a strange combination of a large group 20-somethings in golf apparel and another group of forty-somethings who appeared to be attending some sort of organized singles mixer at Swan's (?). A very loud cover band began playing the usual terrible 90s fare, so we hightailed it out of there in search of a less disconcerting venue. By the time i went in search of a washroom, there was a bouncer of sorts at the door, counting the people as they came in. I just didn't get it, and as much as I was put off by the decor and subdued atmosphere, terrible cover bands and lonely 40-somethings made me long for the retired crowd and jazz music that was there when we first arrived. read more

I got the fish and chips with the dark beer flight. The food was great and the beer was cold and tasty. Will be back here the next time I venture into Victoria. read more

After a day of walking all over Victoria our group wanted to have a good meal with good beer. After looking on Yelp for some answers I found the Swan Brew Pub had some really good reviews so off we went. The place was backed, which is a good sign that the place is going to live up to it's ratings. We found a table for four and were met by our server right away. My girlfriend and I went right to the beer menu again, but we knew one thing is that we wanted to try their Coconut Porter, so we ordered a sampler of six, the Coconut Porter, Appleton Brown Ale, Arctic Ale, Pandora Pale Ale, Raspberry Ale and the Swans Oatmeal Stout. All were good on their own accord and the coconut porter was the stand out beer of the group with the pale ale a close second, followed by the brown. For food I had two things in mind and with the servers suggestion that I should go with the Salmon and Prawn Burger, that is baked salmon, tiger prawns, red onion salsa with a combination of fries, yam fries, and onion rings. Can you say deep fried goodness! The Salmon was a big portion but the prawns were a little to be desired. The red salsa was all right but I think a chipotle aioli would have been a better compliment. The fact that you get fries, yams and onion rings was pretty cool. Instead of writing a whole other review, we all went back the next morning for breakfast. It seems that Victoria doesn't like people to eat breakfast before 9am on a Saturday except the Swan. I had a special Eggs Benny, with chorizo sausage with the breakfast potatoes and a coffee. It was filling and a really good way to start the day! Then we were off to Butchart Gardens! read more

If you consider quality at least as important as quantity, this is the cold beer and wine store for you. Nevermind the usual Budweiser and Coors nonsense. This is the place to grab great big bottles of the fine beer served next door at Swans Hotel and Pub. I can't vouch for all their kegs, but the samples I consumed all had a few things in common: Clean, crisp profile with strong body and no bitter finish. Wifey, who is not fond of beer, was converted by the Raspberry Ale. So much so that she made like a squirrel, and stashed several bottles away for the winter. We discovered some good news - Buckerfields brews are available on the mainland at Brewery Creek Liquor Store on Main street. Go find out what you're missing, and save a few bucks on ferries and hotels. read more

By far some of the worst food I've ever had. Calamari smelled off and was so chewy it was like eating a tire. And $5 for the smallest side of guacamole. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. I bet I could go in the kitchen and make a better meal than all of those "chefs" there Let's stick to the hotel business not the food business. read more

OK Bob, we've never met, but I'm told you're the chef responsible for the braised beef shank. First off let me say that I'm a shank fan. It is an under appreciated bit of meat. But what you did to it was nothing less than spectacular. The fennel and Mint on top was a wonderful addition. The sauce is the stuff of dreams. Amazing! Easily one of the best things I've eaten in my life. read more

On our recent trip to Victoria we actually ended up staying in the hotel right above this pub. So convenient! We ordered the queso and chorizo dip for a started and IT WAS SO GOOD. There was a great deal of variety on the menu so my fiancé had a duck burger just because she had never had one before. She said it was amazing and unexpectedly good. Duck can get so dry but the burger was perfect. I had a simple BLT and upgraded to some onion rings. By "some" I mean the plate was covered in onion rings. Neither of us could finish our food. Another great part of this place is the beer. They have their own brews and a variety of sample sizes. For staying in the hotel, we each had a free taste which was nice and then I ordered the six pack sampler. Great variety of beers and all of them were really well done. If we had more days in Victoria we likely would have ended up here again for a meal. Completely worth checking out. read more