Hopped over to this place after visiting the British museum. The pub is swan themed throughout and has a friendly vibe to it. The bar tender and server were very friendly and accommodating to us and the service was great. We have their Beyond barbecue burger with a side of chips, and a couple of pints. The food was good for bar food and the beer refreshing. If you are a plant based eater and want to grab a burger and a drink then feel free to pop in here and enjoy the friendly atmosphere and good food. read more

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Strolled into this one after clocking a good 15,000 steps. Feet were shot, brain fogged, and hydration was the mission. The Swan answered with chilled taps, solid energy, and that quiet understanding that every man walking through the door is carrying something. Place has a proper setup. Inside felt like a pub built into a treehouse. Layers, corners, creaky wood, and character in the walls. Outside had that open-air charm, with enough breeze to make you forget your legs were screaming. Felt like the kind of place that doesn't care who you are or what your story is. Just sit down and let the pint do the talking. Everyone there seemed to get it. A few regulars. A lad clearly going through it. A couple of city types taking a breather. No judgment. No rush. Just space to be. I didn't want to leave, if I'm honest. The kind of pub that makes time feel slower in the best way. I locked eyes with a meat pie that looked like it had a soul. Didn't pull the trigger this time, but next round it's happening. read more

The Swan - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

It was our first day in London and we hadn't slept in over 30 hours. We were tired but hungry. Found the Swan tucked in a little "alley-like" pedestrian walkway. This is a traditional London PUB, serving traditional pub food. Being my first night in London, I had to try authentic English fish and chips. The fish and chips at Swan's were amazing - nothing like the fish and chips back in the states that claim to be "authentic". Both the fish and the chips were exceptional. My wife ordered off the "pick 3" menu where you order 3 items from a list of 8 or 9 menu options. She went with the spicy chicken, beef coquettes and sticky rice. All 3 were delicious. Service was good; prices were reasonable and we thoroughly enjoyed our first night in an authentic London pub. read more

Fish and chips, bacon and cheese burger, flat iron steak. Very nice service and pub ambience.

Sunday roast sirloin was overcooked and flavorless. Husband said his chicken was good. This meal gave credence to the joke about the British going to war for spices then refusing to use any. Potatoes and Yorkshire pudding were good but avoid the roast sirloin. All the veggies were boiled and served with zero seasoning. Thank god for the salt and pepper provided at the table. read more

The Swan - Sirloin Sunday roast - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Fun pub near our London hotel with nice staff. Got the fish and chips as well as the beef pie. pretty good food, would come back.

Typical British pub here in London that is awesome tucked away off the main drag. The food was delicious as always. I had my usual burger and chips with some onion rings. The staff were super polite and helpful and suggested we order from the bar rather online to save money. Lots of high top tables and some lovely outside seating for everyone. read more

Great place to grab a beer with great outdoor seating. They have multiple picnic tables and heat lamps outside which make it a nice place to gather and stay warm. read more

The Swan - Outside - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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I came here with my wife because we had just gotten to our hotel which was nearby. We were looking for a place to get drinks and food. The staff was friendly and attentive and the drinks ended up being the tastiest ones we had on our trip. Their drinks were also very affordable. We didn't enjoy the food all that much but it's a great place to go to get drinks. We will definitely be back for the drinks! read more

Wonderful stop after the museum We ordered fish pie and Mac cheese The bartender is helpful and place oh historical Try a pint read more

The Swan - Fish pie - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Cool atmosphere, friendly service, and a great place to grab a drink and enjoy some fish & chips. We showed up early (17:45pm) and grabbed one of the last non-reserved tables. I'd recommend making a reservation in advance as this place filled up quickly and walk in seating is first come, first served! read more

The Swan - Beer - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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We had fish and chips; the fish was good enough, but the chips were mushy. As far as the peas were concerned ... as good as you're gonna get in the UK ... not a compliment! The drinks were cold and plentiful. But, the noise level was painful and greatly challenged our ability to enjoy our meal. read more

This is a nice English style pub in an adorable alley off a main road. The restaurant is handicapped accessible, as they do have a ramp, and you just have to ask. Or, when we arrived, they saw and immediately put it out, without us asking, which was nice. You order your food and drinks at the bar directly. I opted for the chicken and mushroom pie and a Guinness, which tastes better across the pond closer to Dublin. The pie was delicious and came with mashed potatoes, veggies, and a vat of gravy to spill on the pie. This was my first experience with a chicken and mushroom pie and it was better than a chicken pot pie. I wish more American restaurants would make their pot pies like the British pies. The ambiance was chic and perfect. The television were there, but blended in with the rest of the feel of the place, so that you didn't really notice they were there. read more

The Swan - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Robert and Bart at the Swan were fantastic! The ambiance and food are amazing as well as the service. Highly recommend!

Lovely bar nice people lots of choices for hand pull beers good food too. Really enjoyed the steak and ale pie nice and juicy with plenty of extra gravy. read more

The Swan - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

This was my go-to restaurant and bar during a week-long trip to London. It's apparently part of a large chain (Greene King), but so are pretty much all the pubs in this neighborhood, and everything about it is extremely solid. This isn't a "local" with a publican and owners who know then by name, but it is a solid pub in terms of food, drink, and general atmosphere. Some highlights: * I never specifically sought out better, but the British style pies were the best I've. I highly recommend the chicken and mushroom pie-- I didn't expect it to be better than steak, but it was. * Cask conditioned ales are a must-try in England, and this place has a decent selection. Look for the hand taps with the long handles. My one complaint is that they seemed to be served at closer to fridge temperature rather than the traditional cellar temp, but that probably goes over better with most of their customers. * The gin and tonic selection is large and good. I think a lot of the difference between here and other pubs is just that they list the options on the menu rather than expecting you to know them, but for a tourist that can be important. read more

Cozy pub with pretty bar and with great service. Felt like mostly locals. Nice steak pie. Picnic benches outside for smokers or if the weather is nice. read more

Place not bad. Good food for the most part, could of been less salty though. Killer 2 for 1 cocktail deal. Great bartender, super friendly and sociable. Unfortunately the waitress was crabby and labile. Wouldn't of killed her to be more friendly, Christ. We only did one visit. Better places out in London to eat and drink at. read more

Good pub food This tiny little pub has lovely friendly staff and a good menu with all the pub classics. The food was very good and quite reasonably priced! read more

We arrived late (which is totally on us - we messed up on the time zone) but the server was rude, repeatedly telling us off for being late. We were very excited for this experience (big Midsummer Nights Dream fans) but after being scolded repeatedly and looked down on by the server, there is no way we could recommend this establishment. He joined our conversation as we were discussing whether or not to stay for dinner instead, once again telling us "if you would've been here on time we wouldn't be having this conversation". We left after being humiliated by him, to the starbucks in front. Which has much better service. read more

My mom and I visited London for 4 days around Christmas time, and The Swan was the first pub we happened upon. It became our favorite and we visited every day we were here! It was perfect for us. Quaint, cozy, and delish food - with VEGAN options!!!! Vegan fish and chips were great! Couldn't believe it! I hadn't expected to be able to partake in the classic pub fish-and-chips since I don't eat meat/fish, but this great pub made it possible. Also, for you meat-eaters out there, most of the menu is "regular" food, and my mom had excellent fish and chips, steak and wine pie, and chicken wings. They have great cocktails for great prices - buy 1 get 1 for £8.50 while we were there. It is family-run and we chatted with the mom, daughter, and son. They were all so nice and accommodating. This pub was a blessing to our trip, and right down the street from our hotel, the Grange Holborn and also very close to the Holborn stop on the tube. Cannot get enough of this place :-) read more

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Great little pub for food and pints. Service was good. I had the sausage and Mash that had sweet onions on the top which were good. They also have vegan food if you are into that. read more

Nobody does pubs as well as the English and generally it's hard to find a bad one, especially in London. There are probably half a dozen really good pubs within a ten minute walk of The Swan, but I chose this one for dinner and a (few) pint(s) while in town and staying nearby. I hope it's clear that I liked it. This was perfect for me: excellent beers, friendly staff, an atmosphere that's both quiet and lively at the same time, and really good food. It's hidden away in a little alley and has almost instantly become one of my favorite spots in London. I'm hardly an expert on local restaurants, but I do know that sometimes life needs a good pub. The Swan is a good pub and if I'm ever near here again you'll bet I'll stop back in. I had the steak and ale pie and loved it. I tried a few different ales and loved them too. I literally haven't even left and I want to come back. Drink and eat here. read more

The Swan - Steak and ale pie with chips. Excellent. - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

I'm all up in hea when I'm in London for work. The cask ales are refresh, the steak & ale pie is deelish and the bartenders are legit funny and quick. Unlike typical London pubs, they do play pop music. Oh fuh fuks sake. read more

The Swan - Cask ales rule - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Love the classic feel. It's the spot for a quiet feed. Pot of tea and pint with chips. Great service and easy to chill out. read more

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This is one of four pubs that I visited while in London. The Yelp app told me there were two pubs very near my hotel. Turns out one was packed, so I ended up at The Swan -- evidently a chain pub. When I approached the bar desk, I immediately noticed the great craft brew selection on tap! I ordered a pint of London Fields Hackney Hopster Pacific Pale Ale and a plate of fish & chips. I grabbed a table, watched some football, and sipped my hoppy frothy beverage. The fish & chips came reasonably quick, but I was somewhat confused -- what was I supposed to do with the side of whole onions and slices of bread? Regardless, the savory dish was tasty. Of all the pubs I visited on this trip, The Swan had the best beer selection! I left a satisfied customer :) read more

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This is a typical English pub with typical English pub food. It was fast, had a great garden so one could eat out in nice weather. Noisy, and the food wasn't the best, but okay. read more

True British Pub all the way,was not disappointed.Had the fish and chips,a pint of beer, mushy peas, was the real deal!

Really good beer selection and nice enviroment. I should have had the fish and chips however as the pie was a bit of a let down. read more

The Swan - Beef pie - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

We wandered in here hungry and sober - they fixed both. The fish and chips were fabulous as was the cider. I had an Icelandic (I think) Koppenberg cider that was uber sweet but delicious and refreshing. read more

A very good pub with good food and great service. It's owned by Taylor Walker, and they own about 18 pubs, but this does not seem to detract from the local character. The portion size for the Fish and chips is gigantic, really very generous. The Steak and Ale Pie is delicious and very meaty. They have a good beer selection and are willing to let you taste anything. read more

Super friendly staff. Also fast and efficient. Great place to stop in for happy hour. I'd steer clear of the beef burger though. Full of gristle. read more

Pretty solid food - free internet is a plus. It's part of the Punch Taverns franchise, but the fish and chips is pretty good. And, it's fast, and close to SU-London, so my friends and I often came here to eat between our afternoon and night classes. The Swan was also great if I had to finish homework. There were plugs for laptops, which was useful because I think being abroad totally fried my laptop battery. I'd come here and finish it before class, while drinking a pint. Or a g&t. Gosh, I miss being legal. read more

Nice bar & restaurant, great food and good vibe. The service was pretty fast and the customer service was good. The staff was very nice and friendly. The fish and chips were great, probably one of the best things on the menu. Huge selection of beers. The location was also great and very close to trains and buses. I would highly recommend. read more

The Swan - Delicious! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Another local that is part of a chain but they do keep the charm so kudos. Stopped in on my final minutes in London before heading off to the airport for a Pimm's classic cocktail and a chicken tikka masla (two classic English things right). The Pimm's tasted really dangerous, something I can drink a whole pitcher or two of rather quickly and than realize the error of my ways. The food came out quickly enough but I wasn't that great, maybe it is chain side of the pub coming out. The men's bathroom didn't smell that great, and it is downstairs. read more

Come here for a mates birthday drinks. This is your typical british pub in near the Holborn tube station. Very nice atmosphere. Nice bar staff. The selection of beers was higher than the standard pub. Sometimes I get annoyed with the standard London pub beer selection of 3, but here here were a few more than that. Bonus! I didn't eat here, but had some bar peanuts which were very good. I assume the food would be pretty standard pub grub. read more

I visited the Swan for drinks and food during my trip to London earlier in the year. It can be hard to find since it is located in somewhat of an alleyway side street, but it was situated a few blocks down from my hotel. As a first time visitor of London, I was eager to get a glimpse of the world famous pub scene, and I felt the Swan was a good place to go. It was filled with locals and had a small yet cozy atmosphere. I got a hot cider and Bangers and Mash, which was delicious and filling. I was seriously full from it the next morning. It was a great place to warm up and wind down after a chilly day spent running around London to take in the sights. read more

The Swan - Bangers & Mash - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

The Guinness was nice and cold and fish & chips were a perfect way to start out London adventure. A very good pub experience in a quaint and charming neighborhood. Service was good and atmosphere lively. read more

I really like this pub. I've not had any food here but had several pints here during my stay. It's a neighborhood pub with locals hanging out to have a few. I will return when I'm in London. read more

Very nice small British pub with lots to eat and drink. Service was good and the location is easy to find. If your not looking to wait hours for one of the other puss, try this place out. You won't be disappointed. read more