White Swan, The Reviews

We ate at The White Swan tonight and really enjoyed the experience. The standard of food was excellent and the front of house staff could not have been more attentive and friendly. We will certainly visit again soon.

I’ve been to this restaurant several times and have found that the staff are not very helpful. I agree with the other reviewer who also commented that the problem seems to lie with the 'front of house' while the kitchen staff always deliver good food. If they could sort out their customer service then it would be great place to dine rather than an OK one.

Standards seem to be slipping here. You can wait a very long time to order but to be fair, once ordered food appears quite quickly. Extra napkin, fork etc. that we requested never arrived and we waited so long to order dessert that we left without any. The problem seems to be more 'front of house' than in the kitchen.

Why not visit the website and complain to the owners of this instead of complaining on here, surely this way there is a chance of all the mentioned problems being ironed out. I love the place and the food to be honest.

I have eaten at the White Swan more than twenty times since it was refurbished. The food is mediocre and the wine list is poor, however, it is such a nice place to visit I can put up with the bad points. I wish the chef would realise that vinegar, balsamic or otherwise, as used in dips and dressings, should not actualy make one wince when tasted. I have visited twice in the last two weeks. On the first visit we were kept waiting 40 minutes for our food which was dried out and inedible on arrival. I refused to pay and the manageress said "fair enough". My last visit was with a group of 7, we were kept waiting for 15 minutes at the table until drinks were offered and then a further 15 minutes for them to arrive. Also my partner, who is a 26 year old GP, was asked how old he was! So I think it is fair to say that standards are slipping at the Swan. PS. Never go on Sunday night for food as they are closed.

The parking was a nightmare. Three cars in separate locations in the car park had been parked for over two bays. A large black Range Rover took the space that I was waiting for even though I was indicating to go in. I informed the manager about the bad parking and that I felt intimidated, but was told nothing could be done. The service was very, very slow. We had to wait for twenty minutes at the bar, seven minutes standing like lemons waiting to be taken to our table, fifteen minutes before someone came to take drinks order, when we had to go to the waitress, a further twelve minutes for drinks. And eye contact was ignored on all occasion. The chicken was £10 and I could have cooked at home - it was exorbitant - especially as vegetables were extra. The fritters came with mayo and topped with what looked like orange. It was very ordinary food typical of this chain. I would not recommend a visit. The manager knew where we were sitting and knew I was upset, but did not bother to visit our table.

It is a great pub, child friendly, and has a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant served some excellent food, has a good wine list and a car park too. The only down side is driving out of the car park which is on a tight bend. The garlic bread was superb and the vegetarian choice was OK but could be better. The kids loved it. I am not a pub person but this is a firm favourite.

My boyfriend and I have been to the White Swan a couple of times now, and both times it was lovely. The food is simple, portions not too small and the service attentive. Our waiter recommended that I tried a cucumber infused gin when I ordered a gin and tonic and it was a nice surprise. The only slightly negative point would be that last time we went it was very sunny and we sat by the French doors but the manager refused to open them to allow a breeze because it was not 'summer ' yet...which we felt was not very flexible considering it was a very hot spring day. Apart from that the place is great and has a good welcoming atmosphere with tasty food!

Love this place. My family and I, of whom there are many and growing all the time, go often. As with all eateries sometimes you may have to wait a little longer even for booked table, occasionally food may not be right on the button and staff may have a bit of an off day. However, all to be taken in your stride when you have generally very good food, not too intrusive service with a happy smile all in a no smoking environment is great. The convenience of not having to trail into the city, comprehensive menu, good parking overrides any picky comments that can only be attributed to human nature. We love the White Swan and it is always our first choice to get our families together when travelling from far afield.

Some time ago, my wife and I and some friends had a very nice Sunday lunch at the White Swan. Both the service and the food were good. Based on that experience, I booked a table so our daughters and their families could celebrate my mother-in-law's 84th birthday. I phoned to book two weeks in advance of the event, but when we arrived, there were no facilities for my younger daughter to change her six-month -old baby and, although I had made it quite clear on the phone that the party would consist of a six-year-old and two three-year-olds, a table and chairs had been prepared that the England Rugby Forwards would have found high off the ground. There was no way my mother-in-law could have climbed onto one of the chairs and they would have been too dangerous for the three grandchildren. So, I'm afraid we stormed out and had to resort to sandwiches at home, it being impossible to find an alternative on a Sunday for so many people.