please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Very posh in here. Wooden Tables & Floors with soft seating.
Some radio music is playing in the background.
A new TV is being instaled.
There are about half a dozen locals sitting on stools at the bar but not obstruction the view of the clips on the hand pulls.
An old dear is serving and seems to waste as mutch as she pulls in overfow.
I had a pint of Vale Brewery Wychett for £3.30.
The also had a couple of Rebelion beers on hand pull.
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Swan reopens Friday 14 september 2012.
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It is up for sale.
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CLOSED DOWN at the beginning of 2012. Shame.
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Improvement on my last visit, some interesting beers, they had decked out the pub for Halloween. Beer wasn't great, a little cold and not bad but not great either, the pub is improving which is a positive.
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An update; I visited this place of an evening last weekend and the Reports I were given were confirmed as pretty accurate. We were welcomed with dim lighting, a sparse crowd and a smell.
Never in the tills of fallen Cygnus was no such money taken by so many who are now so few. The patron ain'ts have gone on deserstion.
Customers were treated to Heart FM being 'pumped' through the television. Now i'm not sure of the slogan "Give it some Heart", but what this establishment desperately needs back is the Soul that once kept this little gem afloat.
Compare this pub with another on the market and The Swan gets flown out of the water.
I give you the Black Horse, which is not listed on this site.
I like this place. You've got good beer, good service and a good atmosphere. Not much else is needed really.
During the day it's filled with food lovers, lunchtime desk-jockeys and the senior service. You can really appreciate listening to the veteran anecdotes of these men who have been there, done it and got the singlet.
At night it's an asylum of callow youths, party people and the all of sundry of the night's drinkers who are out in Thame.
There's such a mix of people that get in here that if Berie Bassett walked in off the street, he'd probably say to himself, "Christ, not another work's do".
The great composer John Sullivan once wrote, "Only Fools and Horses Work" and the Black Horse certainly works for me.
Carlsberg don't do this pub, but it's still probably the best pub in Thame. So good in fact that it may not appear on comparison websites, especially not CompareTheBeerTat.com. Simples.
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Since the Brothers Grin stopped keeping bar here a couple of years ago, this place has gone downhill with such devastating affects that Jack and Jill are wondering whether there really was a necessity to have that tap fitted.
Contrary to recent reports, although this pub has been acting like a fairground ride, it still seems to find itself lost in the Hall of Mirrors rather than the Hall of Fame.
Since they left, this pub has changed hands more times than an Olympic Relay baton, but has never stayed on track to provide good service or a good atmosphere, two things that you could always rely on.
On some occasions, you can walk in and there is no-one in there; staff and customers alike, lunchtime speaking of course. However, the Reports I�ve heard do not suggest that the evenings have a much better outlook.
When the beer is served, it is good. But good beer doesn�t always bring success. You need a suitable location to enjoy it. Imagine if Wordsworth had never taken a walk through a shady glen�
This venue still has the potential to be a cracking little watering hole, but with the way things are going, they�ll end up with the wrong sort of �hole� that the proprietors are after.
Is this pub going to end up the Swanny or will it return to the glory days of Big Brother, Little Brother? Who knows, you decide.
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Back here now for first time since Oct 08 and they seem to have got the message. 4 different real ales available, 2 from the Vale brewery in Haddenham. Things seem to be returning to "normal" thank goodness, although we noticed a few of the older more comfy sofas have gone! Hopefully back in May for another update.
brouk - 17 Apr 2009 00:53 |
A very nice venue, with great beer and good staff.
Standards seem to have attracted a bit of a rollercoaster effect over the last few months however. Some positive management changes are evident, but the pub still suffers from 'occassional' inconsistencies with the basics, such as toilet maintenance/cleaning frequency.
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got to be the best proper alehouse in thame!
the ale flows like the world is ending and it's all good, Rebellion brewery feature here as do Vale, London pride, hen, spitfire to name and told that there was tribbute and rev james waiting in the wings!! I'm suprised that more people don't know about this little ale gem
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What a tragedy!! I visit Thame about once a month and our 6.30pm meet in the Swan was always the highlight. 8 of us walked in last time to see only GK IPA on and not even a proper pump clip. Turned round and went straight back out. I just hope the new owners take some feedback from locals and those on this website!!
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Oh Lord what has happened to this pub? Last time I was here it was a joy to behold. It's a nice interesting pub that now serves indifferent beer and was deservedly void of customers.
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We came here mid-Saturday afternoon, perhaps everyone was shopping, but there was no one in. Three ales were on tap; Fullers London Pride, a Rebellion IPA and perhaps GK IPA. Not the interesting range of beers it used to have but I'll given it a nod on the Rebellion beer. There were no pumpclips, just a name at the bottom of the handpump. This pub was souless, what a shame, another trip is needed during an evening & we'll see what the pub can come up with...
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Changed hands recently. An ugly duckling of it's former self.
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Very nice relaxed pub with old wolrd charm.
anonymous - 18 Sep 2007 13:41 |
This establishment has it all; friendly, experienced staff, a good choice of lagers and beers with ever-changing real ales, a regular sprinkle of friendly clientele and an atmosphere that entices you back. If you are a stranger, you are welcomed. If you are a regular, you are welcomed.
The bar area is comfortable arrangement of mismatched furniture and oddities, with no smoking at the bar.
Time moves slowly in the pub and an hour-long lunch break can seem like 2, and in some cases, nearly is!
The Thai food on offer is very good and a lunchtime special menu is value for money for a first time try. The evening meals in the upstairs restaurant are also worth a try.
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Great beer, good location, well worth a visit. The Thai foo upstairs is highly recommended too.
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Very nice pint of Rebellion's Bladdered. I was impressed that the barman pulled off about three-quarters of a pint and threw it away before filling my glass. The pub was pretty busy as it was Saturday lunchtime, with lots of families dining. I don't think there's a non-smoking area.
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definately old & quirky,wish there were more like it!very nice experience, august 2005
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Really old, quirky pub by the main market area. The bar decor is a wierd jumble of mismatched old furniture, posters and notices - old butcher's blocks and mangles instead of tables etc. Good food in the bar, an open fire on cold days lots of guest beers. Dog friendly!
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