Brunswick, Swanseaback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Still in search of a really decent drinking hole in Swansea and whilst there's some fairly good pubs, there's none in particular that stand out. We paid a return visit to the Brunswick Arms after our first visit 3 years ago. The pub is pretty much unchanged. It is fairly large and quite dark inside. The ale range was Brains The Rev James, Morland Old Speckled Hen, Greene King Abbot, Courage Directors & Best & West Coast Red, the latter dispensed by gravity. Gwynt y Ddraig is still the solitary real cider. Rugby was being shown on the TVs. I think the 2 Wetherspoons pubs still trump this as the best pubs in Swansea, which doesn't say much for the quality of pubs in the city.
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The Brunswick is the best pub in the area for sitting down and having a good chat with friends. The bar people are great and the landlord runs a great pub here.
Only problem is that whilst it promotes itself as an ale pub, the landlord is not particularly interested in ale - he's more concerned with getting frost covered cheap lager pumps than catering to a good proportion of his customers' wishes for good ale kept well. Those kegs behind the bar look quaint but they don't do the job properly - they get nasty in warm weather and run out quick.
Alan, get an arrangement with one of the local breweries to get a good quality real ale in and have it on tap - you won't lose out from doing that. If you get Gower Power you'll rake it in, and you could charge a premium for it as its so good - many many people would buy that at £3.50 a pint. I'm glad to see you've ditched the truly awful Celt beer.
Anyhow, although a good boozer, the indifferent ale has not kept up with the times since my last review, so I'm dropping my review a point to 7. Catch up!
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A fast 5 minute walk from the Potters Wheel and I get to the Brunswick.
Nice looking pub from the outside and even better inside, church pews as seats are dotted about this low ceiling pub, in fact there's a lot of wood and some lovely iron legged tables aswell.
The bar is fully wooden and the 2 bar maids are complaining about the fact the pub accepts cards as both of their current customers are paying by them!
I'm studying the 6 pumps and am really surprised to see that all but 1 are turned around. However there are 4 casks on the back wall, however only 1 is an ale! With the others being real cider and an alcoholic lemonade. I opt for the ale from the cask which is Mumbles Breweries Mumbles Gold @ 4.3%, a decent and very drinkable pint. £3.25 a pint, maybe the Potters Wheel is stupidly cheap.
Radio playing at a reasonable level, a bit of chatter from the regulars at the bar.
Decent pub but I'm slightly disappointed with the ale choice, my thoughts are similar to Snarling Mallard, oh well at least I've ticked it.
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Pretty average street corner local. Poor ale selction - Courage best being the most unusual on offer. Beer was drinkable though nothing special but with a poor choice of alternatives for ale drinkers in Swansea can see why it is GBG listed.
anonymous - 25 Sep 2013 22:04 |
Probably the best new pub we tried in Swansea yesterday. It's located on a corner and is much bigger inside than it appears from outside. The area near the door appears fairly modern. But as you move nearer the bar area and beyond, it becomes far more traditional. Beers is served from the handpull and also from gravity. Beers on yesterday were Archers Harvest Ale, Caledonian 80' & Flying Scotsman & Greene King Abbot & Old Speckled Hen. A real cider was also available - Gwynt y Ddraig Haymaker. Judging by the array of pumpclips around the bar, I can only think that the beer range is generally better than what was available yesterday. So I'm inclined to score this a 7/10.
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I have only recently found this pub, as it was recommended by a friend of mine. It seems a really nice pub, quiet and cosy. The selection of beer is alright, too... however, there wasn't a great selection of ale when I was there last week.
But I will be returning to have more of a proper feel for it...
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Working in Swansea area. Found pub via Good Beer Guide. A long yomp from city centre for not a lot. Been twice, beer adequate at best on both occasions. Choice not great either, standards like 6x or (god help us) beer from the Cottage Brewery. Nothing special and not really worth the trek.
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Personally, I think they are losing a lot of their trade across the road, to the much improved St. George, but don't realise it yet. I still think this place is an expensive place to eat with no atmosphere at all, and totally bland food as well. We met friends in here today and were bored silly in this Pub, no background music at all, and I stick by my earlier comment on here of it being like a Library. I was glad to get out there in fact. May suit some people, but next time I arrange to meet friends for a meal, it won't be in here, it will be across the road..........
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Still ok, but the live music has got progressively louder and less suited to the pub's clientele. People who come here expect the music to be a background event, not the main focus of the evening. And last night's band, though praiseworthy in their own way, were not so much Buena Vista Social Club as Penlan Social Club!
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A proper pub with proper beer.A pleasant change from chain establishments.
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Strange atmosphere in here.Seems like a Library actually, pretty bland food too, but VERY costly for what you get. Perhaps they are concentrating too much on their new venture just around the corner called " Bar Reef"......
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Hidden away down a little side street, you have to know where this pub is - you'd be very lucky to accidentally stumble across it. I lived in Swansea for a year, and this was my local. An excellent selection of ever-changing real ale, served from barrels behind the bar. Pleasant bar snacks included cockles! Decent grub and very friendly bar staff. Definitely one of the best pubs in Swansea - well worth making an effort to get to.
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Brilliant food, a decent selection of beverages, and reasonable prices. Plus a nice atmosphere makes for an overall high quality pub.
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Tucked away in Sawnsea, been to this pub a few times, excellent ales racked up on barrels behind the bar, plus jars of cockles on sale make an unusual bar snack. Visited here the same day as the Brunswick Derby - not a bad pub crawl if you don't mind the 4 hour train journey!...
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