please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
ummm its a chef and brewer, so if you've ever been in one, you been in them all. dull as dishwater. plus, boil in a bag food and the blandest of beer selections. but its clean and the building is quite pretty, and next to a canal, but also next to the main road into uxbridge, so its pretty in one direction, horrid in the other. service has always been very good, and due to the proximity of office blocks opposite, its rarely empty and void of atmosphere.
review in one word: "meh."
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I visited this pub the weekend before last, after a walk along the canal. They claimed to have four ales on, but in fact upon entering the pub I immediately discovered that two were off; the remaining taps were serving unimaginative and hackneyed brands of bitter.
When I tried to order a lager from the drinkable end of the spectrum (Kronenbourg I seem to remember � none of your quality Czech and Bavarian beers here) I was told that all other beers were off apart from Fosters. Wow. If you can actually legally describe your self as a pub when selling nothing but Fosters, then there is clearly something wrong with the Trade Descriptions Act.
Slightly more than half of the pub was decked out for diners, making it difficult to find a seat as so few tables remained available despite the pub not being full. Outside, despite the pleasant canalside location, the beer garden is bizarrely set back from the canal, and the space alongside it set aside for car parking instead. This is a quite remarkable own goal; using the lovely canalside space as a car park, and putting the beer garden at the back next to the main road. You really have to wonder which planet these people are on.
Many people will have their own feeling about geographical and spatial criteria, and consequently whether Uxbridge counts as being inside of London or not. If you decide the former, then the Swan and Bottle is a strong contender for the title of the worst pub in London.
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Does this mean you will finally now stay away? Because by the sounds of it you just love to complain? 'never will I go back' Maybe next time you be but more active and walk into town. The place is best avoided by constant complainers! I've been to the pub many a time mostly when the weather allows it an never have I had a problem. So please let this be your last bit of input. Your boring!
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We moored up outside the swan and bottle,and after the new management change,this place has gone down hill terribly,the last two visits this year have been a disaster,but as we moored up rather late and couldnt muster the energy to walk into town,so we had no choice but to use the pub,staff were outside smoking,good start,then when we came in our table was sticky and had food on it,the real ale wasnt too bad so we had high hopes,but then came the food,oh my god,the odd cold item maybe a small mistake but this was foul beyond belief,food cold,some coming out of order,just when you though it could not get any worse,guess what it has,THIS PUB MUST BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS!
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Came in yesterday to try and avoid all the awful Jubilee hype and was treated to fine service from a young ish girl. The food came out promptly. In which I was served one of the specials in which I did struggle to finish! But I succeded as it was too good to waste. I has the Beef and Stilton farmhouse loaf. I recommend anyone passing by to try it! Overal the waiting team were kept busy but we were shown that we were always being considered and looked after. So overall I would say none of the recent comments give the place justice. I have been coming for a fair few times for 2-3 years so I knew of the recent manager change. But as fair as I can see the staff are all doing their jobs very well and service was great.
On another note the pubs beer garden is wonderful and I will enjoy coming back when the weather is more consistent
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Well we gave it another try as we were passing by to the Rickmansworth festival and im sorry to say the swan and bottle has gone from bad to downright terrible,it was that bad we asked to see the manager and some young oik grunted "you will be lucky,the new boss is hardly ever here"!
It was very unkempt inside and the food and service were so bad it just rounded it all off really.We met the old landlady Claire some time ago and she really knew how to treat us customers and the pub was always spotless but since she has left it has gone so far downhill that we will never be going back.THIS PUB IS ONE TO AVOID!
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we moored up for our visit to our favorite chef and brewer and were very disappointed,the inside was not as perfect as it always has been with dead bulbs and messy tables,it seemed that no one was in charge and been left to run by its self.Something has changed and not for the better with this pub,will give this one more try but if it does not improve i will not be returning.Very disappointing!
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Hi to all,we moored up after being away from Uxbridge for some months and went back to the Swan And Bottle and it never fails to disapoint,the staff were lovely and welcoming,the atmosphere is always electric and food is spot on,we always look forward to mooring up here for a while for one its right outside and two we love it!
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A lot of friction about this pub on the posts lol. I am here to write honestly about my experience, and that's that. I visited this pub on the 14th September with a group of friends, the carpark was completely packed (usually a good sign though) it was very frustrating to park and manoeuvre - in fact we bumped another car (no damge btw)!! We loved the new refurb, very nice job. We waited at the bar for 15mins before placing our drinks order - im not going to complain about that as it was busy and had a nice atmosphere. We wanted to eat - the staff were very friendly, and helped us to find a table all together so we could order food......this is where the troubles began. We waited over an hour (1hr 15m) for our food to arrive and when it did it was absolutly terrible, shocking really. we were starving by then so some of us just dug in - but 3 of us had to send the food back, it was inedible. However.... we complained and got 30% off our bill (as some of us had eaten a few scraps off our plates (mainly chips), without a lot of fuss, im guessing they are used to complaints. One of my friends loved her meal though - thats a ratio of 1 in 10.......... Soooooo staff nice, atmosphere good, but unfortunatly the food was disgusting and ruined it and we wont be going again as too much hassle to park - sorry to say as its not too far from all of us.......shame
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At last The Swan & Bottle has had it's refurb and it looks amazing,wood floors,leather couches and some new walls,it is brilliant,but as with all new things it has got a lot busier and we waited a little longer at the bar than usual but this did not detract from the evening at all.Well worth a visit!
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Wow talk about wide of the mark,firstly im not the landladies husband or related to Claire and Simon in any way.We are longstanding friends and regular user's of the pub.If you want to come around and clarify this then my address is 36 New Garden Drive,West Drayton,UB7 7JB.Second Simon has his own yard and has done for many year's.Third talk about making up complete nonesense as the day that Jasper23 said Claire spoke badly to her staff,she was not even in the building as we went sailing that day from Penton Hook Marina and they stayed on board as we had been drinking all afternoon.The problem with this website is that it is not being used for its original intention,which is to rate the actual pub,eg quality of the food or beer,atmosphere ect,it has turned into a place where people with an axe to grind vent their spleen,usually from disgruntalled ex staff or customers hence why we stopped posting anything.
Now a message for all the genuine users of this site,the Swan and Bottle is due for it's refurb in June,so we look forward to that as they have been holding that place together with bailing wire and tape for way too long.
All the best!
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The car seller referred to by jasper23 is none other than the landlady's husband. This is probably also the reason that Harold_Jewson found it hard to park on an evening when the pub was relatively empty.
And unless i'm mistaken, as you are allowed to go by whichever username you like on this website, 'mrslandingham' is the landlady's husband yet again - trying to fight back against any negative comments on here at the same time as putting as many positive comments as possible!
I actually like this pub, the landlady and the staff are very nice, but I think the place would be in a much better situation if it weren't for Simon - he is not a nice guy.
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great pub
great pub
great pub
great pub
great pub
great pub
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great pub!
great pub!
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great pub!
great pub!
great pub!
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Great pub!
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Forgot to mention and thank them for helping us get our car out of the snow three days ago,my husband had not thought to pack any rope incase we got stuck anywhere,and just think he used to be a boy scout.
One of the staff (craig) used his own jeep to get us out of our slippery prodicament and really saved the day for us.He as it turns out spent most of his evening with this chore as the carpark does have a slope on the entrance.so many thanks and keep up the good work!
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We have just had a lovely time at the swan & bottle,they have really pushed the boat out with the xmas decs,we are always made to feel most welcome from the landlady or the staff.well worth a visit
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As an older member of the community in Uxbridge i have visited many of the pubs in this area and have liked mostly all of them up until last week. I visited the Swan and Bottle pub recently on a monday night. The food was great, very well presented however a woman that served me at the bar was very arrogant constantly. Also i found it very hard to park as there were many cars in the car park at the rear even though there was hardly anyone in the pub. overall i would give this pub an 9/10 for food and a 3/10 for bar service.
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The service was great and the food was good also. It is a very traditional English pub which i enjoyed however i was quite put off with the selling of cars in the car park when one of the mechanics was walking through in dirty clothes. I also did not like the way the landlady was addressing the employees which some of the other customers like myself that i was talking to agreed with.
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ABSOLUTE SHIT HOLE, AND THAT SCOTT JOHNSON BEHIND THE BAR IS A RIGHT OBNOXIOUS TWAT! i think they should fire him.
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If mrslandingham had read my review properly she would have realised that it was mainly in a positive vein, and an attempt at an honest appraisal. The table service is due to commence again next month, and to my knowledge was still provided at the weekend on which I based my review. If she thinks that all the tables have been treated with a new coat of varnish then I she has been told a bit of a porky - the varnish is far from fresh. Regardless, the situation should not be allowed to continue and the tables attended to if this really is the case. They won't unstick themselves.
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If panda 6776 would have asked before coming to the wrong conclusion they would have found out the sticky tables are not down to poor house keeping but the new varnish on all the tables,And simonjolty needs to realise that you order from the bar at the Swan & Bottle,there is no table service!
We have always enjoyed this pub and found the staff very attentive indeed,the fact that they are young should not make a difference!
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upon arrival it was quiet and had to wait 5 mins before any bar staff appeared. they were to busy doing nothing.ordered drinks, which varied in price each round for the same drinks???? then ordered food and half the things on menu were not available. then sat at table and found the tables were thick and sticky with ground in dirt(they put your cutlery on these disgraceful tables). when dinner arrived the mash was stone cold but lucky gravy was hot so that warmed it up a bit.on the plus side the beef and ale pie was to die for. meat just melted in your mouth and there was plenty of it.music was loud and obtrusive that is when the tracks were not skipping or stopped altogether and we just had a crackling noise in our ears.definately a place to avoid and i for one will most certainly never return. we should have gone to kfc that would been a better dining experience and thats saying something.
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The service in the Swan and Bottle from the (mainly young) team can be a bit hit or miss, depending who is on. At times, I've found the bar unmanned whilst staff buzz around the upper restaurant area and conversely, have had to order food at the bar on occasions when the table service has not materialised. Food can be great, or not so good depending on when you visit, and the 'new' menu basically means the same food as before, with a few pence added to each dish. However, it does have a mellow atmosphere with music on the right side of enjoyable, it's rarely banged out and has a pleasant waterside location. Get the staff and chef on a good day and it's the best pub in Uxbridge! Please buy a new bell, though!!!
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Dont know what on earth hanwale is wingeing about, for one we were also there on sunday till close and they rang the bell on time,and secondly the staff were hardly in a rush as there is nothing open on sunday in town.Makes you wonder if he was really there and if he deems this as a disaster how would he be god for bid his pint was warm!
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Visited Sunday 4th April.
My first visit and really disappointing. Got in the pub at 2145 and was told by a member of staff that last orders were at 2220. Fine. Told again when getting second pint. Became apparent that the staff were keen to get into town and party themselves and capped off when last bell rang at 2225, 5 mins early and 2 mins later was asked to drink up.
Had heard real good things about this pub, but first impressions were a disaster.
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The landlady has been on maternity leave but thankfully has returned,she has already started putting the pub back together and the atmosphere has changed already changed back to the old swan and bottle,a welcome return to the pub!
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it was okay
the drinks were okay reasonably priced but dissatisfied when i ordered food
i dont think i'll be going back for food anymore
mcdonalds down the road!
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what a lovely place with good food and a great atmosphere.the last enterant must have either caught them out on a rare bad experience or the type of people whome are never happy!
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Swan and Bottle, Uxbridge.
Visited for lunch on 29th Dec 2008. Very disapponted. Starter was breaded mushrooms x 2, both came as 3 small mushrooms, both offerings cold and greasy on a cold plate. Appeared to have been cooked some time before. I wanted to send them back, but my companion "does not like to make a fuss". Complained to waiter about mushrooms, second person (manager? - did not introduce themselves) came to enquire about complant, which I repeated. "I am annoyed with myself, I should have sent them back, I said". "Yes you should" was her response, as she walked away.
My friend had a veggie main course, which she said was OK, although she did not finish it. Mine was gammon, well cooked but salty, but the chips appeared to have been refried. They were very dark, very crispy, and very greasy. The manager replaced them, but the replacement chips were undercooked and I did not eat them.
They sent another waitress over to see if we wanted a sweet course. " You have to be joking" was my response. Had I been with any body else I would have taken my complaint further, but as I said, my campanion is not one who likes arguments.
Also, the pub is in dire need of a refurbishment. The carpet has seen better days, but needs a deep clean, and the soft material on the seats that I saw was dirty and at least one was badly worn, although I did not do a check of the whole pub.. !st choice beer was "off", 2nd choice was OK. Friend drank St Clements, not much you can get wrong with that.
tijum - 29 Dec 2008 19:59 |
Went back to the swan & bottle with friends on sunday for a roast dinner, and it never fails to impress.They have started to do table service which was excellent,and one good thing,they have removed the pay and display parking.
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Forgot to mention the new pay and display carpark.You do get the fee back when you spend five pounds or more.They had it fitted to stop the local offices using it.
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On a recent visit to the swan & bottle we found the core menu had changed and for the better and the specials were inspired.the pub never fails me.
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On returning to Uxbridge for business we decided to visit The Swan And Bottle again and it never fails to impress,happy staff willing to help and brilliant quality food.Manageress came over to introduce herself and to check all was well,service like that is so rare these days.Would recomend to anyone!
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I recently visited this pub/restaurant and had a fantastic time,the food was great and so was the service.The landlady (Claire Chapman)was so helpfull and a brilliant host.Would recommend this pub to anyone.
Keep up the good work!
best regards
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Was great when run by the Churchill's and the canal bar still existed. Saw quite a few amateur bands in there, best of all was one that had fire eaters, who nearly set the whole place ablaze. Mr. Churchill was not best pleased!
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This is a nice pub. Staff are well trained, courteous and pleasant. The food and beer is a fair quality. Good for a lunchtime/evening meal. Very busy lunch times and will take 45mins to get your order. This pub is exactly the same in d�cor/service/atmosphere/price as The Queens Head in Hammersmith - run by the same brewery. I probably wouldn�t go there if food wasn�t on the menu. Concrete beer garden with lots of tables in the front, not bad in the sun.
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A restaurant that serves beer.
anonymous - 16 Apr 2006 04:06 |
Well in February I thought this was the best place in Uxbridge but I am sad to report that The Swan has turned into an Ugly Duckling. Why change the food menu from fantastic to drastic? I went in last night to find what was a food paradise had been changed to something that you find in any old pub grub ie chicken tikka masala, fish and chips. They were not that busy and there would be a half hour wait even for starters to arrive. When the old menu was in place you did not mind the wait and when you looked around the pub every table was full of happy diners. Well last night not so much! We left and went somewhere else for dinner.
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My colleagues and i went to this pub one Friday lunch time for some food and a pint. When we left we agreed not to go back as the food was shockingly bad, I had fish and chips and the fish was swimming in grease and the batter was so hard I thought I would have to take a chisel to it. Beer was ok.
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I love this place. Great food, averagely priced, courteous staff and a great setting.
The difference between this pub and the pubs 2 minutes up the road in uxbridge is startling.
anonymous - 18 May 2005 23:04 |
Have lived in Uxbridge for 16 years and I have never visited until today. I will definatly be going back. Nice staff, excellent food, was informed of what was off the menu when handed it, instead of waiting to ask for it as in some pubs, Even feel as though I could take my own Mother in!
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A friend at work recommended this place a few years ago and even though I don't live local I would often make a point of seeking out a table here for one of the best meals I have ever had in a pub. Such a joy to find in uxbridge. Just go you will love it, fantastic food, big no smoking section, nice tunes and great staff
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Manager very helpful re car parking when I was moving my boat recently, could easily have told me to bog off but didn't,has a customer now. Nice atmosphere, don't normally care for chef & brewer stylee but this one's sound.
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I go to this pub incerdibly often for either lunches or dinner after work with my friends and it never disappoints. The food is lovely and very well priced and the staff are equally lovely!
Jen - 8 Oct 2004 13:51 |
Uxbrigde never used to have a good reputation for food so returning after 5 years away for a conference I took a gamble that the Swan and Bottle had kept its standards up. I and the colleagues I took with me were not disappointed. A warm welcome from the staff was matched by one of the best ranges of home cooked food I have encountered this year.
The only disappointment was that the portions were so generous that I didn't have room for one of the equally large choices of dessert.
Pete Roberts - 26 Sep 2004 10:23 |
went to this pub recently and what a pleasant suprise,a pub you can hold a conversation without shouting to hear,food was the best ive had in a pub for years.a breath of fresh air at last!,cant wait to go back!
simon curson - 4 Jul 2004 12:35 |
Excellent food, atmosphere and location, the service is fantastic. It's like taking home cooked food of the finest
Gina Voller - 22 May 2004 19:57 |
excellent food and service. some 20 odd years since I was there! Certainly changed! Great atmosphere and fantastic staff and service.
Lisa McElhinney - 19 Mar 2004 16:59 |
At first i i thought it was a dark and old mans bar. But Once inside it was like walking into a different world. A world away from all the other pubs in uxbridge where you can hardly hear yourself think because of the swearing and loud music. Then I came to the swan and bottle and was overjoyed to find a friendly and helpful pub which is a place to take your wife on your birthday, or to take the kids to of a sunday. A really pleasent atmosphere. If you go i recommend trying some of the chef specials as the are to die for. A Must have on a Sunday is the gravy. Easily the nicest gravy in the south. Then in the summer the beer garden over looks a canal and a little river where you can find yourself in a minature eutopia. One of the few nicest pubs i have been to in such a long time. Last but not least the friendly staff. Its nice to see people smiling at you as you enter. 10/10 will go again and again
Alan - 15 Mar 2004 16:23 |
excellent food, great!
bobjones - 11 Jan 2004 18:02 |
good place. a riparian gastro. nice food. you got to eat though - cant really just pop in for a shandy. i like it a lot.
stoichkov - 11 Dec 2003 15:45 |
