please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Now called the mucky duck - part of the little pub company. A cosy feel to it but the beer was poor - cold and cloudy. Many better pub's if you want a decent pint - namely the Hyde tavern further down the road, or the Albion, near to the station.
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trebles_all_round: the other one is the St James Tavern - its like a winchesterfication of lots of nice city pubs into four really characterless, aspirational pub shells, with below par food (tavern and cornerhouse especially). This mucky duck is basically the same pub but with high end sports screens scattered everywhere - selling greene king brands - why would anyone drink in a greene king pub when there is a choice??? I bet the owners of these pubs have alot of beige in their houses and scatter cushion strategies
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The White Swan, AKA the Mucky, has officially changed its name to The Mucky Duck and has been taken over by the same people who run the Corner House, Green Man and another (the name of which escapes me)
It now advertises itself as (and I quote)
A "Sporting" (their quotes not mine) Bar for Discerning Gentlemen and their Good Ladies! Splendid Tucker, Spiffing Ales, Quaffable Wines, All in all... a jolly good show actually!!
Frankly I would be too embarrassed to frequent this place esp as my good lady may well feel patronised. "A beer , sir? Anything for the little lady? A small, white wine perhaps" you can imagine the conversation at the bar.
A "sporting" bar bigging up its wine cellar?
Anyway, suffice to say I've not be darkened their door to date and have no plans to.
Come back, Lucy. All is forgiven.
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Visited here last Tuesday Beers on were Old Speckled Hen, Abbot, Green King St. Edmunds. Friendly welcoming Bar Staff & Locals. Nice welcoming Log Fire. Although this Pub seems to have had an internal makeover it has been tastfully done. Although I did not eat in here the food did look good. Next time I am in Winchester I definately will be revisiting this pub. Beer was kept very well
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Went in for the first time last week and really liked it. Sadly there was only GK Ales on offer so went for the Thatchers Cider from a barrel on the bar which was excellent. Barmaid was very welcoming and friendly. Will definately visit again.
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Fine pub, friendly and pretty bar staff, beer is fine etc. Old feel so its a proper boozer, varied crowd. I would go down the road to hyde tavern for beer, but the bar staff are way cuter here so what to do...
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Dire....only word for it. I tried the GK Abbott, it was quite undrinkable. It was replaced by a 'Hardys and Hanson offering and this was in good condition. The landlady tried telling me the 'Abbott' was ok, well if this looks and tastes ok to her I can only fear for what she regards as 'undrinkable'. Probably best avoided.
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I have been walking past this pub for the last twelve months due to its somewhat chequered past. However, today I decided to check out what the new management have done with it. The two girls behind the bar were cheery and friendly and I ordered a pint from the selection of real ales and the Roast Beef Sunday lunch.
The service was very good, the beer was in first class condition and the Sunday roast was plentiful and very tasty indeed! I also got change from a tenner!!
I will not be walking past this pub again and I am looking forward to working my way through the interesting varied menu over the next few months.
Highly recommended and well worth a visit in my opinion.
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Now redecorated and with a lovely enthusiastic manage with a great attitude. She's kicked out the barflies and is focusing on good food and good music. I had a lovely pint of Ruddles county there last night as I listened to some great original music form some local artists. They streamed it all over the internet, very ingenious! Nice friendly crowd and a good time had by all.
It also has 2 undercover places for people to smoke, I don't so I can't comment much except to say that it looked quite pleasant though the window!
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Now closed down another one bites the dust, a shame just how many more will the labour party and supermarkets kill !
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What can I say? This used to be my favourite... the other week the bell was rung at 10PM. The barman told us if there was nobody in the bar he was to shut up early.
Want to be treated as a nobody? Go to the Mucky...
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The Hyde Tavern (our original destination) was closed further up the road (doesn't open until 7pm), so stopped in here for a breather.
All went a bit Sam Tyler in here, patrons, jukebox and television were all stuck in a 1996 timewarp. Knew I'd had a few but thought someone had spiked my last pint.
Well actually it turned out that the landlords ipod was on playlist Britpop, the patrons looked like they got their Britpop clothes on for the day and the TV was showing England vs India Test match from 1996. This was Oasis-style Britpop, lots of pissed-up mooing, grunting and unintelligible conversations. Get the feeling a lot of these punters think they're too good for the Rising Sun, or too pissed to find it.
Interior was in fairly good shape, with a small beer garden out back. Greedy King pub with only a couple of ales on - my Speckled Hen was fine.
Not sure I'd bother this place again unless I had a copy of Loaded and a packet of 20 B&H in my pocket. And was hammered.
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I could not agree more. I went to watch the cricket last night and it was switched off as I (also Asian) walked in and all kinds of rubbish put on tv instead. Its not called the "white" swan for nothing.
anonymous - 29 Apr 2007 12:10 |
This is a terrible place to go if you are Asian. I have never experienced racism before in central Winchester but will pop back to the White Swan if I feel the need for some discrimination. Its a shame because the building is nice- shame about the staff and clientele.
anonymous - 28 Apr 2007 23:43 |
great pub good food. the barman Dave is brill.wot a guy have you heard him SING he's GREAT would go back again
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Ok pub but as demonstrated by the previous reviewer, don't expect high brow, intelligent or in their case coherent conversation.
VIS IS A BWILIANT BOZER! ahem!
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BRILLIANT PUB FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE AS A FEMALE YOU DONT FEEL INTIMADATED BY BEING ALONE WALKING IN THERE LANDLADY (LUCY) VERY FRINDLY ALWAYS EGAR TO PREMOTE VARIOUS GROUPS CHARITY EVENTS LUCY AND A FEW OTHER LOCALS HAS JUST DONE THE GREAT SOUTH RUN IN AID OF MEADCROFT OPPERTUNITY CENTRE AND RAISED A LOT OF MONEY.ABSALUTLY MARVOLOUS PUB
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This is a nice friendly pub, decent beer and big portions of food( if you like that sort of thing).Convenient for station and city centre, but not so well known that it gets packed.
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