The Swan

I don’t know what it is but I’m never that struck on Nicholsons pubs. The Swan sits directly opposite the entrance/​exit to the Hammersmith shopping centre (whatever its called) which leads to tube and buses. Its a large Victorian pub that to be frank needs a clean on the outside. Inside, there is a large ground floor bar with two seating areas, as well as a restaurant upstairs with a separate bar. I quite liked the interior-​it didn’t feel as knocked about as I imagined from the exterior. The walls are covered in quaint pictures of lill ‘olé Hammersmith in days gone by.
Beer-​well for real beer drinkers its pretty good. About five or six ales and the usual bottled stuff. Their wine list is pretty good-​they have an actual list on tables for one thing. The missus had a really fruity Oyster Bay pinot.
The downside-​the toilets. Dear me they were… ahem…in need of a spruce up. Good job I wasn’t eating.

Very good english pubs. An amount of beers choice. We loves the ale ones (nicholsons, london pride, etc.) Fish and chips were really great too

Beautiful interior and some of the friendliest bar service I’ve had yet! Great selection of beers with real variety. Had a wonderful Orkney Citra ale — super tropical mango deliciousness! and a Tontine sweet milk stout — smooth coffee, creamy chocolate. If you are crossing the road from one Hammersmith station to the other and you are feeling thirsty! Check it out

Horrendous Food! Disgusting Bathrooms!
The nachos were absolutely disgusting; everything came out of a jar. The ‘salsa’ was sugary sweet and there was some sort of white ooze on the chips; I suppose they meant that to be sour cream but it was hard to tell; no sign of cheese. Oh, and you can smell the Gents from the bar in the next room; every time someone would go in or out, a terrible stink would waft through the room. If the toilets are that bad, you can only imagine how filthy the kitchen must be. The only redeeming feature is that the staff are quite nice; they should find themselves a decent place to work.

Gave this place a second attempt on the same day so I could finally review the food since the standard lunch special I ordered was completely ignored not once but twice. I finally had to go to the counter and request a refund since my lunch hour was nearly over. Very odd situation that made no sense why my order was ignored and then again after inquiring. Anyway, I ordered the fish and chips later that evening and it was delightful. Two stars only for good fish and chips.

Je sais pas vous, mais moi, les pubs anglais, je les aime pour leurs gens bourrés, pour les bières renversées, la musique un peu trop forte, l’absence de luminosité, les planchers plus ou moins authentiques, le manqué de place,…
en conséquence, un pub qui a — a priori — tout ce qu’il faut pour me séduire maiiiis qui se la joue un peu aseptisé /​classe /​bright, ça pourrit mon groove.
Les burgers étaient bien bons, rien à redire, les bières tambien.

Close your eyes and imagine a classic English pub, dim lighting, gorgeous woodwork and lots of people chatting over pints afterwork. Now open them and step into the Swan. My friend and I stumbled upon this gem because we happen to be stay down the road. The Swan is right outside of the Hammersmith tube station, making it super convenient. Not only is it convenient, the place has great food. We order the ploughman’s plate, and half roasted chicken. The bread was warm with a crumbly, salty crust. The variety of cheese was spectacular from stinky blue to cream cheddar. The pickled onions and veg balanced out the sharpness of the cheese and the meat pie was delicious! The chicken was perfectly cooked, even the breast meat was juicy. However, the gravy beat everything on that dish. It was hot and rich with depth of flavour, I’m drooling just thinking about it. If you enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and wonderful food, please go here and enjoy a pint, try the chicken and gravy and enjoy some great British cheese.

The Swan is a great stereotypical pub. It’s large, traditionally decorated, and offers the standard drinks and pub food. The best parts of it are that it’s huge, and located within a stone’s throw of Hammersmith station, which is why I found myself there with a coke and onion rings waiting for a ride.
It was a very quiet Sunday afternoon, and was only moderately filled with tourists and other people who appeared to be leisurely passing the time. The food came out quickly, and the bar servers were nice enough.
There’s nothing to really make it stand out (in fact, since it’s been several weeks, I couldn’t remember the experience specifically), but it’s a good enough place for a pint and taking a load off your feet before adventuring in London.

I was overly optimistic about The Swan, it’s got to be better than our experience, as it seems to have a healthy regular clientele. It is certainly is one of the more respectable looking pubs, but most of the local independent establishments have been snapped up by chains. In this case by Nicholson’s Pubs.
I visited several throughout the UK, and it’s best just to go for a beer and pass up the uninspiring food selection. I might be being a bit harsh with two stars, but a point should be made. Located next to the Hammersmith Underground and The Apollo music venue The Swan should swing. My suggestion is to head south out of the station and hit Fulham. The Distillers Pub looked to be a better scene for local hipsters.
We had the lamb shank and curry chicken pies which appeared to be huge. The crust was excellent. But I didn’t come for a crust, I wanted a whole juicy pie. There was a shank bone sticking out the side — which makes for a great photo — but it’s 2/​3rs nuttin inside that lovely crust. When we went to Birmingham we avoided a Nicholson joint, but our friends dragged us inside to admire the décor. Fortunately I wasn’t too hungry…

second try for fish and chips, and while it claims to the best in the area, (as does every other fish and chips offering restaurant) i was pleasantly surprised.
nice ambiance, hearty large plate of fish and chips along with a serving of mushy peas and tartar sauce (yay the sauce came free, and didn’t ask for the extra 2 pounds)
probably better fish and chips out there, but i enjoyed it regardless.

An at times very busy (due to location) Nicholsons pub, that has that slightly grand look that most pubs in the chain have. Apparently it was a bit of a rough pub previously so that makes the work they have done on the appearance even more impressive. Some very good beer choices. Worth a mention were Thornbridge Jaipur and Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted. The first coaching stop west of Londonwell not any more obviously. My favourite in this part of town.

From the outside, The Swan could be any old tatty London pub for old boys to drink away their pension money in.
But The Swan is actually a great pre-​gig, post-​work place for a pint.
Sure, the drink selection is pretty standard and the food isn’t the best but it’s reasonably priced and the atmosphere is always happy.
Despite how busy the bar can get, especially if something is playing at the Apollo, the service is quick and smiley. Everyone is up for a good time, so it’s one of those rare London pubs where random conversations happen at a drop of a hat. (Not a bad way to make random conversation really?!)
Hammersmith isn’t exactly bursting at the seams with great pubs, but The Swan is definitely not one to miss.

I’m totally kicking myself for not reading the reviews about this place before sitting downstairs.
If you’re having dinner. GO UPSTAIRS! It’s quieter and the strollers can’t make it up the narrow twisty stairs (no offense) and you can hear your friend and have a conversation! Bonus!
My friend had the reliable burger. It was a burger and it’s hard to screw that up and she thought it was ok.
I had the Salmon cakes with a salad and they weren’t bad.
The location is great and for you single gals… Have mercy do they lots of guys downstairs!

The lads (and ladettes) from work were nice enough to take me out for drinks and this is where we ended up. My eyes popped out of my head upon entering. They don’t make pubs like this in Toronto, hell, they don’t make pubs like this in North America. If they do, I haven’t run into one yet and it’s not for lack of trying.
The Swan is all polished brass this and umpteen pumps that and comfortable seating here and fantastic wood trim there. Really, it’s the kind of place that I could easily spend several days just sitting and staring out the windows people watching.
My only contact with the upstairs was my trip to the washrooms. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud when I saw the miniature goal posts complete with hanging football on a string sitting in the urinal. Stay classy London. Stay classy.
The food was good, the drinks were better and I would love to come back. I guess those are the bullet points of this particular presentation.

An interesting place! Stands out a little bit from the other pubs around it… as it appears to be… well… decent.
Recently refurbished and renamed by the Nicholson chain, it’s got tasteful old school décor that you’d expect and a wide range of tap beers and ales to get your lips round.
Popped in here on a Friday eve to find the downstairs absolutely heaving — a real mix of people. This used to be an Edwards Bar and so some of the rems that used to frequent that ‘classy’ joint are gripping on with their fingernails and loud shouty chat before they realise they ought to move on. Hammersmith’s vaguely respectable young professionals are found in here too.
We sat upstairs, which was much more relaxed, and which offers table service, and treated ourselves to some great food. The fish and chips are ridiculous.