BITE user comments - johnq2db
Comments by johnq2db
The Mucky Duck Inn, Tismans Common
Accomodation at rear, built in the early 2000's and very nice and, in a building that blends in. Side garden fine. The landlord was very friendly as was the pub dog Rufus. Three ales, good beer, London prices. The Pub - this is not a gastro pub. The pub and restaurant are caught in time - 1990's - nothing wrong with that but, I guess, in a few years time, don't be surprised if it is completely different.
5 Jul 2015 13:54
I dropped in here whilst the New Prince (Prince Of Wales) was being refurbished. The place is very tired and has the feel of a dark old student boozer from the 70's that has been forgotten about. I have been told that they have regular bands on. I guess financially, this place will be struggling and the property developers must be hovering!
27 Jun 2014 10:00
I used the pub while the New Prince was being renovated. The real ale was Youngs and Doom Bar and for some real ale fans this may be disappointing. This is very much a suburban traditional, local, pub that is getting scarce as pubs close and turn into a Sizzling Steak House, apartments, and Sainsbury Locals. Comfortable, traditional pub with pleasant customers. Liked it.
27 Jun 2014 09:52
My first impression on returning after the refurb was that I was in a Notting Hill cafe. Lots of staff. Lots of colour. A bit larney. Dart board gone. Prices up and a bit of a surprise to find my packet of peanuts at £1 was now a £2 bowl of nuts. Lots of kids. Bit strange on a main road in the Surbiton outskirts. But - something had to be done to save it turning into apartments or Tesco Express. Not everyones cup of beer but give it a look in. I think Fullers have given the place a new life that will keep it going a few years.
27 Jun 2014 09:45
Closed for three weeks for a remake. After the long serving landlords Brian and Tracey left, all the extras stopped including live music and the New Prince withered a bit.
It is to be renamed the Prince Of Wales. Rumour says it will be radically different but in the pub itself, there is no indication of what is coming up!
19 May 2014 07:41
Somewhere different - the walls are covered in memorabilia garnered over the last 30 years. This pub is worth a visit just to look at the history on the walls and ceiling. The beers are excellent and you will generally get 5 good real ales.
17 Mar 2014 21:34
The new Landlord and staff have been working hard for nearly a year now and The Swan comes over as well run. The accomodation was great, the beer fine and the food very tasty. These guys are making a success of the place. Long may it continue.
2 Feb 2014 15:01
After a period of closure The Swan reopened and has gradually come back to life. We stayed the night and were pleased with the accomodation, breakfast, evening meal, lunch, and the wine and beer on offer. (Sussex, London Pride and Doombar for the real ale lovers.)
The weather was great so we spent the afternoon in the garden.
The new Landlords and staff are trying hard to get The Swan going and are doing really well. Good value for money was the thought when we left - not quite the perfection of the previous Landlords but, they took The Swan to closure.
A nice old pub in the country.
30 Jun 2013 21:40
Stayed the night after a gap of many years. The room was lovely, the steak for dinner was brilliant, cooked breakfast great and, the beer and wine selection is good. (Doombar and Youngs ale) Not cheap but, good value for money and the place retains its old english pub feel. When summer comes there is a lovely outdoor area. The small bar area is congested and this is a problem with no easy answer.
Great place for a treat.
10 Feb 2013 13:43
Oooops. The web site says the old place is closed. Company in administration. Oh dear. Would advise checking the web site or, up to date news before heading down there. All a bit sad!
7 Feb 2013 17:45
Big front room with bar, a side room for functions and a lovely garden in a very urban setting. These places are disappearing fast and being converted into flats or Sizzling Steak Houses.
Brian, Tracey and Fuller Smith and Turner have kept this local going. The locals come from further and further away but they come. Excellent real beers - London Pride, Gales HSB and always a guest beer. Good food cooked to order and friendly staff. A great little local.
12 Jun 2012 21:47
Stayed a night after a gap of a year. The pewter bar has dulled and real ales are still there. The restaurant is spilling over into the bar area - their food is very, very popular - not big portions but, high quality and tasty.
We were glad to see the wall panel paintings from the old restaurant had been cleaned and were now in the bar area.
The bedroom was fine but starting to look tired compared to the main pub area.
RIP The olde Swan Inn but give the new Swan a look in.
12 Jun 2012 21:31
The hotel is very close to the steam railway station. Camerons Strong Arm and Black Sheep were on in the pub. We stayed two nights and it was fine but all the time we had the feeeling of being in a time warp - the TV series Heartbeat and the resulting tourist trade has left much of Goathland trying to hold on to that 60's era. (And why not as it brings in money.) The hotel is a living museum to Heartbeat and people have come from all over the world to see it and, in particular, the bar. If you love Hearbeat you will love this place otherwise you will go away with the thought of OK beer, OK food, OK rooms and, very friendly staff.
27 Jul 2011 09:35
More of a restaurant than a pub. It is alovely place in the countryside with an olde world feel. We stayed overnight - it does not pretend to be cheap but you get value for money with very comfortable rooms which include a private outside area for summer drinks. The restaurant was top notch in service and quality. The bar area is lovely but if you are a beer drinker your heart may drop when you see only one lager and one real ale on tap - but don't worry - there are also bottled beers behind the bar. As a real ale man, I did not leave the bar disappointed!
27 Jul 2011 09:14
Went there with some anticipation after the last comments. Yes, the bar and dining area now look like they could be a gastro pub in Notting Hill Gate. But, the bar is in fact pewter and will dull with time and the paintings in the dining area that made it unique, will return after restoration. However, the old Swan Inn and its olde worlde time stood still decor is gone.
The new Swan Inn has a good real ale selection - Sussex and Doombar were there, and a fine wine selection with excellent meals and attentive staff. The overnight rooms are fine but next in line for refurbishment. And on a sunny day, there is a lovely garden at the rear.
Even if you were a fan of the olde worlde decor, give the new place at least a visit. There is a lot going for the new place.
10 Apr 2011 10:42
April 2011 - phoned today for accomodation and confirmed that Hamish has departed and that accomodation is no longer available.
6 Apr 2011 11:47
If you know what you are going to this is a nice pub. I visit it a few times a year when I am in Bristol. I like the Wickwar beers and being able to sit and watch Bristol go by.
It is a tiny city pub with a small bar and room for about 15 people outside in the seating area on the street pavement. There are overhead heaters.
25 people inside would be a crowd and if you are overweight or not very nimble, then you won't easily get down the spiral stairs to the gents below street level.
It has its regulars and some do get pissed but with a pub this size, it probably needs them to keep the �'s coming in else, it will close.
If you want something more refined, the pub is on the edge of the touristy waterfront where all the branded pubs and bars are along with their uniform interiors, food and drinks. Else give this tiny city pub a go to see a bit of real Bristol.
25 Dec 2010 15:50
Lovely pub with a genuine old pub feel to it. Usual Youngs beers with the odd guest beer. Has 3D TV. Can get very crowded at times particularly when football is shown. Watch out though as the football audience can get rowdy and it may not be the place for sensitive ears!
At other extremes you'll be in a quiet old pub with a feel of history and years passed with little change to it.
8 Nov 2010 22:14
Good news. We dropped in and stayed the night and I can say that the torrid past is being reversed by the new staff. Back to the old Swan we knew a few years ago - a little up market, with lovely beers (Doombar was on when I was there), good meals in the restaurant and rooms pleasant, comfortable and clean with, nice staff.
The new folks have a big task ahead to rebuild the reputation. Good luck. We will be back.
9 Aug 2010 23:33
Back again and stayed the night. Dinner lovely. Breakfast great. Tangle Foot plus two other ales - A1. Still no shower in the bathroom but this fits in with that feeling that you have gone back in time ....... glad to see the outside Gents is still there. Down to earth and recommended. Long may it last!
7 Aug 2010 18:16
Passed by the other day (March 2010) and the pub has reopened.
22 Mar 2010 09:06
This pub closed last month (Feb 2010) - not sure if it will reopen.
9 Mar 2010 16:40
Years ago we used to visit this pub regularly. It had real ale, good food and a good landlord. When he left, it started a downhill run. Ownership changed, there were makeovers but, the downhill run continued. Some staff tried really hard and still do in an attempt to make it a nice place. There is real ale back there. Sadly, it is a pub that attracts the wrong people - perhaps it is because it aims at the lower end of the food market price wise. I was in the other night for a quite drink and all I heard was a load of f***** swearing coupled with, aggressive behaviour. It was very unpleasant and very, very sad.
3 Nov 2009 14:43
Visited and stayed the weekend again. Dinner excellent with big portions. Breakfast absolutely tremendous. Three real ales on the go. Hamish the landlord and the staff are all friendly. The bathroom is still basic but somehow it fits in with the charm of the place and the character of the building.
19 Jul 2009 17:14
The Cricketers, Littlewick Green
Great little pub looking out on to the cricket green in a lovely village with some Enid Blyton type thatched cottages as well. Tourists from overseas would love the setting as it is so English. We stayed overnight and the accomodation was comfortable. The food is good and with Tangle Foot on tap, they could do no wrong. Good beer selection. Very recommended. There is also a lot to see in the local area with Henley On Thames close.
24 Jun 2007 17:19
We visited and stayed overnight a few weeks ago in January. Plenty of lovely food, great ale and a big fire in a real olde world building which includes an outside Gents loo. The room was clean and pleasant but the bathroom lacked a shower. There was a big bath and this seemed to fit in with a great feeling of history in the building. Recommended and, the breakfast is good too.
19 Feb 2006 12:37
We went on the basis of previous recommendations and were not disappointed. We found it quiet, with nice beer, strong beer (!), good food and modern, clean, en suite rooms if you stay overnight. The Downs are 10 minutes walk away. Good luck to the new management.
19 Feb 2006 12:27
The Lucky Rover, Hook
This pub was flooded late in 2016 and has not reopened.
17 Feb 2017 14:27