Compton Swan in West Berkshire

What lovely people, broke down this morning from Bournemouth on the way to Coventry for a funeral, the staff/owner kindly arranged for a friendly mechanic to come out & gave coffee on the house. So nice to meet kind people, we have just made the crematorium, thankyou all especially Bob the mechanic for saving the day, enjoy a few well earned beers on us later tonight Many many thanks Malanie & Cameron

A absolutely gorgeous wee country bar, bar staff and owner are so welcoming. We spent 3 days in the village and 3 evenings hear we had the best time highly recommend we can't wait to go back

They've recently changed management in 2023 and the improvement is brilliant! The pricepoint & food hits the mark for what Compton needs, the rebrand on the outside is great, and it's so nice to see locals back in there and the landlord chatting to customers. Much better since the new owners, however don't be expecting fine dining, it's a good standard pub grub with more locals than i've seen there in years!

Stupidly expensive rooms, very poor quality for the price in a village in the middle of nowhere. beyond noisy. Not a good place to stay as zero sound proofing so pub noise and music constant in room until way after midnight on a Thursday. Bed was horrible and poor quality. Shower room stank of sewage. Overall horrible stay for the excessive price.

The Compton Swan or Foinavon is now under new management. The new landlord and many of his team moved from the George and Dragon in Upton, which they had made very successful. The menu has a nice selection of pub food and continues to be as good as it was at the George and Dragon. We and our friends particularly enjoyed our very generous and tasty Sunday lunches. We were never been disappointed at the George and Dragon and are sure the same high standard will continue at the Foinavon. We look forward to visiting often to enjoy the garden in the summer and the nice restaurant area in the winter and wish Ken and his team every success.

Having recently moved to the village we checked out the website for The Swan/Foinavon. Several pictures of restaurant quality food was enough for us to pay a visit. Our first visit, for lunch, was disappointing. The food shown on the website does not appear on the menu. In fact, all that does appear on the menu is anything takeaway- able. We ordered anyway. The burger was ok, the pizza was ok however the soft white rolls were not good. Obviously reheated in an attempt to freshen them up, they were dry and the fillings bland and unseasoned. Our second visit, for Sunday lunch was even more disappointing. Two of us ordered a roast. What arrived was frozen food given a blast in a microwave. Not good at all. The lasagna ordered by another in our group was so greasy it was inedible. And what is it with the garlic bread?? Approximately 2mm thick, brittle and tasteless. The food took 45 minutes to arrive (unbelievably). We asked if we could order a dessert but were told sorry kitchen closed. Perhaps if our mains had arrived in decent time we could have had a dessert. Perhaps a bullet dodged! I fail to see how an establishment can falsely advertise the food “available”. This is by no means restaurant quality food. Go for a drink by all means - pub itself is very nice - but eat at home

We found this pub/restaurant on the web and it seems to have had decent google reviews. We were a party of 7 and wanted somewhere to have an early evening meal after visiting a National Trust property. I thought it strange that on booking we were asked to pay a £10 deposit each, then, asked to pre order our food the day before?!?! This should have raised alarm bells - however we still went with it. We found the place easy enough and had booked for 5pm - we arrived on time and the staff were very helpful and friendly and clearly wanted us to enjoy our time there. The food came out very quickly and it soon became apparent that it was NOT freshly cooked but simply reheated from previous prep. I had the Lasagne with side salad and garlic bread. The garlic bread was about 4mm thick and resembled dry shoe leather and was like biting into a stale thick poppadom. The salad consisted of sliced raw onion, two slices of tomato and a small amount of baby leaf green leaves. The Lasagne was covered in a thick layer of almost indigestable cheese and the pasta and meat sauce was bland, dry (from reheating) and totally without flavour. Two others had fish and chips which was possibly pollock or basa but not cod and the batter was very hard and flavourless. The fish itself was far from fresh and had all the qualities of the cheapest econmy processed frozen fish from Iceland - actually my wife would rather have eaten the latter. My brother-in -law had gammon, egg and chips and the gammon was like the sole of a shoe in texture, the egg was overcooked and the chips were OK. We paid nearly £100 for 5 adults and 2 children to eat. The images of food on their website do not in any way resemble what gets served up at your table. Presumably the web designer has used library images. The food can be best described as bland, tasteless stodge. I walked past the kitchen several times and looked through the window in the door and it is not what I would describe as a busy bustling food prep area - I could not see any staff in there. This does NOT instill any confidence at all. Would we go there again - NO Would we recommend this place - NO We are not being over critical as having young children we do use Harvester and Beefeater from time to time and the food at these chain restaurants is basic but reasonable family value. The quality of the food at the Foinavon (or Compton Swan if you prefer to call it this) is dreadful. Unfortunately as we had to pay £70 in deposit we just picked at the food until we had had enough and paid the balance - else we would have just walked out without paying and found a better local pub with decent food. Avoid at all costs - £100 down the drain.

Visited as family for food on Sunday afternoon. Menu was heavy on pub / lite fayre (pizzas / ciabatta / salad). The food sadly was missing flavour, my mango and hulmumi salad was very bland and completely missing any sort of dressing. Staff were disorganised and confused. Real shame as it could be a great pub..

Lovely evening meal with kids on a Wednesday. Staff very accommodating towards slightly annoying children excited about Halloween. Decorations were excellent. Food was spot on pub grub. Highly recommend the rodeo burger.

We found The Foinavon by accident and were extremely pleased ,the starters of prawns and tomato soup were excellent and so we're the mains of sausage and mash and chicken wraps,the menu was all good old fashioned pub food and was served to a very high standard ,will definitely return when we are in the area ,we eat out most weekends and today was definitely very good

Visited on Tuesday mid December with my boyfriend and my parents for an early Christmas lunch. I didn't realise we were meant to pre-order the Christmas menu options but the chef agreed we could order from it anyway. We all had 3 courses and the beauty of this restaurant is the flavours are incredible but you don't leave feeling like you've completely over-eaten. It was a lovely start to our family festive period. We all really enjoyed our food, and it was lovely to see Connie and Geoff again after being away for far too long. We will be back!

Fuimos 4 días a este hotel restaurante y desde allí visitamos Oxford y Bath. El ambiente con todos los clientes es muy familiar

Renamed The Foinavon over three months ago, we had dinner on the new chef's first night. Whilst under the direction of Connie whose superb chicken liver pate is still the best way to start a meal, this Greek chef has brought a continental touch to the kitchen. The salmon with mussel sauce was superb.As ever, the service was very friendly.

Visited here on a 10 mile round walk - lovely friendly place and welcomed the dog ( who had a nice run around in the very spacious garden with another dog!) Will need to visit again in Summer to make the most of the garden, and also try the food as unfortunately timed it just wrong as had finished serving at 3 ( we got there at 10 past) - but they were reopening later in the evening.

Went for a lovely meal Sunday evening , sat in the garden , food was amazing , lovely chilled evening, great waitress , very helpful ...lovely village pub ... Thank you...

Limited menu then advised a number of meals not available which made it very limiting. Had the burger - to be avoided, over cooked and hard, did mention it to waiting staff and advised will tell chef, it was the most expensive burger I have had and inedible, what a waste, no offer to replace or not charge. Only thing could possibly recommend is the seafood pasta.

Visited with mother on a Saturday lunch, extremely limited lunch menu, we both had the chiabatta’s, mine was the Cajun chicken with peppers,onions and pesto, this came with chips and salad, asked for no peppers as I’m allergic, food came out really slow.only one person on the bar, that in itself says something for a Saturday lunch, chiabatta was warm but only 4 small pieces of chicken inside and couldn’t taste the Cajun seasoning, and a scant amount of onions, the salad arrived covered in peppers which had to be sent back, chips lukewarm and soggy. Still had an allergic reaction as obviously chef had used same knife to chop the peppers as to chop my replacement salad. Won’t be returning until owners pull there socks up, they probably don’t even read the reviews anyway

Terrible meal, inattentive staff, poor atmosphere, a real shame to see a pub with such potential crashing like this is!We came for lunch on the suggestion of another local pub which was fully booked. Arrived at approximately 1400 and ordered straight away, starter came out within about five minutes. We then waited nearly an hour for our main courses. Throughout this time, no members of staff checked on us to ask if we wanted another drink or to clear away our empties. The main courses themselves were terrible. I had roast pork which was dry, tasteless, and accompanied by overcooked vegetables covered with large flakes of sea salt which totally overpowered whatever flavour hadn't been boiled out of the veg. My partner had ciabatta which was far too overdone and contained balsamic onions which overpowered the mushrooms (of which there were very few). We had ordered desserts but cancelled these as didn't want to wait any longer. I really could not suggest avoiding this pub more strongly as I feel anyone who can use a cookbook would be disappointed at the quality of food compared to what they could prepare at home. To top it off it seems we have also been overcharged and having looked through previous reviews this is not uncommon.A real shame to see a pub with such potential in a pretty village like Compton not living up to even the most basic of standards.

Two friends from opposite ends of England meeting for lunch! Coffee OK on sofa but lunch disappointing-average food, not hot, slightly dusty surrounds and not warm. very quiet and altogether seemed a bit run down!

As a regular diner, I was pleased to see that following feedback, chicken liver pate was back on the menu. Not only that, but the taste was enhanced by chef, Connie's secret added ingredient. The pork was exquisite and I struggled to finish the generous helping. The salmon was perfectly cooked and wonderfully tasty. The accompanying vegetable were cooked to perfection. The service was most professional and attentative.

Just moved to the area and looking for a nice Sunday roast. Website says Sunday roast until 3pm, so I rock up at 2.15 only to be told they've run out of food! Not just Sunday roast, all food! Very frustrating as a couple of tables still eating. So I decide to have a pint of Guinness and leave. Stony faced barmaid starts pouring Guinness and then disappears.

Wow live local and don't eat out much however had a spectacular meal here.tonight could.not.find fault and lovely staff very friendly

Nice quiet garden, friendly staff, good food, well kept beer. Excellent for a sunny Sunday lunch time.

We hebben gekozen voor een drie gangen menu.

I visited here at the beginning of May. I ordered 2 drinks and fish + chips but I wasn’t given a receipt, and my card was just taken and tapped. A few days later when the money left my account I realised I had been overcharged by about £10.

where do i start..right.rooms..as soon as you enter the room you are hit with an overwhelming smell of bleach and toilet cleaner that actually make your eyes sting..the shower..well you have to be a size zero to fit into it...room was clean..tv takes overthe desk leaving little room to-do any work.

The staff are great, friendly and chatty and great service. The food however has been very disappointing. The menu is very limited and our meals were very over priced, the food was not great. Pork and lamb both very tiny , lamb not worth the £18 odd! and bit chewy . Such a shame when the rest of the pub is nice and pretty garden .kid and dog friendly

I recently visited this restaurant with a friend and we had a really lovely evening. All the locals there were very friendly, the food was delicious and there was plenty of choice on the menu. But what really blew us away was the attentive nature of the staff, not once did we have to go to the bar for drinks, we were basically spoilt rotten from the moment we arrived. On this occasion I took my new dog with me and she was doing her best to monopolise my time, during our meal one of the staff members actually took my dog outside for a walk around their garden so I could eat in peace! This was so unexpected, and incredibly thoughtful. I have also visited the Swan on several occasions with my children and time and again we have been made so welcome, nothing is too much trouble and I have always been able to actually relax while dining with my four children. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great place to eat with scrumptious food and really friendly staff.

We visited on a quiet Saturday night and apart from one group table we were the only ones in the restaurant. This is our local pub as we live in the village and had been before, again with mixed feelings. The starters were ok, chicken goujons with garlic mayo. Sadly the bed of salad was nearly all the stalky/core parts, no leaf to speak of. The real problem was the Burger for main, pretty simple to get right. What I got was a grey burger that looked more boiled than seared with chopped onion that was too large and raw. Supposedly with caramelised red onion, which looked more like boiled green worms (sorry no other way to put it). The bacon on top was very fatty and the cheese unmelted. The chips were the rustic type and again soggy and largely raw, over salted and sadly cold. The salad was a repeat of the starter being mostly core and stalks. Reminded me of the cheap prepared salad bags, rather than freshly prepared salad leaves. Having paid £150 for 4 meals I can honestly say that I probably would have preferred a MacDonalds Burger. It wasn't even busy! Was pretty embarrassed to have taken friends from outside of the area there. Service and presentation were very good and waiting staff lovely, so no complaint there, just wished they hadn't given the chef the night off.

In the absence of proprietor/chef, Geoff Jones, the new chef has compiled an excellent menu. All courses were succulent and imaginative. My only criticism is that ther is no place for my favourite starter, chicken liver pate. As ever, the server was extremely attentive and knowledgeable.

The food at both dinner and breakfast was excellent both in taste and presentation. This was complimented by Geoff(the proprietor/chef) and his staffs' service. He goes out of his way attending to every detail to make the dining experience truly splendid.

Service was superb, food and drink good.

Ambiente muy relajado, tuvimos nuestra primera bebidas y el postre en el jardín. La comida era excelente. Yo tenía una roulade de salmón para empezar, seguido de bacalao. Mis compañeros comimos cordero y ternera, que era muy bueno. Terminamos con una primera tiramisu. Una buena botella de vino y hay un montón de cervezas de barril. El personal era amable y servicial.

Buena comida, mucha, las porciones son muy grandes, no podía comer todo lo que estaba en los platos. Un muy positivo fue los platos calientes. Comedor es excelente.

Staff were very helpful and room was clean albeit road facing (#5). Good selection of beers and a decent garden to sit in. Taxis are a bit of a problem. Good breakfasts.

Had lunch with friends yesterday , good food and a nice bottle of plonk . Very friendly , great bar and restaurant , and a very welcome garden for summer evenings . Well worth a visit. Have friends staying here in August , so were...

Después de haber visitado el Cisne mientras caminando y disfrutamos de la ubicación y el ambiente decidimos ir a almorzar. Es un lugar encantador. Al frente me comentarán este era domingo, así que quizás Mothering nuestra experiencia no era típico. Lo primero fue la mesa...

Esta fue una muy concurrida en un soleado domingo Mothering Sunday. El personal fue fabuloso y tuvimos un verdadero reír. La comida era buena, teniendo en cuenta el número de personas que te sirven. Tengo que ser libre de gluten y eso fue hecho sin...

Fuimos a la Swan Compton recientemente con algunos amigos, y pasamos una noche fantástica, el personal era muy amable y muy servicial, uno de mis amigos es un vegetariano y como tuve llamé antes de tiempo y de sus requerimientos, informó el chef personalmente vino a nuestra mesa y hablaron sobre las opciones, nunca tuvimos que antes. Las cervezas locales eran geniales, los chicos dieron un sabor antes cometieron. Una joya de lugar, volveremos, y lo recomendaríamos a nuestros amigos, incluso podría quedarse para el fin de semana. !

Encantador para un almuerzo ligero. LambTagine Servicio excelente. me alojé una noche linda y cómoda cama y desayuno excelente. Amplio aparcamiento y comida de alojamiento a un precio razonable. Pub es perros.

Village hotel, restaurant. Food is delicious and beautifully cooked. The staff are very efficient and friendly. Dining room is lovely making the whole dining experience a great pleasure. We have dined here many times and will be back again in the near future.

Fabulous - after a long cold days work I broke the journey to have a rest and came across the Compton Swan. Very friendly staff - had to wait a short while for the kitchen to open but when it did ooooh the food was great and well priced.Highly recommended and will drop in again thanks for your hospitality folks

I have been meaning to pop in for a spot of breakfast here for some time. I finally got around to it today, and sincerely regret that I have left it for so long!The pub was empty of both customers and staff when I wandered in, but the proprietress greeted me with warmth, and served me with friendliness and efficiency as soon as I made my presence known.The full English breakfast was promptly cooked to order and arrived hot and fresh and neatly presented on a piping hot plate. All of the ingredients were of good quality, cooked to perfection and very tasty. The breakfast came with toast, and a choice of tea or coffee (I had a cafetiere of good coffee) and represented good value.Delicious, I thoroughly recommend it, 5 stars without doubt!

This was once, presumably, a traditional inn largely of nineteenth century origin. It has been given a make over and is now devoid of any traditional authenticity. It lacks warmth (literally), charm and character.Our room was cold when we arrived as the radiator had only just been turned on. The bathroom was very cold and only warmed slightly when we switched on the towel rail. It was very dark with no lighting over the basin or mirror. It had the smallest shower cubicle I have ever seen. The unopenable window ran with condensation.The bar has several tall tables and stools and very few tables and chairs. The mock slate floor is really painted cement slabs. None of the several wood burning stoves showed any sign of having been lit, possibly ever.We were the only diners in the chilly restaurant. The menu was unexciting. I played it safe by ordering the burger. It was over cooked. At breakfast we had Eggs Benedictine which was served on thin white toast; no sign of the usual muffins.I could go on. It was a disappointing stay. If you're looking for a cosy traditional inn, this isn't for you.

Absolutely gorgeous Bed and Breakfast that commands attention. Attention to detail, farm to table experience with an abundance of dishes to fit anyone's dietary needs. I have tried their goat cheese salad and it simply melts in your mouth, flavorful taste and do not think I have experience such a goat cheese in quite a while. The bread pudding butter was dreamy and requires multiple bites to appreciate the ingredients that went in to make the dessert so tasteful. Do try their seafood dishes, very fresh. The butter is alone worth a visit! Nice grounds and although I have not stayed there, I know people who have and loved it. Last time I came here was in 2010, and it has improved quite a bit since then.

a really big thank you for an amazing evening the food was fabulous the staff along with my hubby made it a very very special evening and could not have done anything better for us again Thank you your lovely butcher and his beautiful wife

Great find, beautiful garden, especially when the sun's out. Food was great and the service was very pleasant. We will be back as we love this part of the countryside, village backs onto the ridgeway which is a real treat in the Summer

Extremely friendly staff with big smile and welcoming atmosphere! Fabulous garden with lots of space for kids , the rooms are spectacular and food is even better. Looking forward to come back soon

Quite impressive when entering the bar however no one in the bar nor staff behind the bar either. Menu was being printed as we arrived and had spelling errors on it. It was also on A4 paper suggesting a restaurant menu had not been planned for a lunchtime sitting -our table of 5 being the only restaurant booking. Menu was limited. Service was ok but slow with more attention being paid to customers in the garden.The seafood chowder was very pleasant and I am told so was the chicken soup however there was a strip of fish skin in my chowder. Bread for the chicken liver pate arrived as an after thought. The pork and mushroom ("porkie pie in a shepherd or cottage pie style") was different but I would not have said it had a jus - it was a red wine gravy and was bland. Fellow diner said the cheese tweel on their pasta dish was so solid they couldn't cut it. There was no vegetarian option although no doubt would have been provided if required. The "chef" when he came out of the kitchen (several times) was wearing dirty grubby clothing. I would have expected chefs whites at the least. The venue has huge potential but on this occasion failed to reach the bar. I even had to look for someone to pay my Bill!For a venue that has, according to various posters at its entrance, a 4* AA rating and a Trip advisor rating for excellence (2015) I would have expected more and therefore was disappointed with the experience. Would I return for another meal? Sorry folks. No.Would I recommend - sorry folks no.

Just pulled off the A34 at lunchtime and headed for the nearest village - and thereby stumbled across The Swan. What a find !We had a couple of starters which were really very special and very reasonably priced.We'll make a special detour next time.

Had a nice meal here last Saturday night with my folks, there were seven of us in total. The food was great, very nicely prepared and presented, and the whole place is clean and feels well cared for. Food prices were on the whole good and fair value. I would probably recommend it, and we might go again, however, there is a but... A couple of days later I found the receipt and on looking it over I found a few issues with the bill which I will mention here. 1) We asked for vegetarian options, and were told they could prepare vegetarian fajitas. We ordered these, and also ordered chicken fajitas at 13.95 and the beef fajitas at 15.95. I didn't ask the price of the vegetarian fajitas, and i was surprised to see them on the bill recorded as beef fajitas at 15.95. I thought this was a bit tight of them as veg fajitas are usually cheaper than beef fajitas, but no real biggie.2) I ordered a beer with the meal,(which was very nice and at a great temperature) and with the first one drained, i went to the bar and ordered and paid for a second. On checking the bill a few days later, I see the second beer appeared on my table bill even though I had paid for it at the bar. Not so great.3) All of the wording on the bill is written in capital letters except for the section relating to service charge which was written in small letters "Service Charge £12.36" Below this in large letters again is written "TIPS ARE DISCRETIONARY AND GO DIRECTLY TO TEAM MEMBERS ON SHIFT".In the heat of the moment, I understood this to mean that there was no tip included, so I added a further £14.04 of tip to the bill. As a result, I paid a total of £150 for a food drinks bill that came in at £123.60.There was already a 10% tip automatically added, and I overpaid a second 10% tip. Entirely my fault for not reading the bill properly (two pints...) but I feel that the use of capitals and lower case letters, and Bold Print and the use of the words "service charge" and "Tips" to mean the same thing is all a little too close to sharp practice for me.So my advice overall would be - give it a try, the food is nice and the place is clean and friendly, but remember to check your bill carefully before you pay. This will be my overriding memory of the place.

After our previous jaunt here, we stopped again when travelling through and once again were completely impressed by both the food and service.The restaurant itself is a lovely place - a wonderful atmosphere and we were lucky enough to enjoy a beautiful day that added to the ambience.The menu is a great selection, and the food we were given was a most excellent serving, I can't recommend it enough!I hope to visit again soon.

We visited the Compton Swan when visiting friends who had recently moved to the area. We were lucky enough to go on a Sunday and experience their wonderful variety of roasts. Between us we tried all the available roasts and all were superb in taste and presentation.When it came to dessert the presentation was amazing with pictures added for decor. One of the staff had obviously been listening to us talking to our little one and talked away to him and he was made to feel very welcome. We will definitely visit again when we return to see our friends.Lastly, you must try the bounty cake, it is even better than it sounds!

So, after a local event myself and a group of friends decided to visit The Compton Swan for a snack and a few drinks. When arriving we were informed that the kitchen closed about 15 mins earlier but they offered a few dishes they could cook for us, I ordered the Beef Burger which was beautifully presented and served with a side salad and chips. It tasted absolutely amazing and for the size of the meal represented a great value for money. I also had the Chardonnay (possibly the house Chardonnay) which tasted moist and crisp. The atmosphere was very relaxed and the staff were so friendly too. Highly recommend if your ever in the area!

This place really has a great atmosphere with great service from the staff and personal attention from the chef. My partner is celiac and vegetarian so didn't see very much on the menu that catered for her requirements. We where shown to a table where the chef Jeff took the time to design a fantastic meal that was wheat free and very tasty. It's the first place where we didn't feel like we where a nuisance. Nothing seemed to be a problem.My meal was fresh, very tasty and full of flavour. The price was very reasonable so we will regularly dine at this establishment from now on.You must give this place a try as food and service is natural for these guys. Puts everyone else to shame. Well done Jeff and staff at the Compton Swan.

Six of us met for dinner on Friday, as a half-way house between villages - The Swan is the sort of pub/restaurant that, if you live locally, and with lots of competition from good restaurants and food pubs in the area, you can easily pass-by, with a tinge of guilt and think 'I must pop in some time and try it out'. Well don't pass-by - it's a gem!We were made to feel very welcome. The menu is small, but to the good, as the quality was exceptional - beautifully presented and cooked to perfection. The service couldn't have been better. Attentive without being intrusive, with the team managing the different needs of the busy pub area and the restaurant diners brilliantly. It was also good value, including the wine line. We all came away feeing very happy and planning our next visit!

I visited the Swan to meet a colleague for breakfast. The welcome by the lady behind the bar was very welcoming and warm.I had a full English breakfast. It was good quality ingredients cooked freshly to order.I would recommend the breakfasts here..

Only had the main course Sunday lunch but really enjoyed the flavours.Just wished we lived nearer as the £24.50 Christmas menu looked fab.

Got out of London for the weekend and went for a couple walks. Had lunch at the Compton Swan and while it was decent it didnt blow our socks off. Clean and well presented pub, friendly service, and the food was decent and good value. So it gets 4 stars and not a bad option if you are in town.

tout est bon dans le menu, même le menu des wkd et jours fériés a du choix.les plats sont copieux , une entrée parfois suffit !

The quality of food here is on par with other establishments £4-£6 cheaper. The sauces with my lamb dish were absolutely delicious but the lamb was reasonably tough and the beans were not great. I came away feeling like the swan is quite greedy, especially after a compulsory service charge was added for me and my girlfriend. I think you can ask to have if taken off but its awkward and annoying. If you want quality well priced food in a place that doesn't feel like its trying everything to get your money, then look elsewhere.

Ater leaving the Ridgway 1mile north of West Illsley from a spell of red kite spotting. It was decided a spell of lunch and a much needed coffee was the order of the day. Thank goodness for mr satnav, as it showed an eatery only a few miles away at the Swan in Compton. Oh what a delightful oasis we found. A huge beer garden tucked around the back of the frontage with netted fruiting cherry tree, loads of picnic tables and a lawn that bowls could be played on. Inside was very plush, extremely well decorated and tastefully furnished. At the bar we were cheerfully met by Connie a colleen from Tipperary. We didn’t require a roast just a wee bar snack which Connie brought out to us with coffee in the manicured grounds. Nothing was too much effort. I had the chicken pate’ with some lovely wholemeal toast (Ithink) and a very tasty side salad, my partner had a scrummy goat cheese salad finished off with another gorgeous coffee. What more can I say. A leisurely afternoon light lunch in the most delightful of surrounds with an extremely warm welcome into their hostilary. Definitely worth a visit again. Travellers from Ross on Wye.

I really like the interior design of the restaurant. A good deal of money has clearly been spent making this a sleek, designer style eaterie in the West Berkshire countryside. The trouble is though that style seems to have surpassed substance when it comes to the food itself.The menu was rather lacking in a balanced mixture of dishes. I have a varied palate and usually find it difficult to choose. Not so here. There was no wow factor I'm afraid. All dishes were perfectly okay but no more than that. A bit more imagination from the chef and we'll have a cracking restaurant experience.

Fabulous food and service the wife had sirloin steak with many trimmings and I had sea bream on risotto great spot on and the dessert of strawberry trifle was to die for

Went for a Sunday roast, very very tasty food and well priced although the portions were a little smaller than expected. The staff were friendly and the decor was lovely. What a nice change from the last time I went 6 years ago. We will definitely be going back again. Looking forward to trying their regular menu. Highly recommended!

Having visited The Compton Swan back in September 2014, and being less than impressed, I was more than hesitant to return, but with family being local and the assurance that the management had changed, we took a chance and went again for lunch. It was definitely worth the gamble as the new management have made every aspect simply superb! Previously the staff had a 'couldn't care less' attitude and it was a long wait to get any anttention, but this time around they were friendly and attentive, and the manager Maureen came over for a chat and was extremely friendly and welcoming. A wonderful woman and I could have spoken to her all day! The food was to die for, and the drawings on the plate were a wonderful touch! I really hope that the current landlords of The Compton Swan, Geoff Jones and Joan McGown, stay there for a long time to come, and keep Maureen as manager - if they do, I'd definitely go there again, and recommend anybody visit!

We live locally and have seen this restaurant go through various chefs/managers/tenants with varying degrees of success. I have now eaten in the swan on 5 occasions within the last 3 months both weekends and evenings; I can honestly say the food is the best it has ever been, starters, mains and puddings are all fantastic and I think the price charged is fair. My family and friends also agree and now eat regularly at the swan.Well done to the Swan team!!

Went to watch the Rugby with my daughter and ordered dinner. Lovely atmosphere watching the game and the most delicious Roast rump of lamb with amazing garlicky spinach and fondant potatoes. My daughter had Cod and Chips and cleared the plate. A real compliment as she can be picky! It's a fab place with great staff.

Needed a meeting place for lunch between Milton Keynes and Salisbury and this was perfect.Just 5 minutes from the A34 and not much more from the M4.A lovely welcome and friendly atmosphere. The staff are Irish so perhaps that explains it :-)The service was great and the freshly cooked food lovely. The menu changes daily.It looked to have a splendid garden so we will return and hopefully be able to use it next time.The restaurant is wheelchair accessible with a suitable toilet.

The food was absolutely fantastic, fresh ingredients and delicious. Staff very friendly and helpful even with such a big crowd. The fish and chips are the best I have tasted. Thoroughly recommended.

Last night over 100 of my team members and I had the absolute pleasure of being hosted by the Compton Swan. The team were incredibly accommodating, and so welcoming! I never had an empty glass and the atmosphere was incredible. The food was absolutely delicious and can highly (VERY HIGHLY) recommend the fish and the lamb. I cannot complement the Swan enough, and would never hesitate to return with either my family or another large team of people.Thank you all for a fabulous evening!

Just had our first visit to the Compton Swan for a birthday lunch and had a really enjoyable time - the food was excellent and the staff were very attentive and friendly. I had seen some negative reviews on here from last year but can only attribute it to the previous management - it would be very difficult to fault the current management. We are looking forward to eating there again very soon.

Had a fantastic lunch at the Compton swan, haven't eaten there for a couple of years as disappointed on last visit, now under new management it was fantastic, bruschetta and roast loin of pork delicious, only dissapointment if you could call it that was that the sticky toffee pudding sauce was served cold but apart from that everything was lovely, new management was fantastic and very attentive, would highly recommend and will come again.

The Swan at Compton is now under new management and is fantastic! Delicious food and great service (unlike our last visit back in a October which was dreadful), our 2 year old was spoilt rotten with homemade pasta and choice of sauce- which I could happily have eaten myself! Husband ordered fish and chips, fish was brought out and shown to him beforehand! I had steak which was cooked to perfection and served with delicious sauce and vegetables. Also treated to some pre-dinner nibbles- smoked salmon and courgette rouladey type things. We have eaten here twice now since Christmas and will be making it a more regular trip out. The ingredients are of such good quality, everything is cooked beautifully and the new staff go out of their way to ensure you have a great experience- which means there is much more atmosphere as a result. Really would recommend this as a very special place again.

We had an excellent meal at the Compton Swan last night. Great food and service. The chef came out to talk about the menu and answer questions. The fish and chips is the best. Also really enjoyed the live music.

Just had amazing food here. Its under new management and the quality of food is superb and the presentation outstanding. Fantastic value for money. I'll definitely be back. And it is open. Must be an error on tripadvisor that it's closed today

We had lunch here in June and the food was lovely. Returned for dinner and it was so disappointing. Service was poor, food poor, value for money poor. Chicken satay starter was two small pieces of chicken and some lettuce, goats cheese starter contained half a slice of cheese and the bread served was definitely not baked that day. Considering starters cost £7/£7.50 not a good start. Followed with steak which was ok although the waitress completely messed up serving the well done given to medium order and vice versa. The home cooked chips were soft and greasy and half a tomato and some lettuce did not excite. Wine was overpriced and we had to ask for the water three times. Service was added automatically to the bill. Lighting was glaring, no candles, no ambience. Conclusion, drinks in the garden in summer lovely but don't bother with evening meal,no wonder place was almost empty.

We have eaten many times here and every time there a good service with a smile, staff very helpful. Risotto, linguine and the pulled pork all recommended. Would like to see more "bar "type dishes though they have introduced a "grazing" menu rather like Greek dishes.

The restaurant has some very interesting dishes. I had the beetroot marinated gravalax which was extremely flavoursome. My wife had crab risotto again excellent . The main courses were again very good. However there was a tendency with most dishes to be over generous with the sauces, making the dishes rather 'sloppy'. I had the sausage and mash, the mash was too liquid and again too much jus. This was unfortunate because all the dishes had great ingredients. There was a small but excellent selection of wines by the glass.The service was very good and a good atmosphere. There are various dining areas, some formal and others more casual. This was the first time we had visited and we will certainly try it again in the future.

We ate on a fantastic Groupon offer however would be very happy to pay full price for some of the best food we've had.Risotto and Crab linguine both amazing.

Lovely welcome at the Compton Swan. Service was excellent.The food was very good and reasonably priced, possibly the best risotto I've ever had. They were very accommodating with our toddler.We will definitely be going back.

Really lovely food but it is a very pricey eatery. Service was good and it seemed very popular. Ample parking and lots of character. Easy to recommend, if you can afford it.

So, one sunny Sunday we decide to dine at The Compton Swan, dining on plump scallops, followed by succulent Ballantine of chicken( so tasty) and then the traditional crumble with a slight twist raspberry and rhubarb! whilst tucking in, I glance across to the very next table to see only Raymond Blanc dining, enough said I would say.......

Had a lunch here with family. Was full of expectation having read the previous reviews, viewed the website and the menu. Lovely pub in a nice setting. Food was unfortunately quite average. Batter on the fish was soggy and a strange yellow colour. Steak had a large piece of fat running through it. Treacle tart had a strange texture and quite a strong lemon taste and the coffees were warm rather than hot. Generally was ok but felt a little disappointed with the value for money ratio. Felt quite uncomfortable by the response of the landlady when we asked for the coffees to be hotter. Quite a stern response.

We visited the Compton Swan on a Thursday evening with our daughter and two dogs. The bar was already well dotted with locals when we went in and the atmosphere was lively.We ordered the potted mackeral and garlic pizza bread as starters. Both were very generous and tasty. The garlic bread was the size of a full pizza, with extra cheese and caramlised onions, and a good indicator as to the quality of the pizzas, which we didn't actually try.For mains, a burger and a fish pie. The burger came fully loaded with salad, cheese and gherkins, plus salad and chips. It was served on a wooden board just marginally larger than the burger itself, so the real challenge lay in actually working out how to tackle it! Once broached, though, it was very tasty indeed.The fish pie was beautifully presented as a stack, with kale at the bottom, then the fish, then mashed potato on top, all swimming in a pool of creamy sauce. It looked and tasted lovely and was a little different to the usual pub-style cheese-topped fish pie in a ceramic bowl.All in all, the service was polite and efficient, if a little lacklustre, but it's definitely worth the trip.

The higher end of pub grub, and they sell the local west berks ale. Good service, nice atmosphere when busy. I haven't stayed here but hear the rooms are very hi spec for a pub/restaurant.

I have stayed at the Compton Swan a couple of time, it is a nice clean friendly place to stay and eat. The rooms are clean and the food is great, especially the pizzas.I am always wary about staying at new places but this is now one of my favorites around Newbury.

Not the most traditional of pubs in the area (compared to the famous Bell in Aldworth, say, which hasn't changed anything in hundreds of years), but the Swan is an excellent place to stop for lunch, dinner, an evening snack, or (of course) a couple of drinks. We have visited many times and always encountered friendly service and a management team who make a special effort. The Swan does a good job of holding events, so take a look at their Facebook page (or the signs on the street if you're in the area) to see what is upcoming. Very family- and dog-friendly. The kids love the bouncy castle often set up in the garden, which is spacious enough (the garden, not the castle) to allow people without kids to find a quite spot outside, too.Food is always tasty and is at a reasonable price. The menu includes classic pub food, several nice pizzas, and several fancier items as well. Quality is sometimes a bit inconsistent, but only in minor ways -- the mushy peas with the fish & chips, for example, can range from dry to soggy, sometimes contain mint and sometimes don't, and so on. As always, some dishes are better than others, but that's mainly personal taste. Some items are available for take-away.One especially nice thing about the Compton Swan is that food is served throughout the evening, even on Sundays, which is a bit unusual. It's nice to not have to work your meals to suit a pub manager's seemingly-arbitrary schedule.Beer selection is somewhat limited, but there are several casks available from local brewers as well as the usual assortment of bigger names. You should have no problem finding at least a couple that you like. Nice looking wine list as well, although I didn't try any myself.Definitely a good stop if you're travelling through the area (it's only a few minutes off the A34) and worth a regular visit if you live nearby. Note that there are several "Swans" in the area, including one just a single village over in East Ilsley, so be sure to pay attention to where you are. :-)

Excellent food and service. Value for money, thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommended Sunday lunch. Loved the hot and tasty roast, plenty of fresh veg and gravy. Puddings are great as well. Staff are very friendly and accommodating, nothing too much trouble. We will be back.

Went to the Compton swan for the first time after our grand-daughters christening on 21st July 2013. As soon as we walked into the garden which was all set up for us, we were made very welcome. The staff were friendly, funny and offered great service to all the guests. The barbeque was delicious. The pub itself was very clean, spacious and again the staff inside were friendly and caring, and would do their very best to accommodate your needs. Can't wait to visit again, and recommend that you visit to if you are in the area. Thanks to all the staff at the Compton Swan. Well Done!!!

Visited on 21st July 2013 for my nieces Christening and I cannot speak highly enough of the place! Food was fantastic and the staff were unbelievably helpful, polite and just a pleasure to deal with! Felt like I'd known them for years! Would recommend this place to everyone is that part of the country! Massive thank you to everybody involved with the Compton Swan! Chris Houghton-RaiLoughboroughLeicestershire

Been a couple of times since the new owners re-opened it just over a month ago for food and drinks with family and just husband. Each time it's had a good feeling and atmosphere, the food has been tasty and good value and good drinks. Good all round village pub.

Late decision on a Friday evening to pop out for somewhere informal to eat close to home that we had not been to before. Spotted the Compton Swan which was about 35 minutes away and the tripadvisor comments really helped us decide. From the moment the telephone was answered in a friendly way to a discussion about who the kitchen staff are when we were paying the bill this place proved to be a good decision. Food was well presented and well cooked, not just ours but the other tables we had a cheeky look at as the food went by! There was a really nice buzz about the place both at the bar and in the dining area where there were family and friend parties of 8's mixed in with couples and all were looked after well, especially as we were told there were only a few bookings taken at the beginning of the evening. Looks like a lot of people just 'popped in', which is fine for now but I suspect bookings may be needed soon. We will be back, if you are close by pay them a visit, I think you will enjoy it

First meal with new managment - lovely food good price - very friendly - recommended. Steak was perfect cooked to perfection , fish and chips to die for

The newly installed pizza oven has allowed the pub to serve delicious thin crust authentic pizza. Good value, fast and friendly service.

We visited this pub last week and what a delight it was!The staff were all very friendly, polite & well trained.The manager was so hospitable, which makes a change now days!!We only had a quick drink, but the meals going out to others looked so tasty, that we will definatly be going back to eat.We wish the new manager the best of luck with this delightful establishment.

I used to work in Compton around 10 years ago. At that point 'The Swan' was a very poor pub. Having stayed there several times in recent years it is now a very good place to eat, drink or stay. Breakfast is excellent, beer and wine very good. Food in the evening has varied from being good to excellent. On my recent stay it was excellent and can thoroughly recommend the Wednesday burgers. Much better than a chain hotel for around the same money. Keep up the good work!

We had booked a late Sunday afternoon lunch for 6 after walking a circular route on The Ridgeway. Ideal location being 3 miles off the A34 and at least five options of getting up to the Ridgeway.Could have sat outside, in the bar area or the dining room, chose the bar area as understandably quite a few families with children in the dining room. Likewise for menus, could have chosen the pub food, the specials or the A La Carte. Chose the latter and was not disappointed, some of the starters sounded like main courses ( e.g.Liver and bacon ) but great way of having a taster portion, other starters designed for sharing (Antipasta). I chose the fresh clams cooked in a light chilli sauce/soup. As good as I expect when visiting the Algarve. ! Main courses included the traditional Lamb, Pork and Beef but were individually cooked portions rather than the expected slices from a joint. Good selection of wines and the Argentinian and South African selection at £13.50 were excellent quality and value. Didn't need any sweets !!

Had an amazing time, the food was magnificent there was a wide variety to choose from there was a BBQ, specials and a full menu. The service was friendly and welcoming, the waitresses were young, sweet girls all with smiles on their faces, which made myself a lot more comfortable. we will definitely be going back and bringing more friends, if anyone is looking for somewhere to go with delicious food and a great ambience the swan is the place to go

Having tried all of the pubs in the local area I can happily say that this place is by far superior. Was here again recently for lunch in the lovely beer garden. Great food and staff all made for another seamless visit. I would not hesitate to recommend this place and will be back again soon!