Restaurant 20 in Swindon

We ate in the magnificently decorated bar and my choice of food, the venison steak was pretty good. The service staff were very pleasant and the bar had a choice of excellent cask ale. It is probably not the cheapest place around, but we were pleased to have found it and had a very nice meal.

I ate here with some friends last week. We arrived at 12 noon and we ordered our food straight away. Our drinks arrived promptly. After 45 minutes, our food had not arrived and our very embarrassed waiter came to explain that our "order" had fallen off the desk and he had just found it and passed it to the kitchen. No problem, we thought, nice to get an explanation and apology. After another 40 minutes there was still no sign of any food despite many apologies. It finally arrived at 1.30pm, an hour and a half after our arrival. Staff were very apologetic about the delay but nothing was offered as recompense. We were all driving so drinking soft drinks so an offer of a complimentary drink each would not have been very costly! The menu looked great and two of our party chose from the special fish menu priced at £10. I chose the Brixham dressed crab. What a huge disappointment, In my opinion, dressed crab is the white and brown meat of the crab that has been removed and then replaced back into the shell. The meal I received was a small quantity of crab meat in a huge amount of mayonnaise served in a crab shell. A sort of sandwich spread. It was served with a "summer salad" ( chopped iceberg lettuce, red pepper and a huge amount of overpowering dressing ) and a slice of granary bread - so £10 for a fish flavoured sandwich! Another person had the John Dory with vegetables. This looked very unappetising as it was served on a bed of what looked like tinned peas. The final meal, when it arrived, baffled me. I had forgotten what my friend had ordered. It looked like a round grey pancake. I was told that it was a mushroom omelette. It was promptly returned to the kitchen and replaced with something that actually looked like an omelette and I am told, was quite tasty. I suspect that the mushrooms had been left in the mixture of the original omelette whilst the other meals were prepared. The whole experience was very embarrassing for the friend who lives locally who had suggested eating here. I know that we were very unlucky that our order was "lost" but really, it could have been so much better. In the light of this experience, I would not recommend eating here and I certainly would not return.

Booked a table for two, for a meal in the evening. Only one vegetarian option for main meal, a couple of options for veg starters. Salmon starter was fresh, tasty and well presented. Soup tasted homemade and bread accompaniment was soft and delicious. Big burger, one side full of the salady stuff - tomato, lettuce, onions, gherkins, and the other side stuffed with cheese and meat. Homecooked chips. Only veg option was a chilli and butternut squash risotto, I'm not one for spicy but it was delicious, a huge portion with potentially two or three more servings on the one plate! i'd honestly like to give 4 stars but the lack of veg options is a downside. I would counter with it seems with so many people choosing to go meat free or vegan it is all part of keeping up with demand. Atmosphere was quiet, we were the only ones in, but nice candlelit lighting and background music. there is a set menu for 3/4 courses, but still is a little expensive.

We called in for a late lunch. The kitchen was closing as it was approaching 3:00 but they went out of their way to accommodate us. The food was good and the staff friendly.

Love the breakfasts in here. Plenty of it and all for a reasonable price too. Staff are friendly and I like the fact it is busy but a quiet atmosphere. Value and quality.

So being aware it was a pub I wasn't sure whether the food or the atmosphere would be any good for valentines day. I was surprised at how nice it was, I was unaware that they had a restaurant room which was lovely and decorated. The food was pretty expensive but what do you expect for a 4 course meal. The food was pretty amazing even though they mixed up our orders with another table, ended up eating their food- no regrets, a bit of banter really. Friendly staff although service could of been better, all in all quite a pleasant evening.

Visited this place for the Golden Years menu (£5.50 for a meal from a special menu). Both good food and good value, although the portions were not generous. Prompt service.

Although I live in Swindon, it was the very first time I visited this venue. The outside is like a normal pub, but the atmosphere inside is amazing. I was there for my office’s Xmas lunch and the lunch was the best Xmas lunch we, as team, ever had. Lots of tasty food and a very good value for money. I am definitely going back for food/drinks.

Avoid...never ever seen as bad a run place in my life and never want to witness, any thing like it again..take this advice seriously......stay away or you will witness the worst of bad staff, bad food, bad service....plus we were there for the Saturday night music, were we seen the worst door staff , they violently abused anybody they wanted to....we never said anything till we were leaving, but we told the manger how could any human run a place like this.....

The restaurant is located pass the pub area upfront. Ordered the pork belly as part of the 3-course meal. Must say it is indeed value for money for sure. If you are hungry, the portions are indeed generous. Service was a bit slow unfortunately.

The Restaurant 20 is at the back of the pub in a closed off room. The food was good but expensive (well, actually, the lamb/goat was very chewy). It looked like more fun out in the main pub part of the building, and the food was fine there (I ate there at lunch time).

£16.95 for three courses, paella starter, duck to follow , great choice of puds. Loads more choices of starter and main. Excellent service, newly refurbished interior is very smart.

I was taken out in the evening to the King's Head in Old Town for my birthday. I previously had lunch there out the front in the bar for lovely fish and chips, and the fish came in a frying basket, which was a nice touch. For the meal in the evening this time the pan fried chicken in mustard sauce was the best meal I had for ages. We had the three course meal. I started with French onion soup which was also delicious. When we walked in there was Euro championship football on most screens in the modern looking bar, so I thought we would have to listen to that for the evening meal, but they took us to the more quiet room out the back which was nice. I didn't really understand how the menu worked as it said a set price for three courses if you choose from one side, then other side of menu had another price, but waitress didn't mind explaining it again. Portions were generous. I still think back to the meal now. I would say it was an ideal mix of comfort home cooking, but made by excellent chefs.

food was cold when served, staff was very rude, quite over priced for what you get. although i wanted to complain about the food there was no one to talk to, the water said that the manager is very busy with some important staff. On every restaurant the client is the most important thing, but here is different ....

We had a pub meal for a restaurant price. Rump Steak was undercooked (I asked for medium and received medium rare). Steak was also very hard to eat, even the steak knife could hardly cut it. Very little vegetables were served with it. And well fried french fries which tasted very starchy. Calamari appetizer was decent but a bit overpriced. Service was nice, and drink were good.

Arrived for the second sitting to a very noisy and crowded bar area, and although booked well in advance was offered a very small table for two on its own down some steps. Was offered another table next to the bar, then a third table at the back of the room near the carvery. Meat carved was good and vegetables fair, but the service non-existent. No menus - only a notice hung on the end of the carvery, and left to find our own way to the food. It was without doubt the noisiest Sunday Lunch I've ever had. Before we had finished eating tables and chairs were being noisily moved around behind us, and then the carvery trolley trundled out behind me. No one ever came to ask if we would like the second course, or to provide a bill. I paid cash at the bar and left, never to return.

Have had dinner here twice and it was the same. Good food , indifferent service and zero atmosphere. In fact dining room is in a windowless back room of the main pub.

Service a bit slow but nice decor and atmosphere, and a lovely place for a long lunch where no-one bothered you to get moving

Excellent place to eat and great value for money. £15 for a three course meal of this quality would be difficult to find anywhere.Quality and well presented food. Very well priced cocktails at £8 for two.Reasonably priced wines.Would certainly recommend this place.I will return

I really can't complain at £15 for three courses. Starters got top marks but things started to slide a bit thereafter.To begin with the room was decidedly chilly. We asked three times for some heating to be turned on, as did other guests but after three hours, we were still as cold as when we arrived. Some guests ate with their coats on. We asked if the teenagers could swap their tomatoes and mushrooms for some veg with their steak and the answer was no, despite everyone else having veg with their mains. And the dauphinoise spuds were very dry rather than creamy, which isn't how we like them.Overall "20" promised much, and tried quite hard, but didn't think enough about the customers.

Slow service, nice décor, a bit over priced for what it is. Shame because it looked great from the outside..

We had arrived into the area tired and hungry with know idea of where to eat and are very glad we wandered in. The food was very good and the offer was excellent. Our waitress made a few little mistakes but as it was only her 3rd night and she was so apologetic it was hard to fine fault. The restaurant was tucked away away at the back so it was quiet. There was a very good range of ales and cider.

Have been here twice in the last month and really enjoyed the food both times. The 3 courses for £12 is amazing value and great quality and the grill room is really nice- you don't feel like you're in the middle of the Kings- which now looks great after it's refurb! The staff let it down a little, both times there was only two tables in there but both times it took ages for drinks to be served and the waitress had a unhelpful attitude. In most places if you wanted a little extra sauce it wouldn't be a problem she said just looked at us and said "that'd be £3"... no effort to help or offer alternatives. She also had no recommendations on the menu and said she hadn't tried much of it. So with a little training the service could live up to the food and could be a real gem! Would go again though. A request for when you re-do your autumn menu- how the menu is presented makes it quite hard to read, Please format the dishes together :)

Visited with the family a couple of weekends ago. 2nd visit, 1st on recommendation from a friend whom had bestowed the virtues of the Kings for food. Anyhow's suitably impressed on the 1st visit as a couple, we went as a group of six. Everyone was impressed, food went down very well indeed. You definitely need to book for Sunday Lunch! You will not be disappointed.

this is a nice clean tidy place, food decent, staff decent, and i enjoyed both the food and atmosphere very much, would recommend as decent for all ranges of people

A unique place to eat on a Sunday and a real gem in Old Town, really good service from really good staff, the Carvery is superb and the desert was just perfect.

Fantastic Carvery on Sundays from noon.The advantage over most Carveries is that you can reserve a table. You must do this as the place is becoming very popular. Everything is quality and the veg variety is excellent. Our only complaint is that recently they have started to put honey on the parsnips which is not traditional. We have heard others comment on this too.

Six of us went for a meal here last night and the place was very well presented and clean with a great comfortable atmosphere. The waiter we had was brilliant, informative and witty. The food itself was a very decent price for the 3 course meal. The starter was bigger than expected but beautifuly cooked. However the pork belly was slightly overcooked and a tad dry but the crackling made up for that. The dessert was also very tasty but one day I might attempt the beetroot ice cream!

Lunch in the Bar at 20 @ The Kings is extremely good value. Food is prepared to order, but is well worth the few extra minutes' waiting time. The Bar area is both comfortable and convivial, but it is the quality of the food that adds the final touch. A plentiful platter of extremely well prepared food was thoroughly enjoyed by all and there is certainly no hesitation in recommending this menu.

I have been a regular Sunday lunch visitor for some ten months to this place, and the carvery is absolutely wonderful! Beautiful roast meats, and too many fresh and al dente veggies to list, along with proper roast taties, caulie cheese, and honey roast parsnips! And homemade yorkies! I reckon I can cook, but this beats my own Sunday Roast.

For a local to the area, it's fair to say that the Kings is not my kind of night out on a weekend. However, the restaurant is brilliant. Excellent food with a wide choice. Meal deals with wine also available at a good price. The service was good. The chap that served us was very polite and friendly. I recommend for a weekday evening.

Having visited over the weekend I found the menu to be of good quality and variety with unusual options including Goat Curry. An excellent meal, but be warned, Goat comes with bones! No warnings on the menu. Meal was of good quality and very enjoyable. The menu is completed by a large selection of well kept beers, wines and spirits, served by friendly staff.

there were around 20 of us dining for an evening meal, this is the first time I have eaten here and when we got there I bought a bottle of Merlot for the Girls which was £15. the dining area was at the rear of the hotel far enough away from the busy bar. there were two more parties there, another big one of about the same number and a group of four.They do special deals so my partner and I opted for the 2X ribeye steaks and a bottle of Italian red for £40, we both wanted it medium rare and that is exactly what we got. now the food was exceptional and I love chunky chips and these were some of the best chips I have ever tasted. the steak was full of flavour too.Our two waiters Wesley and Bianca new their trade and made sure our stay was enjoyable. I would highly recommend this venue if you value good food and service as your priorities.

I had an excellent meal at The Kings along with my wife and daughter. We all different meals and each one was excellent. The service was very professional. Our waiter for the evening was Wes. We will certainly go back again.

We went here recently for my dads birthday. There were 8 of us in the party. We chose our food and ordered around 8pm in the bar and then decided to go into the restaurant. We had the place to ourselves which was fine for a large party like ours, I imagine if it was just two people the atmosphere wouldn't be quite so good. Judging by the decor in the room it looked like the breakfast room for the hotel as well, which I actually quite liked.It took nearly an hour for our food to come out. I appreciate we all ordered something different but still, that is a long time. Plus there was only one waiter so he only brought in one meal at a time, then we had to wait another 2-3 minutes for the next meal to come out. I also found the room quite cold so to sit and wait for the food that long in a cold room wasn't too pleasant.However the food itself was delicious (though we were so hungry when it came out we didn't really care.) Only a couple of us (not me) had dessert as we had made a cake for my dad so we had that. They looked okay but not as nice as the main meal.Overall it was just okay, a shame as we had gone for a special birthday. The food was good and the one and only waiter we had was friendly and efficient, just could have done with another bar of hands both in serving and perhaps in the kitchen.

We have known The Kings for very many years, but decided to try its Festive Carvery just before Christmas. Excellent!! The quality of food was top notch and the service equally excellent. We're not normally fond of carveries (too much emphasis on self service) and possibly there is scope for table service, but the Bar atmosphere was perfect and we could not find any fault at all.

if the boss is in and cooking in the kitchen its ok as for the rest of the time its well how can I say this nicely erm a lot pants

Lovely food & service. Tried many Wood Street venues and always end up back here :-)Lunch menu very nice and a lovely deal for over 60's too.

I’m not quite sure where to begin with the evening I spent at ’20 at the Kings’ but perhaps I should start with the why. Having walked past 20atk numerous times and always reminding myself that I wanted to give it a try I was provided with the perfect opportunity recently when I had a friend come to stay. Being somewhat cautious diners at times we decided to have a look at the menu before deciding to commit. The menu seeming fair we decided to take up our pleasant waitress on her offer of the ‘two can dine meal deal’ – for just £50 two persons can enjoy a three course meal and a bottle of wine.... I believe that I was heard loudly exclaiming huzzah at this point but the less said about that the better!Sadly my initial jubilation was short lived and the meal deteriorated from there.... We decided to order a couple of cocktails before dinner, the list was short but we both found something to our liking, this concept of cocktails before dinner seemed to leave our waitress floundering. Had we ordered some obscure concoctions off the menu, or perhaps even beverages that appear on no menu I could have understood but as it was the prospect of making drinks from their own menu proved too much. When the drinks arrived they were served in glasses fit only for 50’s coke floats and not even a close approximation of what we had chosen. My companion for the evening possessing a calmer head than mine petitioned for peace, we would enjoy the drinks (whatever they were and go on to enjoy the starters). I had ordered deep fried squid with a light salad and garlic mayo and my friend the king prawn with cream, parsley and white wine sauce. My squid was good if only a little pedestrian, my friends prawns were a different matter entirely. The prawns were served in a sauce of watery consistency with no bread and only a spoon for company alongside a bowl of lemon water. To make matters worse the description of the choice on the menu left a lot to be desired in respect of its grammatical description,Prawns, cream. parsley, white wine I expected each to arrive separately with a glass of wine on the side! Of course this is pedantic I know but after the cocktail mix up I was running low on patience. By this time we had finished our pre dinner drinks and decided to poor the wine whilst we waited for out Lamb Shank’s which we had both ordered. Lucky for us the bleach like quality of the wine quickly removed all trace of the offending sea food. Now I am well aware that you should not expect the earth from a two person meal with a £50 price tag, but I hoped at least for a quaffable wine. Now I believe in calling a spade a spade and I am please to say that the lamb was excellent, well cooked with great flavour, very tender and the mash potato and vegetables were also good. So on balance up until this point in the meal things stood on knife edge, we had experienced confusion/ poor food and we had been presented with some great flavours, what we did not expect was poor quality tableware. I ordered apple-pie with strawberries and ice cream whilst my friend ordered strawberries and cream lightly dusted with sugar. The problem wasn’t with the food but the fact that my friend’s desert was served in a plastic cocktail glass, somehow we had managed to drink our cocktails out of thick glass tumblers and we had a desert served in a cheap plastic cocktail glass... what is going on here! By the time the deserts were being collected we had taken some time to consider the decor of 20atk, at first glance it appears quite chic. Modern stainless steel mixed with brewing and food ephemera and black & white photographs. On second glance however you notice that the silver frames are in fact spray painted, the fake silver sitting alongside real silver very much in need of a polish. None of this however compares to the fact at the far end of the room the proprietors have retained a lovely fireplace (decorative only sadly) to one side the shelves are taken up with books about restaurants and travelling, alongside bottles of wine and champagne. On the other side for reasons that I cannot fathom the shelves are packed with food, not quality produce or locally sourced organic produce no no, on this shelf you can find; cornflakes, branston pickle, golden syrup, tea bags and much more. Instead of giving the diner a sense of quality and the depth of what they are eating it feels more like a village shop or even an old pantry, still i suppose if you need something for breakfast you could always ask for a takeaway bag..... Our calamitous meal ended in the same way it had begun, that is to say in comic tragedy. Having been told by our waitress that we would have to pay at the bar and not at our table as the card machine had been dropped the previous evening, we dutifully followed her out to the bar. The one remaining card machine in use we had to wait whilst another staff member dealt with another customer. As soon as we were able to pay our waitress dropped the machine rendering in useless! We then had to wait another five minutes and the proprietors could only provide us with a hand written receipt.Our trip to 20 at the Kings ended as it started, the meal was good value initially but I can’t look past the bad food, poor chose of serving dishes/ glasses and the cheap decor. Sadly I will not be returning for dinner any time soon. www.20atthekings.co.uk/index.htm

Good service. Great selection of drinks, ideal location and friendly staff. Did not want to leave, but all good things come to an end. A good place to visit for a nice evening!

A large group of us went in for my fathers birthday. They were unable to deal with large groups. Food all came out at different times and varied on quality. Staff rude. Not a pleasant experience you money would be better spent elsewhere McDonald's gives you better service.

I have read great reviews in the past about The Kings and was excited to take my mum there for mother's day today. However, when we arrived our table was set for four people, not five. Granted the booking was originally for 4 people, but was changed well in advance. The staff left us to it and did not tell us what to do (it was a sunday carvery so we had to go and help ourselves). The food was good, the kitchen staff who served us were friendly and attentive. When we had finished, we waited a good 20-25 minutes to have our plates cleared away (we had to get someone's attention) and they swiftly walked away with our plates without returning to tell us how to get the second part of our mother's day deal, the desert. We eventually asked if we needed to order it, and the lady said we had to go and help ourselves. Finally we had to get up and ask someone for the bill (plates still on table) and then just got up and paid at the bar (for fear of having to wait another 30 mins for this!!) All in all - good food, lovely venue, poor restaurant staff - with no care for their customer's experience. I understand it was mother's day and they must have been busy, but looking around it was not half as bad as I expected, and there were plenty of staff. Disappointed :(

Great staff, excellent range of drinks, clean and bright place. Lively, but not over the top. Plenty of seating, standing room and just ... Perfect!

looks lush. so nice. superb decor!!!... but to stand at the bar waiting for over 15 minutes waiting to either be acknowkedged or served by the 3 super busy staff (5 other customers) is appaling..so yet again the kings lost my business. it happens each time i think about giving them another shot.oh and charging £1 per card transaction is like being in the flipping 1980's.

Really disappointed with this well below average and overpriced lunch. Have been meaning to try restaurant 20 since we moved to old town but won't be going back again. Between the 5 of us we had the burger, ham hock pie and and Thai style curry. The way the burger and curry was presented looked great and in a funky style you might expect in a Jamie Oliver restaurant. Unfortunately the actual food was the worst i've had in old town. The burger, sold as hand pressed with this and that was was on a par with the cheapest burger you can buy from a budget supermarket. Gourmet chips could have been good but were very salty. On The curry the sauce was ok but not much meat the rice was undercooked. The ham hock pie was probably the worst with hardly any pastry and the actual dish about the size you would expect if you had ordered a tapas version

I visited the 20 at the Kings just to see how good it was.I ordered corn fed chicken and my wife ordered the gammon,(both near £13 ).The chicken was realy nice ( though not very big ) and tasted totally different to the usual chicken I have ordered in other places. My wifes gammon was thin , again not a big portion. Both came with lovelly big fat chips and a mushroom and tomato with piece of watercress on the plate.Both were perfectly cooked,Altough I think a little over priced the meal could benefit from a little salad just to finish it off . My wife finished off with a sticky toffee pudding , which was excellent at £4 .95, no complaints there !!!

Having been working at my computer from well before dawn, and having attended a commitment in Old Town in the morning, I thought we would have an unplanned lunch out in Old Town as a spell of relaxation for myself - how selfish can I be! Where to go nearby that would be reasonably priced and simply deliver a good Sunday Lunch when we would use other restaurants, in Wood Street, for that bit more or quite a lot more?'20 at the Kings' was suggested and we thought we would try it after many years of avoiding it when it was 'The Kings Head Hotel' and, in our opinion, pretty dire.We are unable to speak for the normal menu but we can certainly speak for the Sunday Lunch, a Carvery served by an attentive and professional chef. I had turkey breast whilst my husband had the beef which, with no choice over the degree of cooking, was entirely acceptable, succulent and not overcooked. There was also a ham that appeared to be moist. There was an excellent selection of well cooked vegetables and the taste was as good as the presentation! I will nit-pick as I hope the chef and proprietors will read this review as attention to just a few details would make 'Sunday Lunch at 20' a perfect attraction compared to the Goddard Arms, just around the corner, and would attract custom although we noted that 'Sunday Lunch at 20' is not lacking in custom.Firstly, although we arrived at the start of service we found some of the vegetables to be lukewarm when overhead heaters, in addition to the underneath warmers, would limit the loss of heat. Secondly, the provision of a choice of gravies (a white as well as a meat) would be appreciated by those who do not eat red meat.Thirdly, we noted that the turkey breast ran out well before the end of service and suggest that a carvery should always be able to provide white meat (turkey and/or chicken) for those who don't eat red meat. Taking this one step further, a vegetarian dish of the day and a fish dish of the day would make this an excellent choice for Sunday Lunch in Swindon. We followed with a dessert. These were well presented and tasty but were most likely bought in. However, they were entirely acceptable. We will return and hope that the restaurant continues to improve as it certainly has since our last visit.

Today we returned to 20 having vowed never to do so and what a change. The sunday lunch was the best we have had in Swindon ,the meat was tasty and the veg perfect. The only down side was the beef was rare and we were refused the well cooked meat round the outside of the joint. The sweets were to die for and a fruit salad was prepared for one of our party who was on a special diet, it not only looked good it tasted good. The only thing that would put me off going again is the length of the queue waiting to be served.

Revisiting the former King's Arms Hotel (now unfortunately, in my humble opinion, re-named Restaurant 20) it was good to see the re-arranged Bar area and the noticeably more welcome atmosphere. The service here is first rate and the quality of the beers cannot be bettered. I have yet to sample the menu, but it reads very well and the dining areas appear very comfortable. It won't be too long before I do try the menu, but certainly the establishment is well worth a visit either for a quick cup of coffee or a pint of Arkells Ale!

Went here as a part of a belated birthday treat. The tea was average but the food was dire. Dried up tesco value style sandwiches draped with limp lettuce that must have been waiting a few hours for us to turn up. The desserts were soggy scones and mock cream filled pastries that could have been better bought at Greg's bakers. Terrible. Never going back.

The afternoon tea was awful. On the bottom layer of the cake stand was mixed sandwiches and cakes. They were all touching egg mayo on cakes and chocolate on sandwiches. Everything tasted of salmon. I complained and phoned to speak to the manager but he hasn't had the courtesy to reply.

A group of us of us went to Restaurant 20 for Christmas lunch recently. The food was well cooked, well presented and very tasty. The waiting staff were friendly and very efficient too. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant to friends and I look forward to eating there again in 2013.

The Kings Arms in Swindon has attempted to use the rear rooms as a restaurant. The food was great and the service as good, unfortunately when I was there, so were numerous afternoon drinkers who'd had too much!!! Walking to and from the smoking area from the bar area, they have to walk past the rooms being used as the restaurnat areas. I'll return to this pub, but only on Friday and Saturnday nights.......but never to Restaurant 20 again, there's far better eaqting places on Wood Street.

We went for afternoon tea there, they didn't have a clue - not a clue. It was supposed to be cream teas - the milk was off! the manager had to go out and buy some, we were given scones, but no butter, jam or cream - we asked for butter, I couldn't be bothered to ask for jam or cream, he had taken so long to get the milk. Cakes were shop bought and stale, and the service was terrible, even though there was nobody in there. It was dark and dingy, I wouldn't even go back there for a half a larger, never mind treating my niece to high tea. Awful awful place - Mcdonalds does better food.

This restaurant is in a enclosed back room behind a bar, more suited to serving breakfast to people staying in the hotel rather then the setting for what is claiming to be a top end restaurant, I found it a bit of a weird set up as I could hear lots of noise coming from the bar area. The staff were very helpful and friendly, the food tasted ok but was nothing special with the potions being far too small for my liking, with a large space of the plate taken up with daft food designs with only a tiny slab of beef chucked in, I went home sill hungry, I think they are charging premium prices but not supplying the goods, very average imo

went to resturant 20 to see how good it was & it was great. the food was top notch (i love fish which helps); wine list was good & not overpriced.ok, it's small but it's better this way & keeping the quality up is better than expand & lose the qualityhow this is not rated no 1 in swindon is a shock.

very mixed feelings about this place. they market themselves as fine dining but with dirty cutlery it falls short of that. The room was very echoey with very little atmosphere and the air conditioning was set too cold so it felt more like sitting in a church hall!the staff were very sweet and were friendly and helpful.the food was delicious and good size portions without being too much. there was only one choice for vegetarians on the main course, and despite the menu saying "every main course comes with mashed potato, chipped potatoes and seasonal vegetables" apparently the vegetarian choice didn't come with any of that!!the staff were more than happy to provide the veg and potatoes which were also delicious. Had they not, then it would have been even more poor value for money. At £21.95 for 2 courses it makes the vegetarian option (pasta in cream sauce with button mushrooms and salad for starter) extremely poor value for money - they did well on their GP% with me! if you eat meat and fish then the menu is better value for money but there are extra supplements for more expensive cuts.we really wouldn't rush to go back as there are much better gastro pubs in the villages around the town that would have more atmosphere and represent better value for money - even with the extra petrol to get there!

Quite disappointing compared to last time. The Portions were a bit stingier - particularly the meat and veg (as very generous on our last visit which we had raved to friends and family about). This is disappointing considering the amount we spent which meant it didn't feel as good value for money as before. Having to pay additional £4 per person (on top of set menu price) for cheese selection was slightly annoying given a recent review on here suggests they were given a cheese Selection instead of dessert at no extra charge. We wouldn't go back unfortunately due to the value for money issue which is a shame as we were so impressed the first time. This opinion may not be agreed with but that's what this site is for - opinions/reviews - and our two experiences alone just go to show how different they can be.

This was my second visit to Restaurant 20, after an enjoyable visit in early February. There were four of us eating, the same group of us that visited previously and we were equally impressed second time around.I cannot fault the food, all four of us were fully in agreement on that. Two of us had warm goats cheese salad to start, which was very good, my brother in law had the carrot soup, which he described as delicious. My sister in law had home made hummus, which was also good, but apparently not as good as the other two starters!For main course, I had the slow roasted pork belly. Excellent, beautifully cooked and good portion size. Really, really enjoyed it. Sister in law had Lamb Shank and was equally impressed and my wife and brother in law shared the cote de bouef. I was fortunate enough to have a few tastes of this, absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection!!A couple of us had just enough room for dessert and whilst these were both enjoyable, the stars of the show were definitely the main courses.We had a bottle of white - which i can't comment on, as I didn't have any, but the bottle of Multipulciano d'Abuzzo we also had was excellent.At last a decent restaurant in Swindon that isn't Indian or Chinese (there's a couple of really good ones of each in Swindon thankfully)!Service was good. The restaurant was about two-thirds full (Sat night), so atmosphere was fine.Thoroughly recommend a visit.

My partner and I visited on a very quiet night on Wednesday just after Easter. In fact it was so quiet we were the only ones in there! We had been before (twice) and each time have had very nice food. The main courses were excellent with a nice selection, the sweets very acceptable, thewine very nice (multipulchiano d'abruzzo). I used my Tastecard which also reduced the price!Quite possibly the best meal in Swindon old town. Service excellent.

The food is very good and I think it is at least the top food in the Swindon Town.Services are excellent. We asked birthday cake. It was home-made style and very nice.

The evening was a 50th birthday celebration. I have never posted a review of any kind on the net before but my experience of this restaurant could not be ignored. Starters, for the money? Poor quality. Mains? Steak pie was fatty, sweet and resembling soup. One member of our party was served ten minutes after everyone else with part cooked potatoes. I could write reams regarding the food, which is what, in essence, you visit a restaurant for. But to sum up? I would say, extremely disappointing.We complained, made our feelings known to the chef. He was honest, apologetic and more or less agreeable regarding the food. It was when we came to settle the bill which exasperated the evening. I can only assume the the person we spoke to was the owner. He was confrontational and accused us of using our complaints regarding the food to get a free evening. This was never the case. I think we would all agree we are more than happy to pay good money for quality. But the above, no! Shame.

Visited Restaurant 20 early on saturday evening. The place was empty apart from us and quite a large party. They were very loud and this was quite off putting in a largely empty and echoey room. The potted crab starter was very good and tasted lovely and fresh. Two of our party went for the special board rib eye steak which I am told was absolutely delicious. I had the sea bass and the other of our party went for the mushroom risotto. All dishes were very tasty and beautifully presented. None of us could finish any of our dishes as the portions were very large. The strawberry mousse was light and creamy and highly recommended.The service was good and we found the food faultless but I think the place lacks atmosphere. It's is very well decorated but lacks character. It can be very noisy when full, I would recommend Restaurant 20 for superb value for money, real quality food and portion size, but would go elsewhere if you are looking for an intimate dinner.

The food was good here, but its a shame that you have to walk through the Kings bar in order to get to it. i can image that a friday and saturday night can get a little distrupted by the 'meat market' that goes on in the bar and dancefloor!

Booked table for my birthday on a Wednesday. Very quiet but service was excellent. I had the hummus and pitta breads with two oils - lovely and fresh. Partner had tomato soup and really enjoyed it. The duck and sea bass mains were gorgeous and the bread and butter pudding divine.The only suggestion I would have would be to close the blinds and the door as people going to and from the loos and outside for fags is a little distracting.Free parking at the back was a bonus. We will be back but probably not at the weekend as I'd imagine it would be very noisy.

We are new to the area, and we are relying on the valuable comments on tripadvisor.co.uk to help guide us. All we wanted was a decent, casual but 'special' restaurant. We call to confirm if reservations were needed, and of course, because as #1, they were 'fully booked'. Knowing this made us want 'in' even more! So we chance it and drive over, only to believe we were in the wrong place, because all we could see was a bar, an empty dance floor and lots of flashing, coloured lights. We were in a nightclub, surely, but the signs all validated this was Swindon's #1, so we cross the dancefloor and go through a door where a ''restaurant'' soon emerged. Two young gals were running the joint, and they said they would be serving again at 9:30PM, since they were so busy with a function in progress. We understood and said we would gladly wait the 30 minutes to finally enjoy Swindon's #1. Despite the empty tables, we got the feeling that we'd have to 'wait' back in the bar near the dancefloor. Me being pregnant, I wasn't really ready for the Saturday night out clubbing it, and perhaps this was easily seen in my face so the waitress took pity and said we could sit in the restaurant and wait. We were still trying to get the lay of the land, so to speak, but all was OK so far. At 9:05PM, the waitress came over and announced that the chef said he/she was now free enough so we could order. We selected a starter and main and enjoying the deep base coming from the dancefloor. While it was a little confusing, we were still so looking forward to the food, again, as this was Swindon's #1 and we got in! Starters approach and my husband's prawn cocktail (served classically in a wine glass) is tipped over just clearing him. We are reasonable people and we know this stuff happens, so it wasn't terrible. But as my hummus and pita starter sat there while I waited for my husband's second starter, it was clear the tiny pot of hummus was crusted over (OK, fine, maybe this was the result of something OTHER than sitting out for hours), and when I dug in, the accompanying basil oil was just confusing. I mean, even a tiny pot of olive oil is all that's needed for this starter to make sense. We continued on, but by now, the dancefloor is getting busy, and we knew this because men and women started making their way from the dancefloor, past the restaurant area, to 'somewhere'. I first assumed there was something special going on, requiring groups of drunk people to stammer by. Then it became clear, partly from the smell of smoke, that all of these people were either heading for the toilet or having a smoke. By now, it was nearly 10PM, so things are really pumping. Opposite the restaurant was, apparently, the kitchen and we spotted my half dome shaped risotto was sitting, waiting for collection. There was no sign of my husband's main, so there my risotto sat, lonely. Then it was taken away, likely to be placed under a stronger bulb, then the other main appeared so game on. A few minute's later, both were brought over. My half dome shaped risotto looked looked like, and had the texture of, rice pudding with lots of peas. Sadly, it was not a great dish. My husband's venison pie, claimed to be prepared with a flaky pastry crust, looked more like a frozen pie that had been baked and then reheated as the flaky pastry crust became a brown lid over stew. On a scale of 1 to 10, mine was a 2.5, his was a 3. Overall experience, well let's just say that I could use it in a scene for a screenplay I'm writing. Please tell me this isn't actually Swindon's Numero Uno restaurant. Someone, please tell me this.

My boyfriend and I went on a Saturday evening. The food was very good, but I would not say it was excellent, my lamb was a little tough. However the staff were friendly but not intrusive. There is a lot of potential here and I would go back without hesitation.

Found this place in desperation while staying in Swindon headed for another restaurant which was full,thankfully.The staff were so friendly and helpful and the chef made something off menu for us as the vegetarian option did not appeal,and it was delicious. .Has a lovely atmosphere and every course was spot on.My only suggestion would be to have more vegetarian choices on the menu there are 4 million of us !Thanks .

Probably My favourite old town restaurant!! cant fault the food and service. Try it.

We went to this restaurant on the strengh of reviews from this site and we weren't disappointed although if we hadn't' been looking for it we would have walked straight past as it looks like a bar from outside!The food was fantastic - I had a winter salad for a starter, duck for main and trio of chocolate desserts. It was all really delicious and we were really impressed that the food was brought to the tables so promptly. The waiting staff were excellent too and didn't hover.The atmosphere was lovely and the restaurant area was seperate from the main bar area which was a nice touch.

The food was stunning, compliments to the chef. The staff were excellent and couldn't do enough for us, although my only comment would be that the waitresses should be more highly trained in the finer points i.e. when the wine is brought to the table, open it and ask the guest to try it and check they like it., then I would class this as a truly 5 star experience. The setting is lovely and the atmosphere is good, but it still smells of stale beer and fags as you walk through the kings arms bar itself, you can't have it all though, and this should'n't deter you from enjoying this lovely restaurant.

Great food, good selection and nice atmosphere. However, the service lets the place down - we had a few problems with not getting what we asked for, or not being asked at all ! We got the feeling the staff were quite new and not overly confident, but they were very friendly and polite. We will definitely go back.

Visited Restaurant 20 with no planning ahead, so did not know what to expect. But we had a perfect evening, good food, good service. In the past we have paid a lot more and eaten a lot worse! We will visit again!

Iast night I went to the restaurant 20 in the Kings Arms hotel for family meal. There were 9 adults and 3 children. The dinning area was cosy, clean and relaxing and the waitress was very friendly and helpful.The menu had at least 6 starters/main meals and desserts. All 12 of us had 3 courses and every course came out at the same time so no one had to wait.The standard of all meals were excellent.If you want quality food and excellent service at a reasonable price, I would definitely highly recommend

Went on 4th Feb, when it snowed, and thus it was quiet as people had cancelled. I am so glad we made the effort. The food my wife & I had was great, she’s a vegetarian & the chef did something off menu for her. I had the broth as a starter & that was almost enough for a main the lamb was great (ok; would have preferred it a bit pinker) & finished it off with a fruit salad as could not really eat anything else.If you want to eat out in Swindon try this place

We picked this restaurant for a family party because it was easy for us all to get to and also because of the reviews. None of us had been before.We were not disappointed. The staff were extremely helpful - both in accommodating all of us and also with some dietary requirements. There was good choice on the menu and all the dishes we had were first rate.The only quibble I have is that the sample menu showed steak and this was not available on the night we went. I understand a sample menu is just that - but I would have thought that steak was quite a staple in any restaurant. A few of our party were disappointed by this - but the venison pie did make up for this.All in all a great night and I would recommend this restaurant.

went to the restaurant with friends the staff were friendly good at their job and nice . food was lovely . i didnt give a 5 as my husbands mash was not that good and we had to ask for the wine to be put in the freezer as it wasnt cold enough ! we were told that it had just gone in the fridge before they opened , we would go again as these are only small things in an other wise wonderfull night .

We went her for my birthday last Thursday choosing it purely from TA reviews and are so pleased we did. (Easy free parking at the rear which saves you coming in via the bar which is sometimes heaving - turn right on the way up Victoria Hill btw the new flats)Our meals were delicious - smoked duck with black cherries and a smoked salmon and prawn pate, followed by heavenly 24-hour roasted belly pork and an apparently great lamb shank, followed by lemon syllabub. All courses were superbly cooked and beautifully presented complete with pansy!The only slight disappointment/surprise was that we were only people in the restaurant all evening - a first for us. But apparently it was unusually quiet in general and the bar was deserted too and that's usually chokka on a Thursday - maybe as it was the week following new year? Having said that our waitress was friendly, looked after us very well and the atmosphere was relaxed. It's a great, very welcome find in Swindon and we'll definitely be back!

Incredible!!! The braised Ox cheeks were simply one of the best dishes I have ever had. The knife slid through the meat without even having to cut and it just melted in my mouth. The girlfriend had food envy which was a surprise because her duck main course was delicious too. The pate starter was packed with flavour and kicked of a truly memorable meal. The service was just right, warm and friendly, not in your face and overbearing or relaxed to the point of neglectIf you are looking for fine dining, at a fine price, then go!!! You will not be disappointed

Well, I started writing this review having in mind that a 3 star (***) should do for this restaurant but then, when I tried to put my finger on where exactly my problem was, where EXACTLY the bad impressions came from, I couldn't really find anything I disliked or felt was average. The food was really very good, prepared with care and beautifully presented, the choice of wines excellent and the waitress friendly and helpful. So I decided to go for 4 start (****) instead. I would have probably preferred a dining room with more light, or different stylistic view but. overall, It turned out not to be so important. Easily recommended for everyone!

13 of us celebrated my Mum's 60th birthday in the newly decorated private dining room last Thursday night and couldn't fault anything about the whole evening! I went to the venue during the afternoon to put up balloons/banners etc, which they were perfectly happy for me. I thought this was really fair of them seeing as I was just about to stick blu-tac all over their newly painted walls!Darren, the head chef & his team provided us with a really lovely, and brilliantly presented three course meal. The standard of the food was excellent and all 13 of us enjoyed every course.The main pub was quite quiet that evening but they agreed for the disco to start up just to please our group and this really helped to make the night.We were originally supposed to be dining in the restaurant but I called & asked if we could have the private dining room - there was no hesitation from them, and they didn't charge a room hire either.Nothing was too much trouble for them from start to finish! I would highly recommend!They also allowed a three year old to come along too and catered for her really well.And, the new 20 restaurant is lovely too - a great transformation!!All in all, a very surprising and enjoyable experience.

went here for a friends birthday, we all had a 2 course meal and the food was absolutely beautiful along with good presentation, definately be going again and would like to try the dessert menu which had been recommended by a friend

It is not easy to find great food in Swindon and my friends and I were very pleasantly surprised by the food in the Kings recently. The restaurant has been refurbished and looks lovely and there is a new chef. The food was elegantly presented and very good. I'd recommend people try the Kings restaurant (for those who use the bar and have not thought of this venue for food). We had a lovely evening and the staff were lovely and helpful too. Tara

On a Saturday night my wife and I met with my daughter and her husband to celebrtae a birthday at Resturant 20The food was excellent and the waitress that served us was friendly and helpful. The chef came out at the end of our meal to see if we had enjoyed the food. The presentation of the meals was excellent and we all thought the food was very good value for the prices charged.As you enter the Kings Arms Hotel (the restuarant is located towards the back of the building) don't be piut of if the bar area looks a bit empty. The dining area is completely seperate .The restaurant was that busy for a Saturday night which was a shame as the food is really good. Give it a try!

if you like good food,you must try this restaurant,the food not only look good in its presentation,it tasted even better,WILL BE GOING AGAIN,SEE YOU THERE

Found this excellent restaurant on line, and was so glad we did. Checked the menu out and thought yummy... Was not disappointed, the food and the wine was outstanding. The staff were so welcoming and very efficient... Will be returning very soon... Thank you all at Kings.

I had a meal with my girlfriend last week. The food was amazing and the service was great. Highly recommend it!!

I personally echo other comments from the posts I have read about the quality of cuisine. The Food and how the menu is so cleverly put together is leagues ahead of its competitors!!! The Chef is outstanding and the establishment should be appluaded for launching such a fabulos restaurant. I have now been to the restaurant on several occasions and have yet to be disappointed, the most recent time was with work colleagues and they were all very impressed with the food and menu, one of the guests has eaten in the top establishments in London and he was very complimentary!!!I had the Wild Boar and it was superb, best dish I have ever eaten. I have also personally invested in Wood Street (live on the street) so I am very local to the restuaraunt and I am so pleased that it has opened, it brings class to the street - all credit to Darren the Chef and staff..... Normally you have to go outside Swindon for such good food, Bath Cheltenham, London etc... it is great Swindon finally has a restaurant that can challenge eateries in those places!!! Well done all, I hear there are further developments as well - keep up the good work and I really hope the good people of Swindon support your endeavour; I know I will continue to do so and have all ready booked for Christmas Day!!! Great food and great company what more can you ask for.....Certainly give it a go, you will not be disappointed!!!

Visited this restaurant on a thursday evening with family and the food was fantastic but was let down by a waitress wearing a soiled polo shirt who was unsure which menu we should be ordering from and was not arround to take the sweet order, we had to order from the bar.Our bill was over £100 for the food and worth it but the service let it down when you go upmarket you must train all your staff a new chef is not enough.

Who would have thought you would have found such good food at the Kings !I echo the other posts , by far the best restaurant in Swindon and for quite a few miles tbh We had a fantastic meal there , I can imagine we will be going back quite often now , as I love the bars in the area anyway And great value as well

We visited restaurant 20 after purchasing a groupon voucher and we weren't disappointed! We started with the Cornish crab which cost a little extra but was delicious and beautifully presented. The one piece of bread that came with it seemed a little disappointing initially but with hindsight as the entire meal was so filling I don't know if it would've been wise to have more! I had slow roasted belly pork with mash and it was amazing! My husband had brixham grey mullet with chunky chips and whilst he said it was nice, he would've preferred my main course. To finish we had the cheesecake which again was lovely and very well presented. It wasn't very busy but we didn't mind as there's nothing worse than trying to have a meal and feeling like everyone's sat on top of each other. The staff were very attentive, service was quick and it was a nice touch for the chef to come out and speak to the customers. The food is delicious but obviously you'll have to pay a bit more for this type of quality food. Not cheap but not horrendous either probably similar to three crowns prices but having never eaten at three crowns i don't know how it compares. Definitely recommend it and nice addition to old town eateries.

Incredible food, and good service.This has to be the best resturant in Old town.

This was the 2nd time that we have visited Restaurant 20 in Swindon and yet again the whole experience was AMAZING.The food is the best I have ever had, the presentation is stunning and the service was first class. The menu is exciting and the variety of food lets you try many different dishes and flavours. i can highly recommend the lamb tagine, which a few of us have now tried and we all rave about it.The desserts are to die for, my personal favourite is the Chocolate and Baileys Creme Brulee WOW.I went with work colleagues from Swindon Audi and the 10 of us that went had nothing negative to say at all, very well looked after and would recommend to anyone. Darren should be extremely proud of his achievementFIRST CLASS THROUGH AND THROUGH AND A MUST FOR EVERYONE TO TRY.

It's taken a while, but finally someone has taken on the task of setting up a restaurant in Swindon catering for fine British and European cuisine. For far too long, the SN1 area has been overpopulated by average at best curry houses, mediocre Italian restaurants and all you can eat Chinese buffets. With the opening of Restaurant 20 on Wood Street in the Old Town area of Swindon two weeks ago, Swindonians are being treated to yet another little expansion of the food culture that is slowly, but surely developing in this area of the town. Wood street already has a popular, lively and frankly fabulous little tapas bar, and next door to that there is a really nice French bistro that opened in the tale end of last year. After hearing about the new 20 opening my wife and I were quite excited about the prospect of eating there. We were handed a flier a couple of weeks ago that had a brief overview of what to expect on the menu and that immediately got out taste buds going! So off we went for our anniversary meal last night. Upon entering the restaurant that is within The Kings Arms, we initially thought the dining area was over-lit and too close to the busy bar area. As soon as we made ourselves known to the staff, all those fears vanished as we were cheerfully whisked away to the rear of the building, and into a quiet, pretty and warmly glowing dining area. The area we initially thought was the restaurant was just the bar eating area. The room was a nice size, with a small but well stocked bar as one end, immaculately clean, with warm tasteful décor throughout. The lady waiting on us (Joe) was really friendly, perfectly attentive, without being too ''in your face''. We felt completely relaxed and at ease from the off. The menu was brimming with delicious sounding modern rustic cuisine, and we were directed to a specials board that had eight different fish dishes, all freshly landed into a boat called Lucy-Loo that day. For starters I chose the beetroot gravadlax with pickled cucumber strips and a dill infused white balsamic vingarette. The lady went for the potted crap with a charred lemon and in-house baked toasted bread. Both dishes were superb. I love gravadlax and the recent trend of curing the salmon with beetroot always makes me smile, just for the fabulous colour the dish takes on! The crab was perfectly prepared, and so fresh tasting, I often find that shellfish dishes can be a little past perfect best, but here at 20, it was like the crab you eat on holiday that you've just pulled up from the harbour wall that afternoon!For main we both went pith pig. The lady went for the twenty-four hour slow roasted belly pork, and I went for the stuffed pigs trotter. Again both were exquisite. The belly was just about as perfect as belly could be with mouth melting tenderness to the meat, and with pork scratching style crunch and perfect seasoning to the crackling. My trotter was stuffed with beautifully seasoned pulled pork with apple and black pudding. An absolute joy in the mouth. The Mash was perfectly creamy and buttery and the rich jus rounded the whole dish off exquisitely. When it came to dessert, being the sucker for the cheesecake that I am, I went for the baked orange cheesecake, I was expecting to see oranges in syrup on the top, but was pleasantly surprised by the fact the orange flavour was throughout the cake. It was the perfect balance between lightness and density. I hate the cheesecakes that you all to often get served and the're like eating a mousse... or at the other end of the spectrum, are so dense they clog your mouth up and weigh about half a stone in their own right. I really enjoyed it. Wifey opted for the light option and chose the fruit platter, a really nice selection of prepared pineapple, apple, orange and strawberries with a raspberry compote. It was at this point that the chef (Darren) came out to our table to hand my lady a small shot glass of Stone's ginger wine to pour over her fruit should she like to. He was a really lovely guy, who was really serious about all the kinds of food issues we are (locality, seasonality, sustainability and the like) and seemed genuinely interested in what we had to say (mind you... it was mostly compliments). We left 20 with full (but not bloated) bellies, really really happy, and really excited about the prospect of eating there again. I wish every success to Darren and the team at 20. If you wanted to be really cynical about the place, it could be accused of jumping on a bit of a bandwagon with the current trends being what they are. But as that bandwagon has been no where near Swindon yet, it's hard to accuse 20 of this. Swindon is long overdue for a restaurant of this calibre. Long may it live!