Swan Inn in East Devon

We had 2 visits for a evening meal and both times were very good. Good food and service. Highly recommended.

On holiday, went twice, lovely place, great food. Would recommend to all

Lovely little pub, good beer, proper pub.

This was the worst barman we have ever met. He was rude, ignorant and totally unprofessional. We will never visit this pub again and hope other couples don’t have to suffer this experience 😞

We had a really lovely evening meal here during a short break in Sidmouth. A proper pub - bursting with character, run by a friendly and helpful team. Seemed to be a good mixture of locals and visitors. Always a good sign. Very busy and dog friendly. Pub food done very well. We had some nachos to share for starter - topped with a REALLY yummy chilli! Followed by some pub classics in the form of ham, egg and chips, fish and chips, and scampi and chips! All the chips! 😂🤦🏼‍♂️ Every dish resulted in clean plates! No complaints or niggles are all!

Visited a couple of times with friends during a weeks stay in Sidmouth, food was so good we returned a couple of days later. Lovely pub with a nice selection of cask ales too.

Stopped here to hide from the rain with our young children to read a sign on the door no children allowed inside the pub and only allowed to sit outside under cover. Totally understand kids aren't welcome in the evening but at lunchtime when the pub is not full? What's worse is that dogs are allowed in, clearly they don't like kids! *** YES THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLY RUDE RESPONSE ON TRIPADVISOR WE WANTED TO ACTUALLY HAVE LUNCH AT YOUR PUB TOO BUT QUUTE GLAD YOUR KITCHEN WAS CLOSED AS YOU CERTAINLY DO NOT DESERVE OUR CUSTOM OR THAT OF ANYONE ELSE WITH CHILDREN!!!!

Came for the promise of good pub food on the website, but was not impressed, meals were over priced for what they were, served in little awkward dishes on a wooden board. The one meal was congealed and peppery, the other was running with grease and most unpleasant, we left without finishing and are unlikely to return. As others have said the no child policy is not executed well, families are left outside with the weather and wasps, teens are publicly questioned over age rather than greeted & the choice of painting they display in the bar is not appreciated by anyone 14+ or not.

Stopped here to hide from the rain with our young children to read a sign on the door no children allowed inside the pub and only allowed to sit outside under cover. Totally understand kids aren't welcome in the evening but at lunchtime when the pub is not full? What's worse is that dogs are allowed in, clearly they don't like kids! No atmosphere, no happy welcome and toilets are outside in the garden... Considering this is in a tourist town I would not recommend for families.

We’ve had drinks here before but decided to try the menu on this visit . So good ! Compliments to the lovely staff and the service was great . The menu is very comprehensive , as is the drink choice . The food was really good as was the guinness . A proper pub with great booze and food . Really nice vibe to it , will definitely return . Thanks so much !

Visited during folk week, an absolutely lovely pub. Friendly, cosy, great atmosphere and good beers and ciders!

Popped in for a late pint and found the best pickled eggs I have ever tasted, as well as a proper range of ciders- 4 ciders on tap- a miracle!!! Plus super friendly staff. No-one hassled me to drink up and I left 15 mins or so after official closing with cheery staff wishing me a good night. Lovely- thank you 😍

It's simply the best pub in the UK

Shout out to the two female bar staff who were working lunch Friday 9th. They gave a very warm welcome and great service. thank you.

This was fab. I was there for folk week and will be going back this week. Fab food, fab beer, and great service every time.

Not sure what the other reviews are on about. Family of six, including two children and one doggo. Sat in the decking area, really welcoming, friendly etc. Food excellent and plentiful. The chilli was absolutely delicious btw

After walking past this nice looking pub on our holidays, we thought we would pop in for a nice lunch only to be told that there is a no under 14s policy in the pub at all and were offered to eat outside on a small decking area with tables squashed together. We were disappointed about this and decided not to stay. After looking on the website to see it welcomes dogs over children is very shocking. Wouldn't recommend visiting this unwelcome pub.

I, and some work colleagues visited the Swan on 23 July. On entering the premises, we were greeted by - er - no-one. Not one member of staff to be seen. However, two came to our rescue a couple of moments later. We explained that we had booked a table and were duly shown to one. Originally for 6, but 2 couldn’t make it for health reasons. After some quite unnecessary remarks by the female server, we were shown to another table. Menus were brought to the table, but we had to ask for drinks. The food went from ok to awful. The website promises “traditional, satisfying, local and hugely popular favourites, but with flair and personality “. I had the crab and prawns salad. The crab was ‘mushy’, so I guess it had been frozen, and there was a dessert spoonful of tiny prawns. I’m not impressed by the use of 3 bowls where one will do - just put it on one plate, using the same amount of flair and personality as was used putting it all in a large soup bowl. The drinks were delivered to the table, without incident except for a Diet Coke which was flat and a glass of water with lipstick marking the rim. The Sauvignon Blanc was good however. The staff really need some customer service training because they were poor at it. No, very poor. There are much better places to eat and drink in Sidmouth and we shall be going to those in future.

Good food, great range of drinks, welcoming staff. Good place to relax and chat after a day’s sightseeing. Second time here and not the last we hope.

Nice pub with a friendly atmosphere. Good real ale. Went in with friends for drinks and chat. Sat in garden area. Very enjoyable.

Went early evening on a busy day of Euro football. Pub was still full of diners and service was good. Food was also good and nice old pub interior. Would certainly go again.

L shaped room with an adjoining room to the right. Food being served which smelt amazing. Tap beers and a few real ales available. Cash or card payments. Most of the ceiling and walls are a wooden panelling which as been painted. Wooden floor in bar, adjoining room was carpeted more like a lounge where people dined. Marquee outside at the back of the premises for outside drinking. Staff were friendly and polite. Beer was good. Enjoyed my visit.

Great pub. Huge, sunny beer garden with a ith covered area. We didn't eat here but the food smelled really good 😊

Very cozy pub with excellent service and a good choice of beers. Lovely outside seating area. Dog friendly. The food is very good. It is pub food but to a high standard - the chips are amazing - not fatty at all and crispy as they should be.

Very nice pub didn't have any food just a drink found it expensive.

Great place , good atmosphere, well run, a proper local

Lovely pub with a very nice atmosphere,pleasant people and owners,the food was delicious!🦢

The food was rather mediocre, the prices were rather high. At least two local pubs offer better value for money.

Did not need to be so unfriendly

Came here yesterday had good reviews and didn’t disappoint. Food was great value and the portions were large. Steak and ale pie was great as was the fish and chilli nachos and coleslaw was and made too. Great pub for a bite to eat if your in Sidmouth

Lovely little pub, nice beer garden and selection of beers, ales and ciders, food looks amazing although I didn't eat this time, did try one of their 80p pickled eggs which are the best I've ever had, if you want a propper old pub with a chilled atmosphere this is the place, and dog friendly, (did see a ghost)

A beautiful little pub just in the back streets of Sidmouth. Not on the beaten track but - as always - ask the locals. I'm a local. I live here. Excellent food - great outdoor area - dog friendly - superb choice of wines and beers

Beautiful fresh food served by expertly attentive staff. Warm friendly atmosphere.

It was raining and we had an hour to kill before our reservation at a nearby restaurant so we popped in for a drink and a snack. But no crisps! A pub with no crisps!

We visited Sidmouth on a sunny day in March, and wanted a dog friendly place. We were very happy with the friendly welcome, nice food and dog friendly bar. Recommended.

Absolutely delicious meal. Roasted mushroom and Ale pie and Handmade Chicken fillet burger. The salad was delicious with a whole variety of salad ingredients. Coleslaw was wonderful. Crunchy chips, and all piping hot. Service was wonderful and so friendly. Lovely old fashioned traditional pub. Can't recommend highly enough

Very tight fit in the bar area if any small numbers of people are present. We stopped in for a fast pint.

Came here a few weeks ago after a recommendation, after experiencing awful service and rancid food the recommenders were extremely embarrassed. The food was what I would call weathspoons standard. Unfortunately would not be recommending & certainly won’t be returning!

Wouldn’t allow an 18 month old into the pub on a cold Sunday afternoon when there was quite clearly plenty of room. Was told we could “sit outside”. It’s January. There’s ice on the floor. Never known such a welcome 😅 And before the landlord comes at me for “not checking social media or seeing the sign on the door” (as appears to be his go to response), I have checked your Facebook and having scrolled back as far as august 2021 there is zero mention of children. Yes your website does state your archaic rule but having never experienced anything so bizarre in my 18 months of being a parent I didn’t feel the need to check. And no I didn’t see your sign on the door, I was too busy trying to establish if you were open considering how dead the place was. If I could give a zero rating I would. It seems from other reviews that we may have dodged a bullet anyway as it appears anyone from out of town are treated as though they have the plague anyway. ETA - it was not sub zero temperatures (it would have been overnight but I certainly wasn’t going for a Sunday family stroll in -2°!!) but even if it had been my child would have been appropriately dressed and cared for. By all means defend your pub and its ridiculous rules. By all means stalk my social media to establish I’m married (Loveridge and Chandler are not the same surname!). But DONT YOU DARE come for my parenting abilities. Ps. My husband’s name is GlenN.

Discovered this pub on our last visit to Sidmouth when searching for a cheeky beer. Came back again and enjoyed a lovely lunch & beer. Great pub, beer was spot on & food was fab. Bar staff could not be more friendly, made us and our dog feel super welcome. Love that as you walk in you're greeted by dogs chilling whilst their owners have a drink, sets the vibe for the pub. If authentic pubs with home cooked food & great beer selection are your thing you will not be disappointed here!

Lovely food and quick service- highly recommended 👍

Took my son in lunchtime lunchtime today for a treat. Maybe Monday not a great day to go but we had fish and chips at around £17ph. Chips tasted like oven chips so not great, both bits of haddock were exactly the same shape and size and were obviously out of a packet, batter nothing special and obviously not homemade. Peas were the nicest thing. Come on, you won’t get people back with this overpriced and very average meal, we could have eaten at Dukes for the same price and had a faultless meal. We did have chips with Camembert and cranberry sauce before Christmas and this was lovely but for this price and the competition around the food needs to be consistently good.

Turned up after a 3 mile walk, tired and thirsty. We were refused service. It was 3pm, barely anyone in. There were 4 of us with 4 dogs but that wasn’t the issue. We had an 18 month old with us and they don’t allow children! I understand some places might now allow children in after 7/8pm but this was pathetic. Never had this before. Get with the times as that’s a few rounds of drinks lost.

The Swan in Sidmouth is a delightful local pub that embodies warmth and charm. The crackling open fire creates a cozy ambiance, perfect for escaping chilly evenings. The menu offers a delightful array of hearty and tasty food, satisfying any craving. The diverse selection of drinks caters to all preferences. What truly sets The Swan apart is its friendly staff, who contribute to the inviting atmosphere, making it a cherished spot for locals and visitors alike.

Great beer and a cosy pub,perfect after a day out

: ein sehr schönes Abendessen verbracht, gutes Essen, die Biere munden auch. Gerne wieder!

Met a friend here for a drinks only. The ale I had was perfect and the atmosphere was great. Definitely will return.

Great little pub food very good and tasty 😋 Great atmosphere and warm on a very chilly day in November thanks

As ever, excellent food, too much so doggy bags required! Pleasant, helpful staff and a good selection on the menu.

Only had a couple of pints. Warm atmosphere and happy to say a proper pub.

We found the Swan Inn very welcoming with our little dog. Great Guinness and lunchtime hot meals. Fabulous brie and cranberry jacket spud. A cosy place to visit.

A splendid traditional well pub with fine ales + excellent food. You will want to return time + time again! Highly recommended

They do not allow an 11 year old to eat dinner inside!!!!!!! Absolutely absurd, and completely shocking. Is this the 80s still??!

Dogs welcome inside Children outside, in November! Pleace was dead and im not surprised , we we’re practically thrown out!

Shocking attitude of staff, no apologies for crab that was clearly bad, told not to order at the bar rudely, quality of food shocking for the price. I know hospitality say they are struggling but if staff aren’t polite, show courtesy when an issue is raised, what hope is there.

Great pub,staff friendly, had a very nice couple of pints of Youngs bitter.

Excellent quality food. Beautiful Sunday lunch with lovely vegetables with gorgeous cauliflower cheese. Great service too.

Ales are kept well kept with three on offer plus ciders. Small pub with bar area with limited seating plus a restaurant area to the right. Outdoor seating is available as well when the weather is nice. Had a meal when I visited and this was superb. Well with selling out this pub which is just off the main street.

Quite often, pub grub is rather poor and some pubs are just too focused on the revenue generating aspects. This pub is quite special. The staff are welcoming, happy and very pleasant. They serve great beer, which is properly looked after. And the food is splendid. Freshly-cooked, good range, and really good vegetarian options. The mushroom and ale pie was really top-notch. Loved it!

Great traditional pub, great food too.

Very friendly welcome. Good choice on menu. Food well cooked and presented, Would recommend. Good choice of draught beers.

A fabulous roast beef sunday lunch. Perfect roast beef, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and gravy. Great selection of fresh vegetables, including red cabbage and cauliflower cheese. All beautifully cooked, Reasonably priced too. If you have room for pudding, strongly recommend the chocolate fudge cake. Excellent staff. We will be back. Booking is advisable.

Stopped in food good reasonably priced. Toilets clean. Good atmosphere and bar staff.

Great local pub - garden lovely to sit in. Food excellent 👌😋 Staff welcoming.

Cosy pub with wood-burner and good pub food. We enjoy a lunchtime visit to The Swan especially in the Winter when the wood burner is so welcoming.

Just popped in for a drink whilst on holiday, lovely outside seating area. Lovely atmosphere.

Great home cooked food and fast service

Excellent atmosphere service and food. Recommended.

We hadn't booked (even in September you need to book a restaurant more than a day in advance!) but they accommodated us at a table in the lounge. The fish and chips was really good. Nice batter and very crispy, triple cooked chips. My wife has the scampi, which she said was delicious. Good value and good ale.

Lovely pub to visit. Staff were very attentive and nice choice dishes available. Can be busy but worth it

Great place to eat, visited twice while holidaying in Sidmouth, both times the food was delicious. Really nice pub with good service.

Loved this pub as it’s such a traditional English one. Staff friendly. Menu traditional pub food but nicely cooked and good portions. Reasonably priced. Would eat here again.

We were luckily booked in for dinner after a very wet afternoon watching the airshow. It is a crowded pub, with a great ambience, good beers and friendly accommodating staff After a drink to warm us up we scanned the menu for dinner - a pub grub menu we settled for burgers, a goats cheese salad and a mushroom pie. The food was tasty, the burgers coming with a wonderfully constructed bowl of salad, teh chips were good. we had an apple and blackberry crumble and chocolate fudge Overall satisfying, nice place to visit

Had a good evening at the Swan, glad we had booked on a busy Airshow/Regatta August Bank Holiday weekend. Beer very well kept, my husband (who used to work for a brewery company) very impressed with the state of the beer, the degree of line-cleaning when a barrel was changed & the cleanliness of the glasses (all really important when you serve real ale). Food was good.. a bit expensive compared to where we come from.. but pretty normal for Sidmouth having looked at other restaurants' menus - and no complaints about the quality, lovely goats cheese salad (decent amount of cheese, very fresh salad, good dressing) and my husband enjoyed his 'pie of the day'. Caters well for gluten free which for me as coeliac was important as other places in Sidmouth not so switched on about this. Staff attentive but not overwhelming (keeping an eye on the dining area but not asking every 5 minutes if 'everything is ok' - perfect balance for me). Would happily eat & drink here again, looking forward to our next visit maybe next year for Sidmouth Folk Festival.

Un peu en retrait du bord de la plage ce pub sert des plats frais de qualité. L'accueil est très sympa !

Great pub especially during Folk Week.

One of our favourite venues during Folk Week. Always made welcome and we have a great music and song session. Fabulous range of ales and good honest pub grub. It does get busy!

Nice cosy atmosphere and friendly locals

As always, The Swan was the perfect setting during this folk week. They never cut corners and still serve in glass rather than plastic and have a full selection of wines and spirits plus a tasty menu. Staff are always friendly and dogs are welcome. Always a pleasure to visit at any time of year. Just lovely! 👍

We visited during Sidmouth Folk Week. Went to the Swan for lunch. Very busy and was lucky to find a table! Food and service was very good and there was a lovely atmosphere with live music!

We ended up calling in as every other pub booked up. My daughter enjoyed her burger but the rest of us not that impressed. Not cheap either!! Our food was quite a wait and we ordered first. Others were waiting over an hour. It was a busy little pub though.

Lovely pub, tucked away but close to town and sea, great food & beers and lovely atmosphere!

This is probably the best pub in Sidmouth! It’s got real character, has very welcoming staff and a great selection of real ales (& ciders). Food-wise there’s plenty of choice. We went for the chilli and jacket potatoe with prawns. All very tasty and fresh. The side salad was exactly what one wants - all crisp, colourful and flavoursome. No wilting lettuce! All in all a great experience. Of course in early August they host a beer festival to coincide with the Sidmouth Folk Festival (also not to be missed). There’s live music every day in the pub and the garden. Make sure you pop in for a pint (& food) when visiting Sidmouth - it’s great!

very good food and service well worth a visit

Decent menu and friendly service

Old fashioned pub, serves excellent Butcombe beer. Nice to be able to sit outside, although covered area provides shade there is a limited area to sit in the sun if you wish to. Functional tables and chairs, after all they are outside. Menu looked good, however, as only wanted a light bite just had a bowl of chips. Excellent. Noticed the baguettes looked delicious and certainly generous portions. Would certainly return when in the area again 👍.

Sat for a meal on Friday Eve . Good atmosphere, staff were really nice . Food !!!!... proper old English pub with proper grub. Fresh and homemade . Actually Banging 💪👍Place is right up there tbh and very cheap (prices need to go up as the standard of food is first class ) . Not often u find little gems like this but definitely one to go back to .

The staff were very friendly and the food freshly cooked and tasty. We really enjoyed our lunch here. We had fish and chips and scampi and chips, and ordered a side of onion rings, was a very good portion size. The pub is cute and had some amusing decor in the toilets! Was a few minutes walk from the beach and a car park. Would definitely come again.

Last year came here and had a great meal and experience with a 5 star rating. Completely appreciate in hospitality 12 months is a very long time. Was looking forward to coming back to the Swan but that was a very big mistake. From my experience it’s gone 180 degrees in the opposite direction from excellent last year to poor based on my meal tonight and wouldn’t return. Sat down and immediately there was a musty smell, whereas last year it was super clean. They are cleaning the tables but might have something to do with the cloths but whatever it just didn’t smell as clean as previously. No steak on the menu which u thought was a bit odd but sort of glad given what I then ordered. Glass of wine arrived with dirty glass which was another warning sign. Ordered scampi and chicken fillet. Immediately the plates came I knew things had changed. I eat out enough to tell the love had long since gone from the kitchen and then tasted it. It’s not often that I leave half the plate as I did here. The scampi tasted weird it was either super cheap/poor quality or cooked in old oil. Either way it was very poor and such a shame compared to last years brilliant meal. My brother had what I can only describe as a well charred chicken burger. I had thought about ordering the chilli or curry but glad I didn’t when I saw them arrive at a few other tables when they came out in super fast time in bowls. Non looked appetising. Unfortunately it reminded me of the dying days of the blue ball which use to be great then 4 years ago changed owenership and has never recovered. When they cleared the plates and asked how it was there was zero point making a full scale complaint as I could tell the two women running it really couldn’t care they were there just to serve up something. I said it was ok and she absolutely knew what I meant and that I wasn’t happy but saw no point making a full on complaint and she didn’t want to deal with it. So we were both ok with that as I wasn’t intending to return based on the food regardless of the excuse I was given as there were too many issues to fix here. It’s really such a shame and I’m really disappointed as i was so looking forward to coming back to the swan but I won’t make the mistake again. Some people will think the food is amazing but I’m not sure why but good luck to them. To others you have been warned. Whoever was cooking my meal last year was far better than the people cooking the food and running it tonight. I think if your coming here for a lunchtime baguette or very basic salad they will be able to deliver that but not much more and I think the menu supports that. If the owner wishes to respond pls tell me where the previous chef/cook went to and I’ll go to that venue next time.

Visited 23/6/23. Home made food which was ok, tasted nice. Good value for money, got what we paid for. What more can you ask for! Toilets clean and tidy and decent local atmosphere. Friendly staff.

Wonderful meal and great service

Had a meal here, not overly child friendly, but is in fairness a proper pub. So to be expected. They were able to accommodate us without any trouble. Lovely staff. The food was great and good value. Would visit again.

Lovely little place to eat. We had a vegetarian spiced lentil burger and macaroni cheese which were very tasty. Service was quick. The place was clean. Would strongly recommend this place.

GreT place for a meal and a drink staff fantastic

Went here twice during our week's holiday and both times enjoyed excellent meals with friendly staff. Would definitely recommend

Good food, good ale friendly staff, dogs welcome, my favourite pub in Sidmouth 👍

Went as a family of 4 for dinner. Very tasty, well presented food. Friendly, prompt and helpful service. Excellent prices. We wouldn’t hesitate to go back here. 100% recommended.

As promised in my review of the 11 March 2022, we're back. Supporting the current Sidmouth jazz festival, enjoyed in the sundrenched, flower filled rear garden. Featured in the Good Pub Guide, this is a cheerful old fashioned town-centre locals' pub. Well kept ales and...

If you want good pub grub at good prices this is the place for you. The menu provides a good choice. The portions are large. We only managed a main course. Food quality is very good. Service is good & quick to say it is...

Really nice pub, delicious food, friendly staff, my only gripe for the money the portions were a bit small, but i would still recommend 😊