Swan Inn in Colchester

Mackenzie was very attentive to our needs regarding food and is polite and very approachable

Very friendly pub lovely people especially Mackenzie lovely girl goes out of her way to help you

Great staff great food...brilliant

Truly a great experience. Leisha is a womderful server and a true delight. Love it here and come almost every week. A great place and cannot recommend enough.

Come every week and really enjoy it. Leisha is lovely and a great server.

Waited so long for food and when arrived lots were over cooked and not editable was compensated with free drinks and bags of crisps. Free pudding too . Will not be returning to have food .

i am disgusted by this i have been waiting two hours ! for a steak small mac n cheese and chips all the ladies are standing around not helping the only good one was lewis and leisha were the only polite one who listened and helped all rest are standing the food was cold took ages not good at all really don’t recommend lewis and leisha deserve a raise! mac and cheese is all over the place aswell not good chef

Absolutely disgusted and disappointed experience due to inconsistent policy regarding admitting children to the premisses. I visited this restautant with my 9-year-old boy to watch a premier league football at 2pm on 29th Sep 2024 and almost immediately kicked out by an extremely unfriendly member of staff. She said children are not allowed in the bar area, even though I clearly remember there were children in the bar area, wearing football shirt on 17th Aug 2024 with their parents, even a baby on a buggy. I also checked the government webpage if there is such law/rule but counld not find any but this statement, 'there is no law that would cover alleged “discrimination” against children'. I appreciate some pubs do not allow children under 18 in a certain time, mainly in the evening without their parents, but there should not be any discrimination to 9yo boy with a parent at 2pm. This is absolutely unacceptable and surely I will never visit 'The Swan Inn' any more and probably other Hungry Horse pubs will remind me this terrible experience when I plan a dinner out with friends/family in the future. I would still love to hear about 1. exactly what rules were applied to me today and 2. the main difference I experienced today in the pub and other people with children/baby allowed to the bar area on 17th Aug 2024.

Had a meal yesterday evening. Had to wait 1 and a half hours for meal to arrive. Poor presentation, looked as though the meal was thrown on the plate.Food cold, steak pie was so hot it burnt my mouth, mash and peas cold. My friend had a steak no tomatoes. they forgot the onion rings, when they came out there was only two. We didn’t Waite to have a desert. The place was run down,the seat I sat on had a big slash on the seat.Truly a nightmare.We spent £30 between us.The one star was for the waitress, poor girl was rushed off her feet.

Dirty. Very slow service. Arrived today for a lunch time meal and was told a 30 min delay puzzled as to why as it wasn't busy. After an hour we cancelled, refunded and left. They do however provide free samples or food which is spattered all over the menus from the previous diners so at least you know what the food looks like after it's sat there festering for weeks.

Amazing pub great staff 10/10 highly recommend

Great experience Food amazing will be coming again

I came in and waited 1-2 hours, and to my surprise was bestowed an absolute distasteful nightmare and disaster, joke of a jerk chicken, to that end, DONT eat the jerk chicken in Swan Inn, Stanway.

Leisha, Lewis and Mackenzie make this place. They’re friendly, professional, accommodating and always have a smile on their face. It’s always a pleasure to see them.

Wow value for money and super great staff, fish chips mushy peas bread £6 how do they do it ! and not a small portion a normal size everyday portion and desert fish bowl size sharing £6 will be going back for sure 👍

Kenzie who served us was was so lovely and polite had nothing but big smiles and happy to help highly recommend the swan

Reasonably priced good beer and fantastic views with very friendly staff

Me and my freinds went to the swan for a couple of drinks, leisha and Lewis were our servers and they were absolutely wonderful couldn’t recommend it enough🫶

Been to this restaurant a few times and it is extremely friendly and welcoming. The staff are very good, especially McKenzie who can’t do enough for you. Sometimes you get the odd poor meal, but on average, it’s very good value.

Went for a meal with some work friends. The service was appauling, the food was absolutely disgusting after waiting an hour and a half for it. Shocking the food was allowed to leave the kitchen they way it did. Very very disappointed.

I think the chef needs to clean his griddle. Bacon cover black burnt remnants of what ever he'd been cooking before. Toast burnt & cold

Arrived at around 13.20pm found a table in the garden area as had a dog with us we managed to order food around. 1340pm southern fried chicken wrap and a fish finger baguette with chips there was about 13 chips just chucked on a plate and the food was just chucked together no effort put into it just a plate of mess maybe need to get a chef that can cut a baguette and make a wrap properly it came out just before 3pm they had one person on the bar and one waitress it’s the school holidays and this was not acceptable I was told when I ordered there would be a half hour wait but ended up being close to an hour and a half we were already dubious about returning to this restaurant after a bad experience the first time but definitely will not be returning anytime in the future save your money and go somewhere else

The food was nice and very reasonably priced. Took a little while for the food to arrive, but it was worth the wait. A large garden area out the back which is nice but the benches and tables need a little tlc.

Lewis was really friendly and helpful, made our experience extra special as it was my birthday. Food was lovely, highly recommend!

Makenzie and Kayleigh were amazing Perfect service

Our second visit in a few days. Both nights we waited more than an hour for meals. We were told that four staff had not turned up. Tonight we waited the same lengthy time. Food ok but nothing special when you think what we paid. Both visits were for birthdays, we asked for plates for the cake .. there were 11 of us and they brought us 5 plates on both visits. The napkin and knife and fork holder were empty and the bottom of the plastic container was very dirty. To be honest the knives and forks could have been cleaner too. There is certainly a big lack in staff. Based on my last 2 visits, it will be a long while before I go back.

This is an update to a review I left 8 months ago as I have need to change it following our most recent experience. The lock on the men's toilets is STILL broken (see pic) 10 months after I first reported it. The reply to my original review said they were gonna fix it. Obviously it's not high on their priorities. We come here semi often and food is normally very good. Sadly this time we must have been unfortunate to have a lesser experienced cheff. List of problems below... - Steak on full monty asked for medium but came well done and very gristly. - Sausages on mixed grill were like playdough. - Chicken on full monty and mini mixed grill over cooked and very dry. - Vegan burger very bland and flavourless. - Fries on burger were cold and had no taste .

Lovely family pub, fantastic staff very friendly

Roast dinner was not nice all was over cooked and and the meat was disappointing

Waited 1hr 20mins for food and when questioned, they stated that we weren’t even close to it being brought out!!

Is always good value for money

I came in with the wife on Thursday. The meal was not very good for both of us. The wife had fish chips and peas. There was all that good in the way it was cooked. The peas were like they're had been warm up about 3 or 4 times, and the chips were awful. They were not that cook. All that well. She left most of it on the plate. My meal was much the same. I had breaded wholetail scampi with mushy peas. I will not be coming back in the near future.

Was blown blown away by the polite and helpful service by the young helpful staff Mckenzie cannot thank her enough

First time visit and was everything we needed! From the food to the drinks and to the great conversation here and there with the team. Atmosphere was light and friendly. Lauren was fantastic, and really made the night. Definitely be back again.

Getting ready for the England game and very happy to be here. Mackenzie has been looking after us and should get a promotion!

great service, quick and friendly staff

Excellent food, good service and value for money £10 for Sunday lunch and a drink, I added cauliflower cheese and pigs in blankets for an extra £3.99, highly recommend food on a Sunday

Very friendly and quick service

Service is good. Always happy to help find you a table

Great venue for sport viewing Good choice of beers with excellent service

Good pub, great good, brilliant atmosphere big thank you to Lauren, George, Ellie

Absolutely amazing!!! The service was brilliant and the food was good too! We pre booked on the day and for 2 people was given a lovely large table. Prices were fab 👌

Wonderful staff, so friendly and welcoming, we feel like one of the swan family. The atmosphere is relaxed and we absolutely love coming here. Special mention to Lewis, Lisha, Mackenzie, Ellie and Terry for always making us feel so welcome.

Good food, good atmosphere especially for the football! Would recommend

Always my go too Green King pub when I’m in Copford

Good food, nice environment and can always have a bit of banter with the staff

Liam and Lauren have been fanstastic. Great atmosphere for football

We went as a couple, we found the owner and staff were all very friendly. The pub side of it full off regulars and pop ins all mixing together with a good atmosphere. Would easily recommend for a nice meal and drinks. 5 STARS 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Fantastic service and food. Everyone very helpful and the food was delicious. Atmosphere really inviting and comfortable x

Brilliant place and great staff

Great place for great value food and drinks, always a good atmosphere.

This is a lovely pub run by Terry it’s friendly with a lovely atmosphere , food is good the BEST IN COLCHESTER …it has a good seating area for drinkers and separate area for food !!

What a lovely atmosphere. Lovely beer. Lovely welcoming staff. Love to watch the football and cricket. Will be sure to return

Great place to come! Our local enjoying here! Great atmosphere Haven’t eaten here but always pretty busy! Mackenzie and Lewis are our favourite 😊

As a family of 4 adults and 1 child we thought we would give this establishment one last chance having had disappointing visits previously. I am afraid we won't be visiting again. Ordered 3 Sunday lunches which were cold, burnt and contained mash potato clearly from a packet. Stuffing was so hard couldn't even get a knife in it. The meals clearly had been microwaved (or rather not). Definitely has gone down hill, needs a refurbishment.

We again had Makenzie as our waiter and she was so lovely! she was as friendly and helpful including making my 1 year old nephew laugh! always a lovely pub to come into!

Our server was constantly smiling She said her name was mckenzie and always helped us with anything we needed Great atmosphere and staff constantly helpful and friendly

Makenzie served us a few times when i visited she was always smiling and constantly asked if there was anything we need or she could help us with Will be back soon !!!!

2 Meals gd out of 3. One had to be sent back. Was told we could have refund on afters. Went to desk and told young man instead of putting refund back into my bank he charged me again for already paid for afters. Tried ringing them and all l get is a bot called Charlie who can't deal with my problem. Cutlery in tray was almost empty except for knives which weren't clean. Only one waitresses rushed off her feet. Whoever sent me the email saying l wasn't charged twice was proved wrong. I was and getting refund after proof.

Great Hungry Horse pub. Always busy and someone's have to wait, but great value for good quality food.

Staff couldn’t do enough to help us. Many thx

Me and the family had a nice meal at the swan today in copford. Liam and the team did a great job and the food was really nice. Will visit again soon.

Easy to complain when places get things wrong. But my partner and I had the best experience and food there today 15/6/24 Liam our waiter was superb Attentive polite and hard working The katsu chicken was out of this world Perfectly cooked steak fresh salad Piping hot So when people do well We would like to say well done to the swan and Liam 👏👏👏👏💪💪💪

Have used this pub alot in the past few years, and it has always been good. But the last couple of visits have gone downhill. Both times it has taken over 2 hours to have 2 courses.. The food before was very good, with big servings, the quality has dipped a little, and the servings are not what they used to be. The staff were helpful and great, but I can only imagine they are very short staffed. 1 visit I'd overlook these problems,, but it all happened again the next time... Might be a while before we go back again unfortunately.

About 11.30am. There for brunch/early lunch. We were walk in, several tables reserved but still quite a few free tables. Staff very friendly, George was our main server etc. Food and coffee great, generous portions. No negatives, will return and also recommend 😊

Liam was a god send. Lovely service could not fault anything food was delightful definitely coming back.

Second time here and it was amazing once again! Staff were friendly and welcoming towards me and my family. Food was spectacular and piping hot. Loved the new summer drinks menu. Will definitely be back again soon!

Always the best when I go here love it very friendly staff lovely food

Considering multiple tables had problems with their food tonight all front of house staff were very helpful and apologetic

Served by Liam he was great. Come here often always enjoy the food and atmosphere ☺️

Great food and friendly staff, Liam was great 😁🍺🐿️

A family pub/ restaurant with very reasonable prices, food fine for price. Bit noisy but enjoyed our evening.

Last time we visited the food was very slow coming out. It didn’t appear to be that busy. Unfortunately the food was not brilliant but the wait staff offered to change but we had waited so long my daughter was just too hungry to wait.

Went for a family late lunch at a quiet time. The meal was large and great value. Received unobtrusive first class and friendly service.

Service was appalling, had to keep asking for cutlery and. Food ok. As we had a dog we was eating in the bar area, which we understand but the noise was horrendous as football was on the TV but just felt the screaming and shouting was excessive. Maybe the restaurant area would be more to our liking.

Super value food. Place in desperate need of a returb. Plaster falling off the walls in areas. Dirty interior. Dirty toilets, I refused to take my little girl in the men’s

Just had a meal for four at The Swan, the food was very well priced with very big portions. The service was quick and the food was good. We were served by Terry who was very helpful with recommendations, Liam waited on our table and was very quick with bringing and collecting our plates. We will definitely be coming back.

Went in for dinner today with my partner , and as always got the same warm welcome from the staff as we do any other time we go ! I decided on the Katsu Banquet , whilst my partner had the New York Chicken . Hats off to the place and the staff , especially the chef because this really was absolutely delicious ! The coating / seasoning on my chicken was just amazing and spot on ! Colonel Sanders (KFC) doesn't even compare to just how good this is ? Along with the gorgeous gravy for the chips both dishes were just superb 👌 Please don't change a thing .....its perfect and we shall definitely be in again as soon as we possibly can ! 10/10 all round 👏

Always great value for money food served by helpful and friendly staff 👌 👍. Thank you

Slight issue with one of our meals but was dealt with promptly and professionally.

All good. Various places to sit/eat/watch. Very good value food, a pool table, football on TV and quiet areas well away from that. It's a good hungry horse. Would recommend

Very badly cooked food and when I was asked if the food was ok I said no and the gentleman gave me a dirty look and walked off no friendliness in any off the staff it use to be lovely but it's changed

The breakfast was amazing ,staff always helpfull and the choice of food is excellent .This is always our first choice for brunch .

Good cheap food, but long waits for food and many missing items on the menu. It was quite a busy Friday evening, we had booked a table so that was all ok. But food just took so long. It was tasty and hot when it arrived but took over an hour from ordering, to main course. We had starters which came out fairly quick (within 15-20min of ordering) but the main course was slow. There was no fish and chips and also no all day brunch, perhaps ran out of food but need to keep things stocked well for a weekend! Seems a bit understaffed, the 2 waiters were nice but seemed rushed off their feet, and perhaps kitchen was understaffed too, not sure if due to staff holiday/sickness, or just cutting back on costs? I'm not worried about dusty lampshades or old decor like some other reviews, I like a cheap pub with good food, but over an hour for main course is too long esp if you have kids. Don't let it slip any further Greene King, we don't want to lose another hungry horse.

Busy for a Thursday evening but food and service good, didn't book but managed to get a table Kids menu is good with Colouring etc and high chairs available Staff working very hard and very polite, even when having to put up with moaning customers swearing at them Chicken new yorker was huge! So filling Not oical but would use again if we went to the zoo

We arrived at lunchtime and had no problem getting a table. Great meal and great ale. An old fashioned Pub it was a worthwhile experience just to be there.

Visited the Swann Inn for a spot of lunch today & it was nice to walk into a traditional pub with plenty of wooden beams which felt welcoming unlike lots of the newly built restaurants & pubs that have recently popped up in the area. There was a great family friendly atmosphere inside the pub & the food was delivered timely by polite & friendly staff. Our food was very good & we enjoyed our visit. We were served at our table by Beth & George & they were both very friendly & checked we were happy with our food. It was the first time I’d been there for a long time but will definitely visit again when in the area. Thanks to the team at the Swan for the great service, food & all round hospitality.

A lovely meal, a just on the off chance as we hadn't booked, but plenty of seating to choose from. Good size portions too much for us to finish, soon served well cooked and delicious but no room for a sweet. Recommend you try.

Excellent food and service from Liam Lisa and Josh We had a lovely lunch with friends for Sunday lunch Thank you guys your the best

A very tasty meal, steak cooked to perfection, friendly staff and a good price.

A very hot and tasty meal, and drink. Good value, friendly staff (especially Liam) what more do you need? The pub is a bit tired in its decor, but the food makes up for it.

We had a really tasty & enjoyable meal here this evening. Served by Lewis who was very friendly & helpful, food was so good & a really affordable price too. Portions were excellent. Korean burgers were so impressive & really tasty.

I emailed them asking if they allowed dogs and Terry replied saying in the bar or garden area which was great. When we arrived with my dog and Granddaughter I asked where is the bar that allows dogs. The man behind the bar said it was the sports bar area we were allowed but had to be over 18. I explained I had messaged and they said dogs were allowed in the bar. He was then quite rude saying I reply to Facebook messages and put that it’s the sports bar. I said it wasn’t on Facebook but an email and he just shrugged his shoulders and sarcastically said you can go in the garden! It was 6.30 in the evening, getting dark and cold!. We had travelled 30 minutes to get there that’s why I had emailed to check before we went so it was a wasted journey and an upset Granddaughter because that man wouldn’t let her dog in there. I emailed the pub and guest relations at hungry horse but no response.

Went there for a last-minute meal with my family and friend service was amazing. Beth was really helpful and helped my children pick their meals. George the manager was amazing came over to check that everything was okay with our food food was 10 out of 10 lovely stuff lovely surroundings and brilliant food and excellent service, what else could you ask for?

I had a lovely experience today as always. Food was amazing very happy children with lots of help and professionalism from the dream team George and Beth see you next time guys!!

Went to the Swan Inn for a lovely dinner at short notice. Service was great by Beth and the manager George . Both was very friendly and welcoming. George came over and asked if everything was ok. Really polite met my expectations and my dietary requirements. Would visit again and highly recommend.

Our waitress was amazing and made us feel really welcome! She was working really hard and made the experience so much more enjoyable. Had such a lovely smile and personality - I think she said her name was Beth. Would definitely return if everyone is like her

My family and I went for a meal the other day and my daughter has allergies. That Beth girl (the waitress) helped me out with the choices for her as I am almost fully blind! Decent wheelchair accessibility for my sister as well many thanks all will see you again soon! (Hear you again)

Amazing food! Ellie was our server and she was lovely, the lad on the bar was kind and very helpful as well meals came out quick and were delicious! Loved the experience will definitely be back again!

We had a lovely family here and the service was impeccable big thanks to George Bethany and Lisha who were all outstanding and couldn’t do enough for us. We will be back again very soon thank you.