The Choptank in Swindon

Rated the best place to eat in Swindon and the second best place in the whole of Wiltshire. That’s some serious hype to live up to especially when there’s three Michelin star restaurants to compete with. And does it? Yes, it does! The food was absolutely incredible, of the highest quality, and we experienced flavours we have never experienced before which made it truly special. We ordered 4 dishes and asked Michael to choose another 2 for us. You may notice a lot of reviews mention Michael by name. That’s testament to how personal the dining experience is. Every single dish was brought over to us by Michael himself and was explained in detail before we enjoyed it. This level of service is extremely rare and aside from the exquisite food itself was a highlight of the dining experience. Aside from Michael and his food talked about above, the general atmosphere was also fantastic. There’s a lovely cosy feel to the place. You’re made to feel as if you’re the only people there, and yet there’s a great buzz from all the other tables who are also having the same experience. That’s a very hard dynamic to pull off! Price wise, we spent a fair amount and for us personally it will become a special occasion place to visit. However, I really believe that for the quality of the food and dining experience it was worth significantly more than we paid, especially when you consider it’s rightfully rated higher than some Michelin star restaurants that would have cost 3 times as much. So really it’s a bargain for what you’re getting! A special shout out must also go to Natalie who was both friendly and fantastic. She gave us a lovely welcome when we arrived, took our coats and once sat at our table gave us the rundown of the restaurant as we had never been before. I’m sure anyone reading this will have experienced that annoying part of most dining experiences where you want something like another drink or the bill at the end and spend the next 10 minutes trying to awkwardly catch the eye of your server. Not with Natalie on hand! We’ve concluded she must be able to read minds as the second we thought we might like something she was there as if by magic. Fair play! I’ll be amazed if before long this place isn’t in the Michelin star guide, or even gets a star. Stop reading reviews and experience it for yourself!

The food was wonderful. The staff was friendly and the service was excellent. Highest rated restaurant in Swindon, I can see why.

Attended the tasting evening on Friday 13th September and cannot wait for the next one. Fantastic food and wine and really good service. Great atmosphere and Michael and his team can be very proud. See you again soon

We have just had a lovely Sunday lunch, food was great and served in a relaxed friendly manner. It was nice not to be hurried between courses unlike so many places that just want you gone to free up a table. We would be happy to recommend the choptank to friends and family. Thank you.

We had 8 dishes between 2 people which was more than enough! Superb flavour, excellent service - the chef explained every single element of every single dish and what to expect from the dish all table side. Nat was outstanding. Music and ambience was perfect - pretty sure it was my personal playlist. Best dining experience in Swindon by a mile.

Wow! This surpassed my expectations big time. By far the best food I've had in Swindon and I can't wait to go back. The chef talked us through each course which was lovely. The service was SO good, she is an absolute asset to the restaurant. We ordered 8 plates between 3 of us and it came out in pairs which meant it was perfectly paced and we ate everything. Highly recommend.

Absolutely amazing food. Mike, the chef, came over and talked us through the menu and answered any questions we had. All round a wonderful experience.

A great night out, excellent food (probably the best we have ever eaten in Swindon) and a really nice relaxed atmosphere. A cracking date night and look forward to returning!

I don't write a lot of reviews but the choptank kicks arse big time. We snuck in for dinner at 6 with no reservation so Micheal (food wizard) treated us to a quick 4 course taster style walk through. There are no doubts this is the best restaurant in swindon. Highlights - the butter - szechuan pork (peanut wraps) -Arancini (days to make, seconds to eat) -negroni Amazing service value and hospitality Xx

Absolutely fabulous food, the new waitress Abbey very good also. Come from greater London for a few days , will defoe be back

We chose 6 small plates and these were brought to the table in pairs which were nicely balanced and unlike when all tapas dishes are brought with some getting cold, improved the experience. The italian red we chose was nice and we finished with lovely rhubarb pannacotta and shared the cheese. The service was good and although not cheap, the meal was very good and justified the cost.

Have been a couple of times now and completely blown away with the food and attentiveness of the staff also the passion for the food you can see, taste and feel

Brilliant menu with attentive staff. Some of the best food dishes we've had locally. Will definitely be returning to here and the royal oak!

It was our first time here and it certainly won't be the last. Everything from the service, settings, quality of food, attention to detail, taste and texture was outstanding. If you cant decide where to eat. GO HERE!! It was our anniversary and they really went above and beyond to make us feel special. Natalie our waitress for the night was so friendly and knowledgeable of the menu and gave some good recommendations. The chef brought our food over and explained the dishes which made it feel like a very personal experience. Good value for money and great quality food. 10/10 would recommend!!!

We went to this restaurant for the first time having heard great things . From arrival, the staff attention to detail was lovely and attentive. The menu was unusual but it was so difficult to choose as all sounded incredible- there were 5 of us so we had a mixture to try. The chef brings the dishes out as he feels they go best together. All the food was delicious, particularly the tempura mushrooms, smoked salmon and the Boa buns were a big hit! Good choice of wine and reasonably priced. The chef was engaged and chatted to us about all the dishes and Roman the waiter is a credit to the whole experience. Definitely warrants the 5 stars and definitely will return.

Fabulous interesting food, very attentive staff. Great wines. Loved it just what Swindon needs and not expensive. Don't hesitate just book.

Amazing food Chef the best Only complaint having 3 finished plates removed when someone still eating Please wait for the party to finish and cleared together, not acceptable in a restaurant

After having a few drinks in The Royal Oak , we decided to eat in Choptank which was so worth it. Escorted by the amazing Tash to the restaurant to be greeted, seated and recommended a delicious red. Staff very tentative and explained the dishes, each dish looked and tasted delicious, full of flavour. Downside being you can only eat so many small plates so have to go back to try the others🤗

What a fantastic experience. Everything about this place is amazing— the staff, the food, the venue. Definitely my new favourite place to eat in Old Town. You won’t be disappointed.

Lovely restaurant where the owner clearly shares his knowledge and passion for food with you as the customer. Amazing food presented with care and precision and taste beautiful. Staff all welcoming and friendly. Can’t wait to revisit.

We are always looking for a nice place to eat in Swindon and we can't believe that this wasn't known about. We were referred to it and gave it ago. Normally in this area there is a 2-3 week booking time to get a quality Sunday lunch. Due to lack of advertising we booked on a Friday evening for the Sunday lunch. We don't expect this to last. The setting is really well designed and very comfy. Service is really nice and we felt very welcome. Entry is through The Royal Oak. We found the food absolutely awsome and definitely wasn't too go back to try the 'normal' menu. Definitely know that this is the new place to go in Swindon

This place is truly incredible! We live very locally and had no idea it had been taken over a couple of months ago and now I’m sad I’ve missed out on the last couple of months! The food is superb. I’d read reviews of ‘Michelin star food without the price tag’ with a slightly raised eyebrow but honestly that’s exactly what it is. Michael the chef had a Michelin star at a previous restaurant and he’s replicated some of the dishes here. It’s small plates which allows you to try a few things on the menu which is perfect. The tempura oysters have converted me from vowing to never eat an oyster again to wanting to eat a pile of them. The standout dish was the surf and turf cod loin and beef shin which was so incredible we ordered a second plate before we’d finished the first. The service is second to none, Roman greets you like an old friend and took the time to take us through the menu and wine recommendations. Michael also came out of the kitchen to serve some of his dishes and talk them through which was such a lovely touch, Needless to say we will absolutely be back and telling everyone we know about how wonderful it is!

This was possibly the most incredible meal I have had in a long long time. Stunning stunning food and service. I cannot recommend highly enough. Fabulous fabulous restaurant. Thank you for an s add maxing meal

Fine dining experience, beautiful presented and delicious. The most amazing food at a reasonable price, the service was impeccable, they made you feel special!

After a friends recommendation I booked Sunday lunch for my partner and family members. We were not disappointed. The service was fantastic, we were greeted by Roman, who looked after us so well, nothing was too much trouble. Michael the chef kept popping in to make sure everything was ok too. The Sunday roast was so delicious, we all had the roast beef. And I was even given an extra dish of roast potatoes as I had a bad experience previously where the potatoes ran out. I had the roasted pineapple for dessert, it was so good! I can definitely recommend this place. You won't be disappointed.

This is THE BEST food and dining experience in Wiltshire. Everything about this dining experience was spot-on. Michelin star food, Michelin star service and quality, at reasonable prices!

Incredible food, incredible service and each dish was presented brilliantly and tasted fantastic. Exactly what swindon needs. We will definitely be back!

Simply perfect. This was the most amazing meal we’ve had out for as long as we can remember. It’s ***by far*** the best quality food you’ll find in Swindon, or anywhere close by for that matter. It’s a “small plates” experience so you get to try lots of different foods, and with every plate - the first mouthful elicited the same response, which was for us to look at each other wide eyed and go “wow!”. The atmosphere was also lovely. Relaxed, with a friendly and charming waiter, and with every course the chef would come and explain the dish and have a chat. It’s obvious that the staff are genuinely passionate about food and take it very seriously, and take pride in seeing their customers enjoying their creations. If you visited the “old” Choptank, this is COMPLETELY different and in a whole other league of quality. Whatever you thought of the old Choptank - this is better. Guaranteed. Thanks for the stunning food. We are already planning our next visit(s).

Had an amazing night. Service was superb and the food was fantastic. The best dining experience I’ve had in Swindon. Would highly recommend. It was great that the chef came and talked about his food, the passion really shows.

The Chop tank is one of our favourite restaurants and is always high quality, my wife tried her first Oysters here a couple of years ago and we've never looked back. We go half a dozen time a year, so it is good! The trouble...

We visited the Chop Tank on Christmas Eve for brunch. A complete 10/10 experience. Despite me being vegetarian, the seafood oriented restaurant had beautiful meals for me, and better yet, didn’t feel like an afterthought like most do. Roman, the colourful waiter, was more than...

Great night out and worth every £. Loved the quality of the food and the atmosphere. We were visiting friends and saw the restaurant, on the off chance booked and were very pleased we did. We'll be going back.

Beautiful and delicious food. Fabulous atmosphere. Varied choice of food on the menu. One of the party had a seafood allergy and that was no problem. Shared the small plates between us, it was excellent. Lovely place to spend an evening. Waitress couldn't have been...

Amazing service, very nice staff and extremely well made food. Would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes good seafood.

Had an amazing dinner here with some friends, from start to finish it was just fabulous all the way. The service by the team there was top tier, the Waiter Roman had us in good spirit throughout and the chef Mike really cared for our...

Absolutely amazing time. Went out for a Christmas meal with friends, was expecting a good quality meal and was absolutely blown away, amazing service (felt like a VIP the whole time), staff where welcoming and catered to us perfectly. And the food was some of...

Brilliant food , great atmosphere, amazing staff and service, will be coming again 100%. Reasonably priced for such high quality.

Great quality meal with a great atmosphere and great service, couldn't have enjoyed it any more. Will definitely be coming back again.

Visited here with friends and both the chef and waiter were amazing, sharing information on the contents of each dish. We shared 9 dishes between the 4 of us and the presentation and quality of the food was amazing will definitely go back.

First thing’s first, the meal and experience my family received at The Choptank was more than exceptional. There was nothing the chef and host didn’t know about the menu as well as whichdrink to pair with the food. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting an...

What an amazing place - the passion for good hospitality instantly shown while being seated. Food was impeccable, the love shown by Michael the chef is none like I’ve ever seen before. The menu is eclectic and well balanced and the server was indeed unique...

I don't write a lot of reviews but the choptank has recently been taken over by a new chef and and it's out of this world. I have been a regular here since it opened but the new chef and menus is unbelievable. We went...

A great experience from the start. A friendly welcome, great service and exceptional food. Can recommend and will definitely return.

Made a last minute decision to visit The Chop Tank and so pleased we did. It offers a small but tasty selection of small plates which were great to share between friends. The tempura oysters and crispy mussels were personal favourites, and the homemade ice...

Opening day visit for the new choptank headed by Michael Hunter - incredible service and atmosphere! The food was incredible, perfectly balanced ‘small’ plates full of flavour and cooked beautifully! The Barbecue and Miso wings are a must have! Lovely cocktails and the desserts are...

Exceptional food with friendly service made for a wonderful night with friends. The Choptank is a gem, I’d highly recommend, gastronomic delight!

We had oysters start - absolutely delicious and the selection of sauces was fabulous too! Then we tried the crispy mussels, the blackened salmon and the calamari - all amazing. My partner also had the cheeseboard and he is still raving about how delicious it...

Simply fantastic. We tried almost all of the small plates, which were all delicious, and they have a great deal on 12 Oysters with a really nice bottle of picpoul. Our favourite dishes were the mackerel and the arancini balls, which are unrecognisable from regular...

Finally a good improvement to the restaurant by removing TV’s and giving the room a more warm welcome by candlelight. Just the right touches to make your experience enjoyable since the new menu is outstanding. Varied and something for everyone. Spoilt for choice that we...