The Merlin in Swindon - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

A massive thank you to Annabel , Joe and staff for looking after us all during the Euros. What a fantastic atmosphere locals and new friends all enjoyed the games together. Sadly it did not come home however looking forward to the Olympics and the start of the football season .

Don’t normally watch football in a pub , however after last night for the Euros my mind has changed. The Merlin was buzzing . Considering the crowds the staff were amazing

I have been here many times since the first time coming with my friend and have been greeted and served by a lovely member of the team called Emily who has helped with queries and always given us a warm welcome which is part of the reason we come back, drinks are always on point and prices are reasonable

Great place for drinks and food. Customer service has always been amazing and drinks have been served at a reasonable time. A member called emily has really stuck out with her friendly attitude and good pours. Would definitely recommend this pub if you're looking for friendly staff and good atmosphere

Came in to watch the football with family. Excellent atmosphere and friendly staff. Despite being busy, the staff managed the bar brilliantly. Would recommend a visit.

I have no idea where to start with this review as I cannot recall ever seeing service so bad anywhere. We arrived and it wasn't too bad to start with then just suddenly went horrendously downhill. I waited 40 minutes in the que for some drinks. After i've finally been served I had to repeat the order multiple times for the only barstaff member at the time to look almost shocked at what I ordered. Pours the first pint no problem, They then start to part pour 3 pints and then just walks off for 5+ minutes this is leaving no staff behind the bar at all or even in sight. The staff member then comes back out with food in their hand for other customers whilst completely ignoring me. They have then come back to the bar and has forgotten that they've started to pour these 3 pints and serves other customers whilst i'm waiting again for another considerable amount of time for these to be finished after me reminding them again as I would of been waiting all day otherwise. I then have to remind them AGAIN that they've missed 2 pints off the order of 6 which they seemed completely shocked about. A few of my friends ordered food and waited between 1-2 hours for this. Also drinks never arriving after ordering on the app. I've never seen a pub in such a shambles. A number of customers were also trying to get refunds for this and sending food back...

A really pleasant find on our way home just needing a lunch stop. Great menu would suit all tastes. Food was hot tasty and plentiful. Good value for money. Staff were exceptionally welcoming and friendly. Will definitely be back with the family. Thank you 🙏

Lock downs over. And this pub has got it sorted . Friendly staff , good food. Landlords a legend. Great garden , service is wonderful .one of the best pubs in Swindon .

I got served at my table by the lovely Nadia! She was so welcoming to us! Thank you Nadia for such a nice evening!

Very nice service from Yamuna , me and all the friend will visit this Pub again and again . Very nice place and friendly staff

We had a dinner with family... total of of 4 people.. great time.. quiet experience as it was 2.00pm.. would come again.. our waitress Susanna, was great. Couldn’t do enough for us all.. she ran a lot.. explained everything about the rules of COVID... credit to the company... will definitely come back again...

Just had a lovely meal in here and as always it was done to perfection. With friendly staff on hand all the time. 😊

Went here recently for a meal with the family and we were pleasantly surprised, food was delicious and the atmosphere was ideal. Highly recommend

Fantastic service and fantastic food , can’t fault the Merlin we love this place , always a nice warm welcome when we come here , keep up the good work .

A quality team of friendly staff, always ready to serve with a smile! Food is very good and reasonably priced, beer is always cold!! Pub lay out and directions in place to counteract the Covid rules and regulations, all of this has been in place since lockdown lifted and works extremely well, making your visit feel safe as can be!!

Went for lunch today with my husband and Grandson to celebrate a couple of life events with the Grandson.I ordered fish and chips but was delivered what can only be described as a crisp and chips.It was so overcooked that there was actually no fish left inside the burnt batter. I took it back to the bar and asked the girl if she would be happy to pay for this. She looked mortified and said she wouldn’t. She apologised and asked if I wanted something else but having seen my grandsons’ burger and my husband’s chicken goujons I said I would just eat the chips but asked for a refund on the meal.The manager came over to the table and asked if he could remove the fish from my plate, which he did, with his fingers, NO GLOVES, NO PLATE, just a serviette!! He too apologised.At no time was I offered any recompense for the state of the meal, the fact that I ended up with just a plate of chips, NOTHING.It was actually the manager that delivered my food, now I can tell you that if a ‘chef’ had put a plate of food up for me to deliver to a customer looking as mine did I would have shoved it back at the chef and told him to deliver it himself!! I even had to go to the bar and ask for the refund (we paid by card through the App), and was told by the manager that he wasn’t authorised to give refunds but he would have the landlady call me when she returned to the premises. He did call me back himself to tell me he’s managed to do the refund minus the 50% government discount (hahaha) absolutely shocking food and terrible service. I think if you go here to take pot luck on who the cook is, there is clearly not a chef.

We had an fantastic experience in here. It was my first time.Effy was great as serving us fantastic customer service.The chef Dan produced amazing food great presentation and the bacon was cooked to perfection on the hunter's chicken.overall had an amazing experience here and looking forward to coming back again. Xxxx

The Merlin team you guys are amazing. I was in on Sunday for the football (Chelsea game) but you had Man U playing as well which was good to see. The service was great, atmosphere was awesome, and most of all me and the Mrs felt safe considering the current issues with rona. You really are doing a fab job at making the place still feel like a pub. I will be back for the FA Cup Final on Saturday for sure!!!

Just had a perfect steak dinner. The food was cooked to perfection and we thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a nice relaxed atmosphere and the staff were all very professional. Thank you to Imogen and her team today we had a lovely couple of hours.

Great food at a good price with friendly staff. Tables spotless & safe distancing rules applied well.

I used to go the merlin when I was 18. It was pretty decent back then. I’m now 25... went back there for the first time in a while with a loved one. Initially went because of a Cup semi-final match and ordered some Nachos & a Sunday roast. When the food arrived, we seemed excited. However, that briefly lasted till the first bite. It was all downhill from then. Here’s why... Nachos: There is more ketchup in sachet packet which you get for free, then there was cheese/cheese sauce on the nachos. It is like they were rationing their food. The jalapeños tasted like they were sat in a jar outside in the Middle East for a good 2-3... decades. They were 1000% expired. Sunday Roast: I don’t think they know about seasoning such as salt or pepper. The meal lacked culture and basic seasoning and knowledge of basic cooking. The broccoli was bathed in bath water. The mash was CLEARLY out of a packet. At one point I wanted to question if it was mash or wallpaper paste. The roasties were tolerable. TOLERABLE!The least they could do was get Aunt Bessie’s gravy. But no! This was some cheap 19p Tesco value gravy. Looked, smelled and tasted like leaking car oil. We did not even finish 90% of the meal. BIGGEST WASTE. I’m absolutely dumbfounded about the basic cooking knowledge. Even my unborn child could cook a meal that was edible. Whoever, leaves these amazing reviews for this place 100% eats cat food for dinner and hence enjoy the food they ate here. I wouldn’t even call it ‘food’. I am being so honest and genuine although it may sound like I’m over exaggerating... I’m not. Do not put your tongue and gut through that. Please.

If you want good food nd drink to watch the football/sport then this is place to be. Lovely staff perfect for familys allways busy day to day also deals with swindon matchdays very well as plenty of bar staff waiting to serve you never waiting too long for a cold one. Fair Play To Robbie Doing A Top Job

visited before Christmas whilst staying with family, thought we would return to the Merlin after a great first visit. Nothing has changed, the service was excellent with a choice of three cask ales.

After deciding to go to the merlin pub I know realise why I avoid there!! Absolute dive, full of dirty old men grovelling at the bar and the locals are the only ones shown attention. Service is poor, all the staff look miserable apart from the young lad who was very pleasant. Robbie “the manager” picked up a glass off of our table and chucked the whole thing away despite checking all of our IDs he was following us like a hawk around the pub making us feel very uncomfortable. The service in the merlin is beyond unprofessional with a disgusting smell of WEE the whole way through the pub and the staff being beyond rude. Never will I be returning and good luck to any one that thinks this is the place to go.... you’ll soon be shown otherwise.

Jade was excellent with her service! With it being quite busy she was able to serve multiple customers at once, very quickly while keeping a smile on her face! Robbie is always helpful when he is in. Could not fault these two if I tried!

The meal Fantastic, Staff especially Jade very helpful the place was clean and tidy, looking forward to my next visit

amazing pub friendly staff food i deligious and great selction of gins and beers and amazing ales! overall id be visiting again also pet friendly

After being in big trouble with the Mrs for having to work late tonight (valentines day), I decided to bring her out on Wednesday evening for a meal. I knew the food would be great (as always) and you didn't let me down guys! Some serious brownie points earned by having a fab steak and chocolate cake for pudding....I had one happy Mrs and all was forgiven. Thanks again lads and ladies, will be seeing you again soon.

Amazing pub thank you for the excellent service Robbie will definitely be visiting again thank you again

Have loved visiting the merlin with my family, enjoying the football and a child friendly menu. Unfortunately we experienced poor service from bar staff. On several occasions we received a poor response from a particular staff member who would have preferred us to order all 10 drinks at the same time! As usual we would order 3-4 drinks at a time, then order a few more - only to be met with eye rolling and a huff - "wish you'd told me that before!" - a one off incident like this is just a bad day but this has happened several times with different members of my family and it has put us off!Customer service is key and we want to feel welcome

I was at the merlin before and after the football. There was a choice few of people that tried to put a downer on the day but the staff handled it brilliantly. Imogen the pub manager was amazing she kept her calm and managed to handle the situation.

Called in before the top of table match for something to eat and drink,considering how busy it was service was great, there were a few rowdy fans in but the management and staff handled the situation really well.came back after match after great result to celebrate and although very busy service was brilliant, well done to all staff will be back

Great experience. Came in after a busy home game of football and was concerned if we’d be able to get a table or eat, but all was good. Friendly staff, tasty food, decent atmosphere and quick service. Had fish & chips and scampi & chips and was extremely good. Will come again.

Was in the Merlin today for football and rugby was amazed at how good the staff were at managing the large crowds. Imogen the manager on shift imogen was particularly amazing as she usually is.

Enjoyed a great all day breakfast Pub looks great with all the rugby nations flags Might pop in to watch it this weekend

Popped in for a quiet drink and ended up staying til late. This place has a great atmosphere with footy on the TVs , pool tables and a dart board.

Thank you to Imogene, Amy , James , Rob , Jason and the legend Teena who arranged the DJ. Family and friends many who travelled from Surrey, Cornwall and London all commented on the fabulous venue, a great local pub and the friendly helpful staff. The atmosphere was brilliant all children and adults had a smashing time would highly recommend x

Great little place, really enjoyed our evening. Staff are helpful and chatty and food is good value.

This was my second visit to the Merlin. I was here in November with a pal after work and had a great experience so decided to pop back in after xmas. No change here! The staff were still as friendly and cheerful as they were last time I was here, and the food is great. Planning on bringing the wife and kids down here soon as they are family friendly and have a kids menu too. All round a great pub with great staff.

What a little diamond of a place, first visit and will definitely be returning. Lovely staff and lovely food

This pub is amazing, visited a year ago and it was horrendous now it’s amazing huge credit to management. I popped in with my disabled brother and crying baby young man Robbie was extremely helpful and couldn’t do more for us. Thank you so much. Coach

I had a great time with my partner here at the end of December. The welcome from James and Imogen was so good I felt like a regular. Robert produced very good food too. Highly recommend this place can’t wait to return.

Had a brilliant time Christmas day, great food, brilliant atmosphere, nothing could have been better.

A super Christmas dinner for 8 people. My niece enjoy the Christmas chacker. The start and the main course was great and the pudding was nice.

Lovely pub good food great prices and the staff are really nice and never stop working g they are always doing some thing to make the Merlin even better

Stopped at the Merlin to watch the football and boxing over the weekend. What a busy place but the staff handled it excellently, made for a great atmosphere. Plenty of TV's to view the sport and the food was great value.

We had our work Christmas do at the Merlin and it was great. The value was incredible and the service was fantastic. The staff are all so friendly and will do anything for you. Brilliant place and always a lovely atmosphere.

This was a Pub where we regularly met friends for lunch. However our last two experiences have been very disappointing. The food is definitely not as good as before, the fish & chips option was inedible, the batter was SO dark it was obvious the cooking oil needed changing! We mentioned it to the lady serving us but she just rolled her eyes and said “I know what you mean” and went about her business!

Great evening great atmosphere great staff. We visited here for a quick bite to eat and ended up staying all evening. We were served drinks and food by 2 excellent members of staff who were both polite but had great banter with us. The food was lovely and we will be returning. Thank you Robbie and Amy and your team for a lovely evening.

Food atmosphere and stuff Excellent couldn’t ask for anymore well done Amy rob paul very Satisfied customer

A good and friendly family pub for kids and It's a great place for meeting friends for a drink and a bite to eat. Staff are friendly and welcoming and food is excellent.

The Merlin has been through its ups and downs and in recent months, it’s definitely had its problems. BUT I’m so pleased to say that the new manager has turned things around and we’ve got our old pub back! Great atmosphere, quick service, the old chef back serving tasty food and an all round great place to be. Thanks Greene King for sorting it out and getting a proper team back in place. Well happy.

Came with my family for meal and a few drinks for a family get together, amazing speed of service from the manager, knew what he was talking about and made some suggestions for the wife , sat and orders food for 8 people great prices and portions for the kids , all the food came out at the same time and cooked to perfection , I couldn’t ask for anything more , hats off to the chef , couldn’t praise him anymore , will definitely be visiting again very soon !!

Visited on Sunday with my family, very speedy service from the team and great food. Definitely will be coming back.

Great for an easy lunch when meeting friends. Good choices, good food and value for money deals. Very spacious inside and tables outside when the sun is shining!

Had a great experience at the Merlin last Sunday. The service was spot on and the Sunday roast was great value for money-see you next Sunday!

Something I'm noticing with all of these Greene King pubs is that they have a pretty entrenched set of standards that they meet. In some cases this is good, but when they don't go beyond them, it makes for a forgettable dining experience.

Took my family for dinner at the merlin yesterday tea time. Ordered food plus 2 children's meal, got charged twice for drinks (that was supposed to be included with the burger deal) The chap that serviced us was more interested in chatting to his mate and not took any notice of the food order so my children's meals was not included and took hour and ahalf for the food to arrive in the end. Feel the pub has gone downhill since new management!

Live locally and love the merlin! Go often. Sadly under new management standards have dropped! Mainly for me tables not cleared and not cleaned! Won't go if this continues.

This place has made a steep decline in standards, Staff now don't wear uniform, not enough staff on busy days and the food was poor after a wait of over an hour. Steak was ordered on a day the management would of known they would be busy, the only steak available was Rib-eye. This took an hour and ten minutes to arrive, I like it well done but this was cremated with some frozen peas a few waffles and wait for it a large dollop of tinned Macaroni Cheese (what a mess!). Sorry but where in the world do you have that with steak (perhaps Italy). Others were sending their food back - the ones who got served.

I’ve been a regular at The Merlin for years due to using it for football days when Swindon Town FC are at home. Today (20/8/19) was my first visit since the new management had took over. All I can say is GET NIGEL BACK QUICKLY!!!

I came in Saturday with friends had a lovely meal and decided to spend evening there this is not my first visit food always great bit what concerns me is lack of drink and variety no jack Daniels apple sours vodka low we spoke with a Scottish lady about this and she replied saying it's not a supermarket it's a pub and when they run out they run out. We also spoke to oliver kitchen manager who seemed more knowledgeable about the stock then the genealogy manageress I was disgusted with her comments and feel this isn't a pub what pub runs out of jd beers wine and spirits we will not be returning due to bad management at the bar who made us feel unwelcome. I feel the Scottish lady didn't want to serve us offer an alternative she just shrugged made her comment and walked off leaving the bar and sat in the corner please sort this greene king

Called in the Merlin before the Chelsea u21 game. Made to feel really welcome the lady behind the bar was so pleasant nothing was too much trouble. Drink prices are so reasonable and the selection of products gave plenty of choice for everyone in our party . We all had meals the price was unbelievably cheap and affordable. 5 adult meals for £25 and all great portions sizes . Anyone visiting this part of Swindon be it football or leisure or even local people who may never otherwise use the Merlin should support the pub it would be so sad to see another pub closed and used for who knows what. Really is worth supporting this establishment. Looking forward to meeting you again.

A very friendly and accommodating pub. Good value Good location for stadium Teena was very sweet and attentive

Took my family for dinner today and it was fairly busy when we arrived. There was something for everyone on the menu and everything came out looking appetising and tasty!

I was afraid of going due to bad reviews but I saw the management had recently changed and decided to give it a go.

This used to be a fantastic pub. Since new ownership this place has completely change. Spent ages waiting to be served a drink, some staff weren't very helpful, was so much but better under the old ownership. It's a shame.

If you like stale, burnt food that is served in tiny portions then this is the place for you! Horrific

Used to be a nice pub for food and families but it's changed since the owner left. No longer a place I feel comfortable frequenting.

Myself and my partner would like to thank all the staff who were working last night for our engagement party, they had communicated with us regularly beforehand and could not do enough for us while we were there, all were very friendly and sociable and generally had a great atmosphere to make our evening perfect. We had a large number of our party who had food all of which came out promptly therefore was nice and hot for everyone to eat together- we will most definately be back for future events and will highly recommend to others

Excellent hosts, really helpful and friendly. Sausage and chips was spot on. Even went through the range of gins so I could choose :-) we will be back again. Very welcoming a vast improvement on the previous owners, dont move them on!

We went for a family meal had amazing food and drinks the manager instructed with the kids he was a great hosts

Amazing food, had great service and everything was brilliant, the drinks were nice. I would recommend this pub to anyone and I would surely be coming back soon.

The food is really good and the atmosphere is very nice and the staff are friendly and it has a large range of drinks

Had an appalling experience tonight. Placed an order for my meal - been coming here regularly over last couple of months so no worries. Had to ask where my food was after an hour plus had passed. Never going to arrive. God knows why. Had full refund but manager didn't want to talk to me although place was empty. Never going back there- manager should be sacked - not got a clue and didn t even want to face the public - shocking reaction. I will never go into a Green King establishment again after this. Gary Turton- ring me if you dare 07541 506954.

Had a great meal staff and service was very good lovely garden and very clean kids had a nice meal a good range drinks

It may be popular to offer 2 for 1, but even so the food should be nice, shouldn’t it?

We had Sundy lunch at the Merlin., Everything about it was excellent. Tasty meat, wonderful vegetables and plentiful roast potatoes. Best Sunday lunch in Swindon and sooo cheap

Would highly recommend the Merlin for a family meal, friendly, welcoming staff, great choice on the menu at a reasonable cost. The 2 for £9.99 meals are excellent value and the food is really good quality. My family love coming here - just booked for mother’s Day :)

Great pub for socialising! The food and drinks were nice and the service was great too. Very nice and helpful staff in the pub. I would highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t been before. The atmosphere in the pub was positive, a very good first visit!

Popped into the Merlin for a good meal as have eaten there before and the venue didn’t disappoint yet again, excellent service great food and would recommend to anyone. Please check it out if you are in the area!

This is the ideal pub if you are visiting Swindon to watch the football. There was a good mix of home and away fans in team shirts with a good atmosphere.

Really good meal, good selection and they put on sky television, which shows the football which gives a great atmosphere

I have eaten in the Merlin on many occasions mainly before football . We have always had a good experience . I had no qualms when my partner suggested we book our small group in to have Christmas Day lunch here . I was impressed when we arrived with the way the tables were set up we had plenty of room. There was a great festive feeling the staff were outstanding nothing was too much trouble for them . There were a mix of people eating and families getting together for a Christmas Day drink. The food and service exceeded our expectations we were very impressed that we all the food came out in time and all together . It was busy but not hectic will be back again soon.

Great atmosphere staff very polite and attentive. While the place was busy everything went smoothly lovely food would highly recommend !!!

Came here with partner and in-laws for Christmas lunch, pub was very busy, great atmosphere, staff were friendly and helpful, also the food was very tasty.

As a local business owner and father of 4 the Merlin provides a warm , friendly, professional service wheather I'm out for a quick drink, food for the family or a business meeting. Thanks team and Merry Xmas

Great and warming atmosphere, friendly and helpful staff and great food, I would highly recommended! (New decor looks amazing)

First time eating here, had a family Christmas meal, excellent food and service, nothing too much trouble. Friendly staff, had a real fun night definitely go back!

We were drawn in by the festive 3 courses for £12.99 menu and The Merlin did not disappoint. Would recommend the food, and liked the friendly welcome received from staff. Give it a go! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

When to the Merlin for a family meal today and Enjoy it . The pub looks great after the refit and the food was decent . The staff were friendly and really look after us . Will be making a return trip very soon .

Very good especially staff member called sanita very professional and friendly 👍 àqpamznx r jdicnxnwjdb ikshsi. Wbuqj1nsoxm wnvxi bqb. Wxj2h h hcgjsnd8 gks uzg x7kq 1bwjz nmk. Wkkcxinhd7hqjxns7makwknsjn. Kdkznx2nn7qbdi1kzi1ms73

Seemed like an inviting, nicely presented pub. Staff were inconsistent in pricing and wouldn't honour prices on the menu. I'm almost positive that the locals were receiving cheaper prices. So disappointed that we ended up here.

Yet again The Merlin didn't disappoint! Visited with friends yesterday 17.11.18 for the Football and had a brilliant day.

Great pub would highly recommend it. Great place to meet family or friends great food choice from menu personality from bar staff and landlord

We went to the Merlin today 17/11/18 like we do for every Swindon home game we attend, we love the place but today was a total let down, service was shocking food wasn't good. We ordered and waited an hour with no food arriving even though every one around us had there's. When I enquired at the bar I was told that there was a wait due to how busy it was which was fair enough. We waited a further 15 mins and then my dad asked the server who said she would find out what was happening. She came to our table 25 and said that the food had been cooked and had been given out already ( meaning some kind person had eating our meal and probably didn't pay) so she informed us that she would sort it and it would be cooked again. We waited a further 40 mins it was pushing on 2pm now after ordering just after 12pm so again we asked where it was and if we were actually going to get our food or if not we would need a refund, she said she would go and get it surprisingly she came out of the kitchen with it she said sorry and left. I noticed that my dad's burger was missing the top of the bun she came back 5 mins and apologised and said it had fallen on the side and was left in the kitchen. (Not sorry we had to replace as it fell off the plate) by the time we received our food we had finished our drinks and it would of been nice for someone to offer a free drink to have with our food. But this did not happen it was a case of sorry and to the next customer. My breakfast was ok but my dads burger was burnt, the chips were like warm and the bacon wasn't cooked enough, by this time we were fed up and he left part of his meal and we left. We love the Merlin but after this experience he says he will never return due to the apauling service real shame!!!!

Popped in for a pre match meal on 17/11/18. Waited an hour with no food to be told that someone else had been served our food. Waited a further 45 mins for food to appear after another complaint. When it arrived the burger was burnt and the chips were luke warm. Apaulling service

Had an amazing night made better by great staff great music and great company. Would recommend to everyone

Visited the Merlin for some food - strait away the changes made in the refurbishment stood out - much more modern - the garden a nice little sun trap the back entrance from the car park much more welcoming- all new decor and furniture very well thought out with great attention to detail - cracking food I had the rib eye and my wife had the fish and chips very well cooked compliments to the chef !! The landlord was great and the team delivered really good service- great work team Merlin we will be back

We always have a time when we go to the merlin always have good food here the landlord is always friendly and polite. Good selection of drinks. The refurb was dkne speedy to and looks lovely. Never have any trouble in here.