The Mermaid Cafe Bar & Restaurant in Swansea

We just went to the Mermaid for my wife’s birthday and I had the fish and chips which was supposed to be the catch of the day, I was told it was fresh cod, I have to be honest it was the worst fish I have ever eaten in the last 40 years and that’s no exaggeration, I only ever eat chicken and fish so there wasn’t a great deal of choice on the menu, but the fish was definitely frozen, I asked the waiter whilst paying the bill ( which wasn’t cheap ) and he assured me that it was fresh, it just tasted wet and slimy and the so called beer batter was absolutely disgusting, I would be ashamed to call myself a chef if I was sending out garbage like that, and there must be a shortage of potatoes in Swansea tonight because the amount sent out on my plate was a joke, the waiting staff were really nice and very polite but I can hand on heart say I will never be returning to the Mermaid as it was really disappointing, especially as we’d gone out of our way to drive there from the other side of Swansea to celebrate my wife’s birthday with our 2 children who live and work and go to the university in Swansea, If I could give it less than a one star I would, you really need to consider changing your chef or shutting the doors if you’re going to send out food like that from the kitchen.

Dropped in for a quick bite. Very prompt service. Food was good, very chatty personal staff. Area was clean and looked after even being a dog friendly location. Came out feeling as if we had been looked after which ‘unfortunately’ is a feeling you tend not to get too often nowadays.

Awesome food really friendly place to eat and really great with the dog. Would highly recommend with or without a dog.

Really enjoyed the vegetarian/vegan meal at The Mermaid. The people were lovely, the service was great, and the food was fabulous. I would give it a higher rating except the loo had a broken sink and soap dispenser that barely worked.

Absolutely beautiful and the food is stunning and the staff and amazing and so lovely too definitely recommend to everyone a real gem 💎

It's really disappointing. Came back a 2nd time to give it a chance, but they charge far too much for drinks ! And I'm sick of having dinner with dogs around my feet. Tables to close together and they charge me £1.50 for a slice of cheese in my sons burger! Only good thing about it is the pizza is nice. I get that restaurants are dog friendly but having a wet dog next to you while you're eating isn't for me.

We popped into The Mermaid Cafe for Sunday lunch following a walk along Mumbles seafront and the nature reserve. We decided on the carvery roast beef and roast pork. My wife and son found the beef to be a bit chewy and left about half of the meat on their plates. The pork was average. However, there was a good selection of vegetables and plenty of gravy. The staff were friendly and service was prompt. We're glad that they catered for walk-ins as it was a last minute decision to visit the Mumbles.

We absolutely loved this place. Good food, great staff and a really lovely vibe

A massive thank you to the lovely Mermaid staff who helped me and my family to celebrate my mums 90th birthday yesterday. My mum loved every minute and we all made very special memories … THANK YOU xx

Very nice restaurant, ideal for lunch or dinner. The chicken panini and chips were on point! Friendly and hardworking team.

Visitors as a one off for breakfast on a Sunday morning lovely friendly.staff as you walk in. Food was excellent was well.priced and the service was outstanding

I like the dogs and the decor. Very friendly staff, lovely food!

Having A Bar for 23 years. I was very impressed with the Staff Food and Atmosphere. Had Sunday Lunch. Best Sunday Lunch I've had for an age. Excellent. And I'm fussy

This is a special place. Run by people who care about hospitality and customer service.

The staff is lovely and dogs are allowed and even welcomed! Our pooch got his own sausage in a bowl. We had an excellent 3 course lunch for a very fair price. A visit is highly recommended.

Great venue for our very large party. Food was piping hot and promptly served

We went in there for breakfast with our two dogs. The breakfast was delicious and the staff were very friendly. A very smart relaxing place to eat

Nice food but overpriced . Paying for location it seems.

Another lovely meal at the Mermaid as usual, made even nicer by the very lovely staff 😀

The Mermaid is just the best place for a lovely evening out xx staff are just so friendly, lovely atmosphere and great food. If I could give you 10 stars 🌟 I would xx thank you for another lovely evening xx 😘 xx

A brilliant evening, a very popular restaurant, food was excellent, cooked to perfection, the staff were brilliant and the host couldn't do enough to help celebrate my Birthday. A big Thank You.

The Sunday lunch was tasty but quite expensive. It was barely warm and needed to be heated up. When asked if I could have an extra (small) stuffing ball and an extra Yorkshire pudding instead of other veg, I was told no, as only one of each allowed !!!

Food took over an hour to come, and when it did the chips were underdone. Also my mate had some undercooked fish. My food was nice, but seems a bit hit and miss.

Very well looked after and the our 2 dogs. Food is nice, but nothing too fancy, good solid pub food. Staff very good

Very busy local restaurant, good food and service. Shared a seafood platter.

The burger was horrible and the chips weren't cooked. Sent the chips back and the same ones were brought back without having been refried. My companions pizza was really nice so had a bit of that and left the horrible food I had ordered.

Lovely friendly staff, great selection of gins!! Very relaxed atmosphere

Looked like a lovely little place from outside. We ordered two flat breads which arrived hard as rock, sent back and exchanged for a wrap, was OK. Chips where Hurrendous and portion sizes where childlike, we where surrounded by flies as we sat inside and out, not a nice experience to be honest, only good thing really was the pino. Would not return.

Food was good & hot, service was friendly. We sat outside with our dog & our servers all made contact with her 😁

An honest review of… Mermaid Cafe, Bar and Restaurant Service We opened the door to the sounds of laughter and chatter supported by a adequate set of background music. When we arrived at the waiting area for our seats we were immediately greeted by the front of house, who was very friendly and showed us to our table. On the way the waitress also issued a friendly greeting. I’ve been to many an establishment but find myself hard pressed to remember a warmer welcome. We were checked in during the meal, each time with a warm and friendly demeanour and when paying the bill the team had not added a service charge to the bill, but was throughly deserving of one. We were wished a good day by all the staff upon exiting, truly exceptional service. Rating: 5 stars Food I ordered the savoury pancake stack with an extra hash brown and a couple sausages, quite intentionally to see if the food timings would match. You can imagine my surprise when a beautifully presented breakfast garnished with the perfect amount of syrup and a touch of parsley presented a stack of 4 pancakes sandwiched with bacon and my additions cooked exquisitely, adorning the plate. I cannot compliment this establishment enough. This is *the* standard for breakfast in the area. Rating: 5 stars Value All in all our breakfast and drink came to just shy of £30. Considering the additions and the food quality, this was a nominal price. Tip not included (which we added based purely on merit) you’ll find it a difficult task to find greater value in any nearby competitor. I strongly recommend this establishment to any who are looking for high quality food and service, without the premium of which we are custom to paying. Rating: 5 stars

Friendly staff, good food, spacious and clean. We ate here twice over our short stay and both times everyone enjoyed their meals and had a good time.

Lovely dog friendly place, great food and super staff!

Great service. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Food arrived quickly. We dined outside which was very pleasant. Pizzas were delicious. Sourdough base was crispy. Toppings were fresh and abundant.

End of evening drink with a great view. Nice pub with friendly service

There was something on the menu for everyone, it was good, and the service was attentive. Normally priced too.

Tasty food, friendly environment and good drinks,

Really enjoyed eating lunch here today. The manager gave us the table of of our choice as we had two young children with us. Food came without much waiting and they were so accommodating for drinks and colouring activities for the kids. Had a wonderful time would definitely come and again and highly recommend.

Katie and Jack were really helpful, polite and provided an excellent service. The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere. Thank you for an amazing evening. We will be back, 😊🙌

On a day trip to Mumbles we came to this restaurant as it was reviewed very well. Unfortunately it did not please our expectations. Although the service was very friendly and accommodating the food was mediocre at best. In a coastal town you expect homemade and fresh fishcakes and you are incredibly disappointed being served a frozen and then deep-fried, dry patty of seafood leftovers with hardly any fish in it. Even the fish on a McDonald's "Filet-o-fish" burger is fresher than this. There were also mushrooms from out of a glass and frozen vegetables that were not properly cooked. The sauces were ready-made which overall leads to the assumption that hardly anything from this kitchen is fresh. We found the food ghastly and certainly won't come again. A shame for the poor waitresses and waiters who really did their best. You can't blame them for the hideous food. At least it wasn't too expensive and you had a nice view over the bay. The closest "sea-experience" you get at this place...

We have dined here a few times now, the latest being a reunion for nine of us, Super food, generous portions and fair prices. The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and with pleasant, but not overly loud music. Service was excellent. We arrived at 11.00 and left at 16.00. We spent so long there because we were enjoying ourselves so much! We will return often, even with a 100 mile round trip, it's worth the journey.

We visit Mumbles once a year and always make a booking at the Mermaid. Tonight's food was expensive and best described as mediocre. Perhaps tonight was an off night. The ribs were tough, the burgers were average, chips were cold with the scampi. The service was OK and the food arrived within a respectable length of time. If this was my first time visiting I would not be returning.

Very friendly staff, steaks were cooked perfectly. Would definitely visit again.

One of the best restaurants we have visited as a family for a very long time. From the moment we looked outside and was greeted into the restaurant we received top service and the standard of food was top grade. Will 100% be coming back.

My father and I went here for brunch one Saturday, and went back with my brother and his three daughters the next day. We sat outside on the grassy area before the beach. It is a lovely spot. Even though it's very close to the road, this isn't intrusive and the cars drive slowly. The service is excellent at the Mermaid. All the staff that served us were friendly, welcoming and positive.

We just turned up as walk in ..staff got us a table straight away...Sunday lunch was lovely and staff moved us to no dog area when we realised there were alot of dogs near our table...so glad this place has a separate setting area for people who don't want to sit with dogs(sorry dog lovers) ...great food great staff

Had a fantastic time in the garden at the mermaid pub especially the loaded spicie chips. Terry on the front of house was absolutely fantastic really friendly and fun he also took the time to make a fuss of our greyhound

My partner had the Sunday lunch, it was a plate full of soggy veg and tasteless watered down gravy. Normally this is great but not this time. I have a small plate of nachos. The sour cream, nachos and avocado where tasteless. The cheese was so well done and cheap it was stuck solid to the mini pan it came in, half went back. We were very dissapointed as this is our go to if we are in Mumbles and fancy a Sunday roast. What's the matter guys, have you changed the chef??

We visited about 10 restaurants/cafes during our 7 day stay. This place topped the lot. The staff, in particular the guy with the glasses and beige shorts, absolute gentleman. Was great with us and the kids. The food was amazing. The atmosphere was perfect. We had 3 younger kids at evening meal time, so weren’t the quietest but nobody batted an eyelid. Would highly highly recommend.

We have just had a lovely meal at the Mermaid Cafe Bar. The food was very good, the service was brilliant and they really made a fuss of our dog Rocket. Definitely recommend if you have a four legged friend with you on holiday but want a good meal out still.

Classic pub food with a modern take done well.

Lovely food , a few different dishes on the menu and the normal standards , very polite staff , we have been many times always a good meal ,Thank you PS it is dog friendly but they are separate ends of the room

This place is lush! The location, just a stones throw from the sea, is fabulous, but the star of the evening was the food. The service was very, very good. We will be back!

We absolutely loved this place! Went there for my mam's birthday and I garhentee we will be back, food was absolutely gorgeous and our servers were so attentive and lovely joking around with us the entire time. When they found out we had a birthday in our party they sung happy birthday with candles and a plastic cake! And when I tell you the garlic bread is the best I've ever had I am not lying.

We came here for my mam's birthday and had the best time, the atmosphere was great and we had booked ahead due to a recommendation but didn't need to. Our servers were Terry and Kristie and we're fab, after a very hard year for my family and the first birthday without someone dear this was exactly what we needed and I cannot recommend enough!

Spent three weeks staying close to the mermaid due to a family death and visited almost daily. Everyone was very compassionate and understanding, very nice people, good service, food and drinks.

We came here on Saturday of the Swansea Airshow. We arrived at 10.45 and were greeted by Terry and Kirsty, who asked us if we wanted to sit in or out, we chose to sit inside for breakfast. It was a delicious breakfast which we all enjoyed! After finishing breakfast, we moved to a table outside to watch the airshow, which Kirsty kindly put cushions out for us to sit on. We had drinks bought out to us by Kirsty and Terry all afternoon. We had a lovely view of the airshow from the terrace area. They even put music on for us out there. After the airshow we moved back inside to have an evening meal. The service from Terry, Kirsty and all staff was outstanding. They had even got chocolate fudge cake in, especially for my son. The food again was amazing! The evening was lovely, and Terry and Kirsty, we enjoyed spending all day and evening with you at The Mermaid. we had such a laugh. Bring on more Pedro, Pedro!!!!

We had a great afternoon,the best meal we had for a long time.food is excellent.I would definitely recommend it to friends. And it’s dog friendly.what a lovely restaurant.& staff were lovely.

Excellent food and great service received from Andrew. Would recommend to anyone who lives/visits Mumbles. Parking available close by.

Perfect vegetarian breakfast, friendly attentive staff and love that it’s so dog friendly. Thank you and will be back 👍

The best fish and chips we have ever had! And top notch customer service by Kirsty and Terry two days in a row! We felt like we're visiting our family! Very personal service so an amazing experience and will be back for sure! Loved it, loved it, loved it!

Quite busy and loud but as to be expected from a seaside eatery, food and service was top notch! Would come again

Lovely place this, really nice food and really nice service. We were really well looked after and very nice views of the seafront. Would highly recommend this place, it was actually really good value too with the small plates and set menu multi course options.

The perfect restaurant... we had three nights in Mumbles, came here on the first night and already knew we'd be back for the next two. Flame grilled chicken (with different toppings) was just fab, staff were lovely and dog got a sausage. Well presented space with views towards Swansea Bay, totally recommended.

Very friendly staff and food was great especially pizza. Nice place little less busy than the main places in mumbles which was cool too no wait. Would definitely return.

I wanted to like the mermaid as it came highly recommended to me. I was sorely disappointed by the atmosphere, mediocre food and rude staff. There was a staff member in chino shorts who had a poor attitude and sorely needs retraining in the subtle art of management, there was a lot of tension between him and his staff. Come here for a mediocre meal out or better yet, go anywhere else.

What a lovely welcome we had an delicious food for my mothers 70th birthday she was in tears with the fuss she had off the staff as soon as I came in with a broken cake it was taken an repaired I'd forgotten the candles but so thoughtfully they had put some on I honestly cant wait to go there again thank you so much for a lovely evening kirsty katie ruby an Terry xx

Just had a lovely meal here. Went, intending to have the fish and chips but ended up sharing the Mermaid platter and some tapas. All excellent. Nice bottle of Gower Power to wash it down. Excellent service. Definitely recommend this place.

Had a wonderful meal at The Mermaid. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the food and the service from Andrew! Highly recommend and we would go again!

Sat outside on a sunny day. Was happy as do vegan options. Would have given 5 but no vegan milk for coffee. Please buy some

Fantastic food and brilliant attentive customer service. Perfect

Lovely Sunday lunch with family.

Awsome food, very friendly staff, and dog friendly... highly recommend a visit to this restaurant if you are in the area!

A much needed stop off after a walk on the coastline...a great independent business

I was taken to the Mermaid as a birthday treat. They were not only dog friendly but served food to the dog too as well as free treats and a bowl of water. The staff were very friendly to us and the dog The food was great. I had salmon and hollandaise sauce. The sauce was the nicest hollandaise sauce I have ever had, by a long way.

Lovely place to eat, good food, reasonable prices and the staff can't do enough for you.

We had an amazing meal here this evening - the best food and service for miles around. Everything cooked and presented to perfection. Thanks especially to Bryony for her impeccable service and Terry for accommodating our special requests and enabling us to celebrate a very special occasion. The first time we have eaten here but not the last.

Nice place with delicious cuisine. Spacious rooms, dog friendly and attentive service. I ordered the 3 course menu with soup of the day (carrot with sweet chili), beer battered fish with chips and as dessert bailey's creme brulee. Amazing and appropriate prices.

Dropped in for a pleasant drink on the terrace and when we saw some other customers’ delicious looking meals, decided to have our evening meal there. Terry, Kirsty, Bryony and Katie were very obliging, pleasant and friendly. They accommodated our party of 11 by moving tables together inside their gorgeous restaurant. We were given time to order and our food was presented in good time and to a very high standard. We had a great time together and we’re blessed with a recording of “Happy Birthday” to seal our celebrations. Well done to all involved… you made it a very memorable evening. The food, drinks and everything else was first rate. Thank you. I highly recommend a visit when you visit Swansea.

My daughter and I came from Brecon to take an old friend of mine to lunch and we decided on the mermaid. We weren’t disappointed as this restaurant is situated in mumbles, one of the loveliest parts of swansea. The food was excellent and the service first class.

Excellent tapas lunch !!! Will be back to sample more !!!

Where do I start with this gem of a place? We drive 4 hours to dine here, and was not disappointed. There was 15 of us altogether, and everything about this place, was absolutely spot on. From being seated, through to ordering and even looking after our two dogs we had with us just as well (they had a sausage each from the staff) . The food was hot, fresh, delicious and the service was even better. The staff were attentive and made an effort to chat and interact with us. I must give a special mention to Terry. Thank you for making my birthday meal special and worth the drive. Many thanks From your friends from Chester, and Gizmo the dog.

We had the surf & turf platter to share and it was delicious. Really impressed with the meal, lovely atmosphere and the staff just couldn’t do enough! They even tried to make our nervous dog as comfortable as possible & took the time to make a fuss of him. Highly recommend Thank You!!!

Visited the carvery on a sunday. Great staff, Very dog friendly....dog nenu sausages or chicken breast. Human Food was also lovely.

Staff always make us feel welcome. Love that it is dog friendly. Lovely food.

Was here on a Sunday morning for breakfast. A great welcome when I arrived, very friendly staff. A good selection of options for breakfast including veggie options. I didn't notice if they had a vegan option so you may want to check with them before you go. No steps to enter the premises from the street so easy access. Food was reasonably priced, well presented and was delicious. I'll be back and I recommend it for breakfast. Thank you!

We had a delicious meal with my son and daughter in law yesterday in the Mermaid. The four of us made different choices, all absolutely perfect. The service was exceptional, two very friendly waitresses and they brought a dish of chicken for the dog .An overall outstanding lunch .

What a joy to have breakfast at this establishment. Firstly to be greeted by Terry and served by Kirsty, we were made to feel our business was highly valued . A pleasure from start to finish.

Very welcoming and the food was delicious and a good choice. We'll definitely be back.

Excellent service very fast & helpful

I came in here craving good food and was met by the kindest staff. Kirsty in particular was so warm and friendly. Also helped me pick out a great dish the lasagne which I had paired with garlic bread. Felt like home cooked food made with love and very tasty. Good value for what I ate and will be back!

Delicious food and amazing service

Was looking forward to eating here our air b and b host even left this place as a recommendation. I will be writing in the gueat book for other people to avoid this place. This place was not for us. £60 wasted as I didn't even eat any of my food other than the chips. So first of all, I ordered a mermaid larger with a top. They didn't put a top in it. it was just a normal pint. Not the end of the world. My partner ordered onion rings, and they didn't come and had to ask. Again, it's not the end of the world. Then the burger. Some people like rare meat. I like my meat cooked. If they cook the burger rare, they should tell you that when ordering. I've never been served a pink burger. it's not a steak. They told me the burger is served like that as standard. If I asked, they would have cooked me a fresh burger. The first rule on food is don't moan about it and get them to cook you a new one. So all in all, i left hungry. Maybe as you can see, I didn't eat any of my burger maybe could have reduced my bill a little bit. Wont recommend it to anyone and won't be back They only got 1 star and not 0 as they are dog friendly.

As regulars of this restaurant, yet again we had a superb Sunday lunch, everything is cooked to perfection, thanking chefs Martin, Tom, Andy and Ethan, huge pat on the back. Thank you to Manager Terry, Andrew Kirsty Julie and Jo for their first class service, sorry if I left anybody else out, because all of the team do a tremendous job, but I don’t know all your names. If anybody is looking for a good breakfast lunch or evening meal, this is your place. To Stewart and Simon you should be very proud of your team 👏👏👏👏👏👏

Lovely cafe/restaurant. Staff were absolutely amazing. Food excellent and atmosphere very friendly and welcoming. If you're close pop in, you won't be disappointed!

So pleased we booked for our midday Sunday roast carvery, as the restaurant was full. The menu was good for all incl children's options. On the day we went the chef carved generous slices of meat (beef, pork and lamb, were available on the day we went. A selection of vegetables with a large yorkshire, gravy etc. Bonus for us it was dog friendly.

After a late afternoon dog walk we popped in for dinner, great decision. Excellent hospitality and food superb 👌 And as for the Gower Gold, sublime pint, or two!!🍺🍺

Last time we visited The Mermaid we all enjoyed a lovely lunch time meal, but today we were all disappointed. We being four Ladies that Lunch. I had a fishcake for starters - one fishcake which seemed to be mainly just potato or at least no obvious fish taste or sight. It came with one halved cherry tomato, some rocket with balsamic glaze and some tartare sauce. My friend did say the soup was nice. One person had the Lunch Sharing Nachos which cost £8. This mainly consisted of nachos with some melted cheese and three small side dishes of salsa, guacamole and a white dip. Not very impressive for the price. She paid £4.25 extra for some grilled chicken stripes. The beef bourguignon was quite tasty but the carrot and pea veg looked a bit tired. Coffees were good but we were somewhat shocked that a glass of Soda and lime was £2.30 and a glass of Lemonade and lime a whopping £3.80 ! Staff very pleasant, venue lovely and clean but I'm afraid we won't be returning in a hurry.

Lovely restaurant, good food. The staff were very friendly and welcomed our dog too. Will definitely recommend.

Excellent service. Food was also good quality and generous portions. They went the extra mile to make provision for varied dietary requirements. Friendly and welcome, including an extra special welcome for our dog. Will return.

Great way to celebrate the end of the year.