The Old Black Swan in Hambleton

Absolutely amazing! We had a mixed grill and fish platter and the standard was above and beyond. The staff are so friendly and the dog was very welcome too.

We have eaten here a few times, the food is absolutely fantastic, so far, Chilli, Burger, Curry, Mussels and the fishermans Platter. Our goto foodery in Bedale.

This is a very family friendly pub .Great food lovely helpfull staff , and very dog friendly its cosy and warm inside with different chai settings and a great location in the village off Bedale

Food was yum and so was the Real Ale. The staff were efficient and helpful. The wood burning stove was a nice touch because it was so cold outside!

Fantastic food platter. Thank you. Lovely pint too. Just called back into The black Swan and the service was fantastic really appreciate your generosity

I spent time in Bedale with friends and we love our food we also had a dog You got a great welcome even though they were busy. The food was plentyful and great tasting the staff were always will to help had a great time

We'd been running an event in Bedale and booked a table for food, all I can say start to finish, excellent, service was great, food was wonderful and much needed, huge Yorkshire , plenty of meat and vegetables, will highly recommend and return

We had a lovely meal in the Old Black Swan in Bedale. I had the Roast pork lunch it would have fed two people and was delicious, lots of fresh vegetables and the biggest Yorkshire pudding I have ever seen with generous portion of pork. My other half had the roast beef baguette with lots of roast potatoes. The owners were very attentive and nice young people. I recommend you try it you will not be disappointed

Really nice pub food & just a decent sized meal, partly busy, friendly staff as well

August 2024 - OPEN AGAIN - having spoken to the new owner/ barman it looks like this should be a long-term thing - this ain’t the only pub they run! Best wishes to them - good to see it open again👍🏻😀

Worst mixed grill ever. Bloody steak red and raw with white greasy lump of fat in the middle. I don't know how they cooked the chips, brown greasy limp and cold. Everything on the plate was at a different temperature. Cold peas ( yes cold) broken sloppy egg, hard lumps of I suppose gammon, seemed like a few left over lumps, one thin and greasy and another bit thin and greasy. As for the sausage, two tiny chipolatas black, cold and hard. Sliced mushrooms, cold and greasy. It really was a dreadful meal. I told the bar man who said they had teething problems as they had only been taken over a week, errr no excuse there sorry. We had already paid and were not offered anything in compensation. He told the chef and came back and said the chef agreed that my meal was not cooked properly. Server was full of apologies, blah, blah, not good enough sorry. I said all the food seemed like it has been cooked at different temperatures abd another sorry, chef said sorry. I just wanted to get out of there. Other diners seemed to be happy enough, so good for them. But every diner should go away satisfied. My plate was half full of cold greasy fatty food. Geniune review, my opinion. Must say I felt a bit sorry for the server (owner) he kept saying sorry, sorry, but what good is that? Maybe another "chef". Just saying.

Party of ten on a Thursday evening. Last orders 9.30pm !!

Chip were not chips they were potato wedges bit disappointed would have preferred proper chips with my fish

Great pub.. amazing food and really nice friendly staff… staying in bedale for the weekend we ate here Friday and Saturday would definitely recommend..

Was closed last time I was here, glad to see it as reopened..staff really friendly, didn't eat but heard lots of nice complaints

A group of ladies gathered here for drinks. Some of whom had food which looked and tasted fabulous. However, we were rather surprised and disappointed that last orders were called before 9.30pm !!!!!!!!!! So we took our business over the road.

Lovely place. Beautiful old pub with really attractive interior and a great atmosphere. Staff are so friendly and ambience is spot on. The food is gorgeous, all products locally sourced and so tasty. Sunday lunch is especially good; so many pubs have frozen meals just reheated - but this is the real deal, fresh produce, tasty and better than many local hostelries. Totally recommend!

We were hoping to eat at the pub over the road but it was full. We therefore decided to try the Old Black Swan and hoped out would be as nice as the place we'd hoped to visit. We were certainly not disappointed. There were 5 of us and we all enjoyed our meals. The staff were really friendly. Well definitely visit again if I'm the area

Awful food, waited a hour for a sandwich which was nothing like the menu stated . It had no fish what's so ever when half the menu was fish . My wife got chicken Kiev. Which was burnt and overcooked . Was meant to be on a bed of creamy cabbage. Don't think there could be a chef in there putting out food like this . Definitely would not recommend.

6 of us visited here on a quiet Wednesday afternoon. The food although looked a little overdone was delicious. The chips were the best I've ever had. I ordered beef pie but got something else, but wasn't a problem as it was delicious. My husband who is a burger expert said the burger was the best he's ever had. He loved the tom sauce he got with his burger but its not the traditional ketchup so just be aware that it was quite spicy. Everyone enjoyed their food. The seating arrangements were good and the heating was on which was welcomed on a cold day. We will def be back.

We were a group of 6 for lunch. We were the only ones in the pub on a quiet Wednesday. We all ordered different things and everyone agreed it was excellent food. I had a steak pie with gravy, mash and mushy peas. My wife had a burger with big chunky chips. When it arrived it all looked a bit overdone. But no, it was perfect, all delicious and we will definitely be back - one of the best pies I've had in ages, and those chunky chips - great. The only thing to watch out for is the tomato sauce served in little pots - it was really spicy, so if you are expecting normal sauce, check it first.

Lovely calm rustic pub, amazing food!

Popped in on a Friday lunchtime for a bite to eat. The food was just good, honest pub grub - the Swiss burger was lovely and my son loved his fish and chips. The chap working there was very friendly and helpful too.

Went in for a quick bite to eat, no reservation just walk in and sit down. We had 2 burgers and 4 non alcoholic drinks between 2 of us and spent £45 roughly. Not too crazy in my opinion, considering the burgers were the best burgers I've ever tried before! Only been re opened about 6 weeks and its gorgeous. Lovely service from the staff, incredible food and quick service, only 20 mins from ordering to eating.

We arrived on Sunday afternoon in Bedale. The old black swan didn’t have anyone eating, which wasn’t a good sign! We ordered the Sunday roast. It was awesome, don’t miss the opportunity, well worth a visit! J

A warm welcome, great freshly cooked food and local beers, will definitely recommend and use again,give it a try you won't be disappointed.

Such a disappointing evening. Regularly visit the in-laws in Bedale and visit this pub. Tonight we came in and it was a disgrace to the pub industry. There was a man in charge that was drunk and was “just asked to cover” by the landlord he said. A lady behind the bar who couldn’t pull a pint at all and seemed unaware to what was on around her. There were 3 large dogs off the lead roaming around the pub like wild animals. 2 Staffies and a German Shepherd. Other dog owners were gobsmacked by this behaviour. To top this awful night off one of the dogs did a poo next to me. The guy in charge just said “sorry love”. Raging. We spent £60 her tonight. So sad to see chavs ruin a pub.

Ignore previous reviews based on previous owners. We visit this pub regularly when in Bedale. Never had such an awful experience in a pub in my life. 3 large dogs roaming around off the lead. 2 Staffies and a German Shepherd. A drunk chav in charge apparently. A lady behind the bar who CANNOT pull a pint of ale. I don’t need to go on. A waste of money and upsetting to see a good pub run in the ground especially after the tough time this industry has faced. Zero effort put into this pub and looks like it’s just being used as a chav drop in centre / drunk mates free for all. AWFUL. Spend your money elsewhere on the high street and leave them to it.

Food terrible.!! Had to send back the tough beef and soggy Yorkshire pudding meal we were presented with. Staff very pleasant though.

Nice pint, dogs welcome. Unfortunately only offered very reduced menu today. Suggest you check before you go.

Called in for lunch, staff were really friendly and the service was excellent. The food was really nice and the pub had a great atmosphere.

Very nice Sunday dinner we from hartlepool had a drive out fir dinner would recommend 💥

Lovely cosy pub, much as it was before it closed. Sadly let down by the limited food menu available, but hopefully this will improve in the near future.

Fantastic Lady Manager,service excellent.

Good selection of beers, nice food and interior

We met up with friends today for lunch at the Old Black Swan as it was midway between where we live. The range of food was limited, the soup was cold and the veg. with the roast dinners were overcooked and the meal was lukewarm. Can’t recommend this place to eat.

Very friendly and helpful staff. Relaxed atmosphere, excellent real ale, a good selection of other beers, wines and spirits. A selection of coffee is also available. Since lockdown have only been serving their excellent Sunday lunches but hope to be back serving the pre-lockdown daily menu in the near future. Top recommendation!

Really good pint of Theakstons!

Fabulous food, great friendly service and a warm welcome in this traditional pub setting.

Great homemade food, try the pie... Great staff, very friendly. 5*

Even though they're not fully doing food at the minute they put on a really lovely spread for a sad occasion. The new landlord was very pleasant as was the lovely lass behind the bar that day, would highly recommend.

Great place, friendly staff and excellent food. Really enjoyed Sunday lunch

A warm welcome, great food and a safe covid environment

Went on Monday 11 October for a meal, after driving and paying to park was met at the front door with a sign saying that the kitchen is closed for refurbishment.Went to the White Bear instead and had an excellent meal , the service was brilliant.

Friendly environment, and great staff.

Just had drinks so can't comment on food. Good selection of drinks. Multiple TV's and happy to show multiple games which is useful.

Good Food & service. Only concern was number of clients not social distancing in lower bar area.

Saw this pub during a wander around Bedale, great location on the market square. Went in for a drink that evening, more of a restaurant than a pub, but friendly staff and decent selection of beers.

Great service. One way in the pub, tables well spaced out. Food was great and really good value.

Nice old pub with good food and beer. Very friendly staff.

Amazing yet again. Steak pie is fabulous. Staff are wonderful. Great service and would recommend, worth a visit

A warm and friendly pub with a great atmosphere. Popped in at lunchtime for a drink and got the last free table. This place was busy, table service in place due to covid, but got served straight away  A couple of real ales on tap, but with a great selection of all drinks. Would definitely return here, but would book in advance so we could try their food

We had a lovely lunch at The Old Black Swan. We found the pub on TripAdvisor whilst driving through. We had a range of dishes, including soups and sandwiches. All were very tasty. The staff were very pleasant and made us feel very welcome. There is also good COVID-19 guidance in place that made our visit very comfortable.

Great pub for both food and drink Very friendly and cheerful staff

Great service, lovely steak pie

Very amendable hosts and great value grub.

Delicious food, generous portion sizes and helpful staff.

Excellent food. Friendly staff.

Very disappointed with the portion size of the sunday dinner not enough veg or beef. Had to go and get something else to eat after

Sunday dinner was the worst iv ever had tiny peice of beef not enough veg very disappointed had to go to mcdonalds to fill us all up after . will never go back

Superb food best steak pie ever

We visited as a family of four. We tried to eat there at lunchtime but they were fully booked. A very helpful barman looked to see if he could fit us in at teatime instead and so we returned later. The pub had good coronavirus precautions in place. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Two of us had chilli, one had lasagne and one had lamb and yorkshire pudding with veg. All the food was tasty and well presented. We will definitely return as we were made to feel very welcome.

We thought we were very lucky to find somewhere to eat at 4.30pm on a Sunday. Most places have stopped cooking by this time. We had Sunday pork dinners and they were excellent. It may be unpretentious food but it was delicious and the service was great. Well done Old Black Swan staff!

Excellent customer service and the chips are to die for the rest of the food was good too.

Absolutely incredible and the service is first class. Only had Coffees which were beautiful and only 2 pounds each.

Called in on the off chance , glad we did , we called in today 13/08/2020 , We were showed to a table by the window and brought menu's , we went for fish n chips with peas and b & b , did'nt have to wait long , the fish was large and pure white and fresh , the batter was very nice , crispy and dry { no fat running onto plate } the chips were thick cut and red hot , fresh bread n butter and cups of Tea , Safety was spot on and spaced out , Staff very polite and pleasant , defo go again when in the area

Utterly lovely tea out, food fab and Dean and Team very kind and attentive as ever ..deffo 5 stars

Nice well kept pub. Social distancing adhered to. Very attentive staff sunday roast very nice.

We visited for an evening meal and left with mixed impressions The staff were friendly and service was quick and there was a decent range of drinks on offer The menu was limited with only 7 or 8 choices and before we ordered we were told 3 of the choices were not available and while we were eating we overheard another table being told that a 4th option was unavailable which considering the limited choice on offer is not very good at all I had scampi and this came with excellently cooked chips and a good sized portion of mushy peas My son in law had meat lasagne which he enjoyed however my wife and daughter had the vegetable lasagna and were very disappointed as there were hardly any vegetables and it was mainly sauce and pasta All lasagnas appeared to have been microwaved as there was absolutely no colouring to the tops as you would expect from being baked in an oven As I said we left with mixed impressions and I feel a wider choice of meals should be on the menu and there should be sufficient of each

Great front of house, Sarah! Friendly as to tourists!!!

Our first place to go out as we return to a little normality and as soon as we arrived our greeting was very welcoming. Absolutely outstanding service and food. We had the best time and our little boy said it was so amazing he wants to come again. We certainly will visit again. Thank you

Second day open after lockdown and like other pubs, table service in place. Bar maid stood at far end of bar on her phone. Limited table service so left and went elsewhere.

Excellent food, quick friendly service.

We enjoyed the 'Pensioners Two Courses for £7.99' fantastic value and very tasty. Great beer also, in comfortable surroundings and nice staff .

Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff!

Great live music and excellent quality beer brewed on site

Third visit. Really warm welcome. Good range of ales. Steak pie was lively and log fire really set the scene. Muddy boots and dogs welcome. Excellent.

food was ok. Service very slow.

A warm and friendly pub with great atmosphere. Food is generous without being outstanding, the pastry on the steak pie was suffering from apparent microwaving, chips very good and plentiful and enough (way to many!) peas for 4 portions. Pot of tea was good BUT why use uht pots of milk? Given that I could see the Co-op from where I was sitting, there is no excuse for not supplying fresh milk! Great selection of ales, sadly not sampled because I was driving

We were lucky to find comfy seats next to the log burner fire so warm and cosy. The perfect place to be as it was cold outside. We were playing cards and the locals were friendly, asking questions about what we were playing. I had gravy & chips as all I wanted was something light, it was only £2.95 and they tasted lovely. We have eaten here before and the food was delicious with reasonable prices.

Food always good best sunday lunch around piping hot

This has become a firm favourite of ours, as it is about halfway on our journey North-South. It's about 5 minutes from the new A1, coming off at Junction 51. The Old Black Swan is in the centre of Bedale on the Market Place. There are usually parking spaces (use the time card, which you can get from the pub or shops for free). We love their fish and chips - which are huge portions, and their crumble puddings - but there's a good menu with lots of choices, and deals for pensioners during the week. Never been disappointed. Order at the bar and give them your table number. The chef often comes out and checks with diners. Recommended.

Visited last week whilst staying with friends . Great choices of food in local dog friendly pub . Will be returning

Staying in Bedale just after the new year. Stumbled upon this pub and went in for lunch. Went with my family, including three children under five. Friendly service, cosy atmosphere and good, home cooked food. Would recommend.

Nice friendly pub in the centre of Bedale. Serving good food all day and sensibly priced food and drinks. Dog friendly which is great

Great place. Good food. Lovely atmosphere

Lovely friendly, welcoming staff to us and our dogs. Really attentive and prompt service despite turning up 5 mins before food service finished. Delicious food and real ale. Thank you

My mum and I came for lunch yesterday with our three dogs. They can be a handful at the best of times but we were made to feel welcomed. The food was good value for money and very tasty. We will definitely go back.

Great boozer and great food Megan and Dean particularly welcoming will definitely be going back

I rarely leave reviews but on this occasion I have to.This was our second visit ,Sunday lunch time,something for everyone,delicious food,great staff, prices very reasonable.I eat very slowly,when I asked them to warm my food up they brought it back and refunded my meal(which there was absolutely no need to do) brilliant customer service with a genuine smile.cosy pub,real fires,loved it.Thanks to all the staff x

Been a couple of times here. Food is excellent! Service is fantastic, staff are very attentive. Hubby had burger, just how he likes it. I ordered the homemade steak pie. Oh. My. Days. Best steak pie I’ve ever had. The meat was tender, the gravy in the pie was so tasty. Waitress asked if I wanted extra gravy, best decision to say yes. Amazing! We will be visiting again before the week is out.

Excellent environment, very friendly staff, quiet nice menu and quick service! Nice balance between price and quality!

Excellent meals, helpful staff and a good selection of drinks. The interior was nicely presented and was a pleasant place to eat and drink.

Called in today for a late lunch. We had a lovely ‘Seniors’ 2 course lunch. The roast beef dinner was fantastic, followed by rhubarb crumble and custard (my husband ate it all despite apparently not liking rhubarb!). Can thoroughly recommend the food and the staff were extremely helpful and friendly too. Next time we’re passing through Bedale we will definitely be making a return visit. Fabulous!

Called in to a very busy pub and had to wait for a table. Once seated we had a roast of the day and steak banquette, both of which were lovely if a bit on the expensive side. Drinks were nice but again quite expensive.

Had a great Sunday dinner here!

Have been three times now for lunch and it just gets better. Staff, food and drinks are all great and I would highly recommend this pub.

We visited here with friends and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We had a warm and friendly welcome from the Landlord and staff, and enjoyed the pensioners meals which were really tasty, with ample portions, and very good value for money. Service was prompt and, overall, there was a really pleasant atmosphere about the place. A good selection of beers, wines and spirits made for a really good experience.

Great Sunday lunch Yorkshire portions 🤩

Lovely traditional pub serving good food. Steak and chips was cooked to perfection and we had the sharing platter to start with. Great portions and reasonable priced wines. Food was served fresh and hot and in a timely fashion. All good.