The Old White Swan Restaurant in York

Been here a few times over the years. Now a Nicholson's pub. Walk into the covered courtyard from Goodramgate and you have a choice of two bars, one to the left and one to the right. Both have a good real ale selection. Very busy early evening a week before Christmas. Ic and Flic found space on a large table with people moving up for us. A good pint of Golden Doubloon from Laine brewery. A lovely large pub with a restaurant area for more formal dining.

Lovely Dog friendly pub, perfect for a pint at the Christmas Market

Visiting from London. Booked for the first night and food was so good we booked for the next night.

We had such a lovely staff Christmas meal. The atmosphere when we walked in was gorgeous with all the decorations and happy faces. The staff were really attentive, accommodating of food requirements, cancellations or splitting the bill etc. It felt very human. The food I was most surprised about to be honest as I thought the Christmas menu came at a great price so didn’t expect too much but it was so nice. Beautifully presented, warm plates, really good portion sizes (not too small and not too big) plus as a veggie I had the nut roast which can be pretty awful and dry but this one was really nice with lots of seeds and quite light actually. A lot of us weren’t drinking and it felt nice to have a big selection of soft and zero alcohol drinks plus water on the table. Our room was cosy and quiet before later on we moved to round the fire. It was perfect! Please do pass a big thank you into the staff and the chefs (I feel they often don’t get the credit). The only tiny thing that I didn’t like was the music. It wasn’t too loud so it didn’t matter too much but it was a lot of rock etc. were we would have loved some Christmas music. I understand that the staff might be sick of it though! 🙃

We were welcomed, our reservation confirmed and shown to our table, situated in a light and airy part of the restaurant. The staff were polite and attentive both with our drink and food orders. The food was delivered in a timely fashion and was piping hot. A very pleasurable lunchtime experience.

This is without doubt the worse Sunday roast I have ever had. All the vegetables were completely dried out. The potatoes were completely inedible. I could neither get my fork nor knife into them let alone eat them. I suspect they had been kept warm since lunchtime and I was there at 4pm. I made them aware of this and told them not to serve them to anyone else. To my horror within half an hour they served a table close to me food in the same condition. The two young ladies were seen trying their best to cut through the potatoes. I made yet another member of staff aware of this and yet again nothing was done. Disgraceful practice. Money wasted on inedible food.

Stopped for breakfast on a rainy christmas market morning, the food was good, great atmosphere and really liked the traditional touches of decoration and information plates displayed around the pub.

Fabulous pub for either a drink or food.

I always love the old white swan in York at Christmas, the atmosphere is perfect 👌 the staff are so friendly and helpful. Food is amazing can't wait to go back.

Could & should be one of the best pubs in York It's old, quirky and the front "beer garden" is a great spot Inside it's been well maintained but any olde world ambience is ruined by the TVs which are EVERYWHERE 😄 And absolutely no one is interested in watching them There is nowhere you can rest your eyes without seeing a TV except out the windows Really weird

Not good all the burgers burnt we live Aldwark my brother and wife came from Leeds.to take us for a nice meal very disappointed the staff were no wear to complain. Expensive night time your staff were trained to look after customers very disappointed.

Popped in for a drink during a weekend in York. Lovely old pub with friendly staff. Lots of seating options and worth a visit

Beautiful amazing place with great food. Our first choice every time. We cone back every year. If you want a traditional pub with exceptional food and a great choice of drinks then this should be your first choice. Recommend joining the mailing list and getting a free drink

Never any issues decent choice of Non alcoholic drinks

Great pub with lovely atmosphere and absolutely delicious pies, definitely recommend the beef rib

Lovely pub that has just had a stunning refurb, even spoke to the General Manager Luke behind the bar who happily spent time talking to us. We used to frequent the cross keys down the road. I think we've found a new regular for when in York!

Had a steak and ale pie which was tasty, the carrots 🥕 were a bit undercooked for me though.

Excellent pub with a great traditional menu

Great little place for a drink or two we didn't have any food Can get very busy

Lovely cosy pub in centre of York, great selection of wines, beers and lovely atmosphere with cosy little snuggle areas perfect for a romantic meal whilst having a weekend away from it all. Everything within walking distance,shops, restaurants and Yorks fantastic historic streets and the wall which in areas you can walk round on 10/10 well done the whole team 👏👏👏

Lovely lady served us lovely relaxed manner really nice quiet dining room will be definitely going back

Went during York Ghost Week, the service was good and pub lovely. Breakfast was delicious!

Food was very good and the service as well! Even though it was very busy we had a tasty burger with fries and drinks for a good price. Would definitely eat here again!

Great place to eat and relax right in the centre of beautiful York.

Not great..we had the last roast chicken at 4pm and the beef had already gone! Dry chicken and no stuffing despite it being on the menu (forgot to check before starting). No atmosphere and limited choices..very disappointed

Amazing food even better service 😍

Nice pint didn't eat as it was a bit full

Lovely place to visit for a quick drink

Dirty inside and staff who count care less about the customer

Great food , like the quiz, not enough staff on at the minute

Didn't stop for food but we had a couple of drinks and snacks. Lovely place to escape the light rain! We were served by a helpful fellow at the bar and everyone seemed to be having a laugh!

Wonderful food and a very kind waiter found a table for 4 at an extremely busy period in the afternoon. We had the Beef Rib Shin Brisket Pie x 2, Seabass & Fish & Chips. Delicious. Food was on the table about half an hour after we arrived. Thoroughly recommend 😋

Lovely pub, nice food & great entertainment

Really reasonably priced drinks Lovely bar nibbles. The halloumi fries were the best we have ever had and the batter was so light and chilli’s were the best complement with the dip. The nachos were nice just what they say on the tin. We will be back for the halloumi fries. Busy but worth the wait!

We didn't arrive until 7pm this evening. We were told that the kitchen would close at 8:00 PM and that persons under the age of 18 had to leave at 8:00 PM. Despite that, we decided to order anyway. Our youngest daughter is 15, but we should be able to order and eat it within an hour. The pub looks cozy. Delicious fish and chips. But at exactly 8 p.m. we were asked to leave the building. Even though we hadn't finished eating yet. We had already paid and really had no intention of ordering more or staying for long. But we were no longer allowed 5 minutes to empty our plate. I don't find that very hospitable. Maybe it's because we as tourists don't understand the rules??? I found it rather unfriendly and for that reason I will not return here again.

Beer is higher in price on a Saturday. Surely the day you take the most money , yet you decide to take advantage and charge more for your already expensive beer. Absolute joke. You should be ashamed. On a positive atleast your toilets are kept clean. God knows what your kitchen is like. Visited 26th of October 2024.

Had Breakfast which was well worth the money, very tasty good portion sizes😋 the salmon & scrambled egg was delicious. Variety of drinks, reasonably priced. It's a very old pub with plenty of atmosphere 👌 lovely staff too.

Steak sandwich was a mistake the large piece of gristle was the thickest thing in it.Will not be returning very expensive felt ripped off.

The food here is so good. We ate two nights in a row. Sampled different food. All of it was good. We ate outside and in the pub. The atmosphere is really nice. Friendly service. Casual is the best why to describe this place. You don't need to be all fancy and can relax with a good meal and drinks. I would recommend it to anyone.

Chain pub but good quality food and beer. Great service from staff.

York City Restaurant Week offers a pie 🥧 😋 with mashed potato 🥔 and 🥕 🥕 carrots served with a pint from a selection of beers 🍻 😋 or a glass of wine 🍷 for £15. Here throughout the promotion. Enjoy 😉

Oh dear what a disappointment . Not been for a while but decided to treat the family as all very good last time. The Old White Swan is not going down the 'Swanee' is it? There were others saying similar . The staff were rushed have to admit but the standard of presentation wasn't as it should have been. As for me the pie was a bit overcooked and the chips weren't particularly hot. The rest of our party weren't overly impressed either. There are other places to eat better than this in York. Hope it improves food wise as the pub is a lovely olde worlde one,

Great pub in the quieter side of York 👍

Just stopped for drinks at one of the oldest pubs in York

Great pub, lots of choice of live sport and in the other end has live music. Loads of space to sit and a brilliant big fire.

Nice old Grade listed pub cosey full of character good food very helpfull staff would recommend while in york give it a try.

Another pub in York charging over £8.50 for a pint and a half of lager. Dick Turpin was here.

Fantastic old pub. The 3rd most haunted in york but don't be put off. It is very cosy and welcoming. The staff are lovely. Lots of space to find your own corner. Sit in front of the fire and enjoy a pint. Toilets very clean.

A Nice historic pub but the food is just disappointing ! I had the fish pie , and found it tasteless and stodgy ! All in all very disappointed

Great pub in the middle of York, rich in history. The food is lovely and the staff are very friendly with plenty of food and drink choices. I would highly recommend visiting here when in the city! ☆☆☆☆☆

We were a group of ex work mates who called in the pub, for a quick, lunch time pint, during our walk round the city walls. As it was early, 11.30am, it was pretty quiet, but the staff were friendly and helpful. We sat outside in the seated area. Tables, and chairs were of a good standard, and tables were cleared strait away. Would recommend a visit.

A beautiful, ambiance and historic public house. Just had a simple cup of tea, although the "pot" was only half full, asked for a small jug of hot water to top up and given a very small top up. If you would like customers to recommend your business, a little extra hot water would go a long way. However, the overall experience was lovely.

Just a great pub. The best ambience that exudes a lot of peace and security. Our lunch was great too. Family-friendly, something for everyone. at a fair price.

Just popped into this charming old pub for a quick pint! It is set out in a variety of different rooms so has something for everyone's taste! We didn't have time for any food but the meals getting served looked lovely! A nice range of popular beers!

Had a lovely meal with a dear friend for several hours here. Steak and chips with peppercorn sauce was just delightful, so full of flavour. Staff and servers were wonderfully pleasant as well. All in the setting of a historic building, beautiful 😍 highly recommend.

Great food , lovely friendly atmosphere, large choice of drinks . Great service .

Anywhere that pours a perfect Guinness dwells in the Elysian Fields, in my eyes. The whole group enjoyed a really good variety of ciders and ales for the couple of hours we stayed. We were a group of about ten yet there was plenty of space in this cosy pub for us and the bar staff were lovely. Definitely coming back next time we are in York!

Expensive, like most places round here, but nice enough.

A great find! The steak and ale pie is the best I can remember ever having and they have a decent selection of beers on tap. Staff are friendly and even called us over to a less crowded area when they could see they were dealing with hungry travelers and not folks interested in joining the dudebro sportball watching that was going on. Honestly wish I had room to try some of the appetizers, they sounded great. Very worth a stop.

Just came here for a drink on our days in York. We sat outside with our dog, drink was nice, service was good, the bartender seemed to be working on their own, so a queue was a given. Didn't try the food unfortunately, but there was 2 outdoor seating areas which was good. There were also alcohol-free options.

I have been coming to this place for years. Then I went home and just got back after 17 years. Still the same or even looking better now 😊

Visited as a family of 4 on a Thursday evening. Ordered 2 x fish and chips, a Nicholson burger and sausage and mash. All were freshly cooked and absolutely delicious. Black sheep best bitter a very good quality pint. Lovely traditional feel to the pub and pleasant, efficient staff. Well worth a visit.

Perfect atmosphere with a good selection of Ales. Food was perfect and service was really friendly, I think the lads name was Joe. Perfect size portions of food and really tasty

We spontaneously ate here. The very friendly service gave us a table in the really rustic room. We had fish and chips and a delicious pie. In terms of price it was absolutely ok for what was offered.

Great food , beautiful decor , great atmosphere

I used to come here all the time. Sadly, the food has gone drastically downhill. Hopefully this pubs food will return to its previous standard. It would be such a shame if not, as its such a beautiful building.

Was on a Coach tour and had prebooked as group (48 people) and also pre ordered our meals a day in advance for 8 pm. Meals were brought out close to 9 pm very slowly and some people had already finished before everyone got theirs. Staff very slow bringing out plates. They were cold, burnt and some inedible..the group not happy as it was our farewell dinner together.

The food is amazing!! Staff are very friendly and service very quick. We felt welcome, and we had a lovely time here.

Beers, atmosphere etc were great. But the boar and chorizo pie I had was almost empty and devoid of the wonderful flavours described. Choose your pie wisely. My friend's beef pie looked great.

Good atmosphere and super delicious food! Pet friendly and with live music on Tuesdays and Sundays. Try the PIES, they are delicious!

Nice old pub with a good atmosphere. We had the chicken breast and chorizo meal. The chicken breast was way overcooked and dry, as was the chorizo. Potatoes and broccoli were very nice though.

The burgers are average at best, opt for the sandwich or salmon salad instead.

Good pub with an attractive outdoor area. The food was very good and there is a decent beer selection. Staff very friendly.

Adequate beer but nothing special.

Really lovely food very traditional old English lovely and cosy especially in the winter when the fire is lit in the old fireplace. Also full of history. Highly recommend.

A stunning and perfect place. Beautiful and pleasant, atmosphere and efficient, courteous and friendly service. Excellent food!!! We came back again the next day.. Stunning place. Excellent and delicious food and the service is again super kind, pleasant and kind!

Cracking place to chill or party..

My partner and I decided to have a couple of drinks here with our big dog, there was plenty of space to sit out (and inside). The staff were friendly and efficient. There was a nice atmosphere and it was overall a place I would recommend.

Best beef n brisket pie ever tested! Outstanding 😊 young man serving drinks very kind, helpful and polite

Fantastic meal, so pleased the Chinese restaurant was closed and we popped in here for a meal. The food was amazing and the staff were excellent. Lovely pub with a great ambience.

Visited again July and August 2024. Food was beautiful and tasty. Staff were friendly too. We did have to wait a while for the food to arrive, but they were very busy. Overall would definitely recommend

Carling a £1.00 more expensive than other pub,what a rip off 😪

Food was very dry and overcooked. We ordered 3 different dishes and all were the same sadly. Historically was always a safe bet.

Lovely bar, nice atmosphere and always immaculate

amazing food and really nice staff, the building and general atmosphere is mesmerising and this place is worth the praise it gets

Good pub, with plenty of room. Traditional as well as modern beers. Serves good pub grub. As oasis in the madness of York.

Fantastic pie & a pint, lovely old fashioned pub

Very friendly staff and a good pint served Unfortunately Fish n chips over cooked and over priced, sausage and mash a bit tasteless (didnt taste like proper mash) but the lads throughly enjoyed the steak pie and burgers Would I go again... yes but not for the fish or mash

Beautiful haunted pub with good drinks selection and lovely food. Especially the pies. Loved the big carrots that came with them

Third oldest pub in York; the food was excellent, the locally brewed beer was delicious. Highly recommended!

Pleasant and welcoming, enjoyed our food in nice surroundings, we have been back a few times since the original review, and I have to say I love it more each time, food is magnificent, staff very friendly, all in all a fabulous place.

Went in for a coffee as a quick stop. If we hadn't been in a rush, it would if gone back, as it was luke warm!!

We are locals and had lunch here, £60 for 3 people in our lunch hour. Two had reasonable burgers but the third meal ordered was chicken and mushroom pie. It was a very small meal just a pie with 4 pieces if carrot. Only when we got home did we realise we hadn't been given any 'creamy mashed potato ' as the menu stated. Surely the chef must have known half the meal was missing! Used to he regulars here but not any more. Catering for tourists and not locals, £60 for two and a half meals, never again! Very dark rooms too, worse than usual. Give it a miss in future after many years. Very disappointing short changing customers. Word soon spreads in York.

Wow what a lovely pub! I believe it's the 3rd oldest in York? We went at around 730pm, the place was rammed with all ages and groups of people we had pre booked a table and were taken round the corner into a quieter area. Our food came promptly I ordered the steak pie and my sister the beef burger with BBQ brisket on top. I can honestly say it's one of the best pies I've eaten, proper home made, packed with meat. The gravy also lovely, I was a little disappointed with the chips which I believe are McCain home fries, but I excused it due to the pue being so good and to be fair that was the star of the show. My sister's burger she said was beautiful also. Service was fab, especially given the place was so busy. Atmosphere was great a real mix of people in the place.

Beautiful establishment. Very pleasant. Nice beer list (light of course 😀). Concerning the meal, a reservation on the Classic burger (basic and overcooked meat) however the beef pie was good.

Nice restaurant. Service was great, food was lovely. Ruined just slightly by loud drunks sat outside.

We were there on a Saturday and there were quite a few people, the place was large and pleasant.

Good food, friendly service, we liked it!

I've just been to the pub and was ignored 3 times by the bar maid she just walked past me and served other people. Won't go again.

Live music every Friday fantastic place for a drink nice mature crowd