The Swan in Vale of White Horse

Great atmosphere and location. Lovely walk by the Thames river from Abingdon to this pub. Have been here twice and will come back again to try other food on the menu. Sat outside whilst having tapas. Walked again by the river going back to Abingdon. Staff are friendly. Beautiful pub. Amazing selection of foodz

Very disappointed by the service. There was no waiter service as such and we had to order our meal at the bar. It was very busy and it took a while before we could order. Then we had to pay up front. We were sat out in the garden and it was very noisy with children running around. We had to wait for an hour before we got our meal. If we hadn't had to pay up front we would have left. The food was okay when it eventually arrived hence the three stars, but we wouldn't ever go there again.

I arrived too late for food. But staff were welcoming even though they were shutting down from lunch. Had a coffee and cold drink. Very clean and well set out. Beautiful outside seating too. Thank you for your welcome.

I was in Sutton Courtenay on an errand and needed a quick small lunch. The Swan, with its interesting menu (among other items, there were lots of small plates and tapas style dishes), looked inviting. I enjoyed my Caesar salad with spicy chorizo rather than chicken. The service was OK. I returned later in the day n for an espresso... To start with he process of making was heading for 'an espresso disaster', but another member of staff saved the day!

Pleasing venue in a great location set back from road through village on a green. There is plenty of outdoor seating front and back. Good menu options and food portions were generous and tasty. Well worth a visit.

Stopped off for a quick drink on our bike ride, decided to have some chips to go with our drinks and was surprised to see that there was about 5 chips per serving which worked out at £1 per chip.. which was pretty depressing.. lovely place though and staff were nice..

Great food! Excellent choice of tapas plus other options. Nicely appointed pub and gardens. Friendly helpful staff. Can be noisy at times.

Overall we had a good time visiting here. Booked a table for 3 and was welcomed by a friendly member of staff and got us seated. Service was excellent and the food came out quickly. The food is on the pricey side. I ordered a caesar salad however it was very hard to eat! The type of lettuce they used was very just difficult to put on my fork. The other 2 I was with had a roast but the veg was rock hard and same for the potatoes. We ordered desserts which was excellent but sadly they forgot my coffee and remembered as everyone finished their desserts so I cancelled the coffee. But that was handled politely. Beautiful inside and outside has a great garden. Wouldn’t go out my way to visit again.

I love this place but find it inconsistent. One week the food is fantastic, the next its disappointing. Today was a mix! Sunday Roast. Meat was excellent, potatoes were either overcooked or soggy. Broccoli was not cooked! Cauli cheese was lovely!

Awful experience would not recommend at all going there. Booked it for our Christmas meal with a couple of friends and it just kept getting worse and worse. Sat down to take our order in which they forgot to bring our drinks after over 20 minutes so had to go up to the bar to order and take them. Kept forgetting what we ordered so had to come back to the table 4 times to check it was correct. When food finally arrived we ate it ( ordered the “Chorizo de salami” which was too hard, cut too thick and awfully chewy -not recommending) We then had our mains delivered and within 1 min of it arriving it was taken away with the assumption the orders were wrong - for it to be brought back in 5/10 min saying it was ours actually. The sauces were missing and undercooked which can happen but it was the spiral of events that didn’t help. I then received my main after a very long wait “surf ‘n’ turf” which was meant to be well done but it was far off. It was overcooked and chewy, it had alot of fat in it which made it even more chewy. The shrimps were not too bad but in the combination of the food I just would not recommend at all. Not happy with the service or the state of the food and I ended up paying over £40 which in the end was overcharged as incorrectly typed in. If it was just one or two things maybe I wouldn’t have taken it to heart but it was the turn of events that lead up to it that distraught me. The mould wine was okay.

Outstanding food and service. Above average wine list. Best G&T I ever had. If you want a place with all of the above, and great ambiance to boot, The Swan is the place to go.

We stumbled across this by chance ordered starters and mains. The best scotch egg hed ever had according to my husband. I had a risotto tiger prawns and chorizo amazing tasty and huge portion ( i took some home in a tray). The staff were lovely friendly and attentive. We want to go back.

Was excited to eat here after reading good reviews, unfortunately the abysmal service let The Swan down. We had booked a table for Sunday lunch and were not informed of any delays when we arrived - but when we asked after waiting over 1/2 an hour if we could order food we were told we couldn’t order yet and when we eventually could, almost all the roasts were sold out. Not once did any of the waiting staff ask us if we were ok or needed anything, and getting more drinks or any cutlery made us feel like an inconvenience. There was no apology for any of the delays, or when the waiter spilt some of one of the drinks on the table. Really disappointed as it is a beautiful pub in a wonderful location and the food was nice when we got it!

Stopped off for a drink to check it out as going for a family meal next month. Very busy for a Thursday evening. Dog friendly.

We have driven past many times and promised ourselves to visit. I'm pleased to say that finally we made it and we had a great time! The food was excellent and the staff were all very helpful and friendly. Thank you!

Great friendly service. DOG FRIENDLY. good full menu. Nice selection of wines and drinks. The food was plentiful and all round very good. Nice pub in a beautiful village with food that won’t disappoint. I would recommend a visit.

We were early evening - 6:30 - and even though they warn you of delays, as the food is cooked to order, we didn't expect it to take quite so long. The food was good but the service was abysmal. Our six mains came out but no cutlery with it. That arrived and we pointed out we were a portion of fries missing. This was rectified immediately. My salmon had coriander and I had requested none. It was taken away, brought back coriander free (I didn't want the salmon replaced, too wasteful,) except it wasn't, there it was under the fish. I scraped it off and put it to the side. When the table was cleared and I pointed out the error, the waitress asked if I'd ordered it without, yes, I said. Oh, my bad was her reply. Hmmn! Two lots of ice cream were ordered, it took them 20 minutes to tell us they didn't have one of the flavours and a further 10 to bring the alternative (one had now been cancelled), again no spoon on a very hot evening! The bill had the full amount for the salmon and both ice creams, though one had been cancelled. They did, after I complained, remove the salmon and one ice cream and I felt like they were doing me a favour! Won't be visiting there again.

I went here on Saturday evening. The service was great, decent portion sizes and a chilled atmosphere. I will definitely be back soon! I highly recommend the tempura prawns and the sirloin steak!

Excellent food and service in a beautiful pub. I loved the paella and the starter and pudding were really good too. Plenty of beers to choose from. Staff were really friendly and helpful. We sat inside, but the beer garden is great in good weather too.

Very good and varied menu. The staff were efficient and friendly.

A great location to stop for lunch on our 11 mile loop of The Thames Path. A pleasant rural pub in a picturesque village. Once inside a spacious clean bar and friendly staff. Two cask ales on offer, and the local brewery bitter was excellent. Good menu selection and food was tasty and well cooked. Will try to get back.

I took my girlfriend out for our first official date and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience, the service was impeccable and staff were extremely friendly and welcoming. Atmosphere was perfect in the back terrace, picturesque antique style bar and drinks were amazing. We ordered the paella for two and was a large quantity of high quality food, great value for money spent, highly recommend coming here if your trying to impress. :)

Never been before but called in on the off chance, staff were lovely and accommodating, the food was very good and service was great

We walked over to the Swan from Abingdon last Friday night to try out their pizzas. Everyone is so friendly and the pizzas where really good!! Reasonable prices and lovely enclosed garden to enjoy the sun.

Very nice lunch. Tapas and sharing plates especially good.

Great place not only for Sunday Lunch.

Wonderful service. So attentive to us all. Nothing was too much trouble. Especially for one of our party who had dairy and gluten allergy. Well worth a visit.

Went for Sunday roast, good points were; staff friendly, beautiful pub, reasonable menu and looks to be high quality fresh produce. Bad points were the roast beef was below rare, nearly raw although my dog was very happy with it when we got home(I don't mind my beef medium but this was rare at best) I think as a good middle ground the beef should be medium. Slice of Yorkshire was like a doughy pancake, vegetables fresh but almost like they had been picked and put straight into the dish without any cooking, roast potatoes undercooked, the roast size is small, especially for £19 each and pub has a poor variety of beers and parking is a nightmare. One of us did have a fish platter which was very good and certainly fresh fish. Very disappointed because the food smells amazing as you walk in, and as I said it's fresh produce but it's let down by the chef that day who didn't seem to want to cook food thoroughly (roast a roast) Such a shame but I'd hope it was an off day.

Specials continue to impress … but last night went back to basics with fish and chips - excellent …made posh with some rocket hard to beat . Highly recommend a visit

We had a lovely time in the beer garden. It's dog friendly but it was a nice day so we sat outside. Have a love lunch. A great place to break up a walk along the banks of the Thames

Amazing service. Good food, good atmosphere.

I have been a resident of Sutton Courtenay for 18 years, and never once have I been disappointed with the quality of food, service, and especially the atmosphere. Every member of staff has treated me with friendliness and respect, and the head chef has always been willing to offer compromises for orders that are unable to be met. Highly recommend this restaurant, will be coming back time and time again. 👍

This is an absolute gem of a country pub! I live locally and have been here a fair few times and particularly on special occasions like family birthdays; the staff are always friendly and attentive and make the effort to go out of their way to ensure I have everything I want, even special requests from time to time. The food is also spot on, you can tell it's freshly prepared and presented with care, and it's always so damn tasty. I love tapas and it's few and far between in this area - a must try at The Swan where there's a nice selection available. What also keeps it interesting for me is the changing specials board, I'm a sucker for a classic pub burger or fish & chips, but the specials always offer something I didn't think to order and it doesn't disappoint! I'd highly recommend The Swan to anyone that hasn't tried it :)

Delicious food and wonderful service! We went for dinner on Friday night without booking and the staff were extremely accommodating, and managed to fit us in even though the restaurant looked extremely busy. Staff were friendly, service was spot on and the food was excellent. I ordered the confit duck and it was the best I’ve ever had, highly recommend. I can’t believe the last review, not accurate at all. We will definitely be coming back!

I deliberately booked in advance so I could be sure of a seat in the much more nicely decorated half of the restaurant and even came in twice to check the booking and increase it to four people. When I arrived they had moved me to the other side of the restaurant which is not nice. This is the second time they’ve done this. Why don’t you just refurbish that half of the restaurant to make it more inviting. You shouldn’t treat locals with more respect than people who don’t visit as often or you will never get those people visiting more often.

We were the annoying, big group with kids that needed tables pushing together to accommodate us. The staff were so helpful and welcoming. The food was tasty and the Ale was fantastically moreish. Located in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. Great place for all the family

Consistently great food and very friendly staff. I don’t eat seed oils, which is a faff when going out to eat, as they’re in pretty much everything. After realising how much of a pain it was I accepted that I’d just deal with it this time, but the staff insisted my needs were met and sorted out a fantastic seed oil free meal. Brilliant stuff. Highly recommend.

We had a table booked for lunch with friends on a Sunday. The table was booked at 12.30pm and my friends were there at that time, we were a bit late because we have a 7 month old baby and kids can be unpredictable, however we arrived at 12.45pm. On arrival we were informed that they would need that table free at 14.30 and we must order food right away. So we did. We were waiting for our food for over 40 good minutes, one family of 7 who arrived after us and ordered after us was served promptly while we were waiting for our food. Apart of that, I've been asked to move my baby pushchair so the people from the table next to us could have more room, fair enough, so I've asked for a high chair so I could sit my baby, and also to warm up my baby food, the waitress said yes to both but never came back with the chair or to check if the baby food were sorted. When we finished our meal, which wasn't to bad, but not impressed with, we were surprised with the bill and with "we need this tablet ASAP". This was the cherry on the top of the cake, we were waiting for the menu so we could ask for deserts and coffee but apparently they were in a rush to rudely ask us out! This is not the way that you want to treat your costumers, mainly when you have free tablets around!!! I'm chocked still whith all that happened and I'm not coming back here for sure!!!

Had a lunch reservation for a group of friends, and we were told on arrival that they would need the table back at 2:30... despite never being told there was a time limit while making the reservation. A couple of our friends from that group have a newborn baby, and since newborns are pretty unpredictable they were unfortunate to arrive half an hour late to the restaurant. Now... this is not the restaurant's fault and it's annoying when guests (or at least some them) arrive later than what they are supposed to... But this was an unpredictable event, and we were not aware at all that we were in a rush. The whole experience felt rushed and we did not feel welcome at all. We didn't get offered the desserts menu, despite some of my friends being interested in having some dessert, as we were told to leave the table as soon as possible because of their overbooking. Would it be that bad to at least ask if some of us would be interested on having dessert on some of the other free tables? (Because there were indeed other free tables) Food is not bad, I enjoyed the meal, but this is not the experience I'm looking for when going out with friends. What a disappointment.

The food is good and allows dogs. We booked the table for lunch and some of friends got late due their child. The some of the staff was very unconsiderable and even before we sat down where telling us that they needed the table within a hour. I felt that didn't had time to enjoy food and being with friends. They took around 40 minutes to give the food and in the end, they didn't even offered dessert just given us the bill, and said they needed the table. This attitude and behaviour doesn't want me to go back as it felt they were booking to many people at the same time without giving time for people to eat.

My friends and I descended upon the pub in a chaotic and disorderly fashion and the staff did their absolute best to accommodate us despite the fact we hadn't booked beforehand. The staff were incredible, and the food was delicious. I love this pub and would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Great pub, lovely food, good portions. Would highly recommend.

Greeted by our server and seated very quickly in front of a log fire, great ambience. Very quickly asked if we would like drinks given menus. The food was excellent with very generous portions. We could not fault the service or quality of the food. We would recommend the swan for dinner.

Really pleasantly surprised. Great menu with tapas, gastro pub and classics. Good size portions as well as really tasty and with good service. Enough on the menu for me to want to return to try more!

Have been coming to this pub for years and it never fails to impress. If you want hearty pub grub with a touch of Spanish flair this is the place for you. A family run business which has brought the pub on leaps and bounds from the previous owners, they really do put their heart and soul into the food and running of the place. Delicious food and great atmosphere

Nice looking pub with a fairly standard menu and reasonable drinks selection. £10 for a baguette is too much though. Came with 'chips' that were like a quartered jacket potato! A first for me, and a last.

This used to be a really nice pub to enjoy a drink a good food. However, since a change of ownership it has gone downhill and the food is truly awful. When we complained about our meal we were treated poorly. I will not be using this pub again.

Took friends for Sunday Lunch, was very disappointed. Service poor, felt we were a hindrance. Had to ask to place order, took 1 hour for starters, squid was overcooked. Pork overcooked on the roast, no beef, vegetables were either overcooked or undercooked, not alot for...

Homemade food. All fresh and very good quality. Pet friendly pub with a beautiful garden. Parking space

We phoned before arrival to check if they were dog friendly which was subsequently confirmed on the phone. The pub was lovely and indeed dog friendly which was great, huge garden out the back which we were the only people using so we were able to let the dog off the lead. I cant talk for the selection of beers or quality as myself and fellow acquaintances were driving. But staff were very friendly. The good was fantastic and served in about 30 minutes. Myself and a friend ordered the sharing Paella which was brilliant and a very generous portion too. Great place and will definitely visit again.

We have recently moved to the area so are trying out all the local eateries. This was by far one of the best in the area. Food was fresh, clean and delicious, especially the pizzas. The service was spot on! We had a brilliant evening!...

Had Sunday lunch with friends at the Swan .the roast was very good , veg bit crunchy for me, but fresh.certainly a good portion. Puddings the same. Relaxing atmosphere with friendly staff. We’ll worth a visit.

Baked camebert platter was the perfect sharer for lunch. Lots of seating in different settings. Helpful staff brought us more bread when we asked for it.

Lovely setting, nice atmosphere, friendly staff and on the whole good food - chips and harissa potatoes both more like soggy wedges and for the prices charged should be better. That all said, we'll probably return - we just won't be rushing back.

this is a pleasant place; friendly, and an interesting menu with a Spanish twist. We really enjoyed a selection of Tapas and appreciated the caution about over ordering as we planned a follow up paella. That was good but could have done with a few...

Lovely pub with great food and nice beer garden.

16 of us chose a variety of food from starters, main and puds. Every meal was not only delicious but well presented. We had a hiccup with one of the meals but it was dealt with professionally. Would definitely recommend and we’ll be back.

Lovely pub, great food and obviously great location. Would recommend to all!

We had breakfast with some friends over the Jubilee period which was amazing! Hopefully this could become a regular thing throughout the summer?!

Went for breakfast this morning, can't believe we've not been before... It was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had!

Stopped by on impulse after a doggy walk at Millenium wood. Glad we did lovely food, ambience and friendly efficient staff. Thoroughly recommend and will try again for Dinner one evening definately.

Have gone here for years, first time going for breakfast, very impressed

26/05 /22. Visited today after a long and tiring day and looking forward to a nice relaxing meal but sadly not the case. I admit it was not the best of weathers but we found the restaurant quite chilly. There was a door leading to...

Food was absolutely gorgeous & lots of it.

Very nice pub, the staff was very helpful and the food also was very good, would recommend

6 of us came here on a saturday afternoon for lunch, the staff are very welcoming and friendly The food also was excellent we had the fish plater but shared it, very good, others had the steak and the pasta, all was good. would definatley...

Great food & drink, friendly and helpful staff.

Had a lovely evening with friends. Great food and lovely staff. Nothing too much trouble. Busy restaurant but, they still accommodate gluten free where possible

Such an extremely warm radiator right against my back for over an hour at my window seat. Nice Paella with really juicy large prawns but unfortunately no mussels today. I have had better Morcillas La Ribera ( I think theirs came from Tescos). The warm rustic bread was rather gorgeous. Staff warm.and helpful. Pleasant place

Good country pub with an interesting menu and well kept beer. The Timothy Taylor Landlord was excellent. Our party enjoyed roast beef, roast pork, fish and chips and paella. Staff were friendly and helpful especially to the 5 year old in our party. Will definitely visit again. Hopefully to make use of the garden.

Fabulous food, great staff and super atmosphere. Felt Covid safe as well. Great to be able to visit again.

I won a voucher for a meal for 4 and 2 bottles of wine for The Swan. I took my family there yesterday and we couldn't be happier with the service, food and surroundings. We all had different meals and they were all delicious. To top off an excellent lunch, all the extras, including different drinks, puddings and a kids meal was all thrown in for free also, they certainly didn't have to do this - we will definitely be returning. Thanks again.

We had a nice walk from Didcot and had booked lunch here. Only table available was 1530 when we ordered we were told could we order all as kitchen closed at 1600. The sharing classic plate was nice For main my daughter had a Sunday...

Just had lunch there.Tempura prawns starter terrific as is the mixed fish main.How do they get the batter like that! Also surf and turf, perfectly cooked steak,charred on the outside and medium to rare inside, exactly as I requested.Portions are good,I couldn't finish mine.Good atmosphere and great service.See you soon.

Ambience is nice but it took a long time to get our food. It almost took 40 minutes to get our food. Salmon and pasta were good but I didn't liked mac and cheese.

My first time with friend Jane ! Thank You very much Amy 🤗!

First class food and staff the chef is amazing

Excellent food ,good selection of beer first class all round

Great place to go, a few of us dropped in after work, great friendly staff. Great outdoor area, large garden at the back, and outdoor seating at the front. It's not the first time I've been and will definitely go back.

Excellent place, ambience and food.

Excellent roast lunch and brilliant staff thank you

Excellent location serving good quality food at a reasonable price.

Went there for a birthday treat. The food was great, and the service.

Service was slow but staff were friendly. Food was fine

Great food and atmosphere, also now has great Wi-Fi

Staff were perfectly friendly and accommodating for one of the group who is a Coeliac and required gluten-free food. The food was delicious, we all ordered Sunday roasts and all absolutely loved what we ordered. The desserts were amazing too. We were sat outside in...

WE have been here many times and have never been disappointed! The tempura prawns and chips are to die for. Service and welcome always top notch.

Lovely food and generous portions. Thank you wish I lived closer. A must visit place.

Great food and garden has been done nicely

I love this pub. Lovely people, lovely beer and lovely garden!

As always a great meal. Now totally in line with pandemic rules. Very attentive staff.

Delicious food and lovely atmosphere ...

I couldn’t recommend the swan more! A very welcoming atmosphere, we’ve been a few times in the last few weeks and it feels like a second home already. Great stuff!

Great place for lunch if you work on Milton Park - my colleagues and I used to go there all the time and their baguettes (and even vegan options) were great. Friendly bar staff and waitresses, with a good range of beers and a clean, modern looking interior. Oh, and they have copious free parking out the front, which is always a bonus. Just wish there were more decent pubs like this in South Oxfordshire area.

We went here on Saturday to start off our Christmas break. We were not disappointed! My little girl had fresh tagliatelle and tomato sauce with prawns, my husband the prime beef burger and handmade chips and myself the Blenheim lamb served with a tasty mash...

fantastic Spanish tapas, wonderful service and a lovely wood fire to add to the amazing experience.

Love eating local produce which we always get at the Swan. The lamb was succulent served with vegetables, salad, herb and garlic potatoes and chimichurri sauce. It had ALL the flavours! It was cooked to perfection and the meat was full of fine flavour. It...

This is an awesome pub that serves delicious food. The atmosphere is lovely, the staff friendly and the food memorable.

Despite living in Didcot, we consider this our new local! The bar staff are friendly, welcoming and a great laugh. They have organised everything really well to be COVID safe and still provide great service. Being vegan it can be tricky to find a great pub which can provide a number of vegan options and have great beer, but the Swan ticks all the boxes. The kitchen staff were able to accommodate us with some excellent vegan options and the selection of beers are very good too.

We would highly recommend the Swan to everyone! It provides consistently delicious food and always service with a smile. We have been too many times to count and never get bored. Great choices on the menu, and really reasonably priced for the quality.