The Swan Inn in Waveney

Best pub food I ever had on holiday went back 3 times all 5 stars 🌟

Wow. What a beautiful gem of a pub. Bright and clean. Staff very friendly. Accommodate our furry four legged friends. Staff bought a bowl of water for dogs as soon as we arrived. Lovely helpful staff. Lovely atmosphere. Paige and Eloise were lovely and friendly. We had the share turf board, bannofie pie and Belgian waffles. All absolutely delicious. Booked for the big fish platter tomorrow night! Couldn’t recommend enough

One of the best restaurants we have been in recently. The fish is amazing. The staff lovely.

Don't know about food as got turned away as they stop serving at 4pm And we were there 30 min before closing

Wow, came across the Swan by chance, but so very glad we did. We were given a really friendly welcome and our experience just kept on improving from there. A good selection of drinks, including local ales and a great menu running alongside that. I had the monkfish tails in garlic butter - they were delicious. My wife had the tempura prawns as a main and was delighted. Friends had the fish pie and burger respectively and very much enjoyed them. Only downside is that we were only in the area for a few days so couldn’t revisit. I can, however, definitely recommend the Swan.

Lovely local pub and they serve amazing food. The service was lovely and will certainly book again before the end of our holiday. The fish was so fresh and well prepared and the fries were gorgeous. All in all a great place for dinner.

Food was very well cooked and presented white bait melted in mouth. I had half lobster & crevettes good portion size and well flavoured pulled apart easily and again melted in mouth. Partner had burger which she enjoyed. I had strawberry cheesecake for dessert lovely homemade and nice and light. Worth a visit

This was a lovely pub. Food was excellent as was the service.

Very good food and attentive service to diet ary needs, and looking after elderly guest with us.

We're so lucky to have The Swan as our local. Always so welcoming, good beer and simple but tasty food. There are always specials and seafood is a speciality. I can never get beyond the Lemon Sole with Cheese & Prawn sauce, but our friend had the dressed crab salad and said it was great.

The food is amazing, albeit the starters were a tad small and some dishes lacked a little attention to detail. We had lobster amongst other mains and starters. The only thing to watch is the soft drinks which are heavily overpriced, ridiculous even. Will definitely be back, but will be ordering water on future visits.

First visit to the Swan recommended by friends. Extensive fish menu so wife very happy. Welcoming greeting on arrival, even making the dogs comfortable too. This first class friendly service continued throughout a slick and smoothly run operation Food beautifully presented and sizzling 🥵 hot from kitchen to table. Will definitely return when back in the area.

Lovely welcome, lovely friendly staff, great choice of local ale & excellent food. As it was our wedding anniversary we went full on 3 course! Surf sharing platter to start - glorious garlic king prawns, breaded calamari, whitebait & mackerel pate, all served with dips & chunky bread. Mains - John Dory fish served on ratatouille & crushed new potatoes. Monk fish tails cooked in garlic butter with chunky hand cut chips & salad Dessert - Summer berry pudding with raspberry sorbet. Cherry bakewell tart with cream. Sorry no photos, we just tucked in!

Went there for a barbecue evening and band playing very enjoyable evening

Had dinner, seafood was really good, service even better, looking forward to my next booking!

Lovely country pub tucked away in small village. Only had starters.

11 of us went to swan for a birthday, I had the cod mornay which was really nice, a bit pricey for what I got. Hubby and mum in law had skate wing which was over £20, what they got was half a skate wing! Very small! The desserts are uninspiring, I didn't have one as nothing I liked, hubby had the waffle and ice-cream, really small portion and the waffle was a frozen one re heated in microwave and gone a bit hard, most desserts are around £8-£9 so would expect to be cooked fresh! The service was really good. Think that will be the last time we go there unfortunately.

We have visited this pub for the last 4yrs & it hasn’t disappointed. The food is bloody amazing & I’m talking about the fish. The staff are lovely friendly. We had the fish platter this year all I can say is WOW. See you next year as we have already booked our stay at hidden meadows.👍👍👍😍

Been here lots of times for food, but Sunday lunch on 28th July 24 was not as good as previous visits. Had the roast chicken, was alright, but lots of the accompaniments were not as good as previously. Needs a bit of a look at, I think. Service excellent as ever

Booked over two months ago for 40th family/friends meal, communication was excellent. Meal & service was outstanding with a warm welcome, restaurant clean, spacious with good atmosphere. Well worth the visit be booking again. Kr Tony

Wonderful meal with friends, lovely atmosphere. Thoroughly recommend.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. A great variety of fish selection in the menu. Lovely outdoor setting with a little play area for the children. We look forward to come back again very soon 😃

Requested the bar table when booking. When arriving the owner wanted to take us into the restaurant area. After stating we requested bar she said it isn’t a given , it’s her discretion and it’s the most popular area so not promised even if requested. I felt this was appalling service and the way we were spoken to was rude. We have been coming to the swan since Donny Cole was the owner for 30 years . We won’t return . Not only is the new owner Clare I believe very rude the food was awful. Please think about the service you provide when customers are first arriving, being told this in a snotty manner has ruined any chances of us returning . Not only that Lowestoft is a small town so I’m afraid it has been shared as we wouldn’t recommend you any more. Further more the bar area that we were allowed into to eat eventually, the one that is so popular with customers remained empty for 2 hours on a sunday lunch time so I guess the lack of customers in this most popular area of your restaurant speaks volumes

Me and my partner absolutely love eating here, the fish is amazing and we are working our way through the menu. The meals are adequately priced and you can tell the food is made with care and attention. Staff are friendly and helpful, and the venue is beautiful. Lovely big outdoor area with seating and even a little play park.

Just popped in after not visiting for a while. Bar was as busy as ever. Restaurant and bar seemed very busy for food. Saw a few dishes going out, must say they looked lovely. Garden looks fab too. Will be back. Well done Claire and Co.

Many thanks Claire and team for the excellent meal last night. Food and service was spot on. The evening was perfect from start to finish. Look forward to next time .

Good choice of food a little bit of a wait but it was a Sunday afternoon so no problem. They accepted dogs but we're not as accommodating as some places we have been. The food was really good. Didn't need to book in advance there were tables available.

The staff where very friendly and the service was brilliant the food was very hot and enjoyed it very much definitely will be going again

This is my third stay in Barnby and I would not miss out on a visit (or several) to the Swan Inn. It's like a visit to family, as they are so welcoming, remember you if you have been there before and nothing is too much trouble. It's nice to see familiar faces. The food is excellent and a great selection of beers, wines and spirits. The service is second to none. Whether you are staying in the area or just passing by on the A146, it's well worth stopping off. Very dog friendly too, which always makes life easier for us dog owners. Dog treats available.

Excellent food and very friendly staff.

What a lovely pretty relaxing pub tucked away down a track behind the Barnby garden centre. The staff were lovely and very accomodating, nothing was too much trouble. Three of us had a vegan roast and they made sure we were catered for. Perfect place for all occasions, would definitely eat there again

We went because it was recommended by a friend. The food was nice but not outstanding. After being robbed for 2 half glasses of wine costing £10.95 each, we won't be returning. It wasn't suggested that we buy a whole bottle which would've been cheaper.

SADLY FOR FUNERALS. Kind caring staff. Amazing hearty food. It's always cold whatever funeral, you sort of shiver whatever. The beautiful food and Welcoming atmosphere made a 'shivery' day better x ❤️

Great fresh seafood, perfectly cooked and presented. Fine selection of ales too. Try the Trawler Boy, it is local and very good. Prices are reasonable too.

The food was super, staff very helpful. I'd certainly return.

Main course eas skate which was ok presentation was uninspiring. The chocolate mousse was excellent. The meal was nice but we would not rush back.

Nous avons réservé un dîner de dernière minute ici, nous n'étions pas venus ici depuis un certain temps, nous ne savions donc pas à quoi nous attendre. Nous avons reçu un accueil chaleureux à notre arrivée par le personnel du bar et nous avons été conduits à notre table. Les boissons sont arrivées rapidement, la commande de nourriture a été prise, lorsque la nourriture est arrivée, la présentation était excellente, la qualité de la nourriture était superbe et abondante. Nous n'avons tout simplement rien trouvé à redire sur le service. chaque commande a été prise avec le sourire et il n'y a eu aucune erreur avec aucune de nos commandes de nourriture, étant donné que nous étions 10. Bravo à la réception et à l'équipe de cuisine et nous avons hâte de revenir. "We booked a last minute evening dinner here, we haven't been here for some time so didn't know what to expect. Received a warm welcome on arrival by the bar staff and shown to our table. Drinks arrived promptly, the food order was taken, when the food arrived, the presentation was great the quality of the food was superb and plentiful. We just could not fault the service. every order was taken with a smile, and there was no errors with any of our food order, considering there was 10 of us. Well done to the front of house and kitchen team and we cannot wait until we return."

Had the stake, only just edible but luke warm. Pepper sauce bland and flavourless. Couldn't recommend or take a guest with me in the future, didn't have sufficient faith in whoever was in the kitchen to return the stake. Young lady at bar very pleasant and helpful, good front of house otherwise let down by the poor kitchen.

Lovely seafood and well kept ales.

Table for 4 Arrived early The place was busy But they Went out of their way too Get us seated Food was excellent Will definitely be going again

First time at this dog-friendly pub/ restaurant. I loved it, and the food was delicious. I had garlic prawns with chips and salad, and my wife had fish pie. Both were some of the best pub food we have had for a long time, and it was all light and didn't leave us feeling bloated. I would have liked a bit more bread to soak up the amazing garlic butter sauce, and I guess I could have asked for it. My first pint of beer was not in prime condition, but the second was fine. Very dog-friendly loos very clean staff friendly and hard working

Back from a beautiful meal .very nice .fish was fresh

Lovely staff, great food! A little chilly in the large dining area but soon rectified. All round enjoyable lunch. Will definitely return.

Great food and service, would have been a perfect evening if it hadn’t been for the very loud table playing cards and screeching every five minutes when someone won a round. Staff apologised but were unwilling to do anything about it. When we mentioned it they said yes they can get a bit rowdy, which leads us to believe it is a regular occurrence. Shame would have been 5 stars if the other table had stayed at home.

Xmas Meal with Beccles Rock Choir Fantastic Xmas Meal .. great service from all the staff.. Thanks to all of you .. Happy Xmas!!

Wonderful service and food. I was with a group of 15 people and everything arrived hot and freshly prepared. I would highly recommend this venue. Thank you to all the staff.

Lovely meal, excellent service, lots of parking, cosy atmosphere.

Lovely traditional pub with extensive menu. Brilliant service, lovely log fire and fair priced meal

On arrival they didn't seem to have our booking, however they did find it in another book. First impressions not great but dealt with very promptly. The restaurant is fresh and airy and nice friendly staff. We are teetotal so I ordered coke and was surprised to receive a good size glass for a change. Whitebait and moules for starter. Moules were amazing apparently and my Whitebait was good, lacking bread but good. Lobster prawn and fish pie mains. All very nice, lovely flavour to lobster. Cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding deserts nice but way to much on our full bellies. So atmosphere, staff and food were right up there with a 9/10.

This used to be a great place to eat. However when it changed hands this became very different. Won’t be going there again. Prices have rocketed and portions have diminished. A very expensive meal. Thank god we didn’t have wine. I would need a mortgage

Visited with friends one of whom had already visited. I was recommended the fish pie and I was truly not disappointed. One of the best fish pies I have ever had. The staff are friendly and accommodating and although we visited on possibly the worst day of the year with torrential rain and flooding eating here was well worth making the journey from Norwich. Would I visit again? Definitely and would have the fish pie again. Thank you for a great experience.

Have occasionally been to the swan over the last 20+ years: We revisited in the summer and was blown away, the food was amazing. Being foodies we like to try different places. Having been disappointed at a local restaurant the week before we ventured back to the swan on Saturday pm. What can I say, it was the best meal I have had for a long time, the crevettes were cooked to perfection and the muscles were amazing, the sauce was to die for! Bread was fresh and was super to dip in. Other family members were also impressed with their meals. (Even having a fussy 12 year old!) Service was great, happy and friendly staff. Reasonable priced. Family of 3 2 starters 3 main meals Bottle of wine and a pint and a half of coke £110.

Great venue, very pleasant staff. Went for a meal upon the recommendation of a friend. Menu looked fabulous, however the presentation and cooking let it down. New Zealand mussels cooked with cheese would have benefited from a milder cheese (Mozzarella perhaps), followed by Monkfish tail,chips,and salad, all served on a warm plate. Perhaps the salad would have been better served separately.

A lovely Seafood Gastro Pub, mainly high quality seafood but also some meaty stuff. Staff are lovely and the décor contemporary. I great place would highly recommend .

Came here years ago… different owners now . I can’t really put into words how lovely the food was , and such value for money compared to some eating establishments. Husband had the lunch time special, salmon. I had to have the halibut, o boy ! DELICIOUS!

I have not tried the food here, but from what I have seen and read the food is excellent. I believe seafood features highly in their menu. The staff are well trained, very friendly and very polite. On my last visit I told one of the barmaids that if I were in the hospitality business I would head hunt one of the senior employees, Paige. The most polite, professional and efficient member of bar staff I have come across in a long time. Talk about multi tasking… Beautiful location. Friendly regulars. What more could you want from a country pub? So, The Swan gets a big thumbs up from me. Please note the hours the pub is open and when they serve food.

Went with my wife and friends and was disappointed. My Wife had monkfish it was tough and no flavour, I had pork belly it was mostly fat and stringy Both friends meals were only mediocre . Our friends were on a trip over here from Australia and we wanted something special, this certainly was not and we will not be going again

Have not been to Swan for many years , as there are good reviews on tripadvisor went with Husband and friends who had come over from Australia . I am sorry to say that I can not give a good review on the food, I had monkfish in garlic butter, it was very tough, so over cooked, Husband had Belly pork it was fatty and stringy, our friends food was mediocre, chocolate brownie tasted floury and no chocolate flavour, lemon roulade was not the best either. Will not ve going again, as wanted this to be special for our friends. Very disappointed.

Friendly welcome, no rush, nice seafood specialists.

Great little hidden pub. Food was excellent and staff very attentive

We went for a meal here last night on a family recommendation (having had a good experience themselves). There were 4 of us, easy to book, a nice warm welcome on a arrival and choice of tables was nice so we didn’t get plonked somewhere we didn’t really want to be. We asked the nice lady taking the order if we could make a couple of changes and they were very accommodating and all meals came out correctly. Between us we had Skate, Scampi, Haddock and Swordfish. Everyone was delighted with their mains and deserts as well! Food really was delicious! The staff were attentive and the atmosphere is nice. We will definitely go back again soon

What a find. A lovely old pub, tastefully decorated, in a peaceful countryside setting not far from a main road. With the welcome warm and the food great, we very much enjoyed our evening at The Swan. I had fish pie, my companion chose halibut and both were excellent. Well done Chef.

Had not been back here for many years after several mediocre meals. However we found having mid week lunch very enjoyable. Had the lunch time special menu. Good value with the food well served and tasty. The ladies running the the place were on the ball. Appears to have a good reputation as it was quite full in the bar and the restaurant. Certainly has improved.

Very difficult to explain as another Wake here. Always a tricky subject..but.. Stunning food, outstanding staff. It's always difficult to comment in such circumstances. Having been several times, I can HIGHLY recommend their function room. Discreet and elegant. It's a beautiful after space with amazing...

Delicious skate wing with capers, new pots and greens, superb 🥰

First time visit,definitely not the last,food and service absolutely 100% thank you

Absolutely gorgeous meal and 5 star staff . Many thanks for a marvellous time spent. Thank you Harry and Jan

A very nice meal, well presented. Reasonable child menu.

As promised in 2022 we returned this year to meet with family. The greeting we received was second to none. The food was as excellent as last year and the staff friendly and knowledgeable about every dish. I cannot praise enough everything and everyone involved...

Great find, visited on a few occasions when in the area with work. Nice country pub atmosphere with a nice welcome atmosphere and fantastic seafood....especially the lobster

What a find. We were staying nearby for a few days and ate here 3 days in a row. Fantastic food, lovely attentive staff, great atmosphere and thoroughly dog friendly. Can't recommend it enough.

Excellent meal tonight. Dog friendly. Great find. Booking advisable.

Awesome food great value made to feel right at home all the staff were lovely this is the place to go thank you everyone at the swan inn Barnby ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lovely food...it was good to have a wide choice and it was all really fresh. The staff really knew the dishes so were able to answer questions easily.

Another wonderful meal at the Barnby Swan I have eaten here many times and have never been disappointed.The food is always amazing and the staff are very friendly and efficient.

Really enjoyed our Sunday lunch. Service and food was excellent.

Great food and friendly service. Good choice of food and drinks. Had a lovely dish of crevettes with chips, salad and bread - essential for dipping in the garlic butter that the crevettes were cooked in.

Gorgeous food and lovely service

I played a gig here. The vibe was amazing. The beer was great and the food was fantastic. Very friendly staff and all in all a place I'd happily drive out to just for a meal and to soak up the atmosphere.

A comfortable venue and village pub with a really excellent and varied menu tending towards fish but with plenty of specials on the board. We had Halibut Fillet in Cheese & Prawn Sauce, Chips & Peas and Monkfish Tails in Garlic Butter, Chips & Salad....

Stayed here as a Britstop visitor mid-April after a day in Southwold. Having fed our young children earlier we didn't intend to eat but went in for a drink, but the temptation was too great! Delicious meals heading past and clearly well known for it's...

Came Saturday evening to a very pleasant welcome by all the staff, food excellent as last time with no complaints regarding anything, looking forward to our next visit.

The lemon sole with cheese and prawn sauce was amazing. My wife had a roast beef Sunday lunch and it to was very good. The swan is one of the best pub/restaurants around the area.

Fantastic place all round. Lovely old building with a terrific atmosphere. Fantastic service and amazing food. Eight of us there last night and every plate was perfect. Hot, fresh and delicious. Going to be a regular from now on. Great work by all at The Swan.

A pleasant pub with nice choice of beers. The skate was excellent!

Much improved surroundings since our last visit. Unable to book for a meal as already full. Will try to book again as menu looks amazing

Friendly. Great beer. Superb seafood with an oriental twist and if you want something light to eat try the chunky chips topped with cheese and prawns!! All this and dog friendly. Lovely garden and children's play/adventure area

Had a lovely birthday meal ,great food and service 😋

Friends bought us a £30 voucher for our joint birthdays and we went for the pension, 2 course for £15 option. Haddock, chips, peas followed by warm apple cake with ice cream. Speaking as a one-time 4* Fish chef and also local fish and chip...

Great food specialising in fish dishes. Good range of ale & beer. Great service. All round excellent.

The moment we walked it, there was a warm welcome. Has local wine and produce. The food and and service was flawless, lots of attention to detail :) lovely gem in a quiet village.

The atmosphere was pleasant, while there were two other couples having a meal. However, not long after they left, the bleach came out to clean tables, and made for a less than pleasant end to the night. Staff were nice, as was the food, although I was disappointed that neither had me planning my next visit. Irish coffee was topped with squirty cream, which disappeared into the coffee almost as soon as it arrived. "Little" things like this can make a big difference. I wouldn't suggest that anyone avoids this establishment, as it's not bad. But, as you'll see from the 3 star rating I've given, it's some way off being my "go-to place" that I was hoping for. Overall, no really major faults, but nothing to pull me back time and again. Give it a shot, without high expectations, and you might just well be pleasantly surprised.

Excellent service. The manager is so kind & thoughtful. The pub is gorgeous! Food is of good quality with nice presentation

Food always good ( especially fish dishes ) . Good service , decent value . 👍

Tip top Thai takeaway from the Barnby Swan tonight, well done every one, top marks 👍 Very worthy 5 stars From Mark & Jo

Ordered the skate it came as half a wing so small when I complained gave me a free pudding what a shame it use to be so lovely

Service and food 5 star. Always consistent, a great Sunday roast. Lovely village setting, log fire burning, a great place to have a family gathering on a winters Sunday afternoon. Roast beef was amazing.

Amazing venue great decor The food was of very good quality indeed. The staff attentive and polite.. Makes a change to have a chef who knows what they are doing. Cannot fault the food in any way Well done to the staff I highly recommend.

A warm welcome, roaring fire and very friendly service. We stayed overnight on a Brit Stop but had a delicious fish supper first with a nice large glass of Malbec. My partner really enjoyed the generous fish pie. I had lovely tender monkfish tails. We shared a proper NY style cheese cake before retiring to the peaceful car park!

Great food great service. Will be going again.