The Swan, Needham Market in Mid Suffolk

Usually I'm quite lazy when it comes to leaving reviews but I was keen not to let this one slip by. These guys provided the buffet, sandwiches and various nibbles for a funeral wake for our family, today. To be honest, I didn't expect a huge amount as it sounds quite basic but . . . . to be fair, I was very impressed with the lavish and generous spread they put on for about 30 of us. There proved to be more food than we needed and they provided takeaway tubs for a number of us to take leftovers home with. - and there was still some food left unclaimed. I got a number of positive comments from friends and family as the food & nibbles were all lovely. . . . . and staff were very pleasant and accommodating. So it's only fair they get some positive feedback. They deserve it. Thanks team. 👍

Really lovely staff, the food was good and the place clean and cosy looking. Would recommend it!

Good service and nice venue. Food was lovely and nice and hot.

We came for a roast dinner with friends at Easter to have a lovely time and food with no washing up. The Swan and all the staff were amazing and we all had a wonderful time. Will definitely be eating there again soon

With the other 2 pubs in the town shut I ventured in & quite lively, with a good atmosphere But. All 3 real ales were off as the lines were being cleared. At the same time!? "But they'll be ready in 30 minutes? " Who's bright idea was that? Bye 👋

Not sure how it's got so many good reviews and "great food" comments. 3 of us visited and ALL of us left our food unfinished. Roast was tasteless and had 1 brocoli as clearly they ration it. Curry chicken was like rubber. Chicken burger didn't even taste like chicken. Think very carefully before visiting here believe me the food is not great Paid for drinks nothing else

A lovely get together to celebrate Easter. Our food was delicious and so was the beer. Staff were attentive and friendly. Didn’t feel rushed at all. The only thing that was missing was the clotted cream ice cream in my dessert but I didn’t report it!

Well done to the staff who managed a large unwieldy table of people very well. We were all happy with our food and drink. This is still a pub but there is much more emphasis on selling food now. Some nice work has been done at the back to increase seating in summer. Good location with parking at the back of the pub and also on the high street. Good place for a family do.

We had a great time and was served by Andrew who is a lovely young man and has served as many times before. Will definitely be back again. And very soon.

Matts Thursday Quiz Night. Excellent night out. Highly recommend. Good choice of ales; brilliant staff. Food available though we didn't eat on this occasion.Great pub.

Just love our local pub, it's become a great place for drinks and food. Since it's been taken over in past couple of years they have really turned it around, great atmosphere.

Lovely food, very quick and attentive service, nothing was to much trouble, we will definitely be returning in the near future, thank you

Great staff.. Great service and Lauren was very helpful. Would visit again for sure.

Beautiful pub, super clean and cosy, great decor and facilities, staff are helpful and attentive. Women's toilets have a lovely little basket of sanitary pads which I thought was a nice touch & it was kept very clean. We went for a meal & sadly sent back one plate of food which wasn't to our liking. Staff and chef handled this very very well and we can't fault them. They took it off of our bill, asked for constructive feedback, and even gave us complimentary free drinks. This is how every establishment should handle this sort of situation. Hats off to you all. This was our first time going here and we will definitely be back. I will try the same meal that I sent back as I have confidence the feedback given will be acted on. The house bitter was delicious by the way.

Visited this pub, this evening with friends and had a wonderful mixed grill. Wasn't your average at all for a very reasonable price. Service was great food was great atmosphere was great. Wonderful band on and a brilliant beer garden, will definitely be visiting again soon.

Nice atmosphere, we only went for rugby and drinks, as unfortunately kitchen was closed, we were looking forward to a Sunday roast.

Even though we booked a table and we told them we were bringing a dog, a table had not been reserved. the food menu did have half the choices on the menu. we ordered and waited a while for the food to be brought out to the table when it arrived. The food was cold, and we had to wait for cutlery to be brought to the table also.

We had an amazing meal here today. The food was by far the best we have had in recent months. The sun was shining so the garden was also enjoyed by my children as well as us. Luckily everything we ordered was still available, the pub had been so busy a lot of dishes were sold out. This is a positive in my eyes as it shows how much everyone has enjoyed their visit/food. Thanks guys, we'll be back soon 😊.

Absolute top-notch pub! Diverse choices in food, from proper pub grub to a nice range in small plates that always fills a hole. 😋 The staff are all lovely, giving friendly service every time! There’s always something going on with events too! Lots to get involved with, with different interests in mind 😁

Lovely pub, disappointed with the food. No lasagne, so went for the chicken tikka curry. It was very disappointing, the naan bread was like cardboard and there was a hair on it. The popadom was stale and the curry was flavourless, very disappointing considering it isn’t cheap!

Wednesday lunch at The Swan and enjoyed the food and service.

Really good pub for meeting friends for drinks; good selection, nice setting, pool table, lots of sport TVs and plenty of seating areas. Food was average, had the roast....meat was spot on but veggies a bit overcooked, gravy tasted like instant rather than meaty juices and Yorkshires were probably aunt Bessie's. Everything was hot and restaurant area was very clean. Food was OK but with a few tweaks (fresh gravy, dripping cooked roasties, more veg variation, ie parsnips, red cabbage etc, home made puddings) it could be really special. Would definitely return for drinks, but if eating would not go for the roast again.

It felt chilly in there. My sister and brother in law had the pie and the pastry was rock hard. They didn't seem to care when we told them. Will not be going back here.

Cracking pub and cracking staff.

Food great, service great. Regularly go as it's our local pub. Staff friendly and the pub always has a great atmosphere.

Sunday lunch on a bitterly cold day. What could go wrong? Three different mains chosen by the three of us and we came away satisfied

Sunday lunch out at the swan in needham market , a lovely warm welcome & great venue , also a good & varied menu to choose from which is very good value for money , hats of to the waiting staff & a huge shout out to Andrew, so pleased that he passed his driving test & is all road readied 🚗🤗the whole team makes us feel special & is always a pleasure to come dine with you time & time again thank you 😊

Perfect every time at The Swan The Sunday roast, varied selection of vegetables, the service 10/10 Great mocha too ☕️👍

Stunning behaviour shall always be seen within the premises of this establishment. The staff are very attentive, will listen to any specific requests. The owners can always be seen muddling in whether it being handwashing glasses in a dish washer crisis to anything else they’d expect their staff to do. The workers are lovely and sweet. The food is amazingly delicious & the drinks are just as equal.

We arrived during a busy lunchtime but the staff and service were excellent

Went here with my great grandma, lovely pie and Guinness 🤌

Had a lovely evening meal with the kids, no children allowed after 9pm but they gave us plenty notice so didn't feel like we were being rushed out

Came on a cosy thursday evening with my husband for a few drinks and a spot of tea. My partner enjoyed a lamb shank (don't we all!) and I had a lovely risotto (rice time!). Our chow chows Gilbert and George were warmly welcomed with a bowl of water and some snacks (woof!). A lovely evening for us and home just in time for Rivers Monsters with the excellent Jeremy Wade! (🎣)

We booked a family meal for Christmas and the food was lovely. The turkey was exceptional it was tender and juicey. The family enjoyed the visit so much. Very well organised by friendly staff. A very good experience overall.

One of the best pub quizzes around. Great local dog friendly pub.

Always my favourite local, and we just had our office Christmas party here - all the staff were awesome all night, and we had an amazing time! Thanks very much to The Swan for having us!

We now come to the weekly quiz and love it! Matt does a really fun quiz and we always enjoy ourselves. The staff are always really friendly which is lovely :)

Brilliant atmosphere, friendly staff, very dog-friendly, great pub quiz 👍🏻

Good pub grub at a sensible price. Lots of choice. Friendly staff and good service. Easy parking. Nice decor. Would recommend.

Really friendly and inclusive. Quiz night always busy

We booked in for the quiz night and decided late in the day to have a meal beforehand. Great food and great quiz. Service was flawless as the staff knew their menu and were happy to serve drinks to the table all night. We will be at the next quiz if spaces available.

Here for the weekly quiz night run by Matt. Excellent quiz compiled by Matt rather than the usual bought from the internet quiz used by many pubs. Food is good quality and reasonably priced. The staff at the Swan are brilliant. Always attentive and friendly.

A great local pub. Good food and a fantastic quiz. Loads going on and always a friendly atmosphere.

Not your average pub. Beautiful building with lots going on for locals. Whatever you're into, there's something there for you. Staff are friendly and helpful and the food is decent. My only constructive criticism is that there could be more vegan options on the menu, however, that's a brewery issue and not the fault of the very lovely people who work there.

Great quiz night. Lots of fun and great atmosphere, friendly staff. A lovely evening out

Lovely pub with a good atmosphere and friendly staff.

Recently moved back to the area so have seen this pub through the years in many different ways. It’s great to see it catering for the town so well. The beer festival this summer was excellent, the weekly pub quiz is always good fun and the food is exactly what you’re looking for in pub grub. Thanks for being such a great hub of the community.

Fantastic pub. Friendly staff. Really enjoyed the quiz and our group all had a lovely meal. Thanks all!

An excellent Christmas Quiz evening! Thank you so much. Excellent food, fun rounds and a lovely festive atmosphere.

Last minute booking but they fitted us in and it was a really lovely night Great Food and Music the evening was Brilliant - Thank you to all of the staff who are all awesome we will be back :-)

Always worth a visit when we are in the area. Always a lovely welcome for the whole family including the dog! There’s always a great atmosphere at the Swan and they have a really good range of beers on too.

We were at the Swan for a family event. The staff are chatty and welcoming. The menu has a good selection. We loved the outside space. The garden is a great asset. Would love to come again.

I recently had a visit in this lovely Pub. We had booked for some friends with quiz night. Good points: 1. Car parking was free. 2. Food was delicious, with the price and portion as well. 3. Quiz night event was very well run. Will visit again in near future for more events. 4. The staff were looking after the us very well, although it was a bit busier. Constructive points. 1. The table was slightly small for the food to put. 2. There was a deposit of £5.00 for food booking before hand. Which i can also understand. Lastly, Best wishes Will visit again.

Restaurant area was a bit loud so it was hard to enjoy conversations over food...but staff good and environment generally pleasant

Affordable tasty food great value for money great staff my favourites are the burgers and the sharer starter

Enjoyed a family meal, top food and service,thank you

Wow ! Went here the other day to meet a friend for lunch,food was absolutely delicious ! I had lamb shank and it was perfect. Pub is lovely and welcoming with a great front of house staff. The pub is 30 mins away from me but I’ll definitely be going there again soon.

As a previous customer and recent employee to the swan I have nothing but positive thoughts to express. My co-workers are a joy to work with and offer support whenever needed as I’m knew to the role, alongside this The management creates a safe and welcoming environment for all their staff and customers. What makes it stand out for me is its inclusive nature with the variety of activities it offers aiding to its community and providing a fun and welcoming place for musicians to perform, quizz night and various seasonal events. If your looking for a fun, safe space to de-wined, eat or enjoy a few drinks the swan is for you😊

What a disappointment Ordered a short plus bottle of coke ( served in a pint glass ) Ordered two meals both served tepid / just the usual rehearsed sorry we will re heat Not surprising the hospitality industry suffers when they even heat food in microwave another lost customer

Ruddle pie was Disgusting..hard pastry ..hunt the beef !! Chicken strip were dry .. tempura battered prawns were greasy ...

Us and our guests enjoyed all the food. And afters were great too. It was easy to talk as well which was good. Our friends thought the pub was very nice and look forward to coming again.

Lovely dog-friendly pub in Suffolk's Needham Market. Helpful and efficient staff in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Superb cuisine. The dog loved his meal too; I could have happily eaten it myself. Well done to all the staff.

An outstanding Pub in Needham. Offering a perfect service to welcome both regular customers and newcomers, the Swan is my regular go to. Not only for their historical Needham themed interior but also for their welcoming staff, it’s at the top of my list whenever I’m recommending a pub to friends and family.

Arsenal bottled to man city in the last minute. Does it any better than that?

Sunday lunch was good, service was excellent and very friendly. I thought there was an outside play area for children so that was my only small disappointment. But overall really pleased I had my first visit. Will definitely return as a local to Needham

Staff were absolutely brilliant, food was nice (son had sirloin which was fabulous) The whole place looked lovely great atmosphere

Great food, in a great local pub, unfortunately could not eat in the restaurant which was fully occupied for quiz night but the staff placed us in the bar area which was okay apart from from a few locals who were loud and swearing. The staff were very helpful, efficient and friendly, the fantastic and extremely good value. Would reccomend any to eat ther.

Called in at lunchtime, lovely hot food and real ales, will definitely use it again. Staff very efficient and helpful too.

really lovely pub and all the staff go out of their way to help you. really good food as well. never had a bad experience

Deceptively large village pub, good food reasonably priced.

Food was excellent, but they didn't tell us there is a cutoff time for the seniors menu when we ordered from it (it doesn't say anything on the actual menu) so an unnecessary discussion about cost ensued when it came time to pay Edit: I wasn't present for the conversation that took place over the seniors menu, so I will take up the issue raised with the person concerned

Nice little place to pop in for lunch, snacks, or dinner. Staff friendly, busy, food was good.

We ordered the swan platter to share and was very disappointed as wasn't enough for one let alone 2 people we ordered a plate of extra chips and was still feeling hungary after we left. Was was a shame as previous meals have been very good there.

Lovely meal as always in the swan. Staff always lovely & great value for money. Will be back again soon Great selection of beers

Unfortunately do not cater well for gluten allergy. However drinks were great and the ‘normal’ food menu was great as reviewed by my friends. Now the gluten free unfriendliness - I was only given an allergen booklet at the restaurant which wasn’t very helpful, and the gluten free menu which is only available online is very, very limited with things like the gluten free burgers coming as a ‘naked burger’ without a bun and without fries with a ‘bigger salad’. It’s a shame to have such little choice just because I am an allergy sufferer. I brought my own GF bun which made the meal 100x better and this would be a simple fix for the restaurant to provide to make the gluten free options more attractive and show that some effort is being made to be inclusive. Supermarket GF buns are easily freezable. It is also a shame the only side options for GF are a jacket potato, new potatoes or salad. There are many options, including oven chips or a separate fryer, which would help GF people like myself feel included as well as having a substantial meal when paying the same price as the alternative gluten containing option. I imagine the online GF menu has discouraged many people because the restaurant is just making meals GF by excluding ingredients instead of offering alternatives. I hope to see a more inclusive GF menu in the future as I’m sure it would offer a huge boost to your business.

Had such a great time at the beer festival and we are so lucky to have such a great local. Lovely staff, great atmosphere in the beer garden with the sun shining, what more could you want!

Came along for The Swans first beer and cider festival, and it is such a blast! So many options for drinks, and today there’s a BBQ going with hot dogs and burgers for £6… the portions are huge! They’ve had such a successful weekend they’ve sold out of cider entirely, which is so great to hear and not unexpected on a sunny summery August weekend! The staff are bloody lovely and so friendly, even on day 4 of the festival! Couldn’t recommend this place enough for food, drink and a proper laugh - Thank you guys!!

Went along today, to show The Swan support on the last day of their first ever 'Sips & Sounds' Festival. It was a really great day, a really good choice of guest ales and ciders, a really tasty barbecue and some superb live music from local bands. Everyone who attended looked to be having a really good time, old and young alike, enjoying the lovely weather and the atmosphere. Thank you Matt, Belle, Jonathan, the staff and everyone helping with the sound tech. You should all be proud of yourselves. I look forward to next years.

Went to the beer and cider festival yesterday, so this review is for that. Got the train from Ipswich especially for this event as we saw it was stocking Lilley's and Seacider. We turned up mid afternoon of the second day and they had sold out of all of it, bar 2 pints of rhubarb cider which we had. Very disappointing and disorganised not getting enough stock in

Spent most of the weekend at the beer festival (didn't sample any beers because I know what I like and I like what I know). Entertainment was really good, shame some of the acts didn't honour their obligations but, those who stepped up to fill the gaps did a sterling job. Could have done with one or two fewer original songs but, other than that really good. Must have been both hours and beers seen to pass all to quickly. A big shout out to the staff who are always good but seem to go the extra mile. You're very lucky to have such a good team around you although, that must say a lot about the management. Looking forward to next year.

Only gave 4 stars as we visited late on a Sunday and just had a couple of drinks in the garden. The restaurant looked inviting and we and our friends agreed that we would return for a meal when we are next in the area. We aresure that will seal the 5 star rating. Btw, barstaff were very friendly.

Great place for a drinks and chill out. Staff always friendly

Brilliant pub wasn't packed so hence 3 for atmosphere,but Staff were friendly and helpful. As for the food excellent choices,I opted for the Mix Grill, and I have to say it was the Best I've ever had. The food prices are not expensive. I recommend this pub,can't wait to come back again.

Will be back. A great menu and lots of choice with drink. Service was excellent. Ella was Excel ent, just perfect for us. Well done.

I hadn't been in the Swan for about 20 years. We went to a few quiz nights and got some food during the week. The place is clean and tidy, the staff seem nice, the food is good and there is parking close by.

Haven't been for over 20 years, was impressed. Outdoor covered seating and regular beer garden tables with walled garden. The pub was packed due to the regular weekly quiz night. Had the mixed grill, enjoyed

Ok food with reasonable prices.

Everything superb apart from the price of pints of shandy They charge £5.15 for a pint of Stella also £5.15 for a pint of Stella shandy!!!!! How can this be correct when half the pint of shandy is post mix lemonade which only costs 10 pence to dispense half a pint of lemonade Come on be fair to the Shandy drinkers Ella was exceptional, friendly and knowledgeable and I'm sure she's not responsible for the pricing Sort it out management

Lovely place, beer garden is great. The food was lovely and always and always served with a smile

Swan is a nice 👌 energetic place where you can leisurely have a fine dine with friends and family. Love this place.

Grew up in Needham, love the memories I have, or don't have of this place :)

Friendly service, nice food for the price and good to see the place do various events to keep stuff fresh!

Friendly atmosphere, lovely food and good staff. A very nice Sunday lunch experience all told. Will definitely come again.

Matt and Isobel do a fantastic job. Totally turned the pub around from the previous landlady. Now a destination pub highly recommend

Met couple friends for food. I had gammon egg and chips, was really nice good size! Really good value for money. Great service.

Had a lovely lunch here with a friend I haven't seen in a while. Its so nicely decorated and cozy inside. And the staff that served us were so polite and friendly. Can't wait to return

Mixed grills too hard to eat. We complained and got fresh food but still tough. Got a round of drinks on the house to make up for it. We won't be returning

Simple pub with an affordable menu. I was full from my lunch salad with ale after 10 km of hiking.

To be honest when we visited I was expecting hungry horse or wetherspoon food, glad to say the food far surpassed my expectations, don't get me wrong similar type menu/food on offer but better quality. We were served by 2 different people, one was trying hard and the other was very good. The only negative I can say about our experience was, no play area for children, the outside area has a small piece of grass which was closed when we visited. Overall though good experience and will revisit.

Lovely lunchtime meal at The Swan. The menu had lots of choice and food was delicious. Well done to the new owners 👍🏼