The Swan & Three Cygnets in County Durham

Run of the mill Samuel Smith's pub but has good atmosphere recommended

Watched them serve multiple underage people on multiple occasions then kicked my friend out who didn't have a drink bcs she didn't bring her id (doesn't drink) i understand its no under 18s but everyone who was drinking had id. Used to like it there will not be returning, super disappointed in the way we were spoken to and treated even when we politely said we'd go.

The bar staff were really friendly and nice to us. Had a couple of drinks and had a good feel about the place. Oh, and it's a phone-free pub!

Very attractive Sam Smith pub with great service and good beer.

One of those weird pubs where the owner hates phones so likes to control the staff and punters by putting up signs everywhere saying no phones etc. Luckily the barstaff and clientele just ignore this and get on with life. The bloke needs to retire😂

Mis amigos y yo estábamos pasando una buena noche aquí, donde a menudo disfrutamos de ir, y el resto del personal era absolutamente encantador como de costumbre, pero nuestra noche fue arruinada por un hombre alto y moreno miembro del personal con auriculares negros. Se acercó a nuestra mesa para recoger vasos y nos habló muy groseramente sin motivo alguno después de que estuviéramos siendo muy educados con él. Nos acusó de rasgar un tapete de cerveza de papel desechable (cosa que no hicimos, y cortésmente le informó que ya era así cuando llegamos a la mesa) , y nos devolvió un comentario bobo insinuando que estábamos mintiendo. No entendía por qué estaba tan preocupado por la alfombra de cerveza de todos modos porque procedió a recoger todas las alfombras de cerveza de nuestra mesa (incluidas las que estaban en perfectas condiciones) y las tiró en una bolsa de basura negra frente a nuestras caras. No tenía sentido y se sentía muy personal. Este miembro del personal fue muy grosero y me ha postergado el regreso.

Great bar, great prices and great for people watching, staff provide a service above and beyond. Well done guys.

Cracking ale.. busy.. good visit

Lovely wee pub with friendly staff in the heart of Durham, was doing a good bit of trade the Saturday afternoon when popped in and managed to get one of the last available tables.

No food served. Nice traditional city centre Sam Smith's pub. Very reasonable prices.

Still a great pub good beer Well done

Needed me Sam Smiths while out of town. Simple as

Great pub, cheapest round for 8 pints ive bought in years....

Un pub brillante, lleno de carácter, con una excelente selección de cervezas de Samuel Smith. Los precios son probablemente los mejores de cualquier pub del centro de Durham. Es nuestro pub favorito en Durham y es absolutamente recomendable. Mira la vieja cervecería amarga en barril. ¡Tiene que ser una de las cervezas más bonitas!

A very nice Riverside pub in Durham city centre with a fantastic selection of Samuel Smith's beers and ales. It's our favourite pub in Durham.

Lovely traditional pub with no music or TVs, very friendly and probably the cleanest pub I have ever been in congratulations to all the staff 👍

7 . 12 . 24 ¡Qué hermoso pub acogedor. El personal del bar es muy acogedor, amable y servicial. Disfrutamos probando uno nuevo más grande. Sin duda volveré la próxima vez que visite Durham. gracias.

7.12.24 what a lovely cosy pub. Bar staff extremely welcoming, friendly and helpful. Enjoyed trying a new larger.I will certainly be back next time I visit Durham. Thankyou.

Love this pub, great service and stout!

Brilliant pub, great atmosphere and a lovely cosy fire 🔥 xxxxx

Possibly my favourite pub in the world. Real old style interior and seating and fantastic selection of Samuel Smith's beers. A few things that make this pub stand apart are the 'ban' on Smartphones and no under 18s. This is the perfect place for Adults to meet and engage with one another with no phones as a distraction.. I'm sure that this might not appeal to some folk but if you're looking for a traditional pub then I can highly recommend.

Good pints and good vibes. This pub doesn't deserve less than 5 stars

The pints were cheap but a bleach blonde member of staff with a combover was very rude. Swearing at us and being very rude!

Nice, cheap pints. But the service isn’t great, I was threatened to be banned for life and called a rude word for simply drinking my beer fast after being told to leave in 10 mins for close.

Recently renovated Sam smiths pub, which has been done up very well with a northern theme to each saloon. As a southerner, I nearly fainted at the cheapness here as a pint cost 2.80 on average. I had to ask the bar staff if I had been undercharged. No named brands here. However, all their beers are quality and equally go toe to toe with named brands. Didn't sample the food, and I'm not sure if they do any, to be honest. Overall, it was a cosy and nice place to hang out, perfect for a pint with friends or on your own.

Cheap, really nice Sam Smith's pints! Can easily get a round for three under £10 which is a rarity nowadays

Nice pub with garden and cheap beer.

Students mainly but great beer garden over looking Durham

I've already posted a glowing review about Culpitts Hotel, the other Samuel Smith pub in Durham. The Swan, as it is affectionately known, has the same great beer and amazing prices, but lacks some of the personal touch. Where it makes up for it is with the outdoor seating by the River Wear, which is most welcome on sunny days. It's right by the university, so it can get crowded with students during the academic year, so much so that they'll resort to using plastic pint "glasses". (The solution: order the Old Brewery Bitter, which always seems to come in real pint glass.) Mildest reservations aside, if you want a terrific cheap beer, particularly during the summer, the Swan is tough to beat.

Excellent love this pub great atmosphere staff were great to really busy

Great returning to the Swan & Three for a pint after many years. Hasn't changed a bit. Lovely spot down by the river, especially nice on a sunny evening.

Sam Smith's pub, good beer really reasonable and a great location on the river.

Cuando visito Durham este es siempre el primer pub que visitamos clima ya sea amigos o familiares, pero nunca más. Compré 2 cervezas y 1 amarga. El amargo tenía un olor y sabor agrio (una boca llena) Ok pensé que no era un problema voy a pedir cambiarlo. Sin embargo el chico detrás de la barra dijo “sí se puede cambiar, pero tendrá que pagar por otro” Me dejó totalmente impresionado y me preguntó si me estaba llamando mentiroso a lo que más o menos dijo que sí. Dejé la pinta con él y volví a sentarme con mi esposa e hijo sin beber. Siempre he trabajado en el sector público y nunca he visto relaciones públicas tan malas

Lovely helpful staff, always happy to answer questions. They didn't serve Guinness but had their own house stout, which I didn't find enjoyable; just not to my personal taste, much more sharp and bitter than Guinness. So apart from the beverage, service, location and atmosphere was marvelous.

Sat outside and inside. Not much seating. Pints were fine but bottled beer in bottles of 330 ml. We were advised about this before purchase

Not bad , people are sociable. Friendly.x

Fun spot for real old style local

Great pub. Love the no mobiles/tablet ban. "Just beer and conversation. " Of course great beer garden with good phone signal!

Warm cosy traditional type public house situated in an ideal position on the banks of the River Wear in Durham. It is one of very few Samuel Smith's houses left in the North East of England. Staff are very hospitable and friendly as well as being knowledgeable on their cask ales. It was my second visit this year, just for a refreshing pint on a warm day. Last time I had the Dark Mild, this time I opted for the Old Brewery Bitter hand drawn from the wooden cask. Shame I couldn't stay longer, I could have quaffed a gallon it was that nice. Beautiful colour and clarity a hint of malt and hoppiness and more important it was not so cold as to kill the taste. Both pints were priced under £3.50. I honesty don't know if they have a food offer the beer was sufficient to satisfy me. I'll certainly be returning on my next visit to Durham.

Absolutely class mate. Pure nice weather, sound pint. Few poshos in cricket gear who I instantly didn't like but the staff were proper nice and lovely venue. Belta atmosphere think a couple of engineering nerds came out of their uni exam, who would of thought they'd make a nice atmosphere hehehe.

Took a while to get served but worth the wait the real ale was beautiful

The pub is clean and well maintained. Samuel Smith pubs have a couple of enforced rules. No smartphone usage and no swearing. It’s designed to enhance conversation. Nearly all of the criticism is by kids addicted to smartphones and their restricted usage

Great beer cheap prices will defo be back

Variety of beers and at unbeatable prices!! I recommend to have a beer! They range from £2.5 to £4!

Great traditional pub. Perfect beer garden for watching the world go by. One of my favourites

Very good place to sit out and have a beer while watching rowers and river boats. Organic lager is very crisp and cold, proper lager unlike mass brewery swills.

Sam smiths pub. Lovely chat with the bar lady / manager / very friendly. Beer good. Cheap as with all Ss pubs. Quite quiet for the time. No phones obv as with all SS pubs.

Usual digital detox sam smiths pub, liked beer and place was full on my sat aft visit.

Called in tonight as it was raining and wanted to get a drink after being out for food. We didn't realise it was a Sam Smith pub until we went inside. Let me begin by saying we all agreed with the premise that talking more over being on phones is a positive...however not in here! I had received a voice note whilst in the restaurant (where we couldn't hear to play it) but obviously didn't want to stand in the rain to listen. As there was a man a few tables down using his tablet we didn't think that the digital ban was super strictly enforced. I therefore started playing the voice note for us to listen to with the intention of discussing afterwards as it was a continuation of a conversation we had been having earlier. Mid-way through I hear from across the bar "girls...GIRLS...NO." My friends and I honestly felt like we were back at school being scolded. Never in my adult life have I been spoken to in that way. This was our first visit to the pub and we would have been more than willing to put it away had we been approached politely and reminded that those are the rules, they are strongly enforced so would we mind doing that or going elsewhere. Instead we were spoken to like children, loudly across the bar by what I can assume to be the manager. Meanwhile around the corner a group of 6 male (i assume university students) sat and played on their phones, showed each other pictures, took pictures and not a word was said to them. I am yet to decide whether it was because they had the sense to sit slightly out of sight or whether it was because male patrons (tablet user and them) are exempt from the technology use ban, that they avoided a scolding. One thing is certain I will not be returning to this venue or any of the Sam Smith pubs if this is what to expect. I should also note that whilst again I agree with the premise to an extent, devices are an integral part of most people's lives and I am yet to enter any other pub that is silent due to phone use. They are not conquering anything other than reducing their customer base.

Called in tonight as it was raining and wanted to get a drink after being out for food. We didn't realise it was a Sam Smith pub until we went inside. Let me begin by saying we all agreed with the premise that talking more over being on phones is a positive...however not in here! I had received a voice note whilst in the restaurant (where we couldn't hear to play it) but obviously didn't want to stand in the rain to listen. As there was a man a few tables down using his tablet we didn't think that the digital ban was super strictly enforced. I therefore started playing the voice note for us to listen to with the intention of discussing afterwards as it was a continuation of a conversation we had been having earlier. Mid-way through I hear from across the bar "girls...GIRLS...NO." My friends and I honestly felt like we were back at school being scolded. Never in my adult life have I been spoken to in that way. This was our first visit to the pub and we would have been more than willing to put it away had we been approached politely and reminded that those are the rules, they are strongly enforced so would we mind doing that or going elsewhere. Instead we were spoken to like children, loudly across the bar by what I can assume to be the manager. Meanwhile around the corner a group of 6 male (i assume university students) sat and played on their phones, showed each other pictures, took pictures and not a word was said to them. I am yet to decide whether it was because they had the sense to sit slightly out of sight or whether it was because male patrons (tablet user and them) are exempt from the technology use ban, that they avoided a scolding. One thing is certain I will not be returning to this venue or any of the Sam Smith pubs if this is what to expect. I should also note that whilst again I agree with the premise to an extent, devices are an integral part of most people's lives and I am yet to enter any other pub that is silent due to phone use. They are not conquering anything other than reducing their customer base.

A bit dated, very spit and sawdust. Staff nice, prices reasonable but general ambiance OK for a group of guys on a Saturday afternoon, probably wouldn't recommend for older ladies or families

Lovely old style traditional pub. Clean, warm, and friendly. Love the fact the pub is a mobile/laptop free zone. Good prices too.

Lovely warm pub with a good selection of beers (that I've never heard of) and they have a digital detox policy meaning that you aren't supposed to use your mobile device in the bar or swear, which is nice.

Good proper pub, beers abit expensive to what it used to be, pre covid it was only £1.69 a pint

I love the digital detox. Sure you do see the odd person using their phone, but overall the spirit of the phone and screen ban is really great!

Popped in for a pint and wasn't disappointed

Excellent beers great staff good prices

The pub was quiet, as expected on a January weeknight. The offerings of draught drinks is predominantly the brewery’s own offerings with otter else on offer draught wise. The pub is trying to promote personal engagement and has signs everywhere banning the use of mobiles or other ‘transmission devices’. Not sure how this is enforced, however we decided to adhere to the rule for the single pint we had. It’s a pub with a good setting, right beside the water, however I’ve been a few times over the course of a year and it never seems to be booming. Perhaps all my mid-week visits coincide with quieter times. Overall it’s an OK pub, somewhere to bob in for a pint. Staff on hand at the time were pleasant and friendly, which does fly in the face of other reviews. Monday nights don’t seem to have any issues with friendliness from my experiences. Will call back in for a pint or two again when back in the city.

Good pub and an excellent pint. Been a while since I was last in.

Very weird atmosphere. Not just because of no phone rule ! Bar staff need to crack a smile or even try & converse with punters. Looks decent from outside. Will not return.

absolutely fantastic pub in central durham. I’d have tried to get a few pictures as the interior as well as views from the pub itself were gorgeous. views of the castle were superb. It’s a pub and that doesn’t allow technology of any sort and promotes social communication. Fellow pub goers and staff all lovely and welcoming. the no phone rule is an incredible concept and is followed by all. Craft beers and not the usual beer sets the pub apart and makes it unique the lager was nice and the Sam Smith Ale was nice too. definitely return

Lovely little pub in Durham, cheap and great tasting beers, always a go-to on a night out.

Not a lot of gluten free choices

Nice inexpensive pub.. decent beer and atmosphere

Great value Sam Smith's pub serving a good range of their own beers, ciders and spirits. Lovely and warm with a fire upstairs, pretty cold downstairs.

Sam smiths pubno food .carnt use phones laptop etc 👍👍beer and conversation

This pub is great and has amazing atmosphere but is ruined by the grump behind the bar, who is so rude permanently. It has the potential to be a great pub but the service from him is ridiculously rude and off-putting. Im sure he has to deal with a lot of difficult customers, but that happens anywhere, especially at a pub which is so popular for university students, and no one else seems to struggle to not be unbearable.

A bit of an oddity. Only sells Sam Smiths beer and the first thing you see is a very large poster informing that you can’t use your phone. The beer selection didn’t cut it for us so we left, sadly.

Great city centre pub. Lots of seating inside and out with views over the river, cathedral and town. Prices have gone up but short of going to spoons you won't find a cheaper pint in town. Always decent people from students to visitors and locals with no idiots I've ever seen. Wonderful on a sunny summer afternoon but just as good on a cold winters day. Service is always spot on, as is the beer.

Had a couple of drinks and it was clean.

Digital detox pub where they encourage beer and conversation rather than sticking your head in your phone or laptop! Great idea 💡

Loved the vibe of the place. I wish the staff were more friendly and warm. Loved my apple cider too.

Nice to be at a pub where every couple hasn't got a smartphone glued to the palm of their hands as if they don't want to be there or even talk to each other!! . Sit in the beer garden with the river flowing nearby, get a pint of Sam's beautifully made stout and a Raspberry G and T and just enjoy each others company.!!!

Terrible pub, terrible owner. The whole business model is dire. Staff are not looked after and customers are treated horrendously. Avoid.

Always great beers. Top location. I recommend

The staff are always brilliant here and the drink selection is different to anywhere else in Durham but has a few unique and different things available. Definitely worth a visit

Real beer and the prices are cheaper than anywhere else I've been. Nice choice, friendly staff and dog friendly, at least outside. Would visit again.

It's a Sam Smith pub, don't let Humphrey catch you on your phone, he won't be happy....

Lovely pub. No swearing, no mobiles allowed.

Rammed upstairs (ground level with the bridge), but absolutely deserted downstairs where all the comfy chairs are for some reason 🤔

Old school pub. Cider is definitely 10/10.

We just had a drink here before we went for something eat . Large outside seating area.

The worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. The seating outside was wet from the rain so I asked a sullen faced female bartender if she could give me something to wipe it with. Her reply, ‘we don’t have anything’. Avoid this unfriendly pub !

Say what you want about Sam Smith's as a franchise, but this particular venue has everything going for it. Never had any real problems, sometimes it's hard finding a seat but that only speaks to how popular the place is, as there is ample seating both indoors and outdoors. (I don't recall downstairs being open very often but my best memories of the pub are from when the downstairs bar was open). Recently Mr Smith changed the rule that dogs are no longer allowed inside, big shame but what the captain says goes. Still worth a visit if you're new or passing through.

Just had beer. Good vibe. Friendly bartenders.

A few decent beers all Sam Smiths so little choice. No music and the place needs decorating. Location is nice enough along side the river. Doesn't allow dogs which is big negative for us .

Excellent beer in a technology-free environment.

This is a great pub to push social interactions as phones are banned meaning you have to have real conversations. The outside area overlooks the river and is very scenic, meaning this pub is especially good in summer months.

Great friendly atmosphere next to the river. Cheap prices on beer so lots of students. Visited last year and this and would visit again.

Great pub this,great ale,and quiet sections for no tech,well done ✅

The Swan is a tradional pub with a welcoming atmosphere. Staff are great. Good price for a pint.

A Mobile Phone, Tablet & Laptop free bar. The bar staff were outstanding serving a vast crowd in the correct order quickly and efficiently.

Had an amazing time enjoying a few pints and the lovely sun in the outdoor area. Highly recommended and very affordable prices.

Terrible place. Happy for you to have your phone out to pay at the bar, but banned once you sit down. Enforced inconsistently, and while regulars had their phones out at the bar we were rudely approached mid conversation by staff and asked to put ours away. Do not go to this ‘pub’.

I understand that Sam Smiths pubs ban tablets/phones, but there is no need to be surly and rude when enforcing that rule, and combining it with a rule against swearing (equally rudely enforced) makes for a ridiculous 'theme pub' experience. Avoid until the weather is good enough to drink outside.

I used to love this pub, both as a student and on a nostalgic return to Durham 12 years ago. Now it has a weird, gulag atmosphere, surly staff, and signs everywhere banning phones and tablets. We went elsewhere to avoid ruining our fond memories of the place.

Went back again and absolutely loved still. Staff are friendly and chatting. Pub was clean but starting to show its age in places. 3.40 for the taddys had gone up since my last time, however wondering around the town, most places were charging almost 5 a pint. So actually they were still very cheap in comparison. We will be back.

Great place to sit outside and have a few taddys in the sun, our favourite place at the moment! Loads of character and friendly staff this place is great and I’ll keep returning

The one thing you can guarantee with a Samuel Smith pub is reasonably low priced drinks (compared to other places). The Swan and Three Cygnets is in a lovely location. On the afternoon we were in (a Saturday afternoon in February) the place was quite full and the atmosphere buzzing. There was a constant stream of people coming and going. The downstairs was closed so the upstairs was packed with most people standing. Enjoyed the pint of well kept lager though and i am not normally a lager drinker.

Cheap Boozer, usually full of students and can be relentless during term time Decent atmopshere, cant complain for a cheap pint or two.