the White Swan in Southampton

Went there to celebrate a 50th birthday Holly was our server, she was great. We all had a carvery which was excellent and very tasty. There was a brilliant atmosphere in the restaurant and when the cake was brought out everyone there joined in with the singing....such a lovely place.

A really nice atmosphere very homely and friendly, The food was lovely, and our server Emily couldn't do enough for us. Thank you Emily 😁

We visited on a late Sunday afternoon, seated quickly. Holly (awesome member of staff) took care of drinks before pointing us to the carvery. There was no queue and great service from the chef . Food was hot with a good selection of meats and vegetables. All in all, I would recommend it. As for HOLLY as your waitress..

We came to the white swan as a big group of 11 to celebrate our grandparents anniversary we had the lovely Holly as our waitress she gave us the best service we have ever had, she kept us laughing and all around was a good vibe to be around thank you holly for dealing with my family so well 😊this comment is of the option of all of us, again thank you holly. P.s the food was delicious!

Efficient friendly service. Good value for money. Plenty of fresh vegetables on the deck. Food and drinks arrived in a timely manner.

The food was adequate but the service staff were very pleasant 👌

Dropped in Wednesday evening for a simple dinner in the bar area. They had no fish for fish and chips, so wifey had ham egg and chips (without pineapple 🍍 which they didn't have. They didn't have halloumi for halloumi bites either. It wasn't very cosy as it was a bit cold in the building and the decor is looking a bit tired and grubby. The food we had was nice although portions were small. Service was good.

Good food, excellent service, very nice atmosphere.

The staff are amazing. They really helped when choosing food I could eat that was dairy free. I can not fault them in any way.

Great service and superb breakfast.

Yeah, not over enamoured with the food. Basic overpriced carvery. Mac and Cheese dried out. Apart from that it was an ok meal, but won't be coming back. Get a better deal elsewhere.

Just a J2O by the river but nice and peaceful 🍹

Came on a sunday evening and I suspect the main rush of the day was over which was good from our perspective. We were seated in a side room which was nice and quiet but I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much in the large rooms with (what looked like) bench seating. Food was nice and there was a good selection of choices on the carvery. They were very good at pointing out which items were not Gluten Free and made GF gravy separately which was excellent. Prices were reasonable - £76 for 4 carveries and 4 drinks. As mentioned by someone else, the toilets are in need of a refresh.

Had an excellent first experience this evening with friends. Lesley, Will and the team were fantastic and very friendly. Will definitely be returning for future visits.

Went for Sunday lunch and it was lovely. Food really good and tasty. Great selection of veg and 3 types of potatoes. Great service too.

Came here before football game. Lovely food and great selection of beers. PROPER JOB!

Popped in here today Sunday for a spot of lunch was lovely tbh we did book our table as it is advised to book in advance as it is very popular was very busy today food was yummy and plentiful plenty of choice desserts too served today by a lovely young lady first day on the job was asset to the place tbh the only thing that let it down was the toilets. Parking u have to put in your number plate on arrival plenty of parking too.

Love walking the dog and popping in for some lunch and a pint

Carvery was lovely! Our waitress Holly was lovely can't fault anything highly recommend.

2 of my family had steaks,they were beautifully prepared,4 of us the carvery, there was a good selection of vegetables & the meat was delicious 😋 the prices were reasonable.

Excellent Food, Exceptional Staff especially our Server Titch (Lesley) Great atmosphere Highly recommend this restaurant

Gorgeous carvery with amazing and kind staff. Felt right at home and very welcome. Lesley was an incredible server, thank you for taking care of us!

Nice little pub/restaurant along riverside park. Great food, great selection of beverages and great service. 5* all day.

Great staff, food delicious. Was a very busy day but service was prompt and staff were very helpful. Had a mix of carvery and mains

When trying to order food, multiple items weren't available, which left a very limited menu as a vegetarian. When trying to order meals, we were told that (despite the menu indicating otherwise), we were not able to get vegetables from the carvery as these were being saved for the meat eaters as they were low on stock. I then questioned if the price would remain the same as I wouldn't get half the meal, and was told yes! Staff didn't apologise, or try to come up with a fair solution. We could only order chips and had a drink. On leaving, my husband indicated our disappointment to the front of house member and was told by them that they were already busy, and didn't need the extra walk in business our party of 13 would have provided. We will not be returning.

Not been here for a while and now I am thinking why not!? The food was gorgeous, atmosphere was peaceful and our waitress Holly was lovely. She was cheerful, friendly and helpful.

Exactly what you go there for, fast, friendly and affordable. Doggy bag given for my left overs and his crumble and custard. Kat is fast, friendly, fun and super efficient. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 Happy Christmas to all the cheerful hard-working staff

Except for getting flooded it's a great place to go

Lovely carvery, great friendly service and a warm welcome.

Great venue, decent prices and brilliant service. Sometimes gets a bit busy, but otherwise it's a favourite amongst my friends and myself.

We visited this pub early one morning for breakfast parking was very easy (as long as you followed the instructions)we were welcomed by lady on front desk on a rainy morning shown to a nice clean table and shown the breakfast buffet which all items we had was tasteful hot and well presented even the chef was cheerful all the staff was lovely and attentive we will return as soon as we can

After complying with the request from the restaurant to supply them with any special food requirements which was done 4 weeks in advance we were totally disappointed to find that none had been catered for and no one from the kitchen could have cared less. The special requirement stemmed from a medical condition so consequently one of our number left without a meal. None of our group will be returning. As host I was embarrassed and feel badly let down.

Absolutely love this place. Everyone is so friendly. The carvery is always good unlike some places. I'm looking forward to my next visit

I'd been coming here for 30 years, so didn't think to read the new signage about parking. I now have £200 in parking fines so can't afford to visit any more. It's not really near anything else and the car park floods all the time, so it seems like profiteering.

Great food at a good price, with fabulous family atmosphere

Has a fantastic meal and was very impressed with the pup menu my boy got a grilled chicken breast that looked almost as good as my meal and was thoroughly enjoyed by him 😊

Good breakfast on Sunday morning. No limits on how much you put on your plate. Good scran.

Food always good, But, and I realise they need to make money, the amount of meat and the way it is sliced is ridiculous. It's never in slices, always in bits, paper thin bits, worse than toby carvery, and that's saying something. Such a shame for what could be such an awsome carvery

Always 5 star experience when we come here. We have been for both breakfast and carvery and we are always warmly welcomed by all the friendly staff. The food is delicious. We will be definitely back again thank you.

Could have easily been 5 stars, but for the fact that we were served wafer thin portions of turkey and ham. Every other aspect was great.

Had a great carvery with plenty of choice of meat and vegetables at a reasonable price. Excellent service.

You know what ur getting. A nice carvery. No complaints. Xx

Food was OK no Yorkshire puddings oven broken .

Everything is excellent in my mind, however I really don't appreciate when a service charge is applied for a party, I believe this should be informed verbally instead of realising after payment has been made. Courtney served us today and did an excellent job, however I would have preferred by my own choice.

We went to the White Swan for a family meal where there was 11 of us. The service given by Darcie was excellent and the best we have received in a long time anywhere. Darcie is a credit to the team. The food was great and there were clean plates all round and everything was reasonably priced too. Definitely will go back again

Fabulous value for money The staff were amazing, very friendly, efficient, considerate and well trained. The food very tasty. Could do with a refurbishment but it didn't affect the experience. Will reccomend . Xx

Excellent food. Very good service from our server Simon very helpful and polite. Table was already for us order taken within five mins of sitting down. Plates cleared quickly when finished ready for deserts.

Had a meat free carvery as the slither they gave me wasn’t worth it .. The veg was good however spoilt by the lack of meat.. also the guy caving the meat managed serve me without saying a word very rude.. however table server and front of house very friendly… Won’t be going again for carvery..

Went for breakfast. Absolutely superb. Thank you.

A good place for all you can eat breakfast or carvery, especially mid week.

Nice pub on the River Itchen, large restaurant with a daily carvery, breakfasts, brunches, and good menu for bar meals. They also do takeaways now. Interesting nibbles board in the bar also with doggy treats. Plenty of beers and lagers to choose from. Large car park, but register your number plate because there is a charge for non-customers.

Had a great experience at the white swan the staff couldn’t be more helpful and polite, especially Tina who was so very polite, patient and helpful with anything we needed.

Goos value food, staff very pleasant 😋

We go there frequently and lately we booked room for 20 people for a small wedding dinner. Food was amazing, staff very friendly and flexible with any arrangements. Meals served very quickly after placing the order. Great pub/restaurant with amazing staff and atmosphere!

Excellent food and warm and welcoming staff.

Great breakfast. Busy as well seems like a winning combination.

Decent carvery although u don't get much meat but its cheap at £11. Desert was really good I had the brownie & the ice cream with it was stunning, really creamy.

A1 place had carvery and staff very helpful

Excellent service and extremely good food. Thank you for making our family meal so special.

Lovely place to stop for a drink by the river. Friendly staff, cosy atmosphere and great food. Totally recommend this place

Food was amazing best chicken wings and strips I've had, great atmosphere too

The only fault I have is that there were too many vegetables with cheese in. I can't eat cheese and love cauliflower.

Food very good all staff very friendly except the chef serving definitely lacked a sense of humour. Mens toilet area needed a good clean . No bolt to secure the women's toilet.

Excellent carvery with the friendliest of staff.

Careful of the parking, book it in and remember you get 2 hours only.

We had a room booked and paid for £75, the cygnet room for 12 people on the 21st September, your staff were very helpful, however of the 12 guests 4 were vegeterian, not a problem we thought but all the options were not available, so my 4 guests just had vegetables, and also no vegetarian gravy so their meal was dry too. On the menu one of us wanted the wrap, only to discover you dont do wraps on a Saturday, why give us a menu when half of it isnt available?? We had desert all of us one of my guest thought she would have an icecream sundae, I joked they wont do that because it is Saturday!! But in fairness you did. Having spent £75 to book the room and £244 for meal and drinks I would have expected better, so I am afraid we wont be coming back here ever again

Food was fantastic staff were brilliant and our visit was faultless. Would highly recommend.

Sadly only carvery meals available when I visited, due to refurbishment if kitchen.

Unfortunately, this was one of the worst Carverys I’ve ever experienced. I arrived just after midday, when you would expect fresh food, but it tasted as if it had been sitting out for days. The roast potatoes were solid lumps, and the meat was extremely overcooked. While in the queue, I requested gluten-free gravy, but after sitting down, I had to ask again. It took 10 minutes for the gravy to arrive, by which time I had already eaten the overcooked meat and decided not to continue with the rest of the meal. While I understand it can be busy, you would expect the gluten-free gravy to be ready, rather than having to wait for it to be made while your meal gets cold. This added to the disappointment, as it impacted the overall dining experience. Additionally, staff need better allergen advice training to handle such requests more efficiently.

Not the best night out We had booked for 5 adults 1 dog however on arrival were told they don't allow dogs in the restaurant so had to eat in the bar The only seating was round a low coffee table or a tall table with high benches as the coffee table was completely inappropriate we used the high table which was difficult as one party member is less than 5ft and in her 80s. We then looked at the menu and went to order at the bar only to be told that 90% of the mains weren't available???? so it was carvery all round Although the food was very tasty it and the plates were tepid at best, we had seen such wonderful reviews so we really were very dissapointed

Great carvery and very good value.Would highly recommend

Had a self service breakfast. Plenty of choice, food was hot, and staff were very friendly and accommodating

Very helpful Tracey, good food, lovely pub, reasonable price.

Very good for a breakfast good food and good staff

Lovely pub. Tasty carvery, other food just as delicious. Friendly staff Midweek set menu is also very reasonably priced. Highly recommend. Make sure to book if you’re planning to go on a weekend or bank holiday!

Breakfast On arrival staff made us welcome. An excellent number of items available which should satisfy most customers. Not limited to the number of times one can return to top up your plate. A buffet style breakfast where the food was kept Hot and not just warm as is often common. The food dishes where replenished frequently as they became empty. The restaurant was busy. Did not book a table today, but may be advisable in the future. Thank you all at the White Swan fir a very enjoyable breakfast. Earlier Evening visit Enjoyed our evening, a very good venue to dine with friends. Nicely decorated for the Christmas period. The dining area was very clean and tables cleared promptly.Staff were excellent. Enjoyed the carvery, a slight criticism was that the vegetables could have been hotter. I can appreciate that it can be difficult to judge the numbers of customers at anytime , but it did seem that there was an excess of vegetables prepared too early when there was just a few customers at the time of our visit. We will be returning and would recommend the White Swan.

Had a table booked for 12 people, was put in a nice quiet area, I didn't catch our waiters name, (he was the deaf chap). He was extremely helpful,very knowledgeable on one of our party's dietary needs, very apologetic about the lack of certain items on the menu. Basically he made the whole meal an enjoyable experience. The food was lovely. We had the three courses, all food was hot, no waiting between courses, this is now our go to place when we have family visiting.

Very happy, we were just out walking and didn’t expect to stop here for lunch. Even without a booking we were able to get a nice place to sit. I would book in advance if you get the chance though. Service really good and the food very tasty, eat all you can carvery will always go down well 👍

We come here quite a bit and enjoy the food. We came for a carvery on 8th September. We were sat by a draft and asked if we could move inside, we were told that all the tables were booked. They're was 10+ tables empty when we asked and still 10+ empty tables when we finished. So I sat there cos eating my dinner. My partner is 6ft 2in and got enough meet to feed a 3 year old. I had to give him mine. So wasn't impressed

Was going to visit but having read the reviews I’m not going to gamble on a 60/40 of a meal being a bad experience. Management need to wake up retrain everyone and be grateful people WANT to visit, it’s not Windsor great park nor Arundel but it does have great river walks and woodland to walk in. The potential to be brilliant is there so with care it could be a stunning venue.

Told no seating with a pushchair and told I can only sit in the bar area with a 3 month old baby!! Plenty of seating in restaurant and a ramp although would simply lift pushchair if not. Terrible customer service and very rude. I assume not wheelchair friendly either then if couldn't accommodate a pushchair. Will never go here again made to feel an inconvenience and as a new mother I found them very unkind.

Always enjoy my carvery lunch when I visit my son in Southampton,looking forward to next time.Well done everyone at The White Swan.

We had the buffet breakfast. Good choice of food. Bacon, sausages, potatoes, toast, etc Staff were very friendly and quickly cleared tables.

Sunday carvery was delicious, the pork melted in my mouth the veg was hot and fresh and the beef dripping roadies were off the scale phenomenal. We brought the dog and he had a burger patty off the pawsome menu.

This is truly a beautiful place to have a roast with excellent views. Give this place a try but it will be busy.

The staff are lovely. There was a problem with our food order and the manager could not have done more to put the matter right. Left feeling happy and would return. The outside area looks neglected and needs a clean and tidy up.

Had a great evening here last night the food was fantastic & prices were very reasonable we will be returning fully recommended

Excellent food nd service at very reasonable prices the only problem is it seemed very hot indoors

Great food and plenty of it, had the carvery and it was excellent, followed by the honeycomb sundae which was a good size portion.

Manager & Staff very friendly, Before going we checked on the website if The White Swan was dog friendly which it mentioned it was. On arrival told we could only eat in the pub side as dogs not allowed in restaurant area, no problem with that (that fact could be mentioned on the wedsite). We both decided we would go for the Carvey and decided roast beef and all the trimmings. Well the chef carved us off very small slices of beef and a enormous Yorkshire pudding. The roast potatoes, parsnips, peas, carrots & cauliflower where warm but not hot, soon got cold when on your plate. Cost was fine. We left feeling disappointed and we will not be going back.

Carvery all dried up, veg was about 4hrs over done. Remembered why I've not been here for years to eat. Miserable and abrupt bar staff. Shame really, this place was great years ago.

Foods ok dished up on worn out old plates

All you can eat breakfast buffet for £7.49. Standard selection of bacon, eggs, sausage, tomatoes/ beans, toast and hash browns, as well as a bacon Yorkshire which was different for breakfast 🤣. Tea / coffee £2 odd extra for bottomless. Relaxing atmosphere too with slow tunes in the background. Wouldn't do it too often as gyms are expensive 😁

Nice carvery. Choice of four different meat roasts plus all the trimmings. Generally good service. Pub lacks atmosphere. Terrace area out the back by river quaint with riverside views. Tables and area not the cleanest.

Nice pub, good food and plenty of places to sit outside. Little bit skimpy on the carvery meat.

Had a great meal here on 18.8.24. Staff were really helpful and friendly and the food was hot and delicious! Definitely one to come back to.

Front of house staff very helpful, friendly and polite. Chef very polite and cheerful - great rapport building!! Bar staff - miserable and grumpy and could do with raising a smile and saying please and thank you!! Food - bang average and left feeling quite disappointed...

Great pub and location on the inland water adjacent to mansbridge outside seating sun trap walk through here to St Deny's and waterfront park.

I recently visited The White Swan in Southampton and had an amazing experience! The service provided by Billy, the Assistant Manager, was truly outstanding. From the moment I walked in, he ensured that everything was top-notch. Billy's attention to detail and friendly demeanor really made my visit special. The atmosphere was lovely, and the food was delicious. I highly recommend The White Swan, especially for the exceptional service provided.

The Yorkshire Wrap was fresh, hot and delicious. A great choice of fillings. A big thank you to Courtney our server. Excellent customer service and care. A credit to this establishment. Highly recommended and definately will be back