Ye Olde Swan in Milton Keynes

Had lunch here, delicious food and friendly service

A friend and I had lunch today. I have been to Ye Olde Swan a few times in the last couple of years, and have always had a most enjoyable experience. Today I felt I needed to post a review. The proprietor/s need to know amongst all the good things to report, I want to single out the young woman who served us today. She is such an asset to the pub. Every aspect of her service is exemplary.

Ye Olde Swan has a lovely inviting feel with welcoming staff and fires in the fireplaces. We love it. Waitress us so friendly and helpful. Food is amazing. Our favourite place to meet for a family lunch.

The staff were excellent, so helpful, service was very prompt at every stage. Food was excellent!

We were a large group having the Christmas festive menu. Was surprised how good the food actually was. Wide selection of drinks too, I enjoyed the real ale. Service was very good given there were over 20 of us.

So quaint. Lovely atmosphere and great service.

What a great place, we were staying at Woughton Hall Hotel, and so had seen the pub on the way there and thought it looked nice. We weren’t disappointed. We did a walk in, not expecting it to be so busy mid week, and the place was very full but they found us a table, we explained we needed a quick meal and out as we had to be somewhere and the staff were great, very genuinely friendly, meal came really quickly despite all the other diners who had already been seated before us. Couldn’t fault it and will definitely go back (but will book in advance next time !!)

So where I come from in the US, many people have this idea that British food is terrible. Come here and find out how wrong you are! So much well prepared, fresh and good food. Really nicely done with best service I’ve had in a very long time. I’m so glad so many people had good things to say, because the reviews lured me here during a visit, and if I could stay longer I’d come back many a night. Just plain good.

Unplanned visit was very promptly dealt with. Drinks served at the table within minutes of arrival followed by 4 x steak and ale pie and mash/chips which really hit the spot.

Lovely birthday lunch, friendly staff and great service from Cheryl. I had lamb shank which was very tasty. Plate was cold so vegetables cooled down rather quickly.

Service was excellent and the food was fantastic. We were looked after by Cheryl who was fantastic. So nice to visit somewhere who does NOT appear to have employed the cheapest staff. We were very well looked after from start to finish

First visit for a family lunch (8), lovely old pub, food & drink good choices, staff friendly and helpful. No pressure from the staff whilst eating. Final bill was not too high considering what we all had. Will try and visit again.

lovely pub and lovely food .Good choice of gluten free

Came back to this Chef and Brewer pub after a visit from 5yrs ago... I was pleasantly surprised. It was like a completely different pub. Fantastic management and service from staff. Great compliments to the Chef...despite the menu being the same across this chain, the execution of meals and attention to detail at Ye Old Swan far outweighs other chef and brewer pubs I have visited recently... I would highly recommend it, well worth the 35 minute drive from Northampton.

Good value breakfast option at the weekends, quick turnaround and good quality ingredients. This is one of our regular local pubs , food and service always good.

Good value breakfast option at the weekends, quick turnaround and good quality ingredients. This is one of our regular local pubs , food and service always good.

A great venue and service was second to none. Cheryl looked after us and made us feel welcome. Went for a roast dinner and was not disappointed. Food was great and really pleasant atmosphere. Will definitely be back soon 😀.

Amazing food and wonderful staff , Sylvia was so lovely

We had an amazing dinner for our 16th wedding anniversary, the food was delicious and the staff was amazing, Sylvia was just wonderful!

A enjoyable evening in this beautiful location, the pub has retained original features with open beams and low ceilings along with a gorgeous fireplace making this pub a must visit. The staff are all superb at what they do and tonight we were served by the superb barman Nip who is always very professional remembers what you like to order and always pours a great pint. We also had the lovely Sylvia serving us tonight who came over to check our meal was ok. She was very obliging and made a beautiful Irish coffee at the end of our meal. The team who work here work so hard to make every visit enjoyable even if it’s just for drinks, they truly deserve all the wonderful reviews they receive. Even when the pub is very busy everything runs so smoothly and they make it look so easy (Which I’m sure it isn’t) We hope to see you again very soon. Thanks for the coffee

We had a nice lunch served by the lovely Maxine. My wife chose the cheese toastie served with chips and a small side salad & I had the salmon fishcake served with a small side salad and I opted for extra salad both ordered from the lunch menu washed down with a lager shandy for me and the wife had a coke/pepsi (cant remember). The food was excellent (albeit the fish cake was small, could have done with two for the price) although we were warned it was small by Maxine as she said most order a side of chips with it but I was being good and there was no option of new potatoes as a side. Overall though a pleasant lunch with the wife x

A really gorgeous old fashioned pub serving great food and drinks, always a pleasure to come here, the staff are all incredible at what they do, the food is well priced and offer a good menu. They also make a good Irish coffee, we look forward to visiting our favourite pub/ restaurant again very soon.

I have been lucky enough to have spent the past 4 evenings here. From the first visit I was welcomed by friendly and attentive staff. The food was delicious including the specials I tried. The have an excellent selection of beers, including some guest beers. Thank you to all the staff making me feel welcome and a special shout out to Nip and Amy. I will be back next year.

Staying at a hotel nearby and fancied a nice pub atmosphere for dinner, really glad to have found here! Food was really good and a nice bustling atmosphere. Service was really friendly and attentive throughout, thank you!

What a disappointment. Stayed at a nearby hotel but decided to give this a try based on reviews. It might have been an old fashioned pub at one time, but it has clearly being overtaken by a pub chain. The staff were all lovely and very welcoming and there was a good choice of beer. The food however was a huge letdown and was of very poor quality. The closest i can attribute to is Wetherspoons, although I've only eaten at one before. I won't go into the specific detail of the food, but it was far from what I'd expect from a 'Country Inn'. My guest from Turkey was amazed how bad the food was. Wish I'd have eaten at the hotel.

Wet, cold and hungry after assisting at a roadside accident my friend(retired doctor ) and I arrived at the Swan It was full and we had not booked but were desperate. Despite being full Emma and Silvia found us a place in a corner and bought a radiator to warm us up. Emma apologised that it was a cramped space. The food was quick, good and warming. The Sean is to be recommended for food but also care and kindness both of which are necessary especially after a difficult experience A big thank you to Sylvia and Emma We will certainly return .

I recently stopped by a charming country pub during a brief getaway, and it was a delightful experience. The pub exuded a warm, inviting atmosphere from the moment I walked in. The interior was cozy. The menu featured classic pub fare, and I opted for the Steak Pie, which was rich and comforting—perfect for the cool weather. The staff were friendly and attentive, sharing recommendations with genuine enthusiasm and my server was Nip. I also enjoyed a pint of locally brewed ale, which paired perfectly with my meal.

Great pub, good service and great food.

Same excellent service and good food. The staff working here are wonderful.

Had fish & chips which was very nice. Staff were friendly. Nice ambience

Cheryl looked after us so very well, and the whole meal for all 5 os us was exceptional, will certain attend here again.

Lovely food, excellent service.

Superb food, great services, not long to wait for food even when busy, great old building with loads of parking too, watch the low ceilings of tall lol

The food was lovely. I can recommend the chocolate brownies! The service was excellent. I can't remember her name, sadly. The table was quite small for 6 adults but we still had a lovely time. What let the pub down was the area we had to move to ( the table was needed for another booking) to finish our drinks and carry on with our afternoon. Very high, very uncomfortable stools/ benches right next to the toilets. I understand that we give up our table, but why is there no comfortable area to sit in??? We were still paying customers

We had a lovely meal here good service cheryl the server was brilliant so helpful and a nice lady the food was lovely and thay did a Irish coffee. love the building so old and interesting. Will be going back soon. Gwen Hodge

Absolutely faultless service, a new menu since we last visited filled with interesting options, the vegetarian selection was great as well. Our servers were friendly and attentive whilst giving us the room to enjoy a good family get together. We will definitely be visiting again soon.

Visited twice, this time for a roast. Amazing food both times, and a lovely cosy vibe. We'll definitely be coming back

Great atmosphere lovely food and great service.

Great service from Cheryl and Amy, lovely food,?tasty and hot. Highly recommend. These lady’s made it a great visit .

Edit: dined here again and strangely was on the table we have been in the last 4 visits. We also had the same server, Cheryl. As always, great service and great food. Now full to the brim and had a lot of caffeine. 2 double espressos. We love to dine out as a family. It has been a long time since we have actually dined in a restaurant that ticked every single box. This had a local pub feel, and the pub/restaurant was very busy. However, it wasn't your rowdy noisy feel but that of a family atmosphere with a cosy feel to it. We were seated at our table and felt relaxed. Our waitress was friendly, full of good banter, and knew her drinks and food. Our food arrived and the timings were perfect. The quality of food was unbelievable. Flavours exploded and tantalised the taste buds. If I had to fault them, the only thing I thought should be changed is to bring kids meal out first. Apart from that, absolutely amazing. Everything was excellent. We had an amazing evening and will definitely be back. Update.... we have been back numerous times since this initial visit, and we really can't fault the place. Professional friendly service like the good old days. Food is second to none. Since this post, we have always had little ones food brought out first.

09/2024 We felt very comfortable, were served very well 👍 by Cheryl, the food was delicious 😋 and the ambience too. If you want to eat in a good pub in the Milton Keynes area, we would recommend “YE OLDE SWAN” and Cheryl to you. Thank you for this lovely evening. Hopefully see you again soon. Thanks Cheryl. 09/2024 We felt very comfortable, were served very well 👍 by Cheryl, the food was delicious 😋 and the ambience too. If you want to eat in a good pub in the Milton Keynes area, we would recommend “YE OLDE SWAN” and Cheryl to you. Thank you for this lovely evening. Hopefully see you again soon.

Lovely little pub. Had the squid as a starter and it was lovely. Had the pork belly as a main. Came out not very hot so had to go back. When it came back out the pork belly was a bit tough and they were a bit tight with the vegetables. Not worth £16.99.

Just visited the hospital and wanted to get something to eat without going to far. Literally looked on Google and this place came up and wow. I haven't had a Sunday roast that good for years. Amazing!

Just had a lovely meal to celebrate our Anniversary. Nice relaxed atmosphere and looked after extremely well by Cheryl.

Dinner for 7 on a Monday evening. The pub was busy, had a great atmosphere. The service was friendly and efficient. Food was excellent and prices reasonable. Would thoroughly recommend.

This is a lovely pub. Top notch service and food. Great friendly atmosphere

A quiet, but well customed pub in a quiet village near Peartree Bridge. Here enjoying a sunny "lingering summer" evening in the garden the that has plenty of room for kids to run around. Has a magnificently old willow tree. Chef & Brewer pub, food & portions looks good (see menu) and for ales Greene King IPA, Abbot & Morland Original (Old Speckled Hen)

Great food as usual served by Cheryl a very pleasant and efficient lady. Special offer of 2 mains for £20 great bargain lunch

We were welcomed on arrival. Cheryl served us today, she was pleasant and friendly. We didn’t feel rushed. The food was good quality and rather large portions.

Excellent! Great food, service, and atmosphere. Thank you for helping make date night so lovely for us.

We had a lovely evening served by Cheryl - lovely food, great setting, reasonably priced and Cheryl looked after us really well. We recommend the cookies!

Beautiful food, I didn't leave a scrap on the plate from 3 beautiful courses! Best food I've had in a long time! Can't wait to go back,

We had a birthday lunch here on a Tuesday. Regrettably, it was one of the most disappointing dining experiences we have ever had. We placed orders for pan-fried chicken, vegetable tart, and scampi from the lunch menu. Upon being seated, we noticed several half-dead wasps crawling on the table. When this was brought to the attention of our server, we were not offered an alternative table; instead, we were informed that the area had been treated and the wasps were dying. When our food arrived, the chicken was exceptionally dry and appeared to have been reheated and left sitting for an extended period. It was completely inedible. The vegetable tart resembled a pie with a mushy filling, deviating significantly from our expectations. The scampi, however, was satisfactory. Frying scampi and chips is a straightforward process that rarely results in dissatisfaction. As a gesture of goodwill, two meals were removed from our bill, and the staff expressed their apologies for the horrendous quality of the food.

Alana amazing service an absolute credit to your business , nothing was to much trouble what a difference it makes The food amazing portions good looks and taste really good . Well done

Great pub ,with great food at very reasonable prices

I visited this pub for breakfast and was not disappointed. The atmosphere was calm and serene, which was conducive to a peaceful meal. The staff demonstrated professionalism and provided attentive service throughout my visit.

We had a lovely lunch at the olde swan, our first time. Our server Steph was very attentive. The food was cooked to perfection. Would highly recommend and we would come back again.

Just had drinks, would return back for food as looked a nice menu

Haven't been in a while, but the food was delicious and reasonably priced. Service was great too. Will definitely be back.

First visit and would definitely recommend. Great food and service.

Another visit to our favourite Milton Keynes restaurant. Friendly, welcoming atmosphere, served by the lovely Amy. We will be back!

Very nice pub - Maxine served us and was helpful and very friendly, which made our lunch out even more enjoyable. The main course portions are quite large so be prepared! (We can’t speak for dessert since we were too full from the mains.)

A beautiful old pub with a lovely atmosphere. The women’s toilets were beautifully set out with so much attention to detail that made you feel very special! The staff were so friendly and helpful and the food was delicious and reasonable priced. Can’t recommend enough. Had such a lovely experience.

Ideal place for Sunday lunch with the family, the trio of meat was very skimpy on the meat with 3 thin slices whilst the pork loin was 3 thick slices

Great food, exception staff, clean and welcoming environment. Recommend to all.

Kids pizza was literally a mini Chicago Town frozen pizza, and the garlic bread was toast with garlic butter on it. The adult food was better but not fantastic, considering my burger was £16 it was pretty unremarkable. Place was clean and accommodating, staff were friendly etc. Just a shame the food was disappointing

I can't comment on food, but what was being served up looked delicious. I'll be going back to try

Lovely food and Stephanie was absolutely excellent!

Amazing food, great service. Love that we can use our Tesco vouchers with you. We come back time after time and you never disappointed. We've introduced many friends and family to our beautiful local Aug 2024 Here twice yearly minimum. Menu had changed this time sadly as our old favourites now gone... Korean sticky BBQ starts and mains. We used out Tesco vouchers so very cheap affordable family out that otherwise, we couldn't afford. Staff recognise us and cater for neurodiversity & special diets which is like a breath of fresh air. We were looked after by Edith who did a great job making sure all was well, as did her colleagues if she was busy waiting other tables. We LOVE this pub and have been coming fir years in all weather's and all occasions. Never lets us down and friends & family are always very impressed when we rake them for a meal. Thanks everyone at Ye Olde Swan

Really disappointed with this place. It has been really good food and service here but this time it was really bad both food and service, hope it was just an occasion because this is a very cozy place

Beautiful old pub which has been decorated beautifully. The staff were pleasant and helpful when you could get their attention. We ordered two cod and chips and one steak and ale pie with chips. The pie was lovely while the cod was bland due to under seasoning. It wasn’t greasy thankfully but just wasn’t particularly enjoyable. I did enjoy the mocktail I ordered though.

We go to Ye Olde Swan semi-often and their food is simply amazing. Nothing too complicated or pretentious, just solid, tasty, posh-pub grub.

We had an amazing meal. The food arrived promptly and was nice and hot. Everything tasted fresh and nicely seasoned. There was an excellent choice of menu and drinks. Cheryl who served us was very attentive, friendly and polite, and assured that we had everything we needed and was happy. As we left, staff thanked us and wished us a good evening. First class service and food, in pleasant surroundings. Would recommend.

We visited for an evening meal as our hotel across the road were not serving meals at the time of our stay. The hotel staff pointed us towards here as an alternative, which was nice. We struggled to get a reservation as the automated system they have in place on the phone is not the best. After managing to get through to someone, we got a table booked. Service was superb as was the food. Would definitely eat here again.

Nice country pub clean and cosy. Nice big back garden with plenty of seating.

Excellent service from Cheryl ...

Lovely roast dinner quickly served. Very helpful staff made our dining experience a pleasure.

Good food, decent service and chill atmosphere.

Unwelcoming, unhelpful and uninterested! Left us waiting with 0 communication.

I dropped into Ye Old Swan after my dog walk as we both needed a rest after a long and very beautiful walk through Woughton on the Green and Ouzel Valley Park. To put this review into context I was just with my dog Benson and I would never stop by/walk into a pub on my own no matter what time of day. However, there was something about Ye Old Swan which was inviting and comfortable which gave me the courage to stop by. We had often walked past this beautiful 13th century thatched pub but never entered. The warm welcome we both received told me that my instincts were right. The staff we met were super friendly and we were able to relax in the cool shade of the garden with a lemonade and a delicious doggy ice-cream. It was quietly busy with local residents and the staff were serving with enthusiasm some very delicious sounding dishes. The senior staff member who served us came out for a chat and was very knowledgeable about the menus, service times and booking availability. Ye Old Swan is dog friendly and she also gave us advice about booking for example: Sunday Lunch Whilst washing the remainder of the ice cream off Benson’s muzzle I was able to view the interior of the pub which was beautifully and sympathetically decorated, very spacious and the bathrooms were clean, scented and roomy. Suitably refreshed we left to conclude our walk back to the car park. I would definitely recommend and return to Ye Old Swan for the hospitality, price point, and the overall ambiance. Thank you to the team for looking after me and Benson, making us feel welcome and safe, and making a special memory - he loved his ice cream in the shade and enjoyed a nap afterwards! 🍦🐶😍😴 Google’s Five stars are simply not enough for Ye Old Swan - award winning outstanding service!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Give it a wide birth food chips wasn't cooked fish was horrible 😫

Lovely friendly welcome and quick service. Super roast turkey with all the trimmings. Good value at £14.99 too! We were looked after and the food was really good. Definitely recommend.

Great food , nice atmosphere and the staff very friendly and welcoming.

When travelling to somewhere unfamiliar its always difficult to decide on a place to eat, we were not disappointed! The service was fantastic (thanks Cheryl) and the food was well above the usual pub offering. It was a great choice after a day out a Bletchley Park. The pubs secret tunnel, warm atmosphere and beautiful location really made this a meal we will remember, we only wish we lived closer !

Our regular pub for when we're in Milton Keynes area. Friendly and efficient staff especially our waitress Cheryl. They look after you really well. The menu has lots of choice and the building has alot of character. Book a table as very popular.

Visited here, busy but service and food was great, loved the Bakewell tart and good veggie options, served by the excellent and lovely Cheryl

Great food and staff - especially the little Polish lad

This really is a great pub and the staff are all friendly and so helpful I feel I must single out Maxine so very helpful and welcoming always friendly

Food and service was really good, looked after by Cheryl a lovely lady thank you ye olde Swan will definitely return...

The place is very nice, the food was great and Edith was very kind and helpful. We really enjoyed our dinner. You should really try this place, and ask for Edith!

Lovely atmosphere and lovely waitress. (maxine). She was super efficient and welcoming. Only 4stars for the food. We had cheese toasties which came with chips and salad. Good portion but the bread was dry more cheese would have been nice. Ave been before and will go again. Lovely pub.

Nice garden, quick service have been a few times, would recommend. Lovely village atmosphere.

Great food and service highly recommend

I usually love this pub.. it's a beautiful building with gorgeous food & a wonderful atmosphere. However, this night was less than impressive and all due to the woman behind the bar. We weren't allowed to sit where we wanted to..??? I guess as it was almost empty at 9.30 pm, they'd already cleaned that area, so had to sit near the bar. That was ok as there was a wonderful group of people that we interacted with. However, the bar maid/manager (not sure who she was) wanted to leave early because she wanted to go home to Northampton. She rang the bell and asked us to leave before normal time so felt pressured to get out. She wasn't very welcoming & felt we had to get out. Shame, because this is usually a fantastic pub. Hoping this is a one-off, but this woman was a misery! I would say please go to this beautiful pub, & pray she's not there. Good luck... x

Really nice food, very low prices with good portion sizes! Staff were friendly and attentive! We will be back! Thank you!

Sunday roast, if you call that! Awful, freezing cold, meat all fat, potatoes previously cooked,very dry,luke warm, veg was freezing, gravy warm. Waitress was apologetic but can't do anything as we've paid. Well yes cant order and not pay. Thought a manager would appear but no. So disappointed.

Really, nice friendly pub with reasonably priced nice food...Sunday Roasts are lovely.

8 of us ate here. Food was great and came out all together, staff serving us were great and friendly and couldn't do enough for us. Will definilty eat here again and would recommend too

Unfortunately the salmon was over done

Good food. Varied menu and a wide selection of drinks. We like Ye Olde Swan for its picturesque setting. Very peaceful.