Village Inn, Swanwick

Large and modern feeling open space (yet with shielded spots and odd corners) pub owned by Mitchells & Butler, and run under their Ember Inns brand. The emphasis is on food, though there is a decent choice of cask beers, and customers are free to just have a drink. Large pay car park which is free for customers who record their registration number.  

The pub has the potential to be very good, but the service is slow. We waited a disproportionate amount of time for our desert, which had to be chased up twice. Getting served at the bar can be difficult. The pub needs an appropriate amount of staff to cope with customer flow. It's a very popular location, so can be busy with limited options for seating. We like sitting outside, but that is popular with smokers, and we couldn't find anywhere to sit where we were not breathing in someone's cigarette smoke. Shame, as the garden is one of the pub's best assets. Inside it feels a little corporate. There's little sense of cosy country pub.

Date: Sept 2019    Score: 5 

Ember Inns (Mitchell & Butler) 

67 Botley Road
Park Gate
SO31 1AZ

11am to 11pm+ 

Food 12 - 10 (10 - 10 weekends) 

Child friendly 

* Daily Echo 

* WhatPub 

* TripAdvisor