The White Swan Inn - Bassetlaw

Can't say anymore amazing things about this place. Me and my partner come here every other Thursday for lunch and are always left satisfied with the gorgeous food. Their selection of drinks are on point and just their all round friendly attitude towards everyone that enters is here. This place is a must in Blyth.

We arrived unannounced for lunch on Easter Monday on our way back from Northumberland to Hertfordshire. We had first stopped at Blyth Services to take our 5 year old daughter to the toilet and made a quick departure due to the volume of people. We decided to look at Blyth village and found the White Swan. We received a friendly welcome and a clear indication that there would be a bit of a wait for food. Not in a rush, we decided to stay. The staff managed to get our daughter’s food very quickly (for which we were extremely grateful) and ours followed soon after. The pub was busy with lots of happy looking customers. The atmosphere was friendly and the pub was very clean and tidy. The staff were excellent. Food was great and we were very happy to find a local alternative to the services. We’ll pass by again next time we are driving through.

We were extremely disappointed with our experience at this restaurant. We dined there in the evening with our family, expecting it to be as good as it was years ago when everyone used to rave about it. However, the food was a huge letdown. The chicken was dry and overcooked, the bread and burgers were stale, the pie seemed to have been left on a hot plate all day, and the sausages tasted like they came straight from the freezer. The mashed potatoes were bland and tasteless. Despite the beautiful building, great location, and nice decor, the dire food ruined our meal. Even the service was lackluster, with the waitress appearing uninterested and not attentive to our needs. It seemed like we were being ignored and treated as an inconvenience. We would recommend avoiding this restaurant and instead trying some of the other pubs in the area, which are much better.

The White Swan was always popular with locals and other visitors. We hadn’t been for ages and decided to go for lunch. On arrival the lady behind the bar was not at all welcoming and we weren’t allowed a tab, even though we said we would be eating. My husband ordered the pie, which he said tasted salty. I tried it and agreed. Later, presumably the landlady, cleared our plates and asked if everything had been ok to which my husband mentioned the saltiness. She went away and returned a while later, saying that she and the ‘chef’ had tasted one, saying it wasn’t salty at all and that it must be his tastebuds! We won’t be returning needless to say.

Looks inviting but the staff could do with a gee up. Only here for drinks so can't rate food. Place pretty quiet for a Friday night. Large sunny beer garden at the back. One member of staff serving the bar couldn't even raise a smile need to do better.