White Swan, London WC2

About us

The White Swan and narrow New Row are full of character and intrigue. No wonder Dorothy L Sayers chose the pub for a part in her Lord Peter Wimsey novel, Murder Must Advertise. The pub used to be owned by Hoare & Co, the famous London banking firm. The grand mirror on the wall still proclaims 'Hoare & Co's Celebrated Imperial Stout & Sparkling Ales'.

Facilities

Beer gardenCar parkFamily friendlyFoodReal aleCricketFootballRugbyTerrestrial TVCask Marque

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Reviews

1,670 reviews

4.3/5

Elizabeth Hearn

3 months ago

We had the best dinner experience at the White Swan on our first night in London! On a traditionally busy Sunday, we were still able to find comfortable seating without need for a wait. The menu had plenty of variety, all of which sounded fresh and authentic. The Sunday roast beef dinner was absolutely delicious!! Most importantly, the staff were helpful and attentive. Alfie made sure all our needs were met, and he was always fulfilled our requests in a timely manner He allowed for friendly conversation to make us feel comfortable and offered beer and travel recommendations. We also briefly got to meet Lara, who was extremely kind and generous. Thank you, Alfie and Lara! The White Swan is a pub you don’t want to miss!

Ash Parikh

4 months ago

Sarah was brilliant...give her a raise. She managed our table of 13 (adults and guests) like a pro. Calm, attentive and friendly. Everything went perfectly, we were very grateful. The food was tasty and varied, I particularly liked the fish pie. Would definitely recommend Thank you again Sarah

Londonsardu

4 months ago

Shopping around Covent Garden in the cold we decided we fancied some hot soup. We looked at TWS menu and decided to go for ‘soup of the day’ with sourdough bread and butter. The dining room upstairs was very cold but we were looking forward to our tomato and basil soup. We also decided to share some skin on chips. Our food arrived and joy of joys! The soup tasted like tomato purée dissolved in boiling water with less than a pinch of dried basil. The chips had the texture of paper pulp. But the star of the show was the ‘sourdough’ bread……a slice of burned brown toast with the burned bits scraped off with a knife, see picture. The waiters kept asking how the food was and at some point I complained saying: ‘possibly the most disappointing food I’ve ever tasted, the soup was out of a tin, the bread was burned and scraped’! As a result they very generously scrapped the service charge. We paid £25.80 for what you see in the pictures. Judge for yourself.

Peymon M

5 months ago

The White Swan is a fantastic place to visit in London. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful inside and the atmosphere is great. I had a wonderful lunch at the restaurant and the staff were very accommodating. The place was definitely cleaner than most places in London. The food was also great however could have been better.

Danni Elliott

8 months ago

The food was beautiful and I could not say a bad word about it! Service was very good but tailed off at the end. Our main course plates weren't cleared away, and we sat for a significant time. There was no offer of dessert or coffee either. However, we were a late seating, and the kitchen may have closed, but we wouldn't know because we weren't told. The general atmosphere is of a lovely local village establishment, staff were friendly and the place is dog friendly which is always a bonus!