Dipsophile has been drinking in this pub for more than thirty years. Not continuously, you understand (Oliver Reed-like figure lurches briefly across the reader’s mind), but on and off since John Foster was the landlord in the Seventies.
To read the press today you’d think binge drinking was a modern invention. But Richmond folk have always liked a drink (just look at the number of pubs in the town) – and many of the older Riversniffers learned their binge drinking in the White Swan in the Seventies.
In those far off days, gatherings of 15 or so Riversniffers were quite usual. Massive rounds were bought, packets of cigarettes chain-smoked, even yards of ale drunk at the bar. Sometimes sessions lasted from opening time (5:30pm, for those that can’t remember when pubs had an opening time) until chucking-out time, even later if there was a “lock-in”.
Then people got in their cars and drove home.
At this distance it all seems surreal – like an episode from “Life on Mars”. One can’t believe today how politically uncorrect it all was – but it did happen.
But we digress. Back to the point, which is to let you know what the White Swan is like today.
We had guests for the weekend, and we booked a table for four.
The menu is typical gastropub (which for us is a good thing) and it was varied enough for us to have a hard time choosing. In the end, all four of us had the filo prawn starters. Then for main course two of us chose the salmon fillets with couscous, one the chicken breast stuffed with feta and one the lamb chump.
The starters arrived in very short order, but didn’t raise any great enthusiasm. Although perfectly OK, the filo prawns looked and tasted a bit average.
The main course was a different story. Decent sized portions, beautifully cooked and very satisfying – so much so that when it came to the pudding we could only manage one (very generous) portion of chocolate cake between the four of us.
Drinks included some top-notch London Pride, a good bottle of Pino Grigio and really good coffee with the pudding. Service throughout was attentive and friendly.
The bill, including a 12.5% service charge (added for tables of four or more) came to £120. For four, we thought this was reasonable given the quality of food, drink and service.
The Verdict
The current management arrived four years ago, and they run the place with relaxed informality. They also manage the very difficult feat of keeping the pub and the eating sides of the operation in balance, so that both drinkers and diners feel at home.
The place is probably better run now than it ever was, and we can recommend it unhesitatingly, either as an interesting and civilised pub or as a place to eat, or both.
Afterword
After writing the above, Dipsophile thought that he was missing something. It was only after some reflection that he realised what it was.
The White Swan is in fact one of the few (the very few) places in Richmond which is “cool”. On the Top Gear “cool wall”, the White Swan would be way over on the right hand end. It is futile to try to pin down exactly what makes it cool – it just is. You’ll know what I mean if you go.
Final thoughts
If you are eating you should book ahead, as they get quite busy evenings and weekends.
The pub is also not that large and these days it does have to balance the pub and the dining aspects, so if fifteen of you want to re-run one of those “Life on Mars” binge sessions then you should probably choose one of the town centre pubs. Leave the White Swan to go its own, cool way.
The White Swan, Old Palace Lane, Richmond, TW9 1PG
Tel: 020 8940 0959
Plonko recalls that after some of those nights in the Swan we would go off to someones house and continue on whiskey. One of those loopy people would unscrew the cap, stand on it, and not let anyone go until the bottle was empty.
It’s a miracle we’ve still got livers, lungs and driving licences.
Anyway this is a cool site and I’m looking forward to more reviews. There are enough places to make this a life’s work, but nobody would think that sampling beer and wine and food, in pleasant surroundings with riverviews could possibly be an attractive occupation.