Quick info
About The Swan & Castle
On Castle St in Oxford, The Swan & Castle is a Wetherspoon pub that serves breakfast until noon. Tea and Lavazza coffee come with free refills all day, every day, so a single hot drink can last through a morning or a long afternoon. For lunch and dinner, the kitchen turns to gourmet burgers alongside vegetarian choices. The bar pours real ales, with craft beers, gins and soft drinks also on the list. The pub is part of the Wetherspoon chain, so the menu follows that group's format. Deli deal options sit among the lighter bites for anyone who wants a smaller meal.
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fish and chips, beer selection on tap, meal deal offers and pizza and small plates.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fish and chips, beer selection on tap, meal deal offers and pizza and small plates.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers most often point to the meal deals, with several praising combos and offers that include a drink and cover breakfast, lunch and evening meals. Close behind is the beer range, where one reviewer cites more taps than anywhere else in town and another tried several ales during a beer festival. Fish and chips with succulent fish, a protein wrap and a mini chocolate crunch earn praise, as do pizza and chicken wings. The fries with chicken arrived soggy, though, and one reviewer found the small plates choice limited. A bright colourful interior and comfortable leather seating win approval, while another calls the place bland but notes a cold pint and quick service. Service divides opinion. Some call it good, but three reviewers describe rude or hostile staff, including a wrong order after asking for no chillies, a replacement plate slammed onto the table, drinks arriving very late and food taken away while diners were still eating.
Customer Review Summary
Reviewers most often point to the meal deals, with several praising combos and offers that include a drink and cover breakfast, lunch and evening meals. Close behind is the beer range, where one reviewer cites more taps than anywhere else in town and another tried several ales during a beer festival. Fish and chips with succulent fish, a protein wrap and a mini chocolate crunch earn praise, as do pizza and chicken wings. The fries with chicken arrived soggy, though, and one reviewer found the small plates choice limited. A bright colourful interior and comfortable leather seating win approval, while another calls the place bland but notes a cold pint and quick service. Service divides opinion. Some call it good, but three reviewers describe rude or hostile staff, including a wrong order after asking for no chillies, a replacement plate slammed onto the table, drinks arriving very late and food taken away while diners were still eating.
Featured reviews
- SaNgRaM Bhosale
“Very disappointing service. The waiter was rude from the start, kept giving us unfriendly looks, and didn’t follow our order correctly. Our table was dirty, and when we asked him to clean it, he refused, saying he was busy. Some of our food was missing, the drinks arrived 20–40 minutes late, and he even took our food away while we were still eating. Very poor customer service.Very disappointing service. The waiter was rude from the start, kept giving us unfriendly looks, and didn’t follow our order correctly. Our table was dirty, and when we asked him to clean it, he refused, saying he was busy. Some of our food was missing, the drinks arrived 20–40 minutes late, and he even took our food away while we were still eating. Very poor customer service.”
- nell coles
“one of the female managers with black/red hair is unbelievably rude and obnoxious. i’ve expressed this with her on more than one occasion and she never fails to make a trip here unpleasant. shame as ive been coming here for over 5 years.”
- Singh Gurjit
“Update: this is my usual go to place now a day. Original- Best place to have food and drinks. The have lot of beers on taps and probably more than anyone else in the town. They have lot of combos on the menu and except Saturday and Sunday they have lot of offers running in. I have tried their 4-5 beers and all were superb.”
- Tom Byrne
“Nice to see the place reopened. It looks like the lady from the ale house has taken it over(let's hope the cats don't start roaming all over the place, it used to do B&B a few years ago would be good to see that up and running again. The atmosphere was good with people in playing pool and enjoying a drink. I think there is car parking around the back but a bit awkward to get into as the pub is at a junction with traffic lights not much of an outside seating area but early days yet prices seem to be about the same as her other pub across the road, I don't know if she is going to start doing food but the food she does at her other pub is good so let's see if so hopefully without cats. Good level access, I don't know if children are allowed 🤔. So on the whole good start.”
- Ana Pateman
“There were plenty of available tables when we arrived. We ordered a pint of beer, a bottle of water, a protein wrap and traditional fish and chips. The service was good. My fish and chips were lovely, the fish was succulent and meaty. My husband enjoyed his protein wrap. He also ordered a mini chocolate crunch and really liked it. The service was good and the food quality was consistent with what we usually order at JD Wetherspoons.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“The pub is open for breakfast until 12 noon and offers free refills (all day every day) on tea and Lavazza coffee. For lunch and dinner, there are lighter bites, with deli deal options and vegetarian choices, gourmet burgers and freshly made pizzas. Wetherspoon has championed a wide range of drinks, including real ales, craft beers, gins and soft drinks. Table service is available via the Wetherspoon app, using our unlimited free Wi-Fi. This pub has step-free access.”
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible entrance · Wheelchair-accessible seating · Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Amenities
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 2
- Wheelchair-accessible seating
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Location
Bars near The Swan & Castle
- The Castle4.36650 miReservationsOutdoor seatingGood for kids
guinness, chicken pie, hunters chicken
- The Royal Blenheim4.58950.1 miWheelchair accessible
titanic cask ales, keg and nitro beers, board games
- The Four Candles4.04,4070.2 mi
large breakfast, cheap drinks selection, football matches on screens
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Swan & Castle | 3.92,286 | — | fish and chips, beer selection on tap, meal deal offers |
| The CastleReservations · Outdoor seating · Good for kids | 4.3665 | 0 mi | guinness, chicken pie, hunters chicken |
| The Royal BlenheimWheelchair accessible | 4.5895 | 0.1 mi | titanic cask ales, keg and nitro beers, board games |
| The Four Candles | 4.04,407 | 0.2 mi | large breakfast, cheap drinks selection, football matches on screens |
The 3 nearest bars by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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