The Swan & Castle

Extremely rude waitress. I ordered the Friday Fish and Chips offer with an alcoholic drink two times, and she asked me to show my ID. I’m 24 but look young, so I’m always happy to show it. Suddenly she wanted to see «the other person’s ID as well» though as I was buying two drinks. My boyfriend, 26 years old, sat all across the room, so I asked her whether this was really necessary, as I am 24 and the one who purchased. She reacted rudely and actually made me go back to the table and come back with my boyfriend. I was the only one asked to do this of those who purchased more than one alcoholic drink — it was a random act of meanness. If a pub is that strict, they should check IDs at the door. The Fish and Chips we got were obviously fried in old fat and gave us indigestion. Sorry, but not again.

This is my second choice out of the two spoons in the city. I have found the staff to be a lot ruder, the service much slower and always have difficulty finding a free table in the evenings.

Dreadful nachos. Barely any cheese and what there was wasn’t properly melted. They tasted a bit funny. I got my friend to send them back. Avoid.

The Swan & Castle ist ein letztes Jahr erst eröffneter Pub der Kette Wetherspoons und befindet sich in direkter Nähe zum Oxford Castle. Früher befand sich an gleicher Stelle die Ha-​Ha-​Bar, die nun geschlossen ist. Der Name ist nicht neu — es gab schon einmal einen «Swan & Castle» in Oxford in der Nähe, der in den 1970ern wegen städtebaulicher Maßnahmen abgerissen wurde.
Es werden die Wetherspoon-​Rabattgutscheine für Studenten angenommen und ausgegeben. Menü ist das übliche, das Personal jedoch etwas langsam, was z.B. das Abräumen verbrauchten Geschirrs angeht.