Came here on a trip to Victoria. Tried the fish dip. It was good. Mildly smokey but light and delicious. Washed it down with a glass of beer and back on our exploration. Our service was quick and courteous with a casual ambiance. We loved the architecture of the building and the decor of various bikes. read more

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This is a truly adorable place. We stopped in after wandering around, grabbed a drink, and we were able to hang out and chat as long as we needed. The bartender was unintrusive, but also very knowledgeable and had great recommendations. It was happy hour, so hello discount. I don't remember quite what it was, but happy hours always make me, well, happy. It was maybe a few dollars off the price (pro tip, tip your servers on the full amount!). I've seen other people say you might need reservations but we walked right in and sat at the bar, and it was actually not very populated at all. We didn't have food, but the menu looked good. Some people love Scotch Eggs (I am not one of them) and it's rare to see it on the menu. We meant to go back another day to get one, but ran out of time. If I make it back to Victoria any time soon, I'd love to have a real meal here. read more

Jess was our server after a massive influx of drunk idiots from a wedding and she actually killed it no matter what we threw at her and I cannot say anything better I am Rob and this is my first ever review read more

Swans Pub - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

This is a funny place. They always have a Happy hour running except between 5-8 pm, which I think other pubs should consider doing. Decent food, had our first poutine in life here, and nice beer is what sums it up. They had an amazing hot sauce that we liked a lot so I asked them if we can buy a bottle from them. Lo and behold, they did sell us a bottle which was a bonus. read more

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Our husbands stopped in to Swans as we walked around and explored. When we arrived the bartender let us move our tab to a table so we could all sit and enjoy our drinks and food. I kept noticing the waitress bringing the small cold coffee like drinks to other tables so I asked about them. Said told us all about the Victoria Shaft! We of course we had to order some, and that started our shaft addition. For the trip! The bar is beautiful, well kept, clean, and the staff were very attentive and friendly. We had a great time at Swans. read more

Swans Pub - Shaft! - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Terrific service, delicious food and huge portions! We stopped by for an early dinner after walking by the day before.The food smelled good and it looked like a fun place to eat. We ordered a bacon cheeseburger and pepperoni pizza. The menu did note that it was large enough to share and they weren't kidding! It was a sheet pan pizza! The bacon cheeseburger was delicious and so were the fries! Highly recommend! read more

Swans Pub - Pepperoni pizza - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Great wings, solid burger. Service was on top of things and took care of us well. Beer was on point...overall a great establishment. 4.5/5.

The food here was great. Fish dip was flavorful and was the highlight of the lunch. Then we ordered fish n chips. Both pieces of fish were a great size considering the price. Probably the best food of our whole vacation. The beer was a little bland but still good but not great. Our server was very nice and easy to talk to. The only advice would be to put the right amount of tarter sauce with the fish. We ended up running out very quickly into the lunch and then there was a charge for more tarter sauce. Overall good place to stop by! read more

We had been referred to Swans Brew Pub by a bartender at a different so we were eager to try it. Friendly bartender, prompt service, good beer and wine selection. So far so good. We needed some fish and chips and had heard they were good here. The order came with two large pieces...perhaps too large. I think three smaller ones would have been easier to manage. Gosh was hot and flaky and the crust was awesome, at first. As frequently happens with battered fish, once it's had a chance to sit a few minutes, the moisture and oil from the fish steams the breading and it turns soggy. Do, not u expected, but still disappointing. Chips were hot, fresh and tasty. Tartar sauce was quite delicious on both fish and fries. Overall it was a pleasant experience and I would go back. Just maybe order something different along with the fries. read more

The decor is inviting--what looks like an old warehouse or factory turned into a relaxed bar and restaurant. On the negative side, the waitress didn't mention they were out of anything until after I read the menu. Then the cocktail and first two entrees I tried to order were out. She left me to further read the menu and took a very long time to return. But not as long as the time it took for the food to arrive after the order was put in. This wait time was a little surprising as there weren't many clients on site. But given the lack of attention to service, I guess I can see why. read more

We came here for just beer or two. I love the decor in the place, our server was very nice and knowledgeable in the menu and was able to make great recommendations. This is a wonderful place to people watch, and unwind. I gave it only three stars, because I have not tried the food yet.. I will be back and update when I do, but for now, I would pop in for a pint... read more

We held a group function in the pub and the manager and staff could not have been more accommodating. They were really terrific in going above and beyond. I would highly recommend the pub for a group event or an evening out. Thank you so much! Carol W. read more

Shortly after arriving in Victoria and getting checked into our Airbnb, my boyfriend and I set out to explore our surroundings. Sitting kitty corner to our temporary residence, we quickly stumbled upon Swans. Although the building looks old, the pub itself opened in 1989. Still, it retains an old-time feel and I loved the ambiance of the wooden bar. Our visit here was short as we just had one drink before we moved on but we enjoyed our pit stop. I'm not a beer drinker so I asked for a cider instead. I ended up with a Tod Creek Island Light, which is a cider blended with kombucha. It was definitely light with only 3 percent alcohol but very refreshing. Not something you want to drink if you're hoping to get a buzz going but the perfect drink for a someone who wants the flavor over the alcohol content. read more

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The fish made it 4 star lol great place great people... would come just to hang out and drink beer on a Friday night. read more

Swans Pub - Fat tug! - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Beautiful pub!! Lots of great classic pub and new school local beers on tap! Service was prompt and friendly as well. It is a bit touristy but I'd still check it out for sure if you are a pub fare or beer drinker! read more

We stopped by Swans Pub after a day of visiting Butchart Gardens. The service was good, drink suggestions were helpful. The Old Fashioned was quite tasty. We ordered the Scotch Eggs and they were the best I've tasted. Nicely done! We will certainly come back when we visit Victoria again. read more

Swans Pub - Scotch egg - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Hot & tired from walking & shopping, we stopped in to have a cold one. We were a group of 6 and needed info on their local brews, the staff was friendly, knowledgeable and offered samples. We ate the yummy fish dip with comes with fresh made beer bread and the potato skins with melted cheese. It's a great place to chill with friends! read more

Stopped here during my visit and tried the smoked seas food dip and I tried the local blue buck beer that was recommended to me. I loved the atmosphere and would have loved to spend some more time. I did not take but one quick picture. If I ever make it back to Victoria I will stop and have a drink again. read more

Swans Pub - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

The beer was wonderful and the food was really good too. I got the chicken sandwich it was one of the best chicken sandwiches i ever ate! It was nice sitting outside.My husband loved his fish sandwich (it's basically like fish in chips but served on a roll) with fries too. read more

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Never again! This place is supposed to be on a good tour for a cruise ship. What do they offer for the $80 fee? A half glass of mediocre beer and some bread and cod paste. And the bad part of all this, they made pit group of 10 people wait for 30 minutes: no one greeted us or apologized for the wait. We watched other patrons get burgers and other food. We barely made it back to the ship. Royal Caribbean's should drop this place from its itinerary. Swan Dive is what I would call this one. read more

Loved their HH menu on food and beer. $3 for half pint was great way to try more than one type. Ample patio and huge interior. Good service also. It's an easy 10 minute walk along the shoreline from the Assembly building. Lots of restaurants to choose from around and great way to start the evening or meet with friends. read more

I walked into Swans Pub on a summer Saturday at 1PM and I thought they were closed, there wasn't one customer inside the pub, that should have been a warning right there... No one came out to greet me, nothing I had to walk around the establishment until someone said the bartender would be back in 10 minutes and for me to grab a menu and find a seat anywhere. It's august, peak tourist season...... Every dwtn restaurant and patio is PACKED 'except swans. This is my 4th and last visit to the establishment. I live next door and wanted to like this pub so bad but the food, in my eyes, is horrible... As someone who loves to support local and eat when I can I always try to give a restaurant 3-4 visits until I make my final option and todays lunch was it for me. I ordered the grilled chicken burger w/poutine (an additional $6 for minimal gravy and 6 baby nail-sized cheese curds, no I'm not lying, it was the most dismal poutine ever) The chicken burger was tasteless, the chicken thighs had skin in which I normally don't mind but the skin wasn't even crisped, it was soggy and rubbery... No seasoning on the chicken either so the bland taste came through with every bite. Mushroom undercook and dripping with moisture which then made the bun soggy and falling apart. I paid for the order and politely let my waitress know how bad the food was and that I wouldn't be back. I don't expect a meal for free if I am unsatisfied and after all 4 of my visits having dismal food, this is the end of for me trying Swans. read more

Swans Pub - Grilled chicken burger and cup of poutine - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Swans is such a cute, cozy and delicious spot! First of all, they were able to accommodate a large group of 16 without an issue. We made a reservation ahead of time and were immediately seated upon arrival. The interior is so cozy, with dim lighting and brick walls. Great spot for a date night! At first I was frustrated with our server. She was pretty rude to us, and answered our questions as though we should have already known the answer. Throughout our meal, however, she was a lot kinder and was actually starting to make jokes with us. Not sure why the flip, but glad it happened. The food is SO good! The veggie panini is super delicious and so was there root beer. I would love to come back here whenever I'm in Victoria! read more

Swans Pub - the veggie panini with the house salad - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

My wife and I had a 4 hour port visit at night on our Princess Cruise from Alaska. We took the 2 mile walk into town, and this brewpub was awesome, and they had happy hour while we were there. We sat down at a counter with a view towards the street, so we could people watch, while sucking down a flavorful IPA. Really good stuff. I had one more IPA and the service was awesome. Super nice. A great place for a couple beers in the quaint town of Victoria, B.C. read more

Stopped in for a growler and a drink because all the other breweries were closed at 6 PM. I ordered the Peach Ale, which was ok. There were no peach undertones. My hubby ordered the Swan IPA. It was decent. He tried the Phillip's IPA as well but wasn't as tasty, much more bitter than the first. Then we ordered a Pepperoni Pizza to go. It took a long time for it to come out, which explains why the pizza was overcooked. The pizza is thin crust, which means you should not leave in the oven too long. I shared my observation with our waitress (she agreed, and attempted to do something about the bill and always very apologetic). My suggestion for the chef was to NOT cook it too long. Anyways, she came back and said the best she can do is take 50% off the pizza. We waited nearly an hour for the first pizza and wasn't going to wait again for another as it t was already after 8 PM. The kids were done waiting and very hungry. Overall, I would not come back to this place. Do better about your cooking and train your staff about how good should be cooked and I may return someday. The waitress appeared to be new as she said and don't fault her. The two stars was for her effort. And zero stars for chef and management. read more

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Had 2 "flights" that's 8 small glasses of beers. Waiter said they were 4 oz each, but seems like more like 6 or 7oz. Very nice way to try 8 different beers (among 3 people). The yam fries were quite good. As was the sauce (that's chipotle? ). The fish and chips were just like you would get in England (but I'm not totally convinced that's a great thing--fried breading on bland cod, but yes it was authentic British style, just like I've had in London, Warwick, Devon, and up towards the Wall). Staff was friendly, diligent, warm and helpful. When you experience staff like that and then read reviews critical of, presumably, the same people, you have to think you are learning more about the reviewer than the people being reviewed. It's a place worth a visit when in Victoria. read more

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Not worth visiting since they did a dismal redecoration and stopped offering live music. It used to be such a lively, fun place, and now it's just sad. Even the new chairs are hard and cold. read more

This is a great place if you are just looking for a nice spot to have lunch. There is lots of choices on the menu and our waiter was very nice and helpful. The hamburgers where nothing above good but not awful. They tasted like they had been cooked and reheated so that is not a great sign of quality. The braised beef and mashed potatoes where delicious and very well made. They where brazed to perfections, tender to cut with a fork and the washed potatoes where flavorful and creamy. The butter noodles where very good but a little cold and overall very good. The noddles where not very filling but great for kids. This restaurant was good but don't rely on excellent food. read more

Spilled a beer on myself, and they kindly asked if we'd like another one we said of course. Ended up paying for a beer I didn't drink. Manager hides behind the curtains letting bartender take all the blame. Sadly this affects her tip, when did restaurant owners stop to care for their guests. I'm from Texas so maybe it's just a Victoria thing. Not the best first impression. read more

Swans, what can be said. It might be one if victorias oldest pubs. It hasn't changed, different crowd same amazing selection of in house brewed beers. Great selection of food. This is a must stop if you are in Victoria, for work or pleasure. read more

We were staying at the hotel so it was convenient to have a meal here. Though I'm not a beer drinker, one in our party is and really liked the beer he tried. They do have a nice happy hour but we went for lunch. They offer a variety of sandwiches, pizza, soup and entries. I had the Cuban sandwich which was pretty good though the crust was slightly burnt. The fries were pretty good. There is indoor seating our outdoor seating enclosed in glass. Prices were reasonable and service was good. read more

Swans Pub - Interior facing the bar - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Stopped by here for a pre dinner drink when I was in town visiting. We didn't have any of the food but they had a wide drink selection, so there was something for everyone. I had a cider, which was great that they had some local options available. The rest of the group got the 4 beer sampler flight. It was nice that they were able to try a variety of different options. Our server was able to give some guidance. We enjoyed sitting in the glassed in outdoor area. Overall a nice place to grab a beer. read more

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Swans was our first stop in our first evening in Victoria. I read a lot about this being one of the oldest breweries in the city, and it was absolutely hopping on a Friday night in August 2022. We were able to quickly get a seat on the outside enclosed area. The wait staff was fantastic, answering our questions about draft beer recommendations and the food menu. This brewery produces a lot of superb British style beers, and some great west coast IPAs. From a food perspective, we felt obligated to get a 2-piece fish and chips. It was really good, and the two big pieces of cod were nicely browned and not too overly battered. I would order it again if we returned. read more

Nice big pub/restaurant. Stood and waited for a seat before being told it was self seating. Sign would have been nice. Server was prompt and friendly. My wife and I both ordered side salads as appetizers but they were brought out with the meals. The ranch was not good. The salad was not the best. I ordered the Bacon Mac & Cheese. Not good. Very dry. Only ate about 30% then had to stop. Hardly any flavor. Wife had the BBQ Salmon Steak. This was very well cooked and delicious. She said she liked her salad which had the vinaigrette dressing. She had a glass of wine which she said was tasty. Only other issue was some hipster talking loud enough for all to hear cursing every other word and talking about his friend "fuc*ing another friends wife!" He was ruining it for most seated in the area. Not the Pub's fault but they could have told him to tone it down. Update: Came back for another try. Had the cheeseburger and fries. Wife had the cheeseburger and yam fries. Both were great and the yam fries are a must. Upgraded review to 4 stars instead of 3. read more

We actually went to the liquor store instead. It was right next door to the pub. They sell their own beer at a good price and then have tons of other beers and wine to try. I really liked the the Swans raspberry. My partner liked trying a bunch of different Pilsners. Fun place to stop at. read more

We came here for lunch after spending the morning at the museum. Some of us walked over and others drove and found street meter parking nearby. The place wasn't that crowded so our group was seated quickly. Our waitress seemed to be a bit stressed but gave us great service. The manager came by our table during our meal to ask how things were. Nice touch. The atmosphere wasn't to loud so it was easy to talk. Although I do seem to recall some weird music playing at times. We ordered drinks and appetizers and a few of us ordered meals. The duck burger came with beer braised onions and brie cheese, the braised beef and Gnocchi was very filling and the pulled pork poutine made the rounds across the table as it was too big a portion for one person to eat. We also had the deep fried pickle spears and a few orders of their chicken wings. The apple parsnip soup came with fresh bread and had a strong parsnip taste to it. Overall it was a good experience. read more

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Great food and service! We ordered: Margarita Pizza Corn dog appetizer Poutine Wife loved the poutine, for me the highlight was the pizza which I took home and ate into the following day. We were on travel at the time of visit, but would definitely return. read more

My family arrived right before happy hour and were seated right as it began. We took huge advantage of the specials and ordered 4 dozen wings (that goes fast when there's 6 hungry adults!), the fried pickles, and a round of drinks. They only had one beer on happy hour special (the stout), so I opted for the sampler. And good thing I did since I ended up not liking the beer I thought I would! And one was entirely undrinkable to everyone at the table. Some family members loved their drinks and others just made faces and tried to pass them off to another. The wings were seasoned and sauced well and had a good amount of meat on them. Fried pickles were entire spears that came out piping hot! After all the wings, we were still hungry so a few of us got entrees. The duck burger and pork poutine both got satisfactory nods, but the gnocchi in the short rib gnocchi were a bit too chewy for my brother's liking. I got the apple and parsnip soup which came with a side of homemade bread and butter. A bowl of this stuff was way too much for how strong the parsnip came through, but luckily my fiancé doesn't mind finishing what I can't eat! Service was good for a holiday week (we went a couple days after Christmas), and the atmosphere was clean and not too loud for conversation. Not the best meal for taste or price, but a solid 3-star experience. I imagine the patio is really nice when it's not so cold and windy! read more

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Every time we venture north to Victoria we make a point of stopping here. The staff is always pleasant and helpful. The beer selection is varied and has something for every taste. Their ciders, wine and spirits are nothing to sneeze at either. For years we have been getting the yam fries that comes with a chipotle sauce. The fries are fresh, hot and not to salty. They use sea salt I assume since the touch is lite. The yam fries are a slim cut with skin. They are well done and tasty with out the sauce. The sauce is tangy and sharp. It has a rich mayonnaise base with a touch of ketchup and mustard before they add seasonings. The chipotle seasoning is a nice bite without overpowering the average palette. For a non spicy foodie even I can enjoy the bit with this sauce. The faculties are alway crisp and clean. Worth a stop if you are in the area! read more

Swans Pub - The bar! - Pubs Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Liked the beer. Really liked the scotch ale. The stout is pretty good as well. The other four I sampled were fine, but nothing like the first two in terms of quality and uniqueness. So give them a try. Also, get some Yam fries. these were some of the best I've ever had. The sauce they serve with them is a winner as well. They don't give you much and want a $1 for another ramekin. Which I sort of understand, but that does generate some ill will, when you don't serve a reasonable amount and then charge for more. Also got a salad, with berries. Other than the dressing coming off a truck it was pretty good. Supposed to be a vinaigrette but more like some creamy mess. Also had the smoked salmon pizza. Calling it a pizza is a bit of a sin. The crust is basically some preformed prepackaged cardboard. But the toppings were pretty good. But I think the capers on there was a bit of a miss. So stay away from the smoked salmon pizza and go for the dark beers and yam fries. read more

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