Never been so disappointed in my life...we used to live in this area, and this was our favorite…read morepub/restaurant to go to...in fact, it was the first place we had a meal after we got off the plane and drove to our house, which was in a nearby village. We had such great and happy memories of meals here. A while back my husband and I were in England on holiday, and we made a special trip to the area to go visit our old favorite spot. There were a lot of open tables, both in the pub and the restaurant...in fact, there was basically nobody in the restaurant. The young girl behind the bar told us that "all the tables were reserved", which was surprising, but we decided we would sit outside and have a drink at least. Imagine our surprise, when an hour later, we were ready to go find a dinner spot, and popped in to drop off our glasses, and every table was still empty. In other words, we had plenty of time to have a meal, and been out of there before any of the "reservations" arrived. Totally rude. So, I guess these days they are only welcoming and friendly to locals, or friends of the owner. Don't waste your time here.

I ate lunch here twice. I first had the wildboar sausages served with mashed potatoes and some…read morekind of apple gravy. Next, I had the truffled macaroni and cheese with a side of minted peas. I found everything to be delicious. I didn't sample any of their ales while I was there, though they had several on tap. I had two different ciders though, my favorite being named Lilly. I'm not from the area, so i don't know if Lilly is a common cider, but I didn't see it anywhere else while we were in the area. The staff at the old spotted cow were one of the best aspects. They were friendly and talkative, and we all joked about a couple of men ordering the light fruity Lilly. They were responsive and attentive and we felt very welcomed. The atmosphere is idyllic as well. The bar is on the outskirts of a small town with rolling green pastures, and small cows graze next to the pub. Both times we were there, we saw the patron of the bar (we believe) exercising his hounds. The pub itself has the familiar feeling of established "oldness" very common with pubs in the area, and is clearly a gathering place for locals. I find this charming, and if that is your thing as well, you could do much worse than the old spotted cow.

A great pub that I always try to have a pint in if we are visiting family in Swindon. Tucked behind…read morethe college on a steep hill this was my local and favourite pub for two years till I moved to London (a long time ago). Its small, its busy and the staff are friendly. Lots of regulars - you will get a welcome and not a stare. Live music. Managed to pop in for a swift pint this summer and nothing had changed - as friendly as ever. I think this pub and the Domebuster flumes in Swindon are the only two reasons to visit. Combined gives my idea of a perfect day.......

Small pub with very, very friendly people- most of which are regulars…read more Average beer/wine/spirit selection. Theres a corner for darts and a few places to sit but alot of people just hang out at the bar. 4stars for the quirky friendly people and the atmosphere they bring!

I LOVE WETHERSPOONS!…read more This is definitely the best Spoons in Swindon. It is much larger than the other location, plentiful seating, and seemed to be better staffed (at least during the several times I visited). Tables - not sticky Food and drink - arrived VERY quickly Ladies toilet - just to the left of the bar, not maze! Of course there is no shortage of Spoons charm - the mismatched chairs, the crazy carpet, the "regulars" :) Of all the Spoons I have visited, I'd rate The Savoy a solid 4.4..... being generous I'll round up to a 5.

Absolutely terrible! Men invading women's toilets repetitively. Gave me several accounts of food…read morepoisoning very rude staff. horrible atmosphere creates a terrible mood. Never leave your kids attended with the staff. The toilets are invaded. I'm not happy with the service provided they failed to provide my refund in full and they continue to lie. There is no sign about the toilets and how men are allowed into the women's. I am beyond furious with the service provided today and I will not be returning. Keep this review noted.

A proper pub in Swindon. On my second visit, Dave the landlord, shouted my name and welcomed me…read moreback. With a nod towards the real ales, he poured a proper pint and served it with an "Y'alright?". The Donkey is a perfect pub to meet your mates, make some new ones, or have a quite time next to the working fireplaces. There's dart and poker nights for those that play, and live music one night a week. Located just off of Wood St, the Donkey makes a brilliant stop before or after dining at Swindon's best. Can't recommend the Roaring Donkey enough for those who like pubs, proper ales, and great company.

I know why it is called the "roaring donkey" if anybody is interested. At least according to one of…read morethe elderly locals called Robin when I used to drink there in 1996. He said a donkey was tethered outside the pub always in the same place and when it was time for it to go home and be fed it would roar to make sure its owner knew. And when donkeys want to make a lot of noise they can and it is a bit like a roar. I have heard this. He said the pub is haunted as well and he has seen an old lady sat at the table by the window.

Visited from Canada... It was the best part of Swindon! I love (and miss) pubs like this. A must…read more Great atmosphere around people that care.

I do love to abuse Swindon for being an armpit of a town, but this place isn't so bad. It's a…read morelittle pub on the corner, with friendly staff which serves some really great ales. They've even got some helpful advice on the wall describing their offerings. Great in the warmer weather, as you can sit outside. And for me, who is used to London prices, this place is a steal. That being said, I tend to try and escape Swindon as quickly as possible when I finish work, so visits are relatively rare!

This a great lively pub It has great food, staff and shows football. we come here all the time!!read more

We popped into this pub for a few beers before an event. The beers were great. The place was very…read morespacious which allowed us to be as loud and silly as we wanted without disturbing anyone. :)

Great Lebanese food in the Royal Oak, now under new ownership. The place needs a few more people…read moreto give it a bit more atmosphere, which I think should be no problem as it is central and the staff are friendly. At the moment I would say this is an undiscovered gem.

The Rolleston is just off of the Swindon city centre and is your typical neighborhood pub. The…read morecrowd tends to lean more to the younger side, and there was Top 40 American alternative douche rock playing over the sound system, but it was bearable since I had a friend to talk with. I like that there are so many windows to offer natural light inside-- not something that is typical of most pubs in England. Lots and lots of beers on tap. The bartender was sweet, but refused to chill a shot of vodka for me. I think my request was lost in translation a bit. Also, I wasn't able to catch any live music here, but it appeared as though they have something going on almost every night of the week.

Went in Rolleston and asked for if they do a vegetarian roast(menu had a choice of beef or pork)was…read moretold yes and got served a dish of sloppy veg and lentils with a sweet crumble on top.....i thought the rest of the dinner was coming(roast potatoes,gravy etc)....but that was it!....THAT WAS IT!..