The Swan Hotel Smoke & Taphouse

We had a lovely view of the canal from our seats, and the whole place had a great vibe. The server was incredibly welcoming and made us comfortable right away. I ate at Smoke & Taphouse earlier today, and the food was so good I was still thinking about it hours later. Amazing service and food. A fantastic experience from start to finish.

We were a family of four, and only the first two meals arrived. Fifteen minutes later we had to go back to the bar to ask about the other two. I also tried to get my daughter’s ice cream for her second course, but was told the chef was on a break. It was a bank holiday Monday, with no staff for the manager to run the pub, and the bar staff were slow in a chaotic atmosphere. We’d paid for the food upfront, so there wasn’t much choice but to accept what happened. The whole shambles beggars belief, especially as there was absolutely no remorse when we were told the chef had gone.

Ironbridge itself is lovely, and the cocktails were good, but I wouldn’t stay at Swan Taphouse again. I booked because it was a taphouse, but it no longer has real ale and isn’t really a taphouse. Swan, please take “taphouse” off the name, or say on your website that it’s no longer a taphouse. That was very disappointing. The food was okay when we ate there one night. We stayed for three nights in room 6. The bed was comfortable and the view was nice, but the room was very dusty. I’ve stayed in old buildings before, so that wasn’t the issue. There was only a bath with a hose attachment, no place to put the hose and no shower curtain. I can’t sit in a bath because of arthritis in my knees, and had to struggle to stand in it while hosing myself down. I asked about moving to a room with a shower, but was told only one single room has one. They said they might move us to the malthouse, but I never heard anything more. Breakfast was at the malthouse, another hotel, and was pretty basic. The tea made with hot water from a flask was lukewarm, and all three mornings we were told they were waiting for a cereal delivery when I asked whether there was more. There was no offer of extra toast and not much choice. At nearly £100 a night, I expected a bit more.

The venue made a perfect setting for the baby shower we recently hosted at The Swan Taphouse. The team looked after all our guests and catered superbly to the mum- and dad-to-be. Every detail was taken care of efficiently and with care, and nothing seemed too much trouble. The staff were accommodating, attentive and professional throughout. Thank you to the whole team for helping make it such a memorable, enjoyable celebration. Highly recommended for a special occasion.