The Bolingbroke Arms - Swindon

Ben M.

We had a delightful lunch experience today. The warm welcome and prompt seating made us feel very comfortable. The menu was fantastic and the food tasted amazing. The service was top-notch, thanks to the attentive staff, including the young lady and the more experienced one.

Plus, they’re dog-friendly!

Tony B. T.

We’ve been to The Bolingbroke Arms for lunch on several occasions in the past and always found it lovely. This time, I decided to treat my family to their Sunday roast for the first time, as we were excited to try it. Unfortunately, it was a major disappointment.

We all had a roast, and my 2-year-old son ordered a meal of chips, chicken, peas, and gravy. When the food arrived, the presentation seemed okay, but the quality was far below par. The pork was dry and overcooked, and twice I had to spit out pieces of bone that were carved into the meat. The stuffing was dry and tasted like it came straight from a packet.

My son's meal was even worse. The chips were limp, greasy, dark in color, and covered in bits—completely unlike the fresh, triple-cooked chips we’d had at lunch previously. The chicken nuggets tasted awful, as if they’d been thrown into the fryer with the chips. Honestly, I’ve had better food from a chippy or McDonald’s. My son spat out multiple chips and refused to eat them, which says a lot.

For a venue that markets itself as an upmarket place to dine, this was unacceptable. The food quality was more in line with a low-budget pub chain, and even then, I’d argue they’d do better. I’ve had tastier meals at Brewer's Fayre, and I certainly didn’t expect to serve my son what can only be described as “crap.”

To top it off, my drink was flat. Overall, the experience was a huge letdown, and I won’t be returning. The food was overpriced and far below standard. It’s a shame because I had high expectations based on our previous lunches.

While the food was disappointing, I want to highlight how amazing the service was from the waiters and waitresses. They were attentive, friendly, and professional throughout our visit, doing their best to make us feel welcome. It's clear they take pride in their work, and their excellent service was the one positive aspect of our experience.

Annie

Just had an absolutely spectacular meal and experience here. Staff were amazing, they really went above and beyond to make sure things went smoothly for our veterans party of 30 having our Xmas lunch. The food was great, the braised steak melted in the mouth, everything was freshly cooked from scratch and it was all served steaming hot which is amazing for a small staff serving 30 people. Fantastic food served by a amazingly friendly staff.

bayponds

Fabulous little hotel with a superb restaurant. Room was as expected - clean, warm, if a little dated. Bed was excellent. The food (2 course evening meal and full English breakfast) was some of the best I’ve had at any hotel in a very long time.
If you’re in the area, give it a go. Recommended.

Tracy W.

We had the most fantastic stay at the Bolingbroke Arms and Hotel. From the warm and friendly welcome (at a time when the staff were very busy hosting a wake involving 80+ guests) through to our fairly early departure next day, everything was pretty much first rate. Plenty of parking, lovely garden area, spacious and welcoming interior with enough space between tables to make it feel private yet buzzy.||One of the stand out features at Bolingbroke is the staff. We were very impressed by the professionalism, customer focus and sincerity of every member of staff we met. All wanted to make our stay, drinks and meal as perfect as could be and went above and beyond to help make our evening enjoyable. Far superior to many of the more expensive hotels in the area.||The food was excellent. Fresh, well cooked to the individual tastes of each of our group, and beautifully presented. One of the nicest meals we’ve had this year and we eat out a lot!||The rooms were warm, well decorated and spotlessly clean. Comfortable beds, nice en-suite shower rooms. The only thing we found a bit challenging was the low water pressure and temperature regulation of the shower - we couldn’t get this right so shower was a little underwhelming and luke warm. But it might have been operator error rather than a problem with the shower itself. ||Would definitely recommend the Bolingbroke if you’re looking for somewhere to stay, eat, drink (or all three) in this area.

Owain H.

Popped into the Bolingbroke Arms for some lunch on the way to the Cotswolds.
The staff were very welcoming and the food was excellent and well cooked with decent portion sizes. Not too expensive either.
Definitely worth popping in for a break and some food if travelling nearby

Natalie H.

Lovely little place to stay. We didn't need anything posh just somewhere to sleep as we were in the area for my dad's funeral. Service from the bar staff was amazing. Only criticism would be the mattress in room 4 and 6 were just too squishy and duvet too thick but other than that no complaints.

PATRICK M.

Welcomed and served by friendly staff who sat us by fire for Sunday lunch.
The food and service was first class, and the large portions meant i could only managed 2 courses.
Will save the desserts for next time.