Offering an edgier vibe than the Fuller's pub that once stood on its site, The Swift captures the pub/bar atmosphere that Putney High Street was once missing. Admittedly a "pubbier" feel than its contemporaries Lost & Co and The Toy Shop, The Swift nonetheless offers a more appealing alternative to a Putney night out than ending oh so predictably in the basement of the Foxtons branch that we at The Daterbase loathe so.
Yes, The Swift has the exposed brick walls and the cobbled-together furniture that seems to be a pre-requisite for new London pubs and bars; but perhaps its location in the more relaxed and easy-paced South West means that The Swift isn't taking itself too seriously. It's more your effortlessly cool older brother than your try-hard Shoreditch cousin - all nose rings and Oliver Peoples frames.
Like any newish opening worth its salt, The Swift does craft beers well. Very well. Take your date here and you won't need to pretend you're an expert, or that you've "been a CAMRA enthusiast for years, honest". Knowledgeable (another pre-requisite) but appropriately friendly (more important yet often overlooked) bar staff will make your decision the easiest you'll make all night. Moreover, this is the type of place that will even let you try their beers before you buy. You'd be surprised how much difference this seemingly obvious gesture makes!
Whisk your date off to one of the booths adjacent to the bar - or better still to the booth hidden around the back - and avoid the big room at the top, whose large, shared table gives it a slightly out of place German bier hall vibe, and order another beer!
The clipboard menu and the food's presentation (think grease proof paper and your Nan's ancient enamel bowls) do give off a slightly predictable and "understated but over-the-top" feel, but don't let this take away from the beauty of this basic diner-style food. Not much to choose from other than pizzas, burgers and hotdogs, but these really do rival Franco Manca, Honest Burger and Bubbledogs respectively for their taste, if not quite for their value for money. That said, there's more than enough choice in bottled and cask beers that you might find you skip dinner completely anyway!
Yes, it gets busy on Friday and Saturday evenings like anywhere, but fight your way through the throngs at the door (the layout of this place makes it feel slightly like pushing through the Oxford St crowds at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon) and you'll find some relative peace and quiet in a bar that is doing "cool" almost effortlessly. Just don't ask for a cocktail, as unfathomably, this element of its charm has now been removed.
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