I’ll be honest, before I ventured to the Swan and Mitre I hadn’t been nearby in rather a long time.

I was, I have to say, pleasantly surprised with my choice to duck into the Swan and Mitre on the High Street.

Wander past the cinema, away from the Wetherspoons and you will find what appears to be a Victorian-esque boozer, not too bad on the eye.

My first thought was about how small the bar was for what is a rather large pub.

There were two members of staff serving a large crowd of punters, encouraging signs in terms of popularity, but the dreaded question popped into my head: “Will this be worth it?”

The answer, as I was about to find out, was a resounding “meh”.

Dotted with sofas and televisions, the Swan & Mitre doesn’t ooze the same charm on the inside that it promises on the outside, but the staff are pleasant enough to make you feel at home.

I guzzled from my fairly priced pint of Cider and settled into a seat in the outside smoking area. This isn’t a pub you come to for a view, as it was pitched out the back and closed off.

The Swan and Mitre boasts live music as well as screening live sports, which may have livened the place up a little if I had gone on such an occasion.

That said, the locals in there, and I am assuming they are locals as they were on first name terms with the bar staff, appeared to be enjoying their stay, and that is probably fair enough.

The Swan and Mitre is a fine pub, nothing extraordinary about it. It sells beer, with a fair selection to choose from, and had a reasonably priced food menu.

You could be forgiven for being drawn in by the exterior; a beacon of pub goodness at the end of high street that offers hope for many tired shoppers I am sure, but once you are in and have had the first few sips of your pint, you may not be in a rush to order a second.

The Swan and Mitre, High Street, Bromley

How it rated:

Staff: ****

Drink ***

Price ***

Atmosphere **

Décor **