The Savoy is on Regent Street in the southern corner of Swindon town centre. It is housed in the old Savoy cinema, first opened in 1937 and seating almost 1,800. It showed its final films in 1991 and re-opened as a ‘Spoons in February 1996 after sitting empty for a few years.

The building’s history as an art deco-era cinema is apparent from the outside but nowadays it looks a touch dated and unkept. Its sign – the old-style blue background with gold writing – is the most attractive feature but the curved stucco facade otherwise looks quite aged. There’s a small seating area to the front of the pub, perfect for a sunny day or a warm evening.

The interior of The Savoy is a grand affair; upon entry you are greeted by steps down to the bar area and a vast, mosaic of old film posters. Despite its low ceilings the pub is large, and feels light and open. A raised seating area on each side of the bar is wrapped in bookcases and wood panelling throughout continues the warm and inviting traditional theme.

The large toilets wrap around the rear of the bar, with wonderful wood-effect flooring and stone tiling giving them a modern feel while still fitting the grand and traditional theme of the pub.

An interesting piece of artwork hangs above the entrance, depicting what looks to be a half-rocket, half-train blasting through a beige dumpling of some variety – perhaps the moon. This might be a reference to Melies’ silent film A Trip to the Moon but I can’t find any information about it anywhere. Regardless it is perhaps one of the most peculiar sights you can expect to find at a ‘Spoons.

Ratings (out of 5)

We both rate the pub based on three criteria; the building, the interior and the toilets. These scores are averaged out to give the pub its overall rating. You can read more about the rating system here.

Building: 3.0 & 2.0
Interior: 4.0 & 4.0
Toilets: 3.5 & 3.5

Overall: 3.33/5