The Dirty Duck, formally named the Black Swan, is the unofficial pub of the Royal Shakespeare Company, located on Waterside directly beside the theatre entrance. For decades it has been the place where RSC actors come after performances, and the walls are covered with signed photographs of the famous players who have drunk there — every major British theatre name of the last fifty years seems to be represented somewhere in the collection.
The pub itself is unremarkable as a building — a Victorian town pub with a terrace looking out over the Avon — but its associations give it a character that no amount of refurbishment could manufacture. The beer is decent, the food is pub standard, and the atmosphere on performance nights is warm and lively. If you are attending an RSC show, it is the obvious choice for a pre- or post-theatre drink.
The terrace is pleasant on summer evenings, with boats on the river and the weeping willows on the far bank.