Nice enough place but £11 for a swim, and you can’t pay on entry (you have to book through the terrible Better app) is a bit steep. Heath ponds are nicer and only £4. Way too many rules - you have to wear their colour swim caps (no black swim caps allowed for some reason) and they make you swim with a float. They even make you get in and out of the water in one place. All feels a bit restrictive. Fine but about as far from a wild swim as you can get. Cafe is great, will be back for that. If visiting London and want an outdoor swim, skip this place and go straight to the Heath ponds.

West Reservoir Centre is such a beautiful and unique wedding venue! The building and the views are absolutely amazing, perfect and something a little different for your city wedding.

Love West Reservoir! I love swimming here all year round, for an invigorating cold water dip in the winter and the gorgeous blue skies and luscious swims in the summer. It's so worth being a Better Gym member if you're a keen swimmer. I'm addicted in the best possible way.

Why have I never submerged here before? Great staff, super friendly and looking out for your safety. The water is so fresh... bit chilly obvs as it's outside but surrounded by glorious green nature. Great size and felt 'safe' during a pandemic. We went as part of a camp fire & cocktails event. Really good fun and I'd return to swim properly

I made my first visit to West Reservoir Centre this morning for an open water swim 🏊‍♂️. I was so impressed. All the staff were so helpful and friendly. I enjoyed so much I'm coming back tomorrow (Saturday)

I had previously walked past the water tower, within seeing the reservoir, desperate for the loo, and a cup of tea, I found my way to the cafe, which faces the lake Plenty of people enjoying various water sports activities, despite the cold weather. A decent cup of tea, clean toilets, and plenty of birds, around. Parakeets, wagtails, ducks, etc. Only disappointment for me, being a keen angler, was that no fishing is allowed!

This is one of my favourite places in north London. I can never get enough of swimming here - it’s lovely. The views while swimming are gorgeous. It’s a bit pricey though and you need to book ahead - but well worth it. Parking is very easy - there’s always plenty of space. And there’s a great little cafe for after your swim. For kids there’s also the watersports club which is very popular and well worth it

Love this place- been swimming here for over ten years. Feel so privileged to have this patch of wildlife and wild swimming on my doorstep, and I’m glad it reached a wider audience over lockdown. The negative reviews about there being too many rules is because people turn up expecting a beach whereas it’s an open-water sports facility, and that’s how they are (always) run, for safety reasons. Apparently there are some changes afoot, to make it more accessible, which I hope don’t alter it too much.

Great Sunday out doing an induction into kayaking & paddleboarding. It was busy, but very good fun, everyone was so helpful & kind. Top !!!

Amazing wedding venue. The main space is beautiful and you can use the terrace by the reservoir. We used the guy who runs the café to run the bar. All the staff were so helpful and friendly. Highly recommended!

An avid year-round outdoor swimmer I was tempted to give this a try. But their kafkaesque website put me off. Guess it's just as well because reading some comments it seems to be another over-regulated, overpriced place where they ruin the whole experience of swimming which should be a liberating joyful experience by forcing you into ridiculous garments and ordering you around like a dog when all you'd like to do it enjoy some water. In any other country this would be a nice place to go swim and relax. Here obviously it has been turned into another disappointing money making overbearing affair. The council should do better.

This place is such a sanctuary. The scenery is stunning and you can swim all year round whilst enjoying the wildlife. I love everything about coming swimming here, it’s a really special place. You can swim a 200m, 300m and 400m course as well as a short warm up lane. There are toilets, heated indoor changing facilities as well as a sunny outdoor changing area (with cold water shower) and a licensed café with outdoor seating serving lunches, snacks, hot and cold drinks. The staff are great and the instagram account posts the water temp and other useful daily info so it’s worth a follow.

Came here for a swim this morning, and absolutely loved it. Can't believe it's taken me so long to come here! I'm a keen swimmer, but it was my first time here so the staff gave me a really handy briefing on where everything is, course lengths etc. Really useful having the different length laps all marked out. I found all the different distances and amount of space meant it never felt busy or chaotic in there, like some lidos can. Will definitely be coming back, especially when I have time to chill in the café afterwards

Great and safe place to do open water swimming in North East London. Free if you’ve got a UK wide Better membership. Remember to book your slot early as these are going fast!

Love this place. Super friendly staff. Swam all through lockdown.

Social distance outdoor swimming done right. The only pain is booking via the Better App (sometimes works others not) but once you're there it's great. 400m loop (not 750m) at the moment, works fine. No changing facilities or cafe but that's fine too.... so nice to be able to swim again!

Excellent venue to swim in wetsuit or skins. Friendly staff. Covid restrictions safely in place. Lovely place.

I love this place. Great place for an early morning swim. I’ve yet to try it in the winter, but I will. It’s the perfect place to swim a good distance. The water is clean and the staff are friendly. You have to book a bit in advance on peak times, but the app Is easy to use. £11 is steep, but the membership is a bargain if you swim often enough.

Those want to hire space for weddings and events is beautiful place with breeze

What a beautiful place to be able to swim! Sun shining its a little bit of heaven.. Very peaceful really helpful staff lovely cafe to get something to eat and drink. But the swim is the star so tranquil, somewhere I know want to go everyday.

Brilliant spot, so lucky to have it on my doorstep. They do loads of water sports, def worth checking out!

£12 for a swim and have to use the “better” app. I don’t get how an indoor swimming pool round the corner can cost £6 and an outdoor reservoir with far fewer facilities can justify being double the price. Money grabbing

As others have said sadly too expensive, for a limited swim time in summer and what would obviously be just a short dip in winter. Isn't so good for long distance training anymore with the shorter courses. And I find the new barrier dividing the reservoir into 2 for sailing and swimming unpleasant, it spoils the view while swimming and it's covered in sea gulls and their droppings which seems unsanitary as it's possible to contract diseases from the droppings. That they haven't reopened the changing rooms, indoor showers and lockers that we used to be able to use pre covid is very strange.

Love it as the reservoir is big and deep, water quality is good. Staff are nice , there are two showers as well. Good cafe. I will be regular in the future although it is not very close to where I live. Love open water

Very good facility and clean amenities for swimming

This is a hidden gem in London for swimmers! Not sure if I would venture swimming here in winter, regardless proper gear, but the clean, fresh, non chlorinated water is much appreciated! Staff as friendly as you can get …I only resented a proper changing room with showers so be prepared to get changed/ unchanged with a big towel or any equivalent changing outfit.

I feel so lucky to have this place on my doorstep!! I am a winter swimmer, and the swimming here is fantastic. All the staff are brilliant and lovely. Love the West Reservoir.

Fantastic place to swim but a bit expensive at £10 plus a cap/hat unless you have a red one. They have two options, £3 or £6. Lovely cafe and lovely people though.

My son has been sailing at this place for a number of years and he enjoys it a lot. There are several shifts on Saturday and that gives flexibility to go mornings or afternoons. In the past there were some odd instructions but they moved on, you need to know how to deal with children and not make a fuss out of small things.

Love this place. Friendly, helpful staff. Very laid back environment, great water for a good swim

My favourite place!❤