The White Swan

foxie

Surprise! 13th February 2009

1 found this helpful

My partner and I wandered into this place totally by accident, and were really surprised at what we found. Downstairs is a rather normal looking pub with the usual legal crowd for the area. Perhaps one clue should have been the extremely wine savvy workers behind the bar and a pretty unique wine list (who knew there was an English sparkling wine?). The barman mentioned that there were some seats upstairs if we wanted dinner (he overheard us talking about where we wanted to go) and on a whim, upstairs we went and the dining room we stepped into could have easily been Paris, smallish and extremely smart. We were rather underdressed compared to the rest of the patrons, but the head waiter didn't even sniff, showing us to a table without pause. Food was not cheap, but was excellent value considering the quality. I don't sadly remember what we had, but I do remember savouring every bite and being extremely well attended to. The wine list upstairs is even more extensive than down and our waiter was again very well versed in options that matched the menu.

Definitely recommended for a more upscale night out, though I am given to understand that reservations are required usually for Fridays.

sue

Great for a meal or a drink 11th January 2008

1 found this helpful

My usual dining companion (aka AM) recently started working in a new part of town, and came home one evening raving about a bar called the White Swan just up the road from his office. Apparently it had a great sounding restaurant too. Ok, I was sold, and a table was booked for dinner the following week.

Meeting AM at the office we wandered up to the White Swan for a drink before our meal. I immediately liked this modern pub, with its welcoming bar area, complete with a massive mirror and a good variety of mounted animal heads. There is a small mezzanine level over the bar, offering additional seating, while the restaurant is up on the first floor.

I was equally impressed with the restaurant. The room is stylishly decorated, with wood and caramel tones, attractive (but not so comfortable) chairs and although there are plenty of windows it still had a very warm feel about it, which was perfect on the cold, wet evening we visited. Oh, and it has a mirrored ceiling too. Service was very friendly and professional, yet relaxed, which was perfect for the environment. There is an impressive wine list, with a great range of wines from around the world and a good selection by the glass as well.

To start, AM had the Braised oxtail with parsnip puree and roast garlic, and I had a couple of tastes. Loved the presentation and the comforting flavours. Main course was excellent - we both ordered the Roast breast of pheasant with boudin noir, creamed bacon and savoy cabbage, chestnuts, fondant potato, caramelised apples and Calvados jus. It sounds a bit much doesn't it, but it was superb. All of the facets of the dish came together deliciously - I even enjoyed the Boudin noir, which is blood sausage.

Dessert was less successful. We ordered the Steamed chocolate pudding with vanilla bean ice cream, and the Plum tarte tatin. The choc pudding was nothing special, and the tarte tatin was unfortunately undercooked - the pastry was half raw. We had been warned that it would take at least 15 minutes to prepare, so I was a bit surprised when our desserts arrived sooner than that.

Our waitress was devastated when she saw the half eaten tarte tatin and immediately knew what the problem was. She apologised and didn't charge us for it, nor one of the glasses of wine - though that may have just been an error! Loved the White Swan.

nickpgr

25th September 2006

2 found this helpful

The acclaimed White Swan Pub and Dining Room, located in the heart of London, boasts a traditional pub with an elegant dining room upstairs serving good food with excellent service. Although you can eat from the pub menu, the restaurant on the first floor is White Swan's main strength. The main room is beautiful and neutrally decorated with mirrored high ceilings adding sparkle to it. The White Swan serves the very best in modern British and European cuisine and has a complete and regularly changing menu. Wine-lovers will also appreciate the massive wine list. Also, the staff is very friendly and helpful. The only thing that I didn't like was the portions which were a bit small, but on the other hand prices are really reasonable and therefore you can eat as much as you like! Definitely a very good choice!