The Swan

Restaurant review: The Swan Inn, Esher | Recipes, restaurant ...

Matthew Williams settles into Esher’s The Swan Inn, hot on the heels of their Tom Kerridge supper club Heavy hitting chefs Daniel Clifford (Midsummer House), Dominic Chapman (The Beehive), Tom Kerridge (The Hand & Flowers) and Claude Bosi (Bibendum) walk into a bar… much sensible foodie chatter and ridiculously delicious cooking ensues, obviously.

Okay, so I’ve condensed the timeline a little here, but in-the-know residents of Esher must have been thinking they were dreaming as some of the country’s top chefs walked through the doors of The Swan, in Hare Lane, in recent months.

Despite such exalted dining companions, The Swan has set its stall out from the start as a cosy pub to enjoy really good food, rather than reaching for the stars.

My wife Sylviane and I are met by manager Joseph Hendriks, who worked with Claude at his two Michelin-starred restaurant, Hibiscus, in Mayfair and then at The Fox & Grapes pub in Wimbledon.

So much for that light lunch then, but then The Swan turns out to be one of those hypnotic places that you could happily while away a day with good company and grand food.

Restaurant review: Swan at Shakespeare's Globe on the South Bank

After a recent refit, Swan, Shakespeare’s Globe is all muted-toned elegance with a nod to Art Deco, serving up an unpretentious sense of occasion alongside glorious views of St Paul’s Cathedral… There are some London vistas that never fail to bowl me over.

A less casual and frenetic space than the downstairs bar (which also serves food), the second floor restaurant is all muted-toned elegance with a nod to Art Deco following it’s recent refit, serving up an unpretentious sense of occasion.

We eventually decided on Crisp ox cheeks for Sir, two generously-sized rectangles of succulent meatiness served with parsley mustard and chicory salad.

The chap went off-menu with the special, salted marsh leg of lamb with bitter leaves, wild garlic and a red wine jus.

My Cornish fish stew with Norfolk saffron potatoes and garlic mayonnaise was sizeable, served with a large slice of sourdough, and consisted of cod, mullet and whiteing, mussels and a single, delicious scallop that left me wishing it had a companion or two.

The Swan: Home

Which means so is the opening of our beautiful, tucked away, beer garden.

Keep an eye on the forecast, and don’t forget you can call us to request a garden table!

The Swan West Malling – British Restaurant in Kent, Michelin Listed ...

Swan, Shakespeare's Globe: Swan London Bar & Restaurant

We’re open all day serving modern British food and are available for morning breakfast to evening cocktails and everything in between.

We are also available for private dining and events, parties and weddings.

Swan at Shakespeare's Globe, London SE1: 'What's British about ...

There are exceptions, of course – London’s Rules springs to mind – but mostly a view or oodles of history give the operators carte blanche to continue on their merry way of being just a bit shit.

So it’s rare to stumble across a place such as Bankside’s Swan, with its history-plus-view double whammy, a side-order of charitable intent (a portion of its takings go towards supporting Shakespeare’s Globe next door) and a credible chef running the show.

In his new role, Pickett has shifted from a traditional French culinary background to, we’re told, “classic British dishes”.

I rather like stout pasta, but this is no light, spring-like dish, despite its broad bean puree and “pearls” of lightly grilled onion.

With Pickett in charge (if not there all the time), Swan is a graceful phoenix, way too good for just tourists.