Swan, Salfordback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A good sized village pub that looks to have had a recent makeover, and is now very firmly in the “gastro” category, even to the extent that a blackboard at the rear or the pub name checks the chef and gives a short résumé of his career. Judging by the Range Rovers, BMW’s and other prestige vehicles in the large car park, it’s does not appear to be at the budget end of the gastro scale either.
It’s essentially a square pub with a central bar area dividing it in to two halves, although you can walk all the way round. The larger area to the left is very much the dining room with all tables laid up for food and a view in to the kitchen via an etched glass window, but to be fair to them the bar on the right does look to be more suited to drinkers with brown leather arm chairs. There was a fire-place at each end, although at least one of these was clearly decorative rather than functional with just a pile of logs in an otherwise empty grate. The other one had a wood burning stove and may perhaps be used in the colder weather. Décor wise it’s the usual gastro-pub shade of brown with wooden strip flooring either side and some colourful tiles in the middle giving it something of a Mediterranean feel. There is also a pleasant garden at the front of the pub with plenty of seating, and this was full to capacity on a recent warm summer’s evening.
The menu offered a reasonable selection of dishes and was divided in to a few sections such as mains, chargrills, salads and rice and there was also a specials board with a few additional choices. My earlier assumptions about their pricing structure was proved correct with the cheapest main course (ham, egg & chips) coming in at £12.50 and the majority being somewhere around the £15 mark. If you were feeling extravagant, you could spend £29 on a steak, plus a further £3.50 on top if you wanted chips with it. My Salmon Fishcakes with a Niçoise Salad and Basil Mayo was a decently cooked dish with plenty of salmon, and was one of the cheaper options at £13.50. If I was being critical I would say that it could have done with more flavour, but that’s probably personal preference more than anything else.
Beers on tap were slightly uninspiring with just Greene King IPA and Doom Bar. The solitary cider was Aspall’s Suffolk. Be aware that the beer supply can be somewhat erratic – I have been in previously when both had run out.
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A pub that looks to have been recently refurbished and very much in the gastro category. Unfortunately I am unable to leave a detailed review at this time, as despite two hand pumps on the bar (Greene King IPA and Doom Bar), they apparently didn't have any beer on. The only cider was the cloyingly sweet Aspall's Suffolk (although whether they actually managed to have this in stock I'm not sure) so I swiftly departed and went elsewhere.
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Soulless pub full of posh villagers and unfriendly staff. Avoid.
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Another one of those over priced food pubs.
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Nice gastro pub. A little pricey I suppose but I enjoyed my lunch there.
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Not a pub as per my understanding of the word, but an up-market eatery that would not be out of place on the high street of a well heeled home counties town, so to me it feels out of place in a small village.
The 'bar' area is designed as a holding area for the much larger restaurant; the seating here is too uncomfortable for more than a few minutes usage, but the decor is quite chic and certainly had my wife thinking about ideas for decorating at home.
Do ask for the wine list before ordering a glass (list was not obviously on show when we visited and I made the mistake of asking for a "dry white" with no other qualification) as you may be offered....strike that...given without warning (!)... the most expensive wine off the list.
Probably not the place to bring children given the cost of cola. I don't remember the beer or its quality, I was too traumatised by the assault on my wallet to remember.
PS. The comment from the 'landlord' in July 2003 is obviously now defunct....would he recognise the place....I don't think he would find any of his old clientele?
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This is one of those pubs that is just downright nice. From the modern interior, nice beer garden, food to die for. If I could afford to move to Salford I would !!
Every time I go it's always a relaxing time.
great staff, great crowd of people.
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A trendy gatro-pub - polished wood floor and balsamic vinegar. An interesting and varied menu. I enjoyed lamb kebab with spicy couscous - very tender and very rare. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for.
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Bit of a cheek as I am the landlord, but the swan is a traditional country pub i.e. a proper boozer.
We have a good selection of ales, ciders and lagers.
We have a huge age range of drinkers who come out to enjoy themselves, but still respect other people in the pub. We do not welcome idiots who think it's clever to make a pain of themselves, and we will not have troublemakers in the place. We do not do late drinking, but it's the place to drink inside normal hours.
Food is available at lunchtimes during the week, but at the moment not during the evenings.
Paul Schaverien - 14 Jul 2003 13:55 |
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