The Black Swan

This review is for the pub and food/bar service. The venue/pub itself is outwardly beautiful but internally I could not put my finger on it but there is something missing. Even though its it has an old world charm it feels cold and not homely. There is no organisation for seating the restuarant so its find a table by yourself. We did eventually find a table but then were unsure how we ordered. So we eventually figured out it was table service but we ordered drinks at the bar. When ordering drinks at the bar the lady who serviced was just going through a process no pleasantries no smile no welcome just miserable. We ordered food at the table, the roast dinner, the game pate, some chips and the black pudding bon bons. The lady who served was pleasant but seem confused why we only wanted a small amount of food. The food arrived and it was good, could not really fault it the only small criticism would be the small amount of bread of with the a huge amount of pate. The wine list was reasonable and we enjoyed a lovely French Syrah. The next confusing part is how you then pay. You would think as it was table service you would pay at the table. But no, you then have to re queue at the bar and pay. This is really odd setup and just badly managed, think how fantastic it could be if there was more organisation but maybe because it making money the management don't care. I would not go back just based on how awkward it is to get service and pay for it.

I fully appreciate that staff are working on Christmas Day, and I don’t underestimate what a long and demanding shift that is. However, the overall experience was disappointing, particularly given the price point. Service was largely non-existent outside of food being delivered to the table. It wasn’t clear who was responsible for our table, drinks orders weren’t taken, and had we wanted additional drinks it’s unclear how we would have done so. We were left waiting for long periods and even questioned whether we were supposed to notify someone when we were ready for each course. We’ve eaten out for Christmas dinner several times before, so we do have a reasonable expectation for what is offered. At £100 per head, both the service and the food fell short. The turkey dinner was missing several key components we would normally expect, such as Brussels sprouts, red cabbage and cauliflower cheese. It also would have helped to stagger dining times rather than seating everyone at 3pm. We didn’t receive our main course until around 4:30pm, which felt excessive. Overall, while we appreciate the effort involved in opening on Christmas Day, the experience didn’t reflect the cost or the expectations set for a festive meal.

We've eaten in the Black Swan a couple of times and the food is excellent and the staff are friendly, professional and attentive. Very festive atmosphere and decor too at this time of the year (December). Our dog was very well fussed over by the staff too! Would highly recommend this place.

I stayed here for one night for work. I chose a single room which was comfortable and had everything I needed for 1 night. The floor and stairs outside the room creaked but this didn't disrupt my sleep. Service was polite and efficient. Breakfast was just right with a focus on quality rather than quantity. Parking is fine in the square if you arrive and leave outside of the car park charging hours.

Staff super friendly and helpful. The hotel has a lot of charm but rooms are quite small. Hot breakfasts were good but no healthy options at the buffet - no fresh fruit, no oats or granola, no porridge on the menu. The coffee and teas could be improved too. Overall, convenient location and OK for the price.