The Black Swan at Oldstead

We just returned from a one night stay at the Black Swan. It is a beautiful restaurant and the rooms are very cosy. We were on their Hunker Down package which included early check in at 1430 (normal check in is 1630), a half bottle of champagne and a therapy kit with bath salts / body moisturiser and body scrubber. Our meal was delicious and it was impressive how many of the ingredients were grown in the kitchen garden or sourced sustainably and locally. The staff were all friendly and knowledgeable and put us at ease. It was the right amount of courses and we were well fed by the end of the dinner. The breakfast in the morning was also delicious with home made juices, yoghurts , toast, pastries and a full English. It is not cheap but I think the quality is certainly worth the price. My only one gripe (and it is small) is that I do not think the scallop course should have been an upsell of £25pp. I think that should have been included. Cheese courses I don't mind as up sells because not everyone likes them but that was the only one thing that I did not like about it and it has been mentioned in previous reviews. We would return.

Fantastic experience staying and dining at the Black Swan for part of our honeymoon. The bedroom in the adjacent building was very nice with a 4 poster bed and big bathroom. The tasting menu with drinks package was very tasty and memorable and we loved the attention to detail in the food, surroundings and service.

Delicious tasting menu and wine pairing. We had one course which wasn't to our liking but others loved it so just not for us I guess. For me the rooms are lovely but way overpriced, but if you're wine pairing and don't live nearby your options are limited. However, I would definitely go back for the food.

Amazing restaurant. The menu and the non alcoholic pairing was wonderful. The desserts were especially a unique discovery.

A shocking, hair found in food, food cold would even entertain it to the homeless. They didn't even serve heinz Ketchup for the chips! We ended up going to the local greasy spoon down the road, food much better and cheaper. Foods absolutely horrid!

Food superb, service excellent, as you would expect from a restaurant of this calibre. It’s what you’ve paid for. Two gripes. One, lots of upselling attempts for additional courses or different wine pairing suggestions. Felt it was inappropriate and could be intimidating. Second, accommodation is poor value for money. Nothing special and in our cottage we could hear them setting up tables in the restaurant from 6.30am.

My husband and I stayed and dined at the Old Swan Oldstead last Saturday and were disappointed. The first 4 courses of the tasing menu were really good but sadly downhill afterwards. The Monkfish and Seabass were similar dishes and quite plain. The Monkfish was a course on both the meat and pescatarian menu and it felt like the chef had run out of ideas for a further pescatarian course when the seabass arrived also quite plain. The two separate dishes of seabass and partridge were served with exactly the same vegetables, presented in exactly the same way. This was lazy and the priority seemed to be around making it easy to serve rather than create Michelin level dishes. We ordered the wine pairing option for each course. The wine pairing for the pescatarian menu was lazy. For the course where my husband has partridge breast and I had seabass, we were both served the red wine, Thymiopoulos Alta Xinomavro 2021 which pairs wit Lamb, Pork, Beef, Pork, Sausage and Charcuterie. The lady who served it, whilst looking bored with regurgitating the same script, extensively described how it paired with partridge and then commented ‘oh and it pairs with seabass’ followed by a brief description. This wine does not pair with seabass and this was a lazy and poor choice, especially for a Michelin restaurant. The height of disappointment was the last course of puree mushroom and chocolate shard – It was, as it sounds, fairly disgusting and hard to believe that any chef had tasted it before putting it on a menu. When leaving the restaurant, we noticed other diners struggling with it also! So, all is all not a good experience and would not return or recommend it. The restaurant is not putting the effort in to providing a good dining experience – which is fine if they were charging prices that reflected the effort they were putting in , but they are not. The price is based on the publicity that Tommy Banks has and he is maybe taking their Michelin star for granted! I wish I had read this honest review before booking it.

Because we stayed at the Abbey Inn, our breakfast was at The Black Swan. I honestly never expected to have my breakfast at a Michelin Starred restaurant. It was beautiful. I'm used to greasy spoon caffs being a contractor but the food at the Black Swan is something else !!

Middle of nowhere, casual dress, Michelin-starred. My husband and I went out of our way to eat and stay here. Was it worth the 3 hour journey from London (2-hr train ride, 1-hr by car) to make our reservation from 6-months earlier? Absolutely. Courses are small, but plenty. Staff are immensely courteous and thoughtful (they made a custom menu for our dietary needs and even had the chefs sign it before we left). And the setting couldn't be more idyllic. I'd suggest getting the wine pairing as it really completes the meal. Go ahead and stay the night as breakfast is included the next day. Just make sure to work out your travel from the train station to the restaurant. It really is out in the sticks.

An absolutely fantastic experience enhanced by the charming and beautiful countryside that The Black Swan at Oldstead is nestled within - an area that I wouldn't have visited otherwise but am grateful for having done so. Make sure to make a small detour to Kilburn to see The Kilburn White Horse which stands firmly in the hillside. The Black Swan is a beautiful picturesque old pub full of warmth and charm. Upon arrival you are welcomed into the bar area for aperitifs where a log fire crackles and glows. Make sure to notice the Robert Thompson mouse carved into the bar. Great selection of small batch gins - I enjoyed a glass of Sir Robin of Locksley from Sheffield with tonic. Amuse bouche are served here before moving upstairs to the restaurant. The Smoked Eel and Apple Tartlets were light and well balanced in their flavours whilst the Chicken Dumpling was rich, satisfying and would sit well on the finest of dim sum plates in Hong Kong. The restaurant is more modern in decoration with an "open kitchen" where some of the dishes are prepared with a clear artistic love and attention to detail. Service is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive. Good selection of wines for most palates and wallets. I had the 10 course tasting menu which, at £85, felt like a bargain compared to the price of Michelin starred food in major cities. To start, a Mussel with Oyster Leaf canapé - so perfectly decorated that it felt wrong to eat it, but so tasty. Next up Langoustine with Caramelised Whey, served like a lollipop with a twig to hold it with - lovely textures and cooked to perfection. Venison Tartare followed - a small dish but rich in flavour and beautifully prepared and decorated. Sour Bread and Sour Butter was distinctive and a good filler in preparation for the main courses. The Monkfish with Asparagus and Onion, although delicious, was probably the weakest dish. The sauce tasted like heavy sweet soy sauce and was a bit overpowering in its saltiness for the delicate flavour of the fish. Still very enjoyable though. The Slowly Cooked Crapaudine Beetroot was the star of the menu. Cooked in beef fat (I believe), the beetroot takes on a heavier composition and is chewy and almost glutinous with all of the accompanying decorations providing broad and bold flavours. Absolutely fantastic! Scallop Cured with Rhubarb was another standout with the smoothness of the slightly charred scallops countering the tartness of the rhubarb, all tied together with a rich and balanced sauce. Herb-Fed Chicken with Wild Garlic from this Year and Last was another amazing creation with a blanket over the chicken in the form of a garlic leaf. The chicken was more warm than hot but extremely tasty. The first dessert was ice cream (or iced yoghurt?) Lollipops which were wonderfully innovative with their unique flavours. The Sheep's Milk with Douglas Fir Oil was also an memorable dessert with natural tastes of the season. The final dessert, served with coffee was Cake made from Artichoke, Chicory Root and Thyme. The combination worked well although the chicory root (?) was slightly bitter. A great end to a fantastic meal and experience. For most who visit The Black Swan at Oldstead, a significant journey will be involved but don't let that put you off...It's well worth the effort and will be one of those great food experiences.

Oh my god, this was the best culinary experience I have ever had in my 57 years!! My wife and I came to GB from the US for 12 days to celebrate our 27 wedding anniversary. Yes it is a trek to get there, especially for someone not used to driving on the left side and down small winding country roads. But it was well worth it and I would do it again!! The tasting menu was amazing and each offering seemed better than the one prior. We spend the night before heading to airport to travel home, and we definitely saved the best for last. The staff was attentive and virtuous and as professional as any I have ever experienced. This is a once in a lifetime experience everyone who enjoys culinary masterpieces must do before they die!!

Amazing restaurant and great pub too!