swan restaurant & bar

a lovely little bar and brasserie adjoining the theatre 'directed' by ex ramsay cohort mark sargeant, there's a sense of real purpose about the menu. they shout loud and proud about their reliance on foragers, farmers and local markets (they are just up t

a walk around the thames on a sunny afternoon can be a treat. the weather is so unpredictable that when you are blessed with a bit of sunshine and warmth, it can really lift your spirits and make you much more sociable. london bridge is a meeting point for some of my friends and i, as it is central for us all to make our way home. it's not a bad spot at all with its bars, pubs, market, places of interest and flow of interesting folk. whilst i have never been to the shakespeare's globe, i have always wandered about the idea of seeing a production outdoors, weather permitting. it must be quite the experience and yes, it is on my to-do list. for now, i was close enough having dinner at the swan which is right next door.

the swan is a bar on the ground floor and restaurant on the first floor. they do not jest when they say they have stunning views, they do, as if you get the right spot you can see all the nearby landmarks such as st pauls, on the north side of the thames.

following a drink in nearby borough market, we visited for a meal as recommended by my dining partner. she had recently had a birthday dinner here and was well impressed. it was busy and although we did not have a reservation, we literally got the best table in the spot. for dinner it was going to be straight to the main course with me having salt marsh lamb rump, sea vegetables, cornish potatoes and cockle butter. i also had a size of peas and enjoyed all elements of my food. the lamb in particular was very tender. eleanor had 400g galloway rib eye steak, watercress, pickles shallot salad with chops and bearnaise. the food is modern british with a flair for making the simple luxurious. because of excellent quality of the food and its proximity to the globe, the crowd are mature and discerning diners.

swan restaurant is not a place for raucous and informal behaviour. it is much more subtle and formal than that. this is not a bad thing if you want the focus to be on enjoying the food as the lead player, which it deserves. the service also stands out too, with a nice pace in service. in terms of pricing, it is not cheap but at £28.50 for a steak, you work out if you feel this is expensive.

i see swan restaurant as a romantic location to celebrate quality time with your loved one or good food for your theatre visit.

a walk around the thames on a sunny afternoon can be a treat. the weather is so unpredictable that when you are blessed with a bit of sunshine and warmth, it can really lift your spirits and make you much more sociable. london bridge is a meeting point for some of my friends and i, as it is central for us all to make our way home. it’s not a bad spot at all with its bars, pubs, market, places of interest and flow of interesting folk. whilst i have never been to the shakespeare’s globe, i have always wandered about the idea of seeing a production outdoors, weather permitting. it must be quite the experience and yes, it is on my to-do list. for now, i was close enough having dinner at the swan which is right next door.

have you ever walked into a place and felt immediately at home? the kind of place that makes you want to come back and take in its surroundings, enjoy some drinks or food or even people watch?!

it’s monday and i’m about to make your day so much more better! (or may be worse…depends how you look at it! :p)

i love afternoon teas. being pakistani i’ve grown up surrounded by ‘chai’- mix chai, kashmiri chai, doodh pati…so many variations. my mom has a cup in the morning, afternoon and in the evening! and with every time of the day, the snacks that come with the tea vary.

so here i was at swan in shakespeare’s globe, totally mesmerised by the location and surroundings. why i’ve never bothered to venture in this part of st paul’s, i don’t know. i’ve been to the tate quite a few times but i would always walk back over the millennium bridge to hang out in that part of town.

with stunning views of st paul’s from swan, i’d like to come here more often!

afternoon teas are very popular in london and why shouldn’t they be. it’s a very british thing to do and it’s always tea o clock here!

we all go for afternoon teas but never have i ever been to a tea tasting tutorial. swan had organised a lovely afternoon tea and tea tasting tutorial with caroline hope, one of britain’s most respected speakers on the traditions of english tea, in their gorgeous balcony room. it was a fantastic afternoon as caroline not only took us through the history of tea, the art of tea making, how it has changed over time, the etiquette of afternoon tea and what not but we also got to taste several teas like the assam, earl grey and some other little surprises.

i shared my table with a daughter and her mother celebrating an early mother’s day and friends celebrating birthdays. it was such a fun group and made the whole experience really enjoyable! these glistening beauties aka scones were delicious!!

i love my savoury goodies and there was a mouthwatering spread to choose from. my favourite was the scottish smoke salmon…aah yum!! they also cater to dietary needs so in case you can’t have fish or pork, let them know! :d

the cupcake was my least favourite sadly…the texture was too stodgy for my liking but luckily had other delights to keep me satisfied.

i’m not a fan of cream but damn, this lil swan was scrumptious and i ate it like there was no tomorrow! :p

all in all it was a great experience and i came out more aware of the art of “taking tea” where as previous occasions have been clouded with bouts of food coma after gorging on all the afternoon tea goodies. caroline may not be there to teach you the art of tea but all the swan’s long list of teas and drool-worthy treats will definitely be there. for £24.50, it’s a bargain with great views of the city! take your mom for mother’s day or a friend for their birthday treat or even your grand parents- they will love you for it! :)

swan has a really cool space and it’s perfect for hanging out with your mates and the seats are super comfortable. you can even come in with your laptop and work away in one of their lovely rooms next to the reception…there’s always something happening there since it’s right next to the globe!

amazing place in london. i love the food. can’t wait to come back here again. congratulations to the staff.

went for a celebratory dinner with colleagues last week. highly recommended place and i can second that recommendation just for the view of st paul’s across the thames. the restaurant is very beautiful too, the service is impeccable and the food is good, but not great (atleast the vegetarian options). overall a lovely experience, pricey as well.

once upon a time…a themed afternoon tea evoked strong scenes of a midsummer’s night dream leaving a theatrical deliciousness on my palate!  i was delighted to accept the invite to the launch of a midsummer night’s dream afternoon tea held at the swan, globe theatre aptly coinciding with the 400th anniversary of shakespeare’s death (23 april).  the inspiration behind the customised tea is evident from a first glance at the bespoke crockery.  the renowned and very talented illustrator annika wester (previous commissions include nike and lacoste) succeeds in plunging the clientele straight into the heart of the play with beloved and fondly remembered characters alongside their quotes adorning the plates and tea cups.  it has an enchanting, comical and surreal effect even before the succulent offerings make their appearance.   situated on bankside overlooking the river thames, swan provides stunning and unrivalled views across st paul’s cathedral and the city of london, perfect for winding down from a busy schedule.

go to the restaurant upstairs. great views across the thames. excellent sunday roast (complete with cauliflower cheese).

had a lovely sunday lunch there after mass at st.paul's. my pork belly was really too fatty(and, no, i wasn't expecting anything lean), but my father's chicken was lovely, as was my mummy's roast beef. accompanying wines were allright and the ambiance really lovely. service at the beginning was lighthearted, attentive, and speedy but deteriorated a little more than allowable when the luncheon service hotted up. all in all, we'd go again.

with four starters, two main dishes, a dessert and a cup of tea, the total bill was gbp60.00. all three of us enjoyed the meal, leaving (from my point of view), feeling that a one time experience is enough.

one redeeming quality from the restaurant, was that they allowed us to supply our own birthday cake and serve it at the table, free of charge. in some restaurant’s they expect you to purchase an occassion cake from them, take the dessert option with a candle or heaven forbid, pay a charge for ‘table-service’. thankfully this was waived and out came the cake with dessert plates and fresh napkins. it was a big ’30′ numerical vanilla sponge drizzled in a fresh strawberry frosting. it was really delicious and special because the whole meal had been a surprise to her, so great to end it with fireworks (well, in the form of sparkler candles).

breakfast to meet our son who is studying at the globe. smoothies we're good. the breakfast one with granola tastes very good albeit with a little off putting visual. i had the brioche with bacon. for americans that bacon looks more like a piece of ham. put some of my wife's eggs on it and it was a fantastic breakfast sandwich. wife did not like the tomatoes on her plate.

appalling customer service. i booked swan at the globe recently for my mother's 60th birthday via top table. 30 minutes before arriving at the restaurant (my mother having travelled from the north east to celebrate in london), i received a call to say that the restaurant was fully booked and my booking was no longer valid. the reservationist at the restaurant was unhelpful and unsympathetic to the point of rudeness, absolving the restaurant from any blame and suggesting that such a last minute cancelation was an inherent and accepted part of the restaurant advertising on 3rd party websites. i was left embarrassed, without plans and totally disgusted with the swans lack of customer care, concern or even slightest hint of sympathy or understanding related to such a let-down. by all means book, and if you get in, it might be nice, but just be prepared to be massively let down and insulted by rude staff for your trouble.

wise words from the bard, which should be a warning to all cooks to taste, taste, taste as they prepare their worldly delights. a tip which i would commend to the chef at the swan at the globe. the globe theatre is the defacto home of shakespeare, a recon

"tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers"
- william shakespeare - romeo and juliet - act 4, scene 2

wise words from the bard, which should be a warning to all cooks to taste, taste, taste as they prepare their worldly delights. a tip which i would commend to the chef at the swan at the globe.

the globe theatre is the defacto home of shakespeare, a reconstruction of his original london theatre, located on the southbank. the swan is fully integrated into the theatre building but does have a separate entrance. the décor was very well put together, dark woods and intricate patterns were combined with plain tables and painted wooden chairs in the bar area. upstairs, the brasserie, where we were eating, was a simple design of creams and dark browns, with some interesting flower arrangements scattered about. a large dining table at one end provided the possibility of private dining once the heavy curtains were drawn. the layout was comfortable, and we certainly weren't falling across other diners - not least because there weren't many others; rather surprising for such a prime location. the swan, as our hostess explained, has a busy sitting before the evening performance at the theatre after which the brasserie closes in order to re-lay tables. j and myself were invited to take a drink at the bar.

the menu is small, providing about 7 dishes per course, and all seem reasonably priced. large menu selections fill me with dread and suspicion: large menus seldom provide fresh, quality produce.

so to the food:

j opened with potted shrimp, served in an old fashioned clasp fasten jam jar delicately placed on a folded white napkin. unsure what to do with the napkin, it was swiftly removed. slight hints of chilli - but ever so slight. my scallops, with braised lentils and gremolata (the waitress was unsure how to explain what this was - so we only got as far as "it's the sauce that comes with the lentils" - it was clear she didn't know!), were well cooked: tender, juicy and sweet. the lentils were still very much al dente, bit too much for my liking. the common thread for both dishes however was blandness. and here i refer to my opening quotation. dishes were well constructed and presented and arrived full of promise. but the lack of basic seasoning deflated two otherwise good plates of food. taste, taste, taste.

j's main course was elwy lamb with spring beans and thyme sauce and a side of classic cauliflower cheese. the cauliflower cheese tantalised with a crunchy cheesy top and cauliflower with a bit of a bite. the faintest bit of nutmeg provided a fleeting aftertaste; the sauce a bit thin. the lamb was nicely pink, just as promised.

i had a beautifully baked salmon, still moist, with a topping of crisp skin. the accompanying crushed new potatoes and tomato sauce didn't thrill and let down the fish, but i did eat the lot.

once again the basics of seasoning was missing, the importance of which i can not understate. and if you're going to use tantalizing seasoning like nutmeg, then let's make sure it really incorporates into the dish, rather than being an afterthought.

pudding however was another matter and here the chef really excelled. j had a rhubarb pavlova - poached in a ginger syrup and laid on a chewy meringue filled with vanilla infused cream. i had one of the best sticky toffee puddings i've tasted for a long time - moist, sweet, not drowned in sauce. my only criticism is that it wasn't a big enough portion!

food 3/5 - season and taste!
service 3/5 - attentive, but staff lacking in menu knowledge
environment 4/5 - comfortable, "décor elle decoration would be proud of" says j.