swan restaurant & bar

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 theexperienceand 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 theexperienceand 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 wholeexperiencereally 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 greatexperienceand 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!

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 timeexperienceis enough.