Very average food, and service, but above average prices. I object to paying £7.20 for bread, which consisted of four slices of very ordinary white sliced bread. We were given a small bowl of olives, which we didn’t ask for, and then charged £3.80! Two bottles of sparkling water came to £9.80! One glass of Chilean Pinot Noir came to £8.30! which was probably the supermarket price for a bottle. And finally £9.00 for a portion of Bread and Butter pudding And £5.00 for a portion of chips. The whole bill for 4 people was £178.09 which included a service charge of 12.5%. Greedy pricing, for average food and service. Definitely would not come back again.
W4833WOstevet
OK starter, very good main and good desert. BUT, I don’t expect to be chasing for food and drink and then be asked to pay a discretionary service charge. Sorry, The Swan, I would have happily paid that and tipped extra, if the service had warranted it, This evening it did not.
libbz18
Lovely welcome, great staff, super menu choice. Prices average to high but portions rather small. Salted beef hash barely had any visible beef in the patty and compared to a fried brekkie was disappointing such a big plate with small offering. Having said that very tasty and different.
Kane H
I wouldn't usually do a review, but this restaurant absolutely deserves it, I was amazing food, the service was excellent and the atmosphere was great.. a rely lovely evening and would definitely recommend this place to friends and family.. we will re visit again one day
Localtouristcritic
Dish arrived with a hair! Waitress miserable. Restaurant Manager lacked empathy. Kieran - General Manager was professional in dealing with the situation. A regular customer, The Swan is not what it was unfortunately.
Audrey Bennett
Great Sunday Lunch. First place I have ever been asked how you would like the Beef cooked!!However, the gravy was very salty. Batter pudding was way too big, so I will ask not to have one next time.Overall great afternoon with family.
Stefano Pecchio
We had the pleasure of celebrating our anniversary dinner at The Swan, and it was a delightful experience.The restaurant boasts a fantastic selection of wines, and we thoroughly enjoyed our choices. The food was exceptional, showcasing the highest quality of ingredients.For starters, we indulged in oysters, Jerusalem artichokes, mushroom and truffle oil soup.The combination of flavors was simply divine.As for our main courses, I relished the Cod fillet served with spiced mussels and a delectable coconut broth.It was a harmonious blend of tastes and textures.My partner opted for the Lamb Chop, which was tender and perfectly cooked.To complement our meal, we savored a glass of Amarone della Valpolicella and another of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.The wine selection added an extra layer of sophistication to our dining experience.To conclude our memorable evening, we indulged in the Mille-Feuille dessert, which was a sweet, delicate finale to our extraordinary meal.The Swan provided an exceptional atmosphere, top-notch service, and a menu that surpassed our expectations. It was the perfect choice for our anniversary celebration, and we look forward to returning in the future.
Charlotte Aherne
Really enjoyed both the food and service! Went on a Thursday evening and it was nice and busy which is what you would expect from somewhere decent. Starters were amazing (Duck salad and prawn cocktail). I had the lemon sole and my partner had the chicken for mains and both were equally delicious. The banana cheesecake is the best dessert :-) Came in a £200 which included 4 alcoholic drinks and a coke which in my option was worth it. Service was ?
Brigbill-Gv
Of the few pubs able to serve a buffet lunch for up to 30 guests within reasonable distance of Gravesend it was only Mark, the head chef of the Swan, who was prepared to consider an alternative to his existing buffet menus. We had found that all the menus we had seen seemed to go for variety offering a large number of individual dishes mainly of the ‘finger food’ type. But we were not after variety, we wanted to serve our guests quality in the shape of just a few suitably large items. We asked Mark to provide Whole Poached Salmon, Spiced Pork Shoulder and Chicken Grape and Tarragon Salad, accompanied by Rice Salad, Courgette Salad and Tomato Salad, all with Sauce Verte, followed by Blackforest Gateau, Profiteroles and Fruit Salad. Mark’s interpretation of our wishes was superb. He dropped the Chicken Salad, but added a first course in the shape of exquisite Canapés. The magnificent salmon was an absolute showstopper glistening under it’s coating of hundreds and hundreds of waferthin cucumber slices. Instead of serving the Pork sliced on platters, he brought the whole joint to the table and carved it to each guest’s requirement. To each of the salads he had added his own touch, making them look and taste fantastic. Each one of the desserts was gorgeous, both to look at and taste. The quantities had been estimated very generously, even after people went back for second helpings - everything was so good - there were sizeable amounts left for us to take home and enjoy the following day. We had the use of the two elegant and comfortable upstairs rooms with their own bar, so we had ample space for people to mingle and for everybody to get their drink as and when they wanted. The staff, from the moment of first contact through discussions of details like the setting up a slide show, even providing the backing to a live rendition of an art song, right to the moment of walking out of the door, were absolutely fabulous, they could not have done more to give us and our family and friends a wonderful day to remember. We will definitely be back, and we will recommend The Swan to anybody who is looking for an all-round brilliant venue to celebrate a special event, or, indeed just ‘have a nice meal out’.
Matt D
My parents were after a venue for their diamond wedding anniversary, The Swan looked like the perfect environment for our almost 30 guests. We asked if they could adapt their buffet menu a bit to more feature set pieces rather than finger food. With such a large event and with two such exacting primary guests we were a little nervous. Upon arrival all our worries were blown away. Everything was done to perfection, the service was fantastic, the food was fantastic, the facilities fantastic and the rooms too. The high point was probably the salmon which blew everyone away, amazing. Definitely returning. Sorry we didn’t take any more photos of food, we were to busy having fun.
We had a really great Sunday lunch today. The sirloin was beautifully cooked and the biggest Yorkshire pudding. Also the warm pistachio cake was a wonderful way to finish the meal as it was super light, but so tasty. I also like the fact that this restaurant serves Amarone by the glass which is rare in my experience. As my wife doesn't like red wine I don't get the chance to drink this wine very often. The service was also first class.
janesR3782RE
Everything was very enjoyable from start to finish - five star! The service was professional and friendly. Thank you Hannah and to the whole team. I sat in the lovely bar area for lunch, with my little dog, where water was served to her immediately! I had grilled griddled chilli king prawns to start followed by piri piri chargrilled chicken and a delicious glass of Chilean Chardonnay. Definitely worth a visit. Thank you
simone perkins
I always love coming to The Swan, primarily for the ambience - the hospitality is top notch.But last night was par excellence and then some.Booked The Mulberry suite for my 50th birthday dinner and it was fabulous.The staff were incredible. The food was superb, service impeccable.You guys took my happy place onto another level of memories.Thank you for always going the extra mile and being frankly, five star without exception.
Veronica Schrems
Brunch was decent! Plates could be more appealing. The staff is lovely apart from one girl who seated us and is at the front who just looked miserable. Food is ok.
Colin Naylor
A charming pub near the centre of West Malling in Kent. The staff were friendly and helpful and they served a good range of wines and beers. Their garden, which is covered, was beautifully decorated and it was a real pleasure to be there. Toilets were exquisite and very clean, with individual use once hand towels to dry your hands. The only reason I dropped one star was because it was rather pricy; but you get what you pay for.
Very average food, and service, but above average prices. I object to paying £7.20 for bread, which consisted of four slices of very ordinary white sliced bread. We were given a small bowl of olives, which we didn’t ask for, and then charged £3.80! Two bottles of sparkling water came to £9.80! One glass of Chilean Pinot Noir came to £8.30! which was probably the supermarket price for a bottle. And finally £9.00 for a portion of Bread and Butter pudding And £5.00 for a portion of chips. The whole bill for 4 people was £178.09 which included a service charge of 12.5%. Greedy pricing, for average food and service. Definitely would not come back again.
OK starter, very good main and good desert. BUT, I don’t expect to be chasing for food and drink and then be asked to pay a discretionary service charge. Sorry, The Swan, I would have happily paid that and tipped extra, if the service had warranted it, This evening it did not.
Lovely welcome, great staff, super menu choice. Prices average to high but portions rather small. Salted beef hash barely had any visible beef in the patty and compared to a fried brekkie was disappointing such a big plate with small offering. Having said that very tasty and different.
I wouldn't usually do a review, but this restaurant absolutely deserves it, I was amazing food, the service was excellent and the atmosphere was great.. a rely lovely evening and would definitely recommend this place to friends and family.. we will re visit again one day
Dish arrived with a hair! Waitress miserable. Restaurant Manager lacked empathy. Kieran - General Manager was professional in dealing with the situation. A regular customer, The Swan is not what it was unfortunately.
Great Sunday Lunch. First place I have ever been asked how you would like the Beef cooked!!However, the gravy was very salty. Batter pudding was way too big, so I will ask not to have one next time.Overall great afternoon with family.
We had the pleasure of celebrating our anniversary dinner at The Swan, and it was a delightful experience.The restaurant boasts a fantastic selection of wines, and we thoroughly enjoyed our choices. The food was exceptional, showcasing the highest quality of ingredients.For starters, we indulged in oysters, Jerusalem artichokes, mushroom and truffle oil soup.The combination of flavors was simply divine.As for our main courses, I relished the Cod fillet served with spiced mussels and a delectable coconut broth.It was a harmonious blend of tastes and textures.My partner opted for the Lamb Chop, which was tender and perfectly cooked.To complement our meal, we savored a glass of Amarone della Valpolicella and another of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.The wine selection added an extra layer of sophistication to our dining experience.To conclude our memorable evening, we indulged in the Mille-Feuille dessert, which was a sweet, delicate finale to our extraordinary meal.The Swan provided an exceptional atmosphere, top-notch service, and a menu that surpassed our expectations. It was the perfect choice for our anniversary celebration, and we look forward to returning in the future.
Really enjoyed both the food and service! Went on a Thursday evening and it was nice and busy which is what you would expect from somewhere decent. Starters were amazing (Duck salad and prawn cocktail). I had the lemon sole and my partner had the chicken for mains and both were equally delicious. The banana cheesecake is the best dessert :-) Came in a £200 which included 4 alcoholic drinks and a coke which in my option was worth it. Service was ?
Of the few pubs able to serve a buffet lunch for up to 30 guests within reasonable distance of Gravesend it was only Mark, the head chef of the Swan, who was prepared to consider an alternative to his existing buffet menus. We had found that all the menus we had seen seemed to go for variety offering a large number of individual dishes mainly of the ‘finger food’ type. But we were not after variety, we wanted to serve our guests quality in the shape of just a few suitably large items. We asked Mark to provide Whole Poached Salmon, Spiced Pork Shoulder and Chicken Grape and Tarragon Salad, accompanied by Rice Salad, Courgette Salad and Tomato Salad, all with Sauce Verte, followed by Blackforest Gateau, Profiteroles and Fruit Salad. Mark’s interpretation of our wishes was superb. He dropped the Chicken Salad, but added a first course in the shape of exquisite Canapés. The magnificent salmon was an absolute showstopper glistening under it’s coating of hundreds and hundreds of waferthin cucumber slices. Instead of serving the Pork sliced on platters, he brought the whole joint to the table and carved it to each guest’s requirement. To each of the salads he had added his own touch, making them look and taste fantastic. Each one of the desserts was gorgeous, both to look at and taste. The quantities had been estimated very generously, even after people went back for second helpings - everything was so good - there were sizeable amounts left for us to take home and enjoy the following day. We had the use of the two elegant and comfortable upstairs rooms with their own bar, so we had ample space for people to mingle and for everybody to get their drink as and when they wanted. The staff, from the moment of first contact through discussions of details like the setting up a slide show, even providing the backing to a live rendition of an art song, right to the moment of walking out of the door, were absolutely fabulous, they could not have done more to give us and our family and friends a wonderful day to remember. We will definitely be back, and we will recommend The Swan to anybody who is looking for an all-round brilliant venue to celebrate a special event, or, indeed just ‘have a nice meal out’.
My parents were after a venue for their diamond wedding anniversary, The Swan looked like the perfect environment for our almost 30 guests. We asked if they could adapt their buffet menu a bit to more feature set pieces rather than finger food. With such a large event and with two such exacting primary guests we were a little nervous. Upon arrival all our worries were blown away. Everything was done to perfection, the service was fantastic, the food was fantastic, the facilities fantastic and the rooms too. The high point was probably the salmon which blew everyone away, amazing. Definitely returning. Sorry we didn’t take any more photos of food, we were to busy having fun.
Restaurantji Recommends
We had a really great Sunday lunch today. The sirloin was beautifully cooked and the biggest Yorkshire pudding. Also the warm pistachio cake was a wonderful way to finish the meal as it was super light, but so tasty. I also like the fact that this restaurant serves Amarone by the glass which is rare in my experience. As my wife doesn't like red wine I don't get the chance to drink this wine very often. The service was also first class.
Everything was very enjoyable from start to finish - five star! The service was professional and friendly. Thank you Hannah and to the whole team. I sat in the lovely bar area for lunch, with my little dog, where water was served to her immediately! I had grilled griddled chilli king prawns to start followed by piri piri chargrilled chicken and a delicious glass of Chilean Chardonnay. Definitely worth a visit. Thank you
I always love coming to The Swan, primarily for the ambience - the hospitality is top notch.But last night was par excellence and then some.Booked The Mulberry suite for my 50th birthday dinner and it was fabulous.The staff were incredible. The food was superb, service impeccable.You guys took my happy place onto another level of memories.Thank you for always going the extra mile and being frankly, five star without exception.
Brunch was decent! Plates could be more appealing. The staff is lovely apart from one girl who seated us and is at the front who just looked miserable. Food is ok.
A charming pub near the centre of West Malling in Kent. The staff were friendly and helpful and they served a good range of wines and beers. Their garden, which is covered, was beautifully decorated and it was a real pleasure to be there. Toilets were exquisite and very clean, with individual use once hand towels to dry your hands. The only reason I dropped one star was because it was rather pricy; but you get what you pay for.