The White Swan

 

Tucked into a quiet corner near Lincoln's Inn Fields, The White Swan is an absolute delight. The owners, Tom and Ed Martin, also run The Gun out in the Docklands and seem to have an intuitive grasp of those elements that can lift a gastropub head and shoulders above local competition. This place has brilliant beer, a great ambiance, and a tasty bar menu. We were looking forward indeed to our first venture into the upstairs dining room... and it didn't disappoint. The upstairs dining room is stately and beautiful, with huge high ceilings and rich dark wood trim. The floor manager is a smiling Frenchman with an intimate knowledge of his massive wine list and exquisite manners. He made us feel wonderfully at home and guided us to a sensible bottle of South African wine well matched to our meal. Scallop starters were fresh and expertly seared in a way that held in their flavour. My companion plumped for a duck salad which was even better, with unusually lean and juicy meat. Her main course was the pick of the night, a house special peppered steak that came as requested, rare and absolutely perfect. My pork chops were merely delicious and offset with some lovely crisp vegetables. We finished off with a round of creme brulee and a visit from the cheese trolley. This is definitely a contender for best pub dining in London.