(Hotel restaurant)
Monday // 21:00
Reviewer: Drew
The Swan Hotel
46 Greengate Street
Stafford
Staffordshire
ST16 2JA
A member of the Lewis Partnership group, the Swan was formerly an 18th Century coaching inn in Stafford town center. With a gamut of recent refurbishments and more apparently in the works, now is a time of change and modernization the hotel is evolving and moving along with the times.
Aside from a restaurant, it is also a hotel that comes highly recommended online, and with a seemingly responsive management team that reacts well to criticism.
Restaurant: 83/100
Service: 28/30
The staff were polite and showed an attention to detail – for example candles which had burned out were replaced within minutes. They demonstrated a good working knowledge of the menu, and provided an all round efficient service. Even more, they openly engaged in chatter with other patrons, showing a friendlier side to the establishment. Only real niggle we noticed was that when we asked for a still water, we were given the bottle which wasn't poured for my girlfriend, but rather she was left to do it herself.
Decor: 16/20
A rather eclectic mixture of styles – candles, oaken beams, wicker seating and fake floral displays. Certainly nothing offensive or hard on the eye but it lacked a cohesive theme. Plenty of space was given which no doubt contributed to the very reasonable sound levels, making it easy to hold a conversation with your fellow diners.
Drinks: 18/20
Most of the usual selection was present, and a selection of ales and ciders from some of the smaller breweries. What really jumped out was a very extensive wine list, and a selection of 'dessert cocktails'.
Value for Money: 10/20
Certainly on the higher end of the price scale, perhaps a touch pricey, however 12-7pm they do have a 3 course set menu deal which is much more reasonable and offers good value for money. Outside of that time frame however, offers were a little thin on the ground.
Menu Selection: 9/10
Nearly faultless on the menu front, with a selection of high end fine dining items, pastas and pizzas. Whilst a little lacking in traditional British cuisine, several items were locally sourced, and what really impressed was the selection of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free items on the menu, showing a startling compassion towards those with special dietary requirements.
Starter: 65/100
Goats cheese and tomato roulade, with aubergine caviar (£5.50)
Taste: 18/30
The goats cheese was incredibly delicious and smooth, an absolute treat, with the acidity of the tomato cutting through the cheese nicely for an all round tasty combination. Letting it down more than a little was the aubergine caviar which was lacking in flavor and generally rather bland, adding relatively little to the dish.
Presentation: 19/25
Slate plates look amazing! The lettuce wrapping was expertly done and stayed looking very neat. All in all, it was a very visually appealing starter which required a bit of skill to pull off.
Wait Time: 23/25
10 minutes to arrive for a starter is well within acceptable standards and entering the boarders of excellence.
Portion Size: 5/20
Portioning let the starter down however, in my opinion. A very small portion, I was left barely feeling like I eaten anything.
Main Course: 74/100
Braised shoulder of lamb & Dauphine potatoes, with a side of chips. (£15.50 +£2.85)
Taste: 24/30
The lamb was an absolute delight to eat, perfectly cooked in practically fell apart to the touch. The homemade chips were thick and crisp, but not quite as fluffy as I'd have liked on the inside. The Dauphine potato was well made and had soft yet firm texture. The gravy was delicious, and amongst the tastiest I have had the pleasure of eating. Letting the side down a little were the parsnips hidden underneath the lamb, which were slightly undercooked.
Presentation: 12/25
Nothing especially outstanding, a fairly vanilla presentation. Still very neatly done though.
Wait Time: 24/25
The dish arrived 9 minutes after starters were cleared, which for a main course is pretty close to perfect.
Portion Size: 14/20
As a standalone dish, the lamb and potato would have been slightly lacking, however the recommended side of chips took the dish up towards a very generous portion.
Dessert: 73/100
Small cheese board (£4.95)
Taste: 15/30
The definite highlight of this dessert was the chutney which was sweet and tangy but not overpowering. It was served with a nice selection of biscuits. The main downside that detracted from the dish was the selection of cheeses, which were all mild.
Presentation: 21/25
When ordering a cheeseboard I had reservations about what the presentation would be like, but this delivered visually on most levels. The little pot of chutney was a particularly nice touch, as was the baby slate of butter
Wait Time: 22/25
Arrived in 12 minutes, which is an excellent response time for a dessert.
Portion Size: 15/20
So you see up there where I said I'd ordered the small cheeseboard? They lie! There is nothing small about it. By the end I was absolutely stuffed to the gills.
Overall Score: 293/400 (73%)
An exceptional meal, let down little by a lackluster starter, however it was all up from there. The price of the standard menu does detract from it a little, meaning I wouldn't dine there regularly (£57 for two dining without alcohol is a bit steep for me), but I would certainly come again during the periods when offers were on.
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