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Sawley Arms

1.0 (1 review)

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8 years ago

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The Black Swan

The Black Swan

(4 reviews)

££££

Middle of nowhere, casual dress, Michelin-starred…read more My husband and I went out of our way to eat and stay here. Was it worth the 3 hour journey from London (2-hr train ride, 1-hr by car) to make our reservation from 6-months earlier? Absolutely. Courses are small, but plenty. Staff are immensely courteous and thoughtful (they made a custom menu for our dietary needs and even had the chefs sign it before we left). And the setting couldn't be more idyllic. I'd suggest getting the wine pairing as it really completes the meal. Go ahead and stay the night as breakfast is included the next day. Just make sure to work out your travel from the train station to the restaurant. It really is out in the sticks.

An absolutely fantastic experience enhanced by the charming and beautiful countryside that The…read moreBlack Swan at Oldstead is nestled within - an area that I wouldn't have visited otherwise but am grateful for having done so. Make sure to make a small detour to Kilburn to see The Kilburn White Horse which stands firmly in the hillside. The Black Swan is a beautiful picturesque old pub full of warmth and charm. Upon arrival you are welcomed into the bar area for aperitifs where a log fire crackles and glows. Make sure to notice the Robert Thompson mouse carved into the bar. Great selection of small batch gins - I enjoyed a glass of Sir Robin of Locksley from Sheffield with tonic. Amuse bouche are served here before moving upstairs to the restaurant. The Smoked Eel and Apple Tartlets were light and well balanced in their flavours whilst the Chicken Dumpling was rich, satisfying and would sit well on the finest of dim sum plates in Hong Kong. The restaurant is more modern in decoration with an "open kitchen" where some of the dishes are prepared with a clear artistic love and attention to detail. Service is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being intrusive. Good selection of wines for most palates and wallets. I had the 10 course tasting menu which, at £85, felt like a bargain compared to the price of Michelin starred food in major cities. To start, a Mussel with Oyster Leaf canapé - so perfectly decorated that it felt wrong to eat it, but so tasty. Next up Langoustine with Caramelised Whey, served like a lollipop with a twig to hold it with - lovely textures and cooked to perfection. Venison Tartare followed - a small dish but rich in flavour and beautifully prepared and decorated. Sour Bread and Sour Butter was distinctive and a good filler in preparation for the main courses. The Monkfish with Asparagus and Onion, although delicious, was probably the weakest dish. The sauce tasted like heavy sweet soy sauce and was a bit overpowering in its saltiness for the delicate flavour of the fish. Still very enjoyable though. The Slowly Cooked Crapaudine Beetroot was the star of the menu. Cooked in beef fat (I believe), the beetroot takes on a heavier composition and is chewy and almost glutinous with all of the accompanying decorations providing broad and bold flavours. Absolutely fantastic! Scallop Cured with Rhubarb was another standout with the smoothness of the slightly charred scallops countering the tartness of the rhubarb, all tied together with a rich and balanced sauce. Herb-Fed Chicken with Wild Garlic from this Year and Last was another amazing creation with a blanket over the chicken in the form of a garlic leaf. The chicken was more warm than hot but extremely tasty. The first dessert was ice cream (or iced yoghurt?) Lollipops which were wonderfully innovative with their unique flavours. The Sheep's Milk with Douglas Fir Oil was also an memorable dessert with natural tastes of the season. The final dessert, served with coffee was Cake made from Artichoke, Chicory Root and Thyme. The combination worked well although the chicory root (?) was slightly bitter. A great end to a fantastic meal and experience. For most who visit The Black Swan at Oldstead, a significant journey will be involved but don't let that put you off...It's well worth the effort and will be one of those great food experiences.

Craven Arms - Just looked nice...

Craven Arms

(9 reviews)

££

After an 18km walk round Bolton Abbey, three hungry people needed some decent food down their neck…read moreand boy, did we find it here. A lovely country village pub with a roaring fire and a lot of people enjoying good food and great service (and dog friendly). The starters were go good the three of us couldn't choose which one we wanted, so a surprised staff member delivered their first (I'm sure) four starters for three people (there's nothing wrong with one for the table right!?). There was quite a strange silence fallen over the table as we devoured our starters. The creamy garlic mushrooms were amazing, the goats cheese peignet with pickled beetroot (for sharing) was delicious, and the pork spring rolls and pâté were met with equal delight. The mains of slow cooked pork belly (with roasts not mash), the steak & ale pie with chips and corn fed chicken supreme were all very well presented and more importantly, tasted amazing. The pork with LOTS of crackling was only let down let down by the lack of Yorkshire pudding (I know, not meant to have it with Pork dinner but I wanted one and it wasn't allowed due to exact numbers being made). The food was washed down with two bottles of white Rioja and followed by some beautiful desserts of chocolate brownie and Baileys Creme Brûlée with cookie. All in all, a perfect Sunday roast and for £122, was pretty impressive. Note: the staff were young but were absolutely honest and professional. It was great to see and they brought the food out promptly and couldn't have been nicer. A great find.

The place really is excellent, as you would expect for a pub in the middle of nowhere…read more.. We sat outside for an hour or so before lunch, just enjoying the views. It really was a pleasure to hang around here, despite being ever so slightly chilly (I'm used to the balmy climate of London). The views are awesome, there's wildlife everywhere and plenty of dogs around if you're a dog person. The lunch was in the cruck barn and this is really an. Exceptional building, it looks old despite being only 10 years old! The decor is perfect. Except maybe the projection of the menu, not the biggest fan if that (it was hard to read). The food was impeccable, I had the pigeon and venison and it was perfect, the table generally seemed very pleased with their food so I think everything else was good too! The roast looked incredibly, serious food envy there. The drink selection, as you would expect in a decent traditional Yorkshire pub, was local and very very good. If you're in the area (or even just in the north east) then I would definitely recommend coming here for some food. Beware the roads however, super difficult to drive around.

Sawley Arms - pubs - Updated May 2026

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