Nestling close to the River Thames at Walton is a pub that’s been there since 1770 no less. It’s recently had a breath of fresh air pumped into it by its owner Youngs, so Alison popped along to check it out.
It’s in a glorious location by the river, with masses of seating for outside dining when the weather allows. Inside, it’s cosy, with log fires and panelled walls (a new addition we were told, but one that certainly looks appropriate). It’s been decorated for Christmas, so it was looking particularly festive and welcoming.
Our table was in a cosy little window seat nook and for once, the sun was shining so brightly that Ethan, our lovely server, was concerned it might be too bright, but it was fine. We were told that while Youngs has a central buying policy, each chef can devise their own menu, with the proviso that three Youngs classics are included. (fish and chips, steak and a burger if you couldn’t guess.)
The chef at The Swan, Jonah Barrett, has certainly put together a really interesting and tempting menu with a good range of snacks, really unusual starters and side dishes, plus a few special sharing choices. Add to this a choice of 13 mains.
A Plymouth gin and tonic for me and sparkling water for my husband and then the difficult decision as to what to choose. I chose orange cured chalk stream trout with horseradish creme fraiche, braised fennel, dill oil and a rosemary cracker.
It was beautifully presented, but instead of braised fennel, there were thin slices of raw onion, which I felt didn’t do much for the dish. The trout was excellent; a generous four slices with no skin, and served with grilled mandarin orange segments rather than fennel. The rosemary crackers were unusual, added texture and another flavour element – and really good too.
My husband started with smoked mackerel fishcake with tartare sauce, hollandaise and a poached egg. Another generous portion, that with a side salad, would make a perfect light lunch for me on a future visit. He declared it to be packed with fish, the egg perfectly poached and his only suggestion was that it could perhaps be accompanied by a small piece of bread so that one can mop up all the wonderful egg yolk and sauces from the plate!
Venison wellington is a signature dish, and having now tried it as my main course, I can see why. It was fabulous: beautifully tender venison fillet cooked pink, with a mushroom filled pastry wrap. The plum and green peppercorn jus was very well balanced and the fig ketchup added a level of sweetness.
It was served on a bed of chopped cavolo nero (one of my favourite green veg) and also had a drizzle of basil oil to finish the dish. I was given a steak knife to use, but to be honest, a butter knife would have sufficed to cut through this ultra tender venison. I enjoyed a glass of rioja with my main course.
Husband being a pie fan, had the braised beef shin shortcrust pie which was an artwork in itself. Some serious pastry skills in the kitchen were shown off perfectly. It was served with tenderstem broccoli and very smooth and buttery mashed potato. A small jug of gravy accompanied it, but on cutting into the pie, it was so packed with meat and juices that the gravy wasn’t needed.
By this time I was thoroughly ‘pogged’, as my mother used to say, so no room for anything but an espresso but my husband was determined he could make room for the Bramley apple tart tatin with vanilla ice cream. It was a square tarte tatin, for a change, and the sharpness of the apple cut through the residual sweetness perfectly.
There is obviously a great deal of skill at the Swan’s stoves, especially as Ethan let slip that it was in fact the chef’s day off. Jonah has a very sound brigade.
The Swan has a well curated wine list with wines by the bottle from around £25 and 16 available by the glass from around £7. Cocktails are £8-12.
Service is excellent with a friendly, relaxed, yet very professional team. I think the only niggle I have is that the paper napkins are far too small. A better quality, larger paper napkin would do justice to the whole experience of lovely food and service.
On weekdays there are sandwiches available from 12-5, but the main menu also has lots of choice for a light lunch. There is a set Christmas party menu of three courses for £39 (£20 one for children) that includes traditional seasonal fare, as well as a range of other interesting dishes. Ethan told us that the pub quiz is very popular on Wednesday evenings (starting again in the New Year), and of course, Sunday roasts are very popular.
We’ll be back soon – perhaps by boat if the weather allows it, as we noticed that there are moorings nearby.
50 Manor Rd, Walton-on-Thames KT12 2PF