The Swan at the Globe – Restaurant Review

 

We sauntered in to the Swan at the Globe  late, thirsty and ravenous, after a socially distanced performance of As You Like It which lacked an interval in these Covid times. And within minutes we were ensconced on a velvet sofa sipping Bloody Marys and tucking into the very best of English fayre. Hot tasty, crispy, succulent – all foodie adjectives could be employed here to excess.

Perfect British Cuisine at the Swan at the Globe

The Swan at the Globe has a Modern British Menu – so think Fish and Chips, Shepherds Pie, Scotch Eggs, Sausage Rolls, Welsh Rarebit and Sticky Toffee Pudding…all scrumptious and uniquely English things – the stuff of nursery rhymes and fairy tales.

The Swan at the Globe is moderately priced when compared with the very average meals that you could have in the nearby chain restaurants on London’s Bankside.

Restaurant Setting

There are few places in London that are in such a grand setting overlooking the Thames and Saint Paul’s and bang next to The Globe and The Tate Modern. The rear terrace overlooks the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre courtyard with its thatched half-timbered playhouse.

Dress Code

So why am I dressed in sequins? And what does this tell us about the the Swan dress code? I am of the view that you can never be too smart! The Swan at the Globe gets a lot of people coming in from the theatre next door. So my advice is to dress up but leave your tiara, floor length ball gown or a tuxedo at home. And if you are wearing street casual wear, no one will bat an eyelid. It’s hard to feel out of place in this welcoming restaurant.

The Swan at the Globe Drinks Menu

As a “real drinker” and a connoisseur of Bloody Marys, this one was the cat’s whiskers and pyjamas. Nicely and delicately spiced and garnished with an emperor of an olive. It had a real kick to it…no stinting on the vodka.

The cocktail menu is fairly extensive with most mixed drinks falling squarely in the London average of £11 – £14.

Restaurant Menu

It didn’t sound like the most exciting of choices – fish and chips and shepherds pie but the joy was in their culinary execution.

Many is the time that I have walked past their basement kitchens and seen giant pieces of battered cod waiting to be taken to the dining room and large vats of oil frying chips. And my companions declared that this was perfectly cooked, white, moist and flakey with a crispy batter.

My shepherds pie would have delighted any shepherd from any Shakespeare play. It was filling and meaty, with a perfectly piped creamed mashed potato topping and the beans were drenched in butter, cooked al dente with a sprinkling of shallots.

Service

Fantastic…attentive but not too much!

Tears fell from our eyes when we considered the solitary hardships of lockdown, the nights spent on the sofa watching Netflix and the missed dining opportunities. And then we shed a few more tears as we congratulated ourselves on discovering such a comfortable and enveloping venue. I see that we are going to be eating and drinking and theatre going here to excess.

If you enjoyed this post you may also like our review of the Brasserie Zedel in Piccadilly.

To book a visit to the Swan at the Globe Restaurant visit their website.

Blog • Eat