Swan @ London

So are you to my thoughts as food to life,
Or as sweet-seasoned showers are to the ground;
Thus do I pine and surfeit day by day,
Or gluttoning on all, or all away.

Swan London is a favourite for a pre-theatre dinner next to the Shakespeare’s Globe. For thou art looking to partake in some nourishments before seeing a play at the Theatre, there’s a pre-theatre set menu that is available all evening alongside the a la carte menu. 

Shakespeare’s Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse first built in 1599 for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays. Like the original, it is located on the south bank of the River Thames, but the original location is actually 230m away.

The original globe theatre was built in 1599 by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, destroyed by a fire in 1613, rebuilt in 1614, and then demolished in 1644. The modern Globe Theatre is an academic approximation based on available evidence of the 1599 and 1614 buildings. It is considered quite realistic, though modern safety requirements mean that it accommodates only 1,400 spectators compared to the original theatre’s 3,000. Bring a jacket, as London weather can be brutal in the evening.

However in the Swan, you can dine in modern comfort and warm up prior to being expose during the performance. Once seated and the meal order placed, they will present their daily freshly baked bread and marmite butter. The marmite butter is delectable and makes you decimate the bread in no time.

Swan’s a la carte menu champions British produce and the finest seasonal ingredients. Inspired by the seasons, the chefs use seafoods that come exclusively from UK waters, while the meat is all sourced from Cumbria, supporting family-run Lake District fells and smallholdings. And with English wines, London beers, and cheese from nearby Neal’s Yard Dairy in Borough Market, you have the best of British fare.

Highland Venison Loin

Savoy cabbage, parsnips, blackberries

Highland venison comes from private estates where the deer roam wild on the hill. Very low in cholesterol, extremely lean, sublime in flavour and texture, this is a truly wonderful meat. The venison loin has been sous vide and served on a bed of sautéed chopped Savoy cabbage, side of parsnip mash and a stalk of steamed parsnip with fresh blackberries scattered around the plate with savoury brown sauce made from the au jus. Delicious plate that Princess had chosen; she shared a piece of venison with me and I immediately had plate envy.

300g Hereford Ribeye

baby gem salad, bearnaise sauce

I always enjoy British beef but because of MCD, British beef export has been banned in most countries including Singapore. Hereford beef is a native bred that contains plenty of marbled fat throughout the different cuts of meat. This marbling results in a delicious cook every time. The meat is full of flavour and extremely succulent, meaning it tastes fantastic. You really do not need anything else, just a perfectly executed medium-rare cut of ribeye and let the wonderful rich bovine flavours take over.

Chanterelle Mushrooms

Soft St.Ewes hens’ egg, lardons

Chanterelle mushrooms are slightly fruity and can even have a hint of apricot or peach flavour, without the sweetness, of course. They mostly grow in the wild, meaning they must be foraged, and they require a period of heavy rainfall in a coniferous forest, followed by several days of continuous heat and high humidity. Sautéed with bacon fats, the mushrooms are delish!

Every single St. Ewe egg comes from free-range hens that have plenty of space to roam in the clean, fresh air. The hens are fed St. Ewe’s specially developed feeds and live in spacious housing with generous room for them to roost at night. By day they range the countryside, scratching for natural foods. As a result, these birds produce high-quality eggs, packed full of nutrients with amazing colour and flavour.

After the show, you can still pop into the pub for a pint before going home. But I do recommend to come before the show for a pre-show dinner.

Swan London Bar & Restaurant
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT, United Kingdom
Tel : +44 (020) 7928 9444 (Reservations)

Visited Sep 2024