The Black Swan, A Heartwood Inn

Featured reviews

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  Tim Shooter

  ·3 weeks ago

  “Great to see a pub that is stepping above standard pub grub and presenting good restaurant standard food. Menu was very varied and my wife (who's veggie) said it was unusual to see a menu with so many vege options! Very nice decor, service and value. Definitely would recommend to anyone looking for a restaurant to eat at!”

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• M

  Mel Williams

  ·1 month ago

  “Birthday lunch on the way back from a weekend away. Served by Daria exceptionaly. Chicken pie was out this world and sticky toffee pudding to finish it off.”

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  J Humphries

  ·2 months ago

  “Excellent food & service , could not fault it in any way . We sat in the garden on a Tuesday evening with lovely gentle music . Perfect until 7.30 when a loud quiz presenter started ! Fine in you like a quiz but for us it killed the evening . Inside seating next time for us if it’s a Tuesday . How lovely to get a response from the team as to why quiz was in garden . Much appreciated. Just goes to show how good the Black swan is. I guess the quiz is normally in the lovely bar area at the front not in the separate air conditioned smart resturant at the rear. See you soon .”

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• R

  Rob James

  ·3 months ago

  “We were on our way back from north Wales and stopped for a Sunday roast. Lizzy our waitress took great care of us for the whole meal, from the first drinks all the way through to shared desserts. Our group of 4 had 2 pork tomahawks and 2 roast beef lunches. All came out piping hot and everyone enjoyed their dish. Desserts included pistachio soufflé and basque cheesecake, again all delicious. Always a good sign when there is nothing left at all. If we pass this way again we will call in again.”

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  Simon Winchester

  ·5 months ago

  “Loved our experience at the Black swan. The atmosphere was extremely welcoming, both the food and drinks were fantastic, and the staff couldn’t do enough for us. I want to say a huge thankyou to the waitress Lizzy. She was amazing and looked after us from start to finish. She went above and beyond for us and had a lovely big smile at all time. She also took the time to talk about the football with us. Customer service like that really stands out. Thankyou to the management team for hiring such lovely staff. We can’t wait to come back again soon.”

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• C

  Claire

  ·6 months ago

  “Just gorgeous. Food, setting, ambience. A children’s menu of real food that the kids loved (instead of just the usual beige and fried offerings). And truly dog-friendly. Staff are the icing on the cake - just really lovely and great service. Thank you Ollie and team for a wonderful evening! And the soufflé! Good lord. Starters, Mains and Desserts all good? Almost unheard of! Highly recommended.”

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• M

  Matt Adams

  ·6 months ago

  “Updated, following my review 6 months ago below, now to include a food rating. I visit this pub pretty much every Saturday for a few pints of Guiness. Met up with friends from Lancashire and wanted to take them here for Sunday lunch. We all opted for the beef Sunday Roast. 10 stars all round. Food was fantastic, beef was cooked to perfection. Staff could not do enough for us, we didn't even have to ask, "more roast potatoes?" "Yorkshire puddings?" "Gravy?". Nothing was too much trouble. A credit to them all! Book in advance as this pub is VERY popular on a Sunday and for very good reason. You will not be disappointed! Original review ........................................................... Was my intention to visit a few pubs in Henley and this was my first stop, a five minute walk from the train station, however stayed for a couple of hours. A lovely building which has retained a lot of the original features. The main dining area was busy and would recommend booking in advance if you are intending to eat. That said there was plenty of available tables for "walk in" diners. Whilst I did not eat, the food that I saw being served to other guests looked fantastic. I was served by a young lady, who made me feel welcome and brought my Guiness to my table after it had settled. It was clear that all staff, wanted to ensure guests are looked after. After doing numerous mystery shopping trips for a number of large pub chains, I am always asked to comment on toilets, and rightly so as I assume they feel that a toilet area can taint what would have been a perfect visit. The gents toilets here were impeccable, worthy of a 5 star hotel. The pub and staff are well worthy of the 5 stars and I will definately visit again.”

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• B

  Ben

  ·1 year ago

  “This place gets great reviews so clearly they are doing something right, but I was disappointed by the food. We skipped starters, but had a bread and dips to share which was really good, and went straight to mains. As it was a Sunday I had a roast, it was good quality but not a much better than your local pubs carvery for under £20 and plate of your making. There was hardly any gravy, I know you can ask for more, but for a £25 roast that states it comes with gravy on the menu, you would think they would be generous and you wouldn't have to ask. The unlimited roasties and sides were a good addition and the lamb was.. ok. The steak was served quite bloody for a medium, but it was tasty. The pistachio soufflé was a very generous portion and was really good, even if it tasted wholly of almond not pistachio, definitely the highlight of the menu. The bramble was visibly ( and taste wise) lacking in Chambord. Lovely staff and a very pretty interior, but ultimately an average meal.”

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• M

  Mark Ireland

  ·1 year ago

  “Enjoyed a beautiful lunch in the sun. The food was honestly incredible, very tasty, well cooked and balanced perfectly. We enjoyed this outside to the rear of the building when the sun was trapped for several hours. Great service, knowledgeable and friendly staff, really enjoyed my stay here.”

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  Naz Nazarali

  ·2 years ago

  “Can't fault it. From the moment we went in we were greeted by a friendly warm welcome, leading to restaurant staff who also were great and attentive. I didn't have a booking, it was just a random unplanned casual walk in with my family. Ambience, atmosphere nice and relaxed, tasteful decor. Simple, not over complicated menu with fresh ingredients and thoughtful dishes to accommodate all diets. Everything we ordered was full of flavour, presented really well and clean. Very impressed, as it wasn't fine dining, but a great place to go when you just want to have a good meal and relax.”

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