THE SWAN
2 The Green
Broadway
Worcestershire
WR12 7AA
01386 852278

I ARRIVED at the Swan on a damp but fairly mild evening.

Perched near the village green, on which a big white marquee had been pitched in anticipation of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the Broadway pub took up its place in a typical British village in summertime scene.

Walking past a large outdoor seating area, which was mostly full despite the lack of sunshine, we entered the pub and were immediately greeted by smiling staff and seated at our table, situated towards the back of the cosy and welcoming restaurant.

The menu is well-presented in an informal fashion with eager eaters able to choose from things to nibble or share and in the ‘main event’ list sections are broken down into ‘from the land’, ‘from the garden’ and ‘from the sea’.

After much deliberation and with the waitress poised, I made a last minute call between the crab and crayfish cocktail and the king prawns to start.

The prawns edged it by an antenna. When they were brought out I was faced with giant specimens which I had to disassemble myself.

Having spent a lot of time in Norway eating copious amounts of fresh ‘shrimp’ I was able to race through the fiddly bits and enjoy the delicious delicacy sautéed in garlic, chilli and parsley butter.

My guest ordered the seared black pearl scallops, which came with a generous helping of pea puree, as well as prosciutto which was certainly to her liking.

For the main course I chose the pan-fried Barbary duck breast (£15.95), which came with orange and grape jelly, as well as being topped with caramelised orange.

A take on the classic French dish of duck a l’orange, it was the perfect blend of flavours and just the right amount of sweetness.

My partner had the Scottish grilled salmon fillet (£13.95), served with crushed potatoes, piedmont pepper and tomato dressing.

I cheekily stole a piece for myself and it was perfectly cooked with the accompanying lemon and herbs complementing the tender fillet.

Eyeing up the dessert menu, I steered clear of anything too heavy or chocolate-based and decided on the peach melba knickerbocker glory which was as much fun to eat as it is to say.

My guest took a similar line and fancied the mango and passion fruit pavlova which was well-presented and plentiful.

With fresh ingredients, talented chefs and a traditional inn look, The Swan made a very good impression.

It more than holds its own in exulted company with the likes of the Lygon Arms and Russells just a stone’s throw away.

The service was of the highest order. The attentive waitress was happy to give us more time to order on a couple of occasions as the mixture of conversation and dinner choices took time.

There was a nicely spaced gap between courses, it certainly wasn’t rush them in rush them out style service, and we were regularly asked how the meals were and if there was anything else we required.

It was a very relaxed atmosphere and I felt well looked after.

A few glasses of red pushed the bill up to just shy of £70.

For a three-course dinner of quality food and service, drinks, as well as the beautiful Broadway setting, I felt was good value for the evening.

As it says on the playful menu, the food is ‘all just proper, good stuff ’. I couldn’t agree more.

HOW IT RATED

Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 4
Value for money 4