Brasserie at the Swan Hotel Lavenham in Babergh

We had called in advance to book a table in the airman’s bar and told we couldn’t reserve a table and they were very busy; we wouldn’t get served at the time we wanted. We decided to drop in on the off chance, only to see a table with reserved on! We found a table and was served promptly. I ordered the pasta as a main. It was undercooked and bland. Cheese cake for pudding again tasteless and looked like a bit of old quiche. My husband faired better and had no complaints but not worth the money in my opinion. Shame as we have been many times before for roasts and they’ve been excellent.

First the positives: Lavenham is a beautiful place, the Elizabethan architecture is worth seeing and so well preserved. The Swan itself was stunning inside and out, and that I'm afraid is where the positives end. Admittedly it was busy, but there were very few staff in the Brasserie and it took a while to find someone to get us seated. The service throughout was incredibly slow and it took about 40 minutes until our main courses arrived, other people who had arrived after us were being served their mains (roast beef). I assume they had run out of Turkey because two in our party ordered that and when it came, there was very little actual meat on the plate. The Brussels spouts were watery, as was most of the veg, very unappetising. My daughter ordered sparkling water and elderflower cordial, she ended up with lemonade and elderflower cordial in still water. The general setting was nice, but I found the serving staff stiff and unfriendly. To top it all off, a group of elderly locals, (maybe we were unlucky), continually stared at us from the moment we entered the restaurant with what I can only describe as hostility, even when I smiled back at them they continued to glare at me. At that point I started to wonder if it was because we were strangers or they were not used to seeing people of colour in their tiny little village. I have to say it was certainly off-putting and very obvious. I'm not sensitive or paranoid at all, but this was so extreme that even my daughters felt uncomfortable after a while. On the whole, it was a horrible experience and a waste of money for us. Such a shame the experience was spoilt on so many levels.

This hotel has gone down market it has become dreadful lunch for 5 to day was a disgraceful everyone left there meal it all looked and tasted like left overs shall never go back have been a customer for 14 years this the second meal I have to say was dreadful no staff in to manage with a complaint my husband made .Shall not be back The young staff are so nice it was shameful .They did not know how to manage the service was very slow then the food was worse than Anything eaten even at a motor way restaurant . The meal was a disgrace. £190 .55 Ann Mac

Had a lovely day having afternoon tea with friends, sat in the most beautiful surroundings. We were welcomed by Martin who was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu, making suggestions for the various types of tea and additional sandwiches if required. He ensured that all our vegetarian and sweet and savoury needs were all met and also provided a funny story about a haunted bedroom. A very lovely time had by all and would definitely recommend

A great meal cooked to perfection. We all thoroughly enjoyed every tasty morsel. The staff are discrete and very professional, the ambience of the building is superb and (funny thing to say I know) the loos are decorated to the highest standards which actually in my mind is a sing of a well run establishment. I can thoroughly recommend the Brasserie. I will be returning soon with friends for Afternoon Tea.

Dined at the swan on the 27th August. Table booked at quite short notice. Arrived on time greeted by Alex. Nervous but nice and polite. Our starters were with us very quickly but very bland,mediocre and no attention to detail. Not worth the price! We then waited ages for our main meal. We were advised they had a wedding party and this had caused the kitchen to run late…if only they had let us know this sooner we would have gone elsewhere! Very apparent the kitchen were struggling with the demand! The main was terrible..my partner had the monkfish..over cooked,rubbery and tasteless. I had the burger, nothing special, wasn’t seasoned and again did not warrant the hefty cost. The house red made me Wince! The waiter apologised for the delay and on receipt of bill was informed the starters had been waived. It doesn’t get any better unfortunately! I was up in the night several times with diarrhoea. Needless to say we will not be returning!!

I booked a table as a treat to follow our afternoon in the spa and was keen to show my friend how marvellous it a was. I stayed at the Swan for 10 days in 2020 just out of the first lockdown and ate in every night but one. Every meal was beautiful, despite staffing difficulties and pandemic restrictions. Tonight could not have been more different and I have to say I was embarrassed after raving to my friend about it that it was so poor in every way. First, our request to sit on the terrace was refused and that was the main reason for booking the brasserie rather than the Gallery Restaurant. I don’t know if the manager has changed but there seems to be a totally different atmosphere and too much protocol. The food was awful. Gravy over-salty, veg undercooked and portions small. In fairness, when I asked for my raw beef to be cooked more, it was rectified and not charged for but then other requests were not carried out. The dessert was ridiculous. I asked for a lactose-free version of a peach dish and was first told there was no peach with the panna cotta despite the description on the menu. Then I was told I could have a braised peach but what I ended up with were a few slithers in a circle that didn’t even constitute half a peach. I was charged full price for that. I could go on but I will just finish by saying it was the biggest disappointment of my holiday as I had such fond memories of being there in 2020 and being looked after so well after losing my mum from Covid and recuperating there on my own. I now feel that I wouldn’t go back and I definitely wouldn’t eat there ever again. Over-priced, poorly-cooked, poor-quality food. I don’t mind paying for something special but this wasn’t it. Don’t waste your money!

We arrived at Lavenham tired and thirsty and found that the only tea room there was closing at 4.30p.m! Thankfully the Swan Hotel staff came to the rescue and we had tea and cake in their beautiful garden surrounded by wonderful hanging baskets.. My visitor from New York was delighted as were we, such a kind gesture. a big thank you to the staff.

Tijdens onze korte week in Lavenham hebben we meerdere keren geluncht bij The Swan en hebben gemengde gevoelens. De sfeer is in orde, buiten eten is echt heerlijk. Wat ons niet beviel is de wisseling in kwaliteit van de keuken en bediening. Soms zien gerechten er super uit en met goede hoeveelheden, neem je het gerecht de volgende dag weer, is het zeer matig. Geen opmaak, kleine porties en niet goed van smaak. Ook bediening is wisselend, soms perfect, zeker als men je herkent van de dag ervoor en soms absoluut slecht. Bij een klacht voelden we ons totaal niet serieus genomen. Het zal wel te maken hebben met een tekort aan goed en gemotiveerd personeel, hetzelfde probleem als in Nederland. We hebben vaak genoten van de sfeer, de tuin, sommige perfecte gerechten, persoonlijke aandacht van de bediening en misschien komen we toch wel terug.

Booked Brasserie instead of Gallery as wanted a more relaxed informal family lunch for a birthday. It completely lacked any atmosphere and the service was so slow we didn't even finish within the 2 hour allotted time. We were asked if we wanted drinks straight away and the order was taken promptly but we waited a long time for the starter and then even longer for the main course by which time my mother who hadn't had a starter to "save room for her dinner" was starving !! The food was "ok" taste wise but the portions were mean and expensive especially when you see pictures on the website. Scallops were tasty but tiny. The Duck Waldorf Salad was a joke with the thinest smallest piece of duck you have ever seen! The Sea Bass Stirfry had two thin pieces of over seared fish which combined would only make up half a fillet on top of and completely covering the stir fried veg - infact the dollop of wasabi mayonnaise was as big as one piece of the fish! The burgers are described as coming with salad and fries - the salad is a small piece of lettuce with one slice of tomato that was in the roll. The only decent portion was the chicken breast (with 2 small roast pots) . When we mentioned the size of the portions the waitress asked us if they were too big and when told no asked if we wanted a slice of bread with it. There was nothing wrong with the deserts being the right size portions and tasted nice. We didnt make a fuss as didnt want to spoil our mum's birthday and to be fair to the lady at the till she did refund half the cost of the fish when i mentioned it again. It was an expensive lunch (esp as a G&T is over a tenner) but we were prepared to pay more than average so were disappointed to get less than average food. I went home disappointed and hungry and had a chunk of bread and cheese! Sorry but we have had family meals there before but in future I shall be looking to go elsewhere

After a very cold and lacklustre experience at a neighbouring hotel ( we left before ordering, I could write an essay on how awful and we didn't even eat!) we had a very warm welcome and extremely good, well priced food here. I had a pepperoni pizza which was amazingly good and my husband had an equally good fish and chips. Lovely friendly staff in what is clearly a popular local in the heart of Lavenham.

I used to be a regular at the Swan Hotel Brasserie but the virus lock-down came and then The Swan was closed. I heard that it had reopened and indeed I went there for morning coffee with a friend but we decided to leave without having coffee. The reason was that we asked the waitress (if that is what she was) what cake and biscuits were available to coffee; her reply was a bland "Cake and biscuits" without any explanation as to what varieties. I haven't ventured back for morning coffee and it was therefore with some trepidation that I walked in and asked to an early table in the Brasserie for a light supper. I was very agreeably surprised, I ordered a delicious Swan Burger which was perfect and Patrica, whom I assume is Restaurant Manager, was on duty. She is impeccable and exactly the perfect representative of such a prestigious and well loved hotel which I have been visiting since I was 14 years old (I'm now retired). I noticed that Patricia was training a younger waitress and I am sure that young lady will go far if she follows Patricia's lead. I only had the Burger with relish, salad and plan fries because a surreptitious glance at my silent phone told me that I have missed an important telephone call which I needed to rely to in private. However based on the Brasserie meal I will be back soon to the Brasserie and to the Gallery Restaurant. The jury is still out over morning coffee. One thing I find unappealing is that the Brasserie is now called the 487 Mess with something added to that title. I know the history that members of the American 487 Air Crew used to drink in the Swan Bar during World War II and indeed left their signatures on the plaster work (now protected under perspex). I would however associate an Airman's Mess with rations, chipped enamel beakers and not with high end food. I also wonder if all younger diners will even know what a Mess was; other than as in making a mess! I will return for the delicious Brasserie food and thank you to who ever finally replaced the uncomfortable garish plastic chairs so unsuited to a period building with sympathetic 1960's beamed extensions.

Recommend by a friend who has been there several times in the past and also came with us. Staff seemed friendly but not that experienced. Didn’t understand what an “elderflower presse” was! Wine bottle just left on table unopened and not given the the opportunity to taste. Our sirloin steaks cooked as requested but over seasoned with pepper. Not offered water for table had to ask. No real atmosphere. Seemed over priced.

Booked table for 3 in the Brasserie as recommended by a friend as being a relaxed and informal setting which has changed since her last visit as there seems to be a cross over between the more formal fine dinning restaurant. Unfortunately there is no character or atmosphere which seems to be enhanced by the big band piped music which was playing right behind us. Food was over seasoned and although the steak was cooked to our instructions was tasteless. Waiting staff were pleasant but inexperienced.

I’ve stayed at this hotel a few times I already noticed the old manager had left and gone to the sister hotel ! Booked as a day for a well deserved treat after having a really hard time turned into a disaster ! On arrival we entered spa fabulous all went well there apart from my husband organised processco on arrival that wasn’t mentioned untill after I purchased some and we where nearly ready to leave the spa ! So the whole suprise was ruined by the hotel I’m guessing ! The spa where accommodating ! We pre ordered sandwiches no choice of bread ! We then headed to the court yard garden where I sat I didn’t look big mistake it was utterly soaking I was soaked lucky I wore thin trousers that where black ! The seat was ringing even the cleaners saw it !!! Food was served and it was awful horrid over priced crap I had an upset tummy bread was awful ! My friends was as bad too. I complained to be greeted with a very inexperienced manager whom was rude and useless ! No sorry nothing I since called up to complain but since they can’t respond other than calling me a liar ! Sort your hotel staff it’s gone down hill fast ! The toilet was disgusting ! I won’t be returning !!!! Il be going to the sister hotel where the manager is actually experienced !!!!!!!

Myself and my wife recently had a meal in the Brasserie, meal was ok but I think your more paying for the fact that your eating in the Lavenham Swan, small portions of food they probably bought from the local Coop but priced like it's come from a farm shop in Mayfair. Service was fast and staff very friendly, but the food for example, sharing platter £16, I could of probably produced something myself for about £3.50 which would of been more substantial, but that's the restaurant business in a nutshell.

Arrived and asked for a table for two for lunch. Was told that they could only provide sandwiches for people without a booking. We thought that’s fine as it’s what we fancied anyway. We ordered two sandwiches on granary bread at around £10 each. The sandwiches came out on stale shop bought thin sliced wholemeal bread. In an establishment like The Swan, I’d expect locally sourced bread from a bakery or for it to be made on premises. It was such a disappointment. We commented on the bread twice and was just told that they would let the kitchen know. We ended up paying £50 for two sandwiches and two cocktails. We would happily pay this if the quality was outstanding, but it wasn’t. We won’t spend our hard earned money here again.

Had a thoroughly excellent lunch in the Brasserie. Delicious food - best lamb burger EVER! Could not find fault at all. The food was truly outstanding.

Very nice meal at the Swan,the service was very good but we did find it a little chilly in the Brasserie ,and that affected the atmosphere for me ,but couldn’t fault the meal ,and it’s a lovely place ,,we did try to book into the main dining room which is fabulous but it was fully booked as it’s so popular,so it’s worth getting booked up in advance ,you won’t be disappointed

We were staying at the Swan, and ate in the brasserie several evenings. They take good precautions against covid, and you had to book a table in advance. There was a good selection of dishes, and all those we tried were very good and good value too.

We popped in here on the first day of the government's Eat Out to Help Out, which the Brasserie had initially signed up for and was listed on the Government's website. (I note they have now been removed). However, when we got to paying the discount wasn't applied and a very sheepish staff member had to explain that the management had had a change of heart. They were obviously very embarassed and had had this conversation several times on the same day. We were polite about it as the lunch had been ok, but they suggested we speak to the manager, who was no where to be found. As they had had this issue several times prior to serving us, we would have expected them to be explicit about the fact they were not partaking. Instead my wife sent an email after we left which, after 2 weeks, has not been answered. Management obviously don't care. The meal was nice enough, served in pleasant gardens. Staff were each individually helpful and friendly though were run off their feet and proably needed more help. We had to wait quite some time to order / recieve food and drink / pay the bill.

We called in to have some drinks in the garden. This is a classy, lovely old pub/hotel with its many ancient but relaxed rooms. The staff were very attentive and professional and we really enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere. Would considered staying here if we ever went back to Lavenham.

Lovely hotel ,staff let it down .Twice at breakfast failed to take correct order had to ask twice .Seem staff didn't care.Also room was uncomfortable due to towel radiator on all day and night.

Dropped in for lunch on very hot day. Good menu and prices, friendly staff, pleasant ambience but from thereon it went downhill. Partners starter arrived 15 mins after mine despite 2 reminders. Mix up and delays over drinks and Caeser salad was very poor. Grilled plaice was done well but enough gnocci to feed a legion. Gave up on dessert and coffee to go back to Lavenham Blue!

Having listened to much of the audio tour of Lavenham, we wanted to visit the Airman’s Bar at the San Hotel, choosing to eat in the bar rather than the restaurant. The bar was quiet on a cold, wet Monday evening, we were very well looked after. This is an old bar with an aviation theme, commemorating the UASF aircrew stationed locally in the war, with game scores preserved on one wall and more recent tributes from visitors on another. Starters: Scrambled egg on toast with smoked eel. (this was listed in the menu as eel, but was more egg than eel). It was really nicely cooked (the eggs were light and creamy) & enjoyed the first experience of eel. Also venison salami with pear & blackberry, which was interesting, though pear didn’t stand up to the venison. Main courses were pork belly, noodles & pak choi with chilli sauce (pleasant, not wow, and quite a modest amount of pork – two small pieces). Also Confit of duck with mustard mash & peas (enjoyed mash and duck). The food was accompanied by a glass of the house red (which was very enjoyable and at the perfect temperature) and glasses of Adnams Southwold bitter (pronounced ‘Okay) and Blackshore (which was very nice). Nice meal in a quirky bar and a lovely, helpful bar steward.

We went to the Swan in February and ordered coffee and 2 tea cakes in the lounge area. The coffee was barely enough for 1 and a half small cups. We had to order more to get a full cup. On paying the bill, which came to over £20, I said that it had not been satisfactory. The waitress said ‘sorry about that’, nothing more. Returning home I wrote to the manager telling him what had happened. I didn’t even receive a reply to my letter. Unfortunately we shall not go back. There are other places that do care about their customers which the Swan obviously doesn’t.

Returned to the Brasserie for an evening meal with friends. 2 salmon ordered and 2 haddock. One of salmon, though a good size, was severely undercooked, raw from just under the surface. We called the waiter and showed him, asked that it be properly cooked. With no apology he took it away. We then had to ask twice over the next 15 plus minutes what had happened to the fish? On return, a minuscule sorry, a much smaller and totally overcooked different piece of fish, possibly ‘an end’. Nothing was said or offered when we came to pay the bill. Most unprofessional and disappointing. Doesn’t the kitchen use a probe thermometer to check temperatures?

I have lived near this one for many years, and have looked going there as it has such a great reputation. What a shame!

I called at around 7pm on a friday night to see if there was a table available and after a brief chat with the hotel receptionist was offered a table in the Airman's Bar and a choice of either the Gallery or Brasserie menu. There was a lovely welcoming atmosphere in the Bar..It worked out fine. I wasn't hungry, my wife was. So I ordered a starter from the Brasserie menu and my wife had the grilled plaice. My starter - brioche with salami and warmed figs was uninspiring, but my wife's plaice, served on the bone, was excellent. We had some space for dessert. My wife's poached pear was slightly unripe and the core hadn't been properly removed. My Pineapple Tart Tatin was absolutely delicious.Service was friendly although not particularly attentive - we had to prompt the waiting staff to serve us a few times. We only had one one glass of wine (I was driving) and that was a reasonably priced glass of viognier. The Swan at Lavenham is a prestigious hotel and prices itself accordingly. We enjoyed our evening but there were flaws in both service and food. It didn't quite deliver what one expects from a hotel of this quality.

Popped in for a quick lunch. Place was only one third full, we soon discovered why. It was a cold day and the waitress said it was a hard room to heat! Well not that hard - a couple of portable heaters would have done the job. It was freezing throughout the meal. I nearly put my coat and scarf back on and now wished I had. Food was variable. Odd menu. I went safe with smoked salmon. Mains were very undistinguished and lukewarm. I didn't like the tiny confit duck leg that came with cool Mange tout and very odd mashed potato. We bailed out before desert and I asked for a coffee. I soon regretted that decision as it was Luke warm and tasted disgusting. Staff were attentive and charming. But sadly, I don't think I would go there again. The seats by the way are cheap plastic and extraordinarily uncomfortable.

I love this building, it’s perfect. We had lunch at the Brassiere. We ordered our drinks st the bar and went through to be seated. I thought I’d booked the Gallery restaurant but hadn’t and the waitress offered us the lunch time menu from there, but my daughter didn’t fancy anything on offer.We ordered steak £24.95 each. We sat for at least half an hour and people around us were served before us even though they had arrived after. We were quite happy as it was mother and daughter time. Our glasses stood empty with no offer of top ups, I had to grab a waiter. Our meals arrived but our drinks did not, then only one drink arrived. We went to tuck into our steak to discover it was stone cold!We had to go and pay at the till, with no offer of pudding or coffee to a indifferent waiter. £78 total bill.I will not return as dreadful treatment by the mostly awful staff, unfriendly, overpriced and cold food.

Went for what was hoped to be a special birthday lunch having eaten a couple of good meals in the main restaurant a few years ago. The brasserie is scruffy (even the card menus were stained and tatty), tastelessly furnished and feels neglected. Service friendly but inept. Everything had to be asked for again as nothing that was ordered arrived as requested. The 4 drinks ordered arrived as only 3, no bread came with the soup and when it eventually did, it wasn't the 'warm sourdough' listed on the menu. The fish and chips and scampi were fine but my main dish consisted if a piece of pan fried salmon with overcooked potatoes. They forgot the prawn sauce as cited on the menu and after asking for it twice, a jug of melted butter with some bits if chopped prawn and capers turned up, which was horrible. The meal was really expensive for what was basically average to poor pub grub badly served.

Freezing cold and wanting a hot cup of coffee we went to The Swan at Lavenham. We were charged £4 for a small and lukewarm cup for which we had had to wait 1/2hour! No apology, they were busy and shirt of staff, take it or leave it attitude. I also asked for the ladies. ‘Over there’ was the retort, pointing but not bothering to look at me. I was less than impressed and would NOT recommend The Swan.

The food served here is OK but not outstanding. The ambience and atmosphere need to be worked on as it feels a little sterile which is a shame as the rest of the building is wonderful.

We ate in the Brasserie as we didn’t want to get “ dressed up” for the more formal restaurant. The menu was very uninspiring and the service was very slow considering that, at one point we were the only diners! The superfood salad was a huge bowl of leaves with a rather slimy dressing and the other components were hidden. My husband’s scampi was poor and overall it was not good. We had to ask for the dessert menu and the waiting staff appeared to forget we were there

Visited The Brasserie at The Swan for a birthday lunch (7th August). The staff were young, inept and badly trained. Waited and waited to be offered a drink. In the end had to get up and go find someone to take the drinks order. They said ‘they’d fallen behind’. As the restaurant wasn’t full I asked were they very busy? The waiter replied ‘No, it isn’t’. Go figure. We asked for bread but had no side plates. When we asked for them the waiter brought two. I asked where mine was and he said ‘Oh, did you want one?’

This is the informal eating place at The Swan. The food is well presented but even in the brasserie has aspirations to "fine dining". We had fish and chips. The peas were described as crushed but were what I should regard as mushy peas. The chips were served separately in a wire basket. Isn't this rather a cliche now? There was absolutely nothing wrong with our meal except that we found it had ideas above its station! There are better places to eat in Lavenham

We had dinner at the Brasserie and, whilst the food was good the service was shockingly bad. We ordered a bottle of sparkling water as well as a bottle of wine. The water didn't appear. When I asked where it was and I was told that they had run out! The Swan hotel has 2 restaurants and a bar. For a hotel of this scale to run out of sparkling water beggars belief. Particularly as there are 2 Co-op stores in Lavenham where someone with an ounce of sense could have gone and bought a supply. To add insult to injury we were then billed for the water! To be fair the manageress gave us a discount but overall it was very poor.

Dinner for two on a Tuesday evening. The Caesar Salad was all wrong - a single serving had 11 anchovy fillets! My husband ate what he could, but it ended up being too fishy to enjoy. Didn't use Romaine lettuce, no garlic flavour, just fish. I had pork with risotto, unfortunately most of the pork was so tough I could not cut it into bite sized pieces so had to just put those large chunks aside and eat what was still tender near the bone. Not much meat tender enough to cut and eat, so really it was risotto for dinner. The server and manager were very good about the complaints and did take a little off the bill. My husband's ice cream sandwich for dessert was fine, my apricot tarte tatin was overly tart and the pastry tasted burnt, although it did not look it. I think the tray it was cooked on made the pastry have that unpleasant taste.

We went to the Brasserie after an evening concert at the Guildhall, we were impressed by the quality of the food (especially the Sea Bass). Of course, the overall setting was lovely. We shall go again.

Why oh why do you have to pay extra to have any sort of potato on your plate.? After ordering skate at £15.95 I was then asked if I wanted any extras (potato’s/chips) at a whopping £4.95. I know this is a ‘famous’ hotel for this area and a lovely building, but this really has put me off. The food was ok, but nothing special. Maybe we should have gone in their ‘posh’ restaurant, but didn’t know they did a 3 course lunch special for less than I paid for my starter and main.

Have enjoyed pleasant meals here previously, my daughter had her wedding reception here a few years ago as well. We arrived mid afternoon asking if we could order some food. There were two people eating at one table in the brasserie so I was surprised to be asked if I had booked. We were offered a choice of three sandwiches or a cream tea in the bar area. Tasteless anaemic sandwiches arrived. We left most of them paid the bill and decided to go somewhere else. As we paid the bill I noticed two more couples had arrived in the , still very empty, brasserie enjoying a full afternoon tea. On enquiring I was told that although it wasn’t busy one could only sit there if they had booked! Very disappointing!

Entered the swan hotel in Lavenham and the first thing I can say is the building is breath taking really is a sight to behold.

I came here for lunch with friends on a Monday. We hadn't booked but there was plenty of room. Service was attentive and friendly and the food was very good - the fish and chips were perfect, the burger enormous!

Basic lunch; fish and chips, steak sandwich, tarte tatin, a beer and a couple of glasses of wine. From the off pleasant welcome (hadn’t booked) followed by great service throughout. The food was of course uncomplicated but good as was the wine. I am assured that the tarte tatin was memorable. It is good to walk out of a restaurant feeling that your money was well spent !

A good meal in the brasserie last night, lovely ambience, good staff, attentive but give you space. We live in the village and love the brasserie. Highly recommended.

We called in to this beautiful building for an evening meal, my husband had steak which he said was fine but unspectacular, I had skate wing which came with this very hot,& as far as I was concerned, unsuitable sauce. It wasn't going to come with any type of potatoes so had to spend and extra £5 for fries.

Excellent evening, we were seated in the air mens bar reviewing the menu and wine list over an excellent gin and tonic as we were early. A 3 course menu was presented as it was the festive season. Reasonable choices of meat, fish and vegetarian but not an extensive menu, unlike the wine list which has a very good selection. Food was tastefully presented with reasonable portion size, some may say small but it did not leave you feeling bloated. We were served warm nuts and warm bread with 3 kinds of spread - even the blue cheese one was declared delicious and we are not fans of blue cheese. We had tomato gazpacho with sun dried tomates and the blackened halibut. Cod as mains and also venison, both cooked to perfection. Soufflé on the desert menu and it is always our choice. Also cooked to perfection. Paired with rose from proven e and a pint noir from the loire valley, our choice. Restaurant is very nice, tables are not close together, piano playing from the gallery, attentive service but not over bearing. Restaurant was very busy but you never felt rushed. Tea and coffee afterwards with some nice petit fours and a nightcap. A really lovely evening. Highly recommended

My family and I have eaten many times at this delightful old inn and the food has been excellent, but sadly not so this time.

Had smoked haddock chowder, absolutely delicious, could do with a bit more as still room for dessert! Which was the most moist, scrumptious christmas pudding. We visit every christmas to enjoy as expect fantastic food,and stunning surroundings, such a relaxing beautiful place to eat,relax and get in the mood for Christmas

Excellent,old timber framed hotel with many modern conveniences! Beautiful en-suite rooms, magnificent galleried dining room, with excellent menus. Waiter served breakfast with many choices. There is also a brasserie, again with something for everyone! There are open fires in many sitting areas for relaxing and beautiful gardens. Very pleasant, helpful staff always on. An excellent hotel in a very interesting village.

We visited the Brasserie for dinner as it had been recommended, we were not disappointed as the service was A1 and the atmosphere was great.

Lovely stay at this beautiful hotel. Good staff and very nice room. Food was ok but very sparse (one slice of carrot!) and main meal was cold.

We were led to believe the Swan Hotel was the place to go for an evening meal during our week’s stay in this lovely village. Four of us called in and asked if we needed to book a table for that evening and were told it was not necessary. An hour later when we turned up and requested a table an extremely snooty maitre’d’hotel looked us up and down and said there were no tables available. We could see several tables free and he said he didnt want to move tables and upset his clients (which we were). In other words he didnt feel we were good enough to dine there. My husband is a retired army officer and we have always dined and wined with the best. The four of us felt insulted my his attitude and walked out. A member of the staff (a very nice gentleman) ran after us and apologised profusely for his attitude, so this was not a ’one off’ moment by this extremely rude man. We would now never recommend anyone to dine at this very inhospitable hotel.

Had a really enjoyable lunch. The setting was lovely and the staff really helpful. Lovely garden to sit in outside if it’s warm. Food was amazing and good value would recommend

Whilst staying at the hotel, we used the Brasserie for an evening meal.

We have been here many times and have stayed over as well and have always been pleased. We booked the BBQ with friends for Sunday lunch and were very disappointed, £150 for four with no starter, no choice of dessert, 2 beers and no wine plus plastic "village hall" seats. Choice and presentation of BBQ food was very average to say the least.

It is a small and pleasant place inside the hotel. The menu is good. I had kiev chicken and cesar salad. It has a good wine list.

Weekend away in Lavenham with my girlfriend. We stayed at the Swan, and ate there for dinner and breakfast. We found the food a bit hit or miss - my breakfast was outstanding and the desserts after dinner were truely excellent. My girlfriends breakfast (eggs benedict) was ok, but had been left under the heating lamp so long that a thick skin had formed on the hollandaise. For a restaurant of this quality, we expected better. For dinner on the saturday night, we shared the seafood platter. Again, it was nice, but everything was very heavily battered / breaded to the point where it was difficult to taste the seafood underneath. Drinks were very nice and glad to report no fridge issues or problems with wine temperature. Overall, very glad we went and would eat there again, but think they are slightly under-performing for a restaurant of that calibre.

Our second visit here five years apart but still as good as the first time . Delicious food light airy surroundings and coffee in the terrace garden rounded a warm summer evening off perfectly.

The food in this restaurant is exceptionally good with many unusual dishes on the menu. The service was also very good.

The Gallery at the Swan is really an amazing place. On top of the fact that it is in a beautiful old timber-exposed room, the service was some of the absolute best and the food to match. I also appreciated the way they offered the multiple course meals with wine pairing from the sommelier.

Poor menu, expensive rissotto and seating similar to that of a doctors waiting room. Best go for the Galery Restaurant which is better value

Visited this lovely hotel in May with my family and had a lovely lunch. My Macaroni cheese was perfect and burger lovely and juicy. Ambient and staff were lovely, my only objection was that the food was a bit too salty and greasy. Overall 4 stars are in order for such establishment.

I ordered the Sourdogh beef Berger. It was a huge thick over cooked slab of meat you couldn’t possibly fit in your mouth to bite into. It turned out to be tasteless as well so I left 90% of it. Nothing else on the menu appealed to me - a menu posted outside would have been helpful. Better staff training would also be helpful - when asked for a desert menu the waitress nodded but never returned! We walked out.

we hadn't booked and so went later after they had been busy. Had efficient service and very pleasant meal. Friendly brasserie manager at the end of her long shift made the experience feel more welcoming.

Very disappointed in the food. My ribeye was mostly gristle and the actual meat part was quite tough. Ham hock croquettes - beware you only get one, so overpriced. Salt beef hash was indistinguishable from the ham hock croquettes. My ribeye came with chopped mushrooms in the most awful gelatinous goo. And when will these establishments realise customers want their food served on plates - not on chopping boards!

The Swan Inn in Lavenham is a wonderful old building which is great for small or large parties, whether just for a drink, afternoon tea or a meal - you won't be disappointed.

We had planned a day out round Suffolk and had always wanted to visit The Swan, not wanting to go the whole 9 yards on this occasion we opted for an early table at The Brasserie. Arriving early we ordered drinks and settled in the quiet lounge area waiting for the appointed time, the menu whilst not extensive had options that were easy for us to decide.

A beautiful place, fabulous food, great service....an amazing experience and one i shall repeat!!

Had a quick supper at the bar in the Swan earlier this week. Fantastic French bearded barman called Charley I think. Couldn’t decide what we wanted and he really helped. My starter was delicious with Parma ham, salad and pickled rhubarb. Very strange texture quite crisp but actually nice. I’m just used to rhubarb as a pudding. My friend has several food intolerances so none of the delicious puddings were suitable on first glance. Charlie to the rescue, no problem chef could provide an alternative. Really really tasty and inventive. Well done to all the staff and chefs. Thanks for being a place we can rely on and one that doesn’t bat an eyelid at tricky requests.

We had tried to book the fine-dining restaurant at The Swan but it was busy so we decided to slum it in The Brasserie. But we were enjoyably surprised. The food was excellent, the service friendly, efficient and knowledgeable. The room itself was very pleasant and having dine the previous evening in the French Restaurant down the road I found this place far better. I started with a pork chop with an interesting risotto of apple and pork scratching. Extremely yummy! But the pork was oh so tender. Clearly this chef is going places. I continued with the apple theme with a really rather clever pannacotta with apples done a variety of ways. Scrummy! My wife finished off with a fag in the lovely gardens outside. The sunset over the exquisite village of Lavenham - thend to a perfect day.

This is more of a relaxed option in the swan to the gallery restaurant but the food is just as amazing.

Excellent food beautifully presented and served. Lovely setting and although fairly busy it was still a fairly private experience and unrushed. Options on the number of courses and good choice. Not much in writing for vegetarians BUT the staff seemed to be more than happy to produce food off menu too.

Didn't book but got the last available table. Expected to have to wait but didn't at all. Lovely waiters/waitresses, fantastic food, great service, and an all round lovely experience. We had the fish of the day; exceptional.

Yet again another fabulous dining experience at The Gallery Restaurant. My mother and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on Mother's Day. The staff were attentive and friendly, the atmosphere was relaxed and cosy. As for the menu, there was plenty of choice - in fact we were spoilt for choice! Lovely to have local ingredients as well. We travelled from Ipswich as this is by far the best place for a special occasion. Have already reserved a table for Mum's birthday next month! Thanks you for a special time.

We had a light supper with friends while staying in the hotel. The food was ok & service, though initially the chilly over-formal style of the hotel warmed up as the evening progressed. Unfortunately the room, although attractive was very cold Food service was very slow despite. us being the only diners but the most amazing point is the price of wine by the glass...did I miss a huge increase in the price of basic wines? I realise profit has to be made but there is profit & there's highway robbery!!

A friend and I went to the Brasserie at the Swan for supper on the evening of Friday 23rd February 2018. I must confess that we go to the Brasserie fairly often and I have eaten most of the items I like from the menu. This time however there were two new additional items which I noticed. There was the Fish Finger sandwich which I think has lemon sole. What caught my eye though was the Streak Sandwich which I ordered. It was superb. There were generous slices of good steak in a Chiabatta roll and it came with salad and fries. The meat was perfectly seasoned with a flavour between barbeque and roast dinner. I loved it and it was also £12 against, I think, £14 for the Swan burger which is always good. However I will return for the Steak sandwich soon.

The service in the restaurant was very good , so too was the food. Could not give it 5 stars for the service as we ordered coffee in the lounge, the cups arrived promptly but no sign of any coffee being served after 20 minutes and no sign of any staff and it was not that busy... such a let down to a fine evening and very hard to understand what went wrong here !

This brasserie has a buzzy atmosphere. Very good menu with the most enjoyable food. Service is friendly and relaxing.

I'm not a massive fan of over-familiarity from staff and essentially want to go to a nice restaurant and feel and be comfortable and inhabit our own space. Let's be clear that you're paying for it. So for me the too pally 'bud' conversation is neither requested nor warranted, albeit I recognise that equally I would want to get good and friendly service at the same time. But someone here, the management let's be clear, need to re-read the manual again on excellent service which doesn't cross the intrusive line.

I thoroughly enjoyed a family lunch here just after Christmas. There was the opportunity to have more Christmas fare but it was lovely to have something very different. I had the squid to start and the fish pie, which was very filling and very tasty. The others in the party had fish and chips: a very generous portion of fish, with crisp chips. The extra vegetables I asked for were very good and all in all this was a very satisfying lunch.

Had a nice time at the brasserie while exploring Lavenham. The food was fine and the staff were fine and that's about as much as I can say. I had the Confit Pork Belly. While I know this is a fatty cut of meat. It was well beyond greasy, though it did taste good. My friend had the fish and chips, which again was perfectly fine. Overall a perfectly fine experience, but nothing special.

A stunning building in a stunning unspoiled medieval town in beautiful Suffolk. It's an elegant hotel and has a beautiful...

As a family, whether in groups of 4, 6 or 8, we eat here every couple of months and its...

Beautiful food. Lovely atmosphere. We had a choice of 3-5 courses. I felt it was as good value for money and the selection was well thought through

First time for here having booked late and not able to get in main restaurant. A pleasant dining experience, nicely...

We were in Lavenham for the antique shops etc and at midday, we decided to have lunch at The Swan....

Could have eaten better and cheaper elsewhere and in that sense disappointing. Not intended to compete with its big sister down the corridor and lesser standard expected but the meals were rather dumped on our mats by a rather surly chap and were not as good as we did expect. None-the-less we had a pleasant time in what is clearly a busy and quite popular brasserie. It may be we were there on a bad day.

The food is absolutely fine, but not exceptional. How happy you are with it depends on your expectations.

On a lovely sunny Saturday afternoon we sat in the stunning walled gardens of The Swan, a beautiful Tudor hotel and restaurant. Present with a short straight forward lunch menu i made my selection. Pork terrine, fish of the day, Hake and strawberry cheesecake.

Im Hotel ist ein Pub, mit umfassendem Spirituosenangebot, viel Atmosphäre und nettem Personal. Ein idealer Ort für das Feierabendbier

The menu at the Brasserie is less elaborate than the main restaurant of the Swan but it's the same chef and equally excellent food. There is a good range of dishes to choose from, with nightly specials, and a vegetarian menu too.

The brasserie, service and food were all fantastic. Our hostess Jo squeezed us in despite our not having booked, and we both felt the steaks were the best we have had locally. The service was friendly, helpful and nothing was too much trouble. We are looking forward to our return visit, hopefully very soon. Thanks Jo and team for a lovely evening!

We had a lovely lunch here in the garden. After negotiating a surly maitre d' - who dismissed us as he was fully booked - he did accommodate us in the garden. Pricey food and drinks but quality. If they could train the front of house manager to be pleasant, it could be a winner.

Having never visited the Swan before, a friend suggested my mother and I have lunch with her there. We arrived early so sat on the sofas and enjoyed a coffee. We were also offered the menus prior to going to our table and were able to place our orders before being shown to our table when our starters were ready. I have an allergy and frequently feel a nuisance asking about nuts in the food and expect an eye roll from the staff but not this time. Our waitress Josephine (Jo) was brilliant, very familiar with allergies and intolerance's, so refreshing to not feel like I was being a pain. Josephine was attentive throughout lunch, not intrusive but just the right amount of attention. The food was delicious, beautiful presentation and portion sizes that make you feel like you've had a good lunch but not so over full you can't move. It was very quiet when we arrived and filled up during our time there but the noise level didn't alter significantly, we were very comfortable. Price a little higher than I would normally pay for lunch, but 3 courses in such a lovely place and such good service it was worth it. Will definitely return in the future.

We went for a meal at The Brasserie, travelling about 30 minutes to get there.The food was nice, service was good to start with until after the main course.We waited at least 30 minutes and nobody came to see if we wanted desserts or coffee. My partner had to go and find someone who apologised saying they were short staffed.We then got the bill and left without ordering a dessert, coffee or after dinner drink. Won't be going back.

The bistro is a really good place to be. Wood burning stove in the winter and the option of a very pretty garden in the summer. Very polite and helpful staff and a good changing menu.

We wanted to show our American guests the lovely village of Lavenham and especially the Swan Hotel. The four of us arrived at the Swan and were pleasantly surprised that tables were available for lunch. We decided to have lunch and were seated in the garden area straightaway.After about ten minutes a waiter arrived to take our drinks order. Twenty minutes later our drinks arrived after we made several enquiries. Another 15 minutes passed before the waiter took our food order (nearly 45 minutes after we arrived).Our order was simple....two roast beef sandwiches and two salad plates plus some chips and bread. We also ordered two more drinks. Nearly 15 minutes passed before receiving our drinks and after another 20 minutes the waiter brought out only two of the four meals.We waited another 10 minutes for the other two meals to arrive and these were not what was ordered so they took them back and took another 10 minutes to sort it out. The better part of two hours from the time we were seated to the time we received our simple meals.NOT ONCE IN ALL THIS TIME DID ANY STAFF APPROACH OUR TABLE TO ASK HOW THINGS WERE GOING. We should have known better but we decided to order desserts. You guessed it, we waited nearly a half hour and still no dessert. We decided enough is enough and decided to pay our Bill.The staff member at the till apologized but offered nothing else. Most places would have taken something off the bill or at least offered a complimentary drink.It's so sad that our American friends left for their homeland with such a bad experience to remember Britain by.I will in future avoid the Swan Hotel and recommend others to do likewise.

Nice restaurant in fantastic old building. Some of the dishes were a bit off - the brown crab gel was very salty, for example. We got the feeling the chef was trying a little too hard. The wine pairings were good. Some of the service seemed as if they were in training and so a little slow and unsure. I would give the restaurant another chance if in the area.