Long Melford Swan in Babergh

Food fantastic especially the Sunday roast

We visited the pub/restaurant to see if it would be suitable for my wife who is disabled and uses a rolator to attend a family event in a few weeks time. Prior to our visit, I had phoned ahead to check on parking, to be told there was ample available on the main road outside. Free too! This proofed to be the case. The staff were kind enough to hold the door open on arrival and showed use the bar facilitoes and tolities. Though there are some areas not suitable, my wife was able to get around safely. It was a Wednesday lunch time, and was very quiet. Though the staff tell me it does get busyer in the evening. The meal we had was delicous. Service was outstanding from the start to the end. If you are visiting one of the local historic houses such as Melford Hall or Kentwell Hall, or just visiting for the local scenery or the walks around the area I can definately recommend the Swan.

Very disappointed with the vegetarian option which was a beetroot burger. Apart from a small burger and the bun with two onion rings, there was no relish or salad or mayonnaise. This was my second visit and no improvement in the vegetarian options .

Fantastic food and value for money. Service was fast and attentive without being overpowering

Absolutely gorgeous venue, and the food was delicious BUT the flatbread halloumi was more like a large crust pizza and the side of chips could feed at least 4 people. I absolutely hate leaving food but I really couldn’t eat it all. Food was lovely so hopefully we will return x

Only live 100y away and tried to go for food 3 times last month. First two times (evening) we were told they were not serving food that night. The first night because ‘we have a big table coming in’. Odd. .. We had drinks in the garden, lo and behold lots of small tables of people came and went, they were ordering food and getting it. Odd. We eventually went for lunch on Sept 18, it was very quite and sat in the garden. Ordered food and drinks inside and paid the girl for it all. The food was ok, the lunch prices are actually very reasonable and the food good. The pork belly was decent, the steak on flatbread was plentiful, if not a weird concept and the drinks were good. There one maybe two other tables still there when we left. As we walked out the main door and headed along Hall St this voice screams ‘Oi, have you paid you bill’ for the whole of Melford to hear. It was the very same girl i had paid some 45 minutes earlier. She disappeared inside. I walked back in past the 3-4 drinkers in the bay window, who presumed i had done a runner. I told the girl ‘i paid you when i ordered’… another girl at the till said ‘oh its the others, its ok’ … Odd. Place is ok, food is alright, taste left in mouth is bitter. A restaurant that cannot handle more than one big table. Accuses you of theft for all of Hall Street to hear. Hmmmm.

Only had a meal with 10 of us. But great service. Food was good. Prices were reasonable. Parking was on street. But we all got a parking space. (For 5 cars) Will use again.

Had the ham, egg and chips. Quite excellent. I was with a party of four other people and everybody agreed the food was good

Good quality food, friendly staff, tasteful decor. Value for money

Great meal. The food was fab great choice. Opted for a mix of shared and tapas. 4 of us and wow what a great meal. Lamb kofta wow, could just eat them. Couple more wine options be nice.

Went for delicious meal not accommodation.

We ate in the bar on a quiet Thursday lunch so not much atmosphere, though hardly their fault. Under new ownership since our last visit/review and much improved with the menu offering a far more balanced range of options. Food, burgers followed by sticky toffee pudding, was good quality and portion size just right. Sadly let down by the service. A more mature, and presumably senior, staff member spent most of her time sat in the bar with her back to the room, engrossed in her phone. Actual service was left to a single server who was absent at times, presumably server other tables in this rather sprawling pub. As a result service was slower than it should have been. Overall an OK experience that would have been much improved is both staff made an effort. Worth a try, hopefully we caught them on an off day. Dog friendly.

Stayed for one night. Lovely place, very historic. Comfortable room and lovely setting. Pub is nice and beer garden is huge. Didn't eat but the food smelt lovely. No breakfast served at the moment though. Would stay again

Lovely staff and excellent food!

Excellent weekend in suite 10, I highly recommend it.

Staff are always friendly and efficient ( especially the lovely Welsh girl). Good food and great service. Would recommend

Awful experience. Why all the good reviews? Walked in from a deserted Long Melford on a dull Wednesday evening to find dozens of empty tables "Table for two? I cheerfully asked "Have you booked"? "Er no, you look three quarters empty.." No way apparently, not even if we promise to go for a walk and come back in an hour's time. We needed to have applied for a reservation in writing, for a quiet midweek early evening well in advance Staff are clearly not interested in taking large sums of money off potential customers We must have missed the "sod off" sign on the door We went across the road where a rival pub was happy to have us. Greene King: you need a new manager here!

A lovely Sunday lunch. The menu was good, the roast pork was divine. Pleasant staff. The prices are very reasonable.

Popped in to The Swan for a last minute Sunday lunch. Excellent meal well presented. Would go back again.

Went in here recently after it re-opened. What a disappointment the food is nowhere as nice as it used to be. Practically everything is fried and in oil that is possibly burnt as very dark and overcooked coatings. The peroni draft lager is flat possibly due to not having enough gas in air line,

We booked for lunch as it is dog friendly and we were visiting the area over Easter. Lovely atmosphere. Staff were very attentive and friendly..The food was delicious.

Good service, welcoming atmosphere

We were looking for a light meal mid-week. There is a wide selection of wines by the glass and a very good menu. We had a mezze between two of us and it was very generous. We would eat there again, but would eat in the restaurant, rather than the bar. The bar had very harsh lighting, while the restaurant had warm lighting and was more cosy. We did see the food in the restaurant and a speciality were the lamb chops, which were huge! (There were two of them).

Excellent food, deserts. Saturday is busy, and there is a slow service. Overall, it's a good place

Brilliant staff can't do enough for you food really good will recommend all day

Gluten free options available Gf fish and chips, gf coconut choc tart

A stunning pub which has recently been taken over by new owners and has really gone from a 6 to a 10!! The food menu was great offering a large range of well priced options, the drinks were well priced and the staff were super helpful. A special shout out to the brilliant manager Sara who couldn’t do enough to help us, we look forward to returning again ASAP for the great atmosphere led by this superb member of staff. Thanks Sara and team!!

Food was delicious and beautifully presented - rump steak was perfectly cooked, tapas dishes were plentiful. We thought the menu was varied and interesting. Staff were friendly and welcoming, even our dog was well looked after! Highly recommend for a lovely evening meal.

Sunday lunch, the owner needs to smile regardless of what's going on around her

Brilliant food and service .We will be back very soon .My husband is a coeliac and was well catered for .Also dog friendly.

Sunday lunch was lovely Friendly staff

Just popped in for a few pints, staff were friendly and accommodating, we played a couple of games of bar billiards. Food smelt lovely and everyone in there seemed happy. Would recommend.

New owners taken over they run the white horse in Sudbury as well fast efficient service owners made us feel very welcome very efficient it seemed busy all afternoon and into the evening on their first day open good luck to them in this new venture nice decor will go back to try out their food soon but said they are doing roasts this Sunday let’s hope this pub thrives and goes from strength to strength just had lunch here this Sunday 18 th February wow blown away amazing food fantastic service greeted with a warm welcome and smiles all round the food portions were astoundingly great so tasty and we will be regulars to this pub now The new managers are seriously turning this pub round for the better thank you for a great meal today we felt so looked after all during our meal the staff are fabulous

Sunday lunch, unplanned visit on a afternoon walk. Clearly since the management change there is a change of direction...the menu prices reveal this straight away. So, £17.00 for a largish Sunday lunch, nice presentation, good selection of vegetables included. Lovely young man for table service but clearly very nervous! As to the food, excellent beef and Turkey crown, potatoes crisp, carrots and swede. However, cabbage and beans beyond el dente. Yorkshire pudding, not enough egg content, flat and chewy. Overall we will return

Second time since visiting the pub since they opened and really impressed. The staff are super friendly, helpful and polite. Also nice to see some familiar faces from The White Horse pub working there. We had lunch there today and it was really great quality food, reasonably priced and tasted delicious. Thank you Sara, Ashley, Gary and the rest of the new team - wishing you lots of luck and success!

The Swan in Long Melford BACK BETTER THAN EVER! What an incredible breath of fresh air to be able to visit a long established venue in this day and age where new landlords come in and completely rejuvenate and enhance the business. Anybody who understands hospitality will appreciate that it's a very tough business. Today I find myself in an iconic venue in Long Melford, and many will know the Swan, in the ownership of new landlords, and I am absolutely delighted to report that I've had just about the best lunch experience I've had in years! So......what do we really want as customers when we visit a pub for lunch these days? Great service, absolutely. Excellent food, very reasonably priced, YES. A welcoming and comfortable environment, always welcome. And the Swan in Long Melford now offers all of these things and that added special warmth of experience that is rarely found these days. Ashley and Gary the new landlords have really transformed the Swan in just a matter of days and have appointed Sarah to manage the business and this is a very smart move as Sarah is an amazing front of house manager. How good was my experience? Well I've already changed my diary to go back tomorrow.....I strongly recommend you do the same.

Tell me why I DO LIKE MONDAYS! What an outstanding lunchtime experienced at The Swan in Long Melford today. Ok, many will know this venue as a long established iconic venue in Melford, but the locals know that in recent years the customer experience has certainly reduced. Well I'M delighted to say that you all must think again. I visited The Swan today and from the moment I walked in the entire experience was outstanding. The place has been totally revitalised by Ashley and Gary the new Landlords. In their experience and wisdom they have appointed Sarah to manage The Swan. Many will know Sarah from The White Horse in Sudbury and Sarah has clearly carried her character, professionalism and charm over to The Swan. From the moment I walked in the welcome and service were really very exceptional. So the service, absolutely 5 star. The drinks....well the real ale was incredibly good, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Nethergate AIPA in fantastic condition and very reasonably priced. The food.....the Ham, egg and chips with garnish, really excellent and PROPER chips too! The cumberland sausage granary sandwich was delicious. So in summary, The Swan in Long Melford has had some seriously good life breathed into it. Thank you to Ashley, Gary, Sarah and the team. Absolutely outstanding, can't wait to come back.

Found this lovely place by chance. Great hospitality & really amazing food, especially since this was the first day of serving food under new management. The roast lamb & apple pie for dessert was delicious. Definitely visit again.

We love the Swan the atmosphere very welcoming, food is fabulous,rooms beautifully clean and comfortable and everyone so kind and helpful. Such a shame as the owners and staff are now moving and taking over The Greate House in Lavenham but based on our experience at The Swan Long Melford. I am sure the new venture at The Greate House, Lavenham will be a huge success and we wish you well. Thank you.

Lovely Christmas time stay in Long Melford. Room was luxurious with gorgeous deep bath. Food was good. Only small complaint was the banging of the bar door below everytime someone went out. Vibrated through the floor.

Great Xmas meal lovely atmosphere and decor good

Booked up for Sunday lunch Welcoming staff and efficient service, we both had the roast beef and it was great. The beef was quality and cooked to perfection, definitely one of the best roasts that I have eaten (bar the wife’s!) . Will visit again…

Had a lovely lunch. Vegetarian option was delicious. Very nice decor and service very good.

Excellent service and food. Very relaxed atmosphere.

Warm friendly welcome, lovely rooms and great food.. Couldn't ask for more.

My wife and I met my stepdaughter and two of her friends for Sunday lunch. As my stepdaughter had a very long drive, she was unfortunately a few minutes late for our booking for the final sitting of the afternoon. This did not go down well. The gentleman who served us, who I assumed was the landlord as he was the only staff member not in uniform, had the general manner of someone who’s just found a turd in his pocket! ‘Are these people coming?’ He demanded in an abrupt manner. And so it began. When the others did arrive, admittedly a few minutes late, we were left for about twenty minutes before anyone came to take our orders. When someone did come, it was Basil Fawlty again. ‘Can I quickly take your orders.’ With an emphasis on the word ‘quickly’. It wasn’t anything he said, Just how he said it, and spoiled a good but not outstanding meal. Would normally get three or four stars for the food, but for the service. All other staff were great y the way.

Excellent food (albeit a little pricey) but well worth it for a special occassion. Sunday lunch (2 courses)and drinks came to £59

Good menu choices suit all palates and budgets. Service very friendly and helpful. Food all very good, well presented. Eaton mess exceptional.

Spent a Friday evening here with friends. Service was great, and we had a good evening meal. Rooms were comfortable and clean if a little cosy (but for a pub with rooms they were what we’d expect), and breakfast was spot on. I left a bottle of perfume behind and they very kindly sent it on to me.

As you’d expect in Long Melford this pub is a jumble of rooms, all pleasantly presented. The rear patio and garden offers sunny and shady spots. Dog friendly. The Swan seems to be leaning towards a wine bar, bistro vibe most noticeable in the menu, which was sorely lacking in lighter options at lunchtime. Not a sandwich in sight and the only real contender, a chicken Caesar salad, was off. I’m not a fussy eater but struggled, eventually opting for a pleasant but unremarkable gazpacho. My wife went for a more substantial tuna dish which was very good. Presented with new potatoes, boiled egg and a mound of olives it was pleasant but too much for a light lunch. Service was friendly and smooth. Go there if you have a hearty appetite but there are plenty of alternatives nearby.

We enjoyed our meal here and thought it was good value for money. The staff were friendly and attentive. Highly recommended.

Wonderful outsides spaces and lovely inside spaces. Great welcome from staff, good service at the table. Good menu, delicious food, well presented and good prices. Building spotlessly clean, well maintained and attractive. Thank you.

Staff beyond helpful and friendly. Food perfect .the only downside was a smokers, we were upside, and I think a mistake to smoking in eating area . Wasn’t pleasant

Popped in for lunch and had a delicious serving of pork belly with a glass of voignier. Service was very good from the front bar to the waitress.

Had a lovely lunch today with one of my oldest friends ! Lovely surroundings, food and amazing service by our waitress Phoebe . Will definitely be back again .

Dined here for lunch, stylish pub that has a contemporary interior. The normal pub classics are on offer but in a congenial space. Good service. Our friends had cod and chips which they enjoyed, large serve. Chickpea curry was great, naan bread … from a...

Excellent lunch - probably the nicest haddock and chips I’ve had. Salmon and dill fish cake also very very tasty my partner says - all very competitively priced. Lovely being seated by the fire! - will visit again! Overall superb!

The food was excellent, not cheap but if you’re not hungry it was cooked really well . The wine however was foul . It was a cheap Spanish red tasting of cherry aid . I cannot understand why a pub uses the cheapest nasty wine...

Went for a Valentines Menu evening meal and had a fantastic time. Whilst a regular visitor, we do not normally eat and we had amazing food. Opted for the rib eye cooked medium rare and that’s exactly how it arrived. Dauphinois were the best I...

Nicely done place, clean, good food and drink. Pretty poor service, no checking to see how things were, waited and waited for dessert list which never arrived. Sat with Empty glasses and didn’t ask if we wanted more drinks. Friends meal arrived on its own...

The website has the Swan open but at 20:30 the kitchen was closed. The staff didn't appear to care less. We had a similar couldn't care less expierence some months back and put it down to a bad day. This second visit has confirmed this...

My husband and I stayed at The Swan for a night and it did not disappoint. We stayed in the suite and it was beautiful. The copper bath was a really nice touch. We had a three course meal in the restaurant and it was...

Particularly fond of the waiting staff George-super attentive and went the extra mile with accommodating our needs! Food was scrumptious & hot, nice simple but hearty lunch menu. Open & airy dining room A lovely experience-certainly recommend for both couples & parties Xx

Good service, good wines and wonderful surroundings. Sunday menu expensive for topside? Over all ok, will try the evening menus in the near future,

Stopped for a quick drink, very pleasant,bar area and restaurant clean. Staff very pleasant, wished we could of stayed longer.

Very nice restaurant with lovely food and generous portions. Welcoming and friendly staff mostly attentive. We went home fully ‘fed up’ 😉

We had a 3 night break at the Swan. Friendly, welcoming and efficient service from our arrival until we left. Our room was comfortable and well equipped. Food was excellent. We had breakfast every morning - plenty of choice, all good quality ingredients and cooked...

Really excellent quality food and great value for money. There aren't many restaurants that cook this well in West/South Suffolk and certainly not at this price point. Friendly staff, beer kept well, good wine list for this type of venue and furnished nicely. A lot...

Great food and service ,also visited for a couple of pints Guinness in the garden ,cocktails for the ladies.Highly recommended

Went for lunch and had fish and chips that was ok, burger was good, crab was a bit dry but enjoyed it and the cod meal was nice ..there was 5 of us the worst thing was the amount of wasps inside 😱 hate those!

Made to feel very welcome by the staff when we walked in and this welcome and helpful attitude was evident all through our visit. We only had main meal but this was very filling and superb quality. My wife and mother in law had the...

Arrived at 7 for our prebooked table, which we were shown to very quickly, it then went downhill very quickly. Waited 10 minutes for the waitress to acknowledge us let alone serve us, gave up and left when we heard another table ask where there...

What a fantastic evening we had. 4 couples arrived at 7, left at half 11. Wonderful, friendly staff specially Louise and Jamie. Standard of food and the choices of food were outstanding. Can not fault it in any way. Looking forward to going back. Bloody...

I am always skeptical about Sunday lunch. I feel I can cook it better at home! BUT I have to admit the Swan served the best Sunday lunch I have had in a long time. Excellent tender beef, well cooked veg and an enormous Yorkshire...

We had a great meal the sea bass was cooked to perfection and we both had sticky toffee pudding which was surprisingly light and very tasty. The meal was tainted by three young women who were very loud and felt the need to let the...

We booked an overnight stay at The Swan when our friends made a restaurant booking. We were made to feel very welcome from the moment we arrived and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The staff are all fantastic - it’s clear that they take pride...

Great food, very attentive service! Was very surprised by the variety of the wine list (it’s not often you see German wines on a menu) would definitely come back for a return visit.

Just spent a night at the swan, excellent food super comfortable rooms and professional staff, will be returning soon

The rooms are simply stunning, with spotless bathrooms and very comfortable beds. We had breakfast included which was deliciousnes, a great choice on the menu and great value. The staff are very friendly and made us very welcome - thank you for a relaxing two...

Absolutely amazing. Room was brilliant. Food was some of the best we’ve ever had. But the staff stole the show. Made it such a brilliant experience. An incredible 11/10.

Sunday lunch before Christmas. Food was good but the staff didn’t seem to be very knowledgeable. Restaurant not very busy and staff carried large Walkie talkies which seemed a bit excessive. Have not been back since and would not recommend

Food was well presented and tasty. Let down by disjointed service level. Staff need direction and training.

Had a lunchtime meal, and have to say it was faultless from ambience, staff and fabulous food. Will definitely be going back soon. Thank you to all for a very relaxed day.

We had such a delicious roast at the Swan. The beef and pork were both cooked to perfection and there was a lovely range of freshly cooked veg to accompany. Desserts were delicious and beautifully presented . Really flavoursome fresh meal , in a lovely outside heated patio area.

Lunch was nice and reasonable but the price of their alcohol was outrageous in my view and I will never go back because I left there feeling I had been ripped off. Never have I ever paid so much for a glass of wine....

This place was beautiful in the sunshine today. A great buzz with everyone happily enjoying being outside. Crisp rose wine and Timothy Taylor Landlord ale for my OH. Sunday roasts were delicious and abundant, with 6 different vegetables. I had pork belly and OH had roast beef. Desserts were delightful as well... crumble and lemon posset ( my favourite). Well done for making our end of lockdown most enjoyable!!

A really lovely bar/restaurant. Great decor and lovely surroundings. Service was excellent and food superb. Tough times for the hospitality industry and these guys deserve to do well. Thank you for today. We will be back.

Yesterday we ventured out for a long awaited meal, we chose the Long Melford Swan Suffolk. What a fabulous choice, it is great venue, feeling very comfortable and safe in these strange times. The food was excellent, we had a different starter each of king prawns and mackerel mouse both with the trimmings, mains had to be turkey and for sweet it was artic roll with fruit sherbet and jelly and I enjoyed a poached pear in mulled wine with an excellent panna cotta. We will head back there in the new year sometime, thank you to all the chefs and front of house staff.

Lovely decor, but where we were seated the lighting was so bright that it lacked ambience. My partner ordered half a lobster at £25. When it arrived it was small with only a few mouthfuls of meat and the rest of the plate filled with bread triangles!I ordered the falafel wraps. Give them their due, they were freshly made, however they lacked any taste and were so greasy. For two drinks and two not so great main meals it wasn't the best £49 spent!!Very disappointed

A great Inn/pub/deli in the High Street. We had the charcuterie board. Much more welcoming than the Bull opposite. The Swan has recently had a groovy re-decoration. We loved the open fire too. Thank you!

Stayed this weekend and I must say what great people from the time we arrived nothing was too much trouble the young girls were brilliant and looked after us. We will deafantly be staying again soon..

Went here for Sunday lunch. Menu very limited - 4 fish dishes and one vegetarian otherwise burgers and pizzas. I don’t eat fish so went for a pizza. This was very doughy and mainly cheese. My partner had a fish dish which he said was quite nice. Overall experience disappointing, nothing like the special experience it used to be and pretty pricey now for what you get. We won’t be rushing back.

We had a lovely meal here and the staff were delightful and friendly but at £9.50 for a 125ml glass of wine felt they were taking the micky a bit with their prices. Also felt the food was rather overpriced for what it was.

Passing through and stopped for dinner. Previous dining experiences here were excellent. But new owners now. Menu was very limited and very disappointing. Hand sanitizers were not apparent until we were seated. Menus were laminated and used constantly obviously. Enter and exit by the same door. Staff not wearing masks.

Our first day in Long Melford and we were lucky enough to find Long Melford Swan. There was a very nice wine list and the salads and cheeses were delicious as we ate them in the sun. The girls who served us were lovely, cheerful and very helpful.

We stayed at the Bull Hotel almost opposite but hadn't booked breakfast so needed to find somewhere to eat. We tried the Swan on our first morning and it was so good we went back the next day! I can recommend the pancakes and avocado on toast (I had poached eggs with mine). The staff were helpful and courteous and they also sold an array or local produce including some delicious unusual gins, rums and vodkas.

Came for breakfast for my mums birthday. Service was poor. Food was average at best. Really disappointed.

We visited The Swan 3 times over the weekend, it was that good! The Restaurant/Bar area is very smart with lovely seating. The first night we had a selection from the Meze Menu, all the dishes well presented & very tasty. Next day we were joined with friends for lunch. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their food & the atmosphere. I sampled the Swan Burger, it was truly excellent! There are 7 Pub/Restaurants in Long Melford & this is the best!

I had lunch at the Swan on Saturday. I had a coffee followed by the Swan burger. The staff were friendly and the burger was excellent. Keep up the good work !

The hotel is really lovely. The restaurant is excellent and the staff are very welcoming. Would highly recommend.