The Black Swan at Oldstead in Ryedale

After visiting Roots earlier in the year, the black swan was on the bucket list. My husband surprised me with an overnight stay for my birthday. It was Every bit as good as Roots and more. The room which was situated in a quaint cottage across the road, was cosy and had everything we needed for the nights stay. The copper bath was great to have a nice relax in before dinner. Dinner was exceptional, the service, the food and wine pairing were all faultless. We were also so impressed with breakfast the following Morning which was a dining experience in itself. Will be sure to return when we’ve saved up some more ££!!

This was hands down the best food I have ever eaten. The restaurant is in a beautiful old pub in the middle of nowhere. The area around it is green, attractive, quiet and probably what rural England was like centuries ago. Service was exceptional from start to finish - it is no surprise when you train young people well and look after them, they deliver something exceptional. What can you say about the food. Each dish was a word of art with a lot of thought about the ingredients, preparation, presentation and taste. It is difficult to imagine the effort to bring each to completion. The prices may seem high at first but when you hear how much effort goes in to produce each dish you wonder why they are not higher! All their ingredients are local and even those from the Yorkshire coast (lobster) or Cornwall (monkfish) they are delivered and cooked within 24 hours of landing the catch. My favourite dishes were the monkfish and the yoghurt with douglas fir which was served as a palate cleanser - I hope they serve it at Christmas as it really is Christmas on plate. They have accommodation and we stayed in the rooms behind the pub which were really good with everything you would need and all of high quality. Writing this I realise that the 5 star tripadvisor category contains many places of different standards. If there was a 6 star category I would really give it to this one, a truly outstanding place.

We visited the Black Swan for a birthday celebration. Glorious location surrounded by beautiful countryside. From the time of arriving we were given a warm welcome and it set the scene for the rest of the evening. The team of staff are probably the most professional I have ever met, very knowledgable in all areas of wine and food but made us at ease with their friendly manner. The food was exceptional, beautifully cooked and presented. The food was exciting using locally produced products. We had the wine package with the taster menu and it was worth every penny. Probably the best culinary experience of our lives. Sincere thanks to the Black Swan team!

My friends and I went to the Black Swan this Monday and had a brilliant time, the food is excellent and the staff are incredibly warm and welcoming. 10/10 would recommend

Now the black swan has been on my bucket list for years now, so it was a table booked for lunch and a 3 and half journey to sample what the black swan is up to.. Having had a lovely journey through the york Countryside, the black swan is literally in the middle of farmers' counties.. As we just sat outside on the beach just before we were going to enter, a member of the staff came out and took a drinks order, and the beings us out our amuse bouches which was a great service. All 3 were special!! Especially the cheese and walnut as I've been wanting to try that one for a few years now. As we moved into the main dining room, we were given lobster and lobster crackers! Both packed full of lobster goodness. Next up was the bread, which was a good old bake. Scallop was next up with wild garlic. The quality of that scallop was tremendous with a delicious sauce. Then it was sea bass time with fermented gooseberry! Fish was good banging, and that sauce yet again was spellbinding. Next was the dish main course, which consisted of 4 elements, which was Mangalitza Pork! First was a pork cheek & ear taco. The next was a potato with lardo and pork crackling, then pork belly and black apple, then pork loin, blood pudding & onion ! Gotta say all was brilliant! The only slight criticism I'll give was that the sauce was a bit too rich ! It was on the borderline of being Unedible. It still had great flavour but had to big of a massive punch. Now we moved over to the sweet section.. First was a rhubarb & sweet cicely, now this was my type of dessert, absolutely delicious.. Next was a mushroom Ganache and Jerusalem Artichoke ice cream. Basically, all worked on harmony.. Then to finish off a great lunch the petit Fours of .. Crab Apple & dark chocolate and a yoghurt whey & Chicory Waffle.. Absolutely perfect... Was well worth the travel, and even at the end, we had a good walk around the farm to have a look at the spring produce that was growing.

Taster menu Absolutely sublime in every way! 2 vegetarians in our party. So pleased that as vegetarians we left feeling that our courses had equal care and attention to the carnivore. Everything was beyond expectation. We came to celebrate 2 special occasions. The establishment is stunning, the staff were professional, personally and extremely knowledgeable. They were impeccably choreographed. They made us feel extremely welcome and at ease. The food was out of this world. This was our first tasting menu. Everything was incredible. We all especially loved how much is produced on the property. It was worth saving up for. Perfection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Arrived with family for a 65th birthday and 40th wedding anniversary Beautiful setting fantastic rooms attentive staff perfect food super wines could not have dreamed of a better stay Perfect in every way and after the tasting menu could not believe we would have eaten the multi course breakfast the following morning but once again it was perfect

We booked an overnight stay with friends to celebrate a birthday. The rooms were cosy and comfortable. The tasting menu was simply wonderful - the smoked ell/apple and the Hoggart were my favourites. After a great night's sleep the very comfortable beds we enjoyed a very tasty breakfast (fantastic sausages & Black pudding). A final note - the staff were friendly and all were very knowledgeable which made the experience extra special

An outstanding stay at the Black Swan. The food is amazing and the service excellent, with extremely knowledgeable, helpful staff. A nice touch is the extensive use of local ingredients many from their own gardens. The restaurant itself has a lovely atmosphere and our room was comfortable and well equipped.

As you can see from the title, this is about our mostly favourable review of the boxed meals we have sampled. The first two were absolutely excellent and so much so that we ordered our third a few weeks ago and eagerly awaited its arrival on the 2nd July. Wine ready on hand the meal was prepared but things started to get a little bit muddled and our expectations a bit reduced. "Chimichurri" replaced with chervil dressing, Charlotte potatoes replaced with Maris Bard in the main course and not looking at all like the featured example in the instructional video. The cubes of potatoes were really rather tiny and drowned by the yellow liquid and very salty, However, the small piece of cod was really quite lovely but spoilt by the amount of liquid swimming in the recommended bowl. Nitpicking? No, we were comparing this meal to the previous two that were fantastic, the bar was set so to speak. Suffice to say, we ate the whole meal but were simply very disappointed and it has made us question whether or not we will order another.

Certainly not cheap, but a rare experience with a sublime tasting opportunity. The food was so good, and I’d recommend splashing out on the drinks package too as the drinks really add to the pleasure. The staff were all great too. A bit let down by the chocs at the end and the awful espresso, so hope these are improved! Guys, buy a decent coffee machine! But a memorable day - thank you.

Signature Box – 5 Course MenuWe have had several of these delivered over lock down. They have all been excellent but this by far is my favourite. All five courses are delicious and a real treat. The beef wellington is by far the best we have both ever had.They are not cheap but if you want a treat try them. The only thing I would say is I read and follow the instructions to the letter, I could imagine if you didnt it could be a disaster. You have to have a degree of culinary ability to follow the instructions or be able to follow them carefully without cracking into the wine early :-)

After having several Tommy Banks meals on delivery we decided to treatmourselves,to an overnight with the tasting menu. An indulgence, but with cooking of this quality and variety what can we say. As examples there was a smoked eel starter that was a delight, the pea and potato and Simondhill Hill featured local pickled radish and turmips, the orkney scallop was perfect, the lamb (loin, neck and sweetbread) was perfect.The wine list is varied and fascinating. We took the opportunity to try wines across the range by the glass imcluding a memorable israeli syrah.So was the feel of the olace? Relaxed, dress code pretty informal, music a bit loud but ky sort of 70s! Staff amazingly helpful.Accomodation was comfortable and well appointed and the breakfast was a great farewell

Superb. We have been loving eating Tommy Banks Made in Oldstead food boxes during lockdown and had to go to the restaurant while on holiday in Yorkshire to try the real thing. It was worth it - an amazing tasting menu, with so much originality, great wines, great service from friendly young staff and a lovely room for an overnight stay in a house a few minutes walk away. The 1 star Michelin rating doesn’t do it justice.

Myself and my wife purchased a food box from Tommy banks black swan at olsead for our anniversary. We purchased a 3 course meal for 2 at the price of £59.95. On arrive i was astonished and disappointed on how little food they was,for example the starter was only fit for 1 person the main course had no vegetables and the piece of lamb weighed 250 gramms for 2 people.The only saving grace was the desert was only a slight bit better.I totally understand that this is a high quality service and portion size is not going to be on the fore front of the meal, but surely value for money must enter the equation. Othis occasion i feel this is style of substance. I have emailed the black swan and i feel we have been given a generic answer stating they feel the 3 courses were adequate for 2 people and they hoped we would use them again, this not being the reply i was expecting. I hope this is just a blip from the Bank's empire.

Nice and quiet out back in the garden. Not a vast range of beers. Service ok. Old worldly type pub. Not busy.

Back in 2017, Tripadvisor rated the Black Swan as the best restaurant in the world. Now, that tells you much more about Tripadvisor’s rating algorithm than it tells you about the Black Swan. But it may be a genuine contender for best restaurant in North Yorkshire, although it doesn’t now even make Tripadvisor top 50 restaurants there. Must depend on your own algorithm, I suppose.So, that was a moan about Tripadvisor. Let me get a couple of moans about the restaurant out of the way. No, it’s not that it’s in the “back of beyond”. It is, but you know that from checking Google Maps, so you came prepared for a cautious drive home down narrow lanes in the dark. My first moan is about the room. It’s all hard surfaces so sounds bounce around. It was so noisy that, at times, we struggled to hear each other. And the other moan is about the chairs. They are not comfortable – a particular issue when you’re going to be sat on them for several hours.But the food is great. And we’d come for the food. It was exciting to try new flavour combinations over the ten or so courses of the tasting menu. And it’s served by a young team who were very much on the ball. Now, tasting menus are not our preferred way of eating these days. They do feel a bit Noughties, when chefs seemed more interested in style over substance.. But, if you’re going to eat one, this is as good a place as any. It’s not too long and one course follows the other without any jarring. We ate a couple of snacks in the bar. A tartlet filled with asparagus, morels and a set egg custard. And a filo “cigar” filled with smoked eel and caviar, topped with little blobs of fermented swede. At this point, you’ve reassured yourself that you’re in for a fun eating experience.Once properly seated in the restaurant, there was a beef tartare, mixed with English truffle and Darling Blue (from the excellent Doddington Farm in Northumbria). My life companion, who has an aversion to raw meat, was served a veggie version based around beetroot. Lobster next, with pieces of pickled rhurbarb, dressed with hollandaise. Another good flavour combo with the sharp fruit contrasting with the almost sweet seafood. Bread is served as a separate course and may have been the best course of the evening (we are simple souls). There’s a sourdough with sour butter and a brioche made with lamb fat, flavoured with rosemary. A little butter also using lamb fat goes with that. Both fab,Then there’s a pea veloute and a scattering of peas, in which sits a single new potato, still warm. It’s topped with grated, frozen Sinnodun Hill goats cheese. An inspired bit of cooking to combine the cold of the cheese with the warm of the spud. Next up, a single perfectly roasted scallop. It sits on a dice of razor clams and kohlrabi, with an onion broth. Sticking with seafood, the next course is a small piece of cod, langoustine in a crisp tempura batter and an onion foam.For the final savoury course, there’s lamb three ways. Bang-on cooking here with the saddle and loin nicely pink and a sweetbread, coated in breadcrumbs and fried to crisp. There’s a single spear of very seasonal asparagus and a wild garlic salsa verde.The first dessert has a crumble mix at the bottom of the bowl, topped with sheep’s yoghurt and bits of blackcurrant gel. A sweet cicely granite gives a nice contrast. This all works so well, particularly as it is not overly sweet. The second dessert was a thin tart filled with a lemon verbena custard and topped with Italian meringue. And, finally, with coffee, three pieces of aerated chocolate (yep, their take on Aero) – white, milk and dark – each flavoured with garden herbs. For example, bay for the dark one.It was an absolutely cracking evening with lots of food to “Oohh and aaahh” over.

We eventually got here after having to cancel because of the virus.I had booked for my wife’s birthday in March.Myself, my wife and two friends didn’t know if we were going to do the wine flight or choose our own wine, we chose the premium package, not cheap but excellent wine that matched every dish.The food and service, both fantastic.Rooms and breakfast also very good.I would highly recommend

To the point…Staff greatLocation niceFood 7/10 some good some v averageWINE LIST 0/10Seriously i have seen better wine lists in a steakhouse than this restaurant has. How you can charge £140 per head for a taster menu and then have the worst selection of wines i have ever experienced at a fine dining restaurant is beyond me. The margin mark up is also ridiculous.Thank fully the wine didnt get you your michelin star.The waiter who served us clearly knew his stuff, he needs to insist that it is totally scrapped and start again.Wines from canada and israel, yet no aussie shiraz, i mean really?.

Tasting menu was excellent and amazing local produce well presented and deliciousThe waiters were OK, just doing their job but no real interaction, we had multiple waiters serving us hence no empathyThey almost missed a course and not sure they would have noticed it I had not mentioned they had not served it but no real apology for itAs we left there was nobody to wish us well ask how things had been, we did just feel like a number rather than individuals, we had been processed and that was it

I had wanted to visit the Black Swan so was very excited. The venue is quaint, lovely and off the beaten track.The tasting menu was excellent and I enjoyed all courses with my favourite being the lobster and the chocolates. The food was beautifully presented and tasted amazing. I had the wine flight and very much enjoyed the cocktail.Our waitress was lovely and friendly. My husband and I did find one member of staff a little rude during service and also when we dealt with him when we were purchasing some drinks to take home. The experience was great and I was not disappointed. I look forward to returning

I’ve wanted to eat at the black swan for many years having read some very positive reviews and in all honesty it didn’t disappoint to an extent. The meals were bite sized, well prepared and used locally sourced produce! The staff were friendly; however it appeared you got a greater level of service if you purchased the wine pairing menu/s. I’ve been to many Michelin restaurants and having read the BS has its own beer/IPA I thought It’d be rude not to! That said I kind of felt the level of attention to us as guests was somewhat lacking, even though we purchased enough cans to pay for a wine pairing! The venue itself is off the beaten track, quaint, charming and I certainly wouldn’t put anyone off visiting!

You come here for the food and the ethos of the chef not the accommodation, so my review is purely based on the food not the noisy underwhelming expensive accommodation (NB bring earplugs if staying over).Tasting menu & wine match for the evening meal was very good indeed. All dishes were beautifully prepared and presented nicely and without over elaboration. Favourites were easily the first two canopy items served in the bar before going up to the table, but all the dishes were well thought through, well balanced, and had a clean fresh feel to them. Service was friendly & relaxed, but still highly professional. The main man was there and came around to have a chat at most tables (sadly not ours, which was disappointing but it was nice to know he was there in person).Food wise the only real disappointment was breakfast. Sadly unexciting, and to be brutal I’ve had a better “full English” in a chain hotel. It’s a shame as it’s your last experience from the visit and it should be made a positive one as it’s a sort of “parting shot” from the establishment. Best example of a wonderful final memory being the breakfast at Raby Hunt. Delighted we went, and overall a great meal.

Delightful from beginning to end. 10 delicious courses each complimenting each other. Recently refurbished, the decor and ambiance add to the experience. It’s the staff that really give soul with their passion for the food and their guests. It would have been easy to rest on their laurels and reputation coming out of lock down, but they were clearly determined to improve on perfection.

After being good kids for 15 months and having had our previous 3 reservations cancelled due to Covid, expectations were running high last night. We were lucky enough to get a table on the first night of service which coincided with my wife's birthday. It goes without saying, how excited both staff and diners were. The tasting menu was sublime. There's no point in detailing every course. Skip to the highlights. Errrrrrrr....... that would be every mouthful then! Normally there would be a favourite or a 'it was OK'. Not at The Black Swan. Tommy Banks and his team have found a niche and developed it to deliver a unique experience. Its fine dining but not stuffy. Its adventurous but not inaccessible. Familiar ingredients presented with a twist that has Tommy's passion for fermenting and foraging stamped all over it. Our 4 hours of foodie heaven passed by in a flash. The wine flight is a must (although, you have to have big pockets if you go for the premium option). We opted for the 'package number 1' and I can thoroughly recommend it. The service was outstanding. The staff were very knowledgable and keen to answer any questions. A special mention has to go to Sam who probably spent more time than she should have at our table throughout the night. Of course its not cheap to dine here. However, food of this standard shouldn't have a price tag. My guess is that Tommy or his team will read every review. Thank you everyone for such a memorable evening.

Excellent signature food box from Tommy Banks last week . Well cooked packed and transported 200 mls. The beetroot starter delicious , the beef Wellington outstanding and all easy to cook . Throughly enjoyed our meal . I’ve have lots of different boxes or the lockdown and this was by far the best Well done guys you’ve allowed me to taste a brilliant product .

Last night we had the Signature Box for my birthday treat. Thoroughly enjoyed it, delivery and instructions excellent. Quality of ingredients apparent and attention to detail putting ingredients together really well thought out. Not many pictures as you can see too busy demolishing but can see the encroute was perfectly pink and the fondant melt in the middle centre! And yes the plate was polished clean So many thanks and will be looking forward to trying again soon.

Each Made in Oldstead box has been fantastic we have had approx 5... we have a further 3 or order and look forward to visiting the Black Swan and /or Roots in the future!

Had our second Made in Oldstead meal this weekend. Once again delivered on time, excellent packaging and a delicious combination of tastes. We chose the menu that included foods we know we like as well as some new items. Very clear instructions. Made for a very special wedding anniversary dinner at home!

Mixed and varied food boxes - had a good box in October which was amazing couldn’t fault it at all. Had another last month and it was very disappointing - onion soup - nothing special. Duck fir main course was tough and not nice at all. Chicory and choc pudding was ok but again nothing to write home about. I wonder if they were so successful they are resting on their laurels!

We decided to treat ourselves to the Easter menu box and we were not disappointed in any way. Everything that we cooked or that was already prepared for us was first class in terms of quality and taste. The instructions were straightforward and me, as the Chef, had time to enjoy every mouthful rather than being stuck in the kitchen! The wine that came with the box was first class. We would highly recommend the menu boxes from Tommy Banks at Oldstead, we have nothing but great things to say about it x

I should have quit when I had problems ordering on the website. I waited 3 hours in the queue then failed to order or some reason. An email to the restaurant solved that, for which I was grateful! The food was really well packaged, and the instructions were straightforward. However - what a disappointment! The duck terrine was tasteless - if I hadn’t been aware it was duck I wouldn’t have known. The salt beef pithivier was over seasoned, and the potatoes and red cabbage was salty.The fig leaf pave was ok - really liked the sesame crisps! Overall I was glad when it was over. So disappointed!

Very disappointed with both the signature box at £135 for two a couple of weeks ago and the weekly box which arrived this week.Tonight’s dinner was especially disappointing ..... Beef pithivier was meant to be salt aged beef in pastry. In fact it was a meatball in pastry. The duck terrine was dripping in fat and left a horrid sensation in the mouth. Both mine and my husbands “meatball” ended up in the bin. The two signature boxes i bought a couple of weeks ago were also uninspiring.Having had delivery boxes from a variety of Michelin star restaurants during the past few months. this is most definitely the worst.

My son and girlfriend purchased a box for us as a mothers day and birthday present for my husband.It arrived when it was supposed to. Beautifully wrapped and all the elements were securely parcelled up individually. As an added bonus all of the parts are recyclable, and the woollen blanket can either be used or returned for free.The food was easy to prepare and there are photos to follow so you can have a Michelin starred meal at home. The food was as delicious as when we went to the Black Swan a couple of years ago. We really enjoyed having fabulous food at home. With lockdown this has been missing from our lives so we were able to have a great meal at home, like it was served in a restaurant. The added extras really made it special too, the two hour playlist and the signed card with all the information. I hope they continue to do these when they reopen!

We had the chicken cook at home box and it was absolutely delicious - easy to prepare and cook, and every constituent was full of flavour. A beautifully balanced meal and not exorbitant in price. We really enjoyed it and would definitely try something else another time.

We have had three meals delivered and they have all been extremely tasty and easy to prepare. Today we had the signature menu as a special treat during lockdown. The beef wellington was perfect with the beef being perfectly tender and the best I have ever tasted. We followed the easy instructions using the video and ours looked as good as Tommy’s We cooked the fondants, they had a perfect runny middle and tasted divine. Perfect, thank you

We ordered the Signature menu. Delivery was efficient and everything was well packaged with ice packs, a great touch that everything is recyclable.Following Tommy’s video instructions was very helpful. Everything turned out perfectly and was so delicious. Wine paired beautifully. Well done Tommy Banks and all your team. Didn’t use the playlist....a bit out there for our taste...haha!

We opted for Menu C for our box plus a cheese box. Very well packaged, easy to prepare and really delicious. Our starter was chicken parfait on sourdough was gorgeous. The main course of beef cheek was absolutely melt in the mouth. We will definitely order again. Thank you.

We ordered the Signature Box for my birthday. Efficient delivery, simple instructions and great fun assembling it. Food was good (not comparing it to the restaurant). This is a different experience but I would certainly use this beyond lockdown.

Salt and more salt ....don’t bother ,maybe you should try before you send out ,very disappointed,read like a great menu but in reality it’s a waste of money,just cook your own home meal and don’t believe the hype ....salt

We have been lucky enough to go to Oldstead a couple of times which is an amazing experience. But we live in the South East, so trips to Yorkshire are rare and at the moment impossible. Made in Oldstead box arrived on time, well packed, fun to prepare, and delicious. It’s also good value for money. Tommy Banks and team needs congratulations in building a new business in such difficult circumstances. The QR code to show how to plate, information about the suppliers, and Spotify play list are inspired. Cannot wait until we get another box.

It is very rare that I sit down and write a review, but having seen the negative post about Tommy Bank's home delivery boxes, I just had to chip in and give my thoughts.Last night my partner and I enjoyed "Menu B' which compromised of a starter of pork rillette, pickled apple and rye bread - absolutely delicious and a hearty way to start the meal. The main was lemon verbena confit chicken with chestnut mushroom 'risotto', pickled mushrooms and cured egg yolk. Surprising quick and easy to cook and plate, and my partner's absolute favourite dish. Finally we enjoyed a chicory root and salted caramel device with chicory root caramel and creme fraiche - for me the perfect dessert - luscious, rich but not too sweet.A final note - we thoroughly enjoyed the spotify play list that Tommy had selected to accompany the meal. All in all we thought it was terrific value for money, and loved the seasonality of the ingredients.The only downside was the time it took to place the order online - there are a limited amount of boxes produced each week and its a bit of a scramble to buy one!Thank you Tommy and The Black Swan team :)

We were given the Signature Box Dinner for my husbands birthday and it was a huge treat. Everything was included down to the egg yolk for the Beef Wellington. The food was interesting, beautifully prepared and delicious. The instructions to finish the preparations were straight forward and simple. Totally wonderful -especially in lockdown!

We’ve been ordering the 3 course weekend menus since they started earlier in the year. They’re now available across the UK, with 3 set menus, one a Vegetarian option, and they are superb, great value and beautifully and securely packed (we had a delivery from a highly reviewed Leeds restaurant & though the food only travelled a couple of miles it was an absolute mess of crushed food with orange sorbet in just about everything).They’ve got a longer set ‘Celebration’ menu available to order each weekend and a longer set menu to order for Valentines’ day too.We are really looking forward to our Christmas Dinner from Tommy Banks and have already ordered our first January weekend meal delivery.Such a great way to still be able to support an outstanding restaurant using their own grown & foraged produce and local suppliers.

I loved our time at The Black Swan. Every single dish tasted so fresh and was made from the locally-grown ingredients. The restaurant specifically changed a dish to fit with my dietary restrictions, which I thought was excellent (as other fine dining establishments may plain refuse to do this!)One way to describe this is 'simple food re-invented and put beautifully'. Phenomenal - can't wait to go back!

Just WOW! My fiancé & I have just returned home from an amazing experience at The Black Swan at Oldstead. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole taster menu & paired wines. Everything was perfect! The restaurant was extremely accommodating ensuring there was no seafood on my menu, which I did request. We also appreciated the extra special touch of the 30th birthday card placed on the table before we arrived signed by all the staff. Every course was simply amazing and Tommy has smashed it out of the park with every dish! The staff serving our courses and wine were extremely knowledgeable and really friendly. We are already thinking about when we can return next year! This is a true 5* experience and such a treat! You have made Ross’ 30th birthday extremely unforgettable! Thank you! Xx

On recommendation of friends we did a delivery from the Black Swan this evening. it is is in North Yorkshire and we are near Maidenhead! Anyway the food was superbly cooked, well packed, and (unlike other deliveries) was not complex. Simple reheat and serve - with a bit of garnishing - was a joy to work withCeleriac Veloute - sharp with a little sweetness was a great start, and the confit on a pork belly cassoulet was perfect. The duck fell off the bone and was really tasty. Dessert - good to have a dark chocolate dessert that was not sweet. Highly recommended

We ordered the menu B food box as a celebration of an special lockdown birthday. The delivery was just perfect and arrived early morning ready to pack into the fridge. The Tunworth cheese melt was delicious but quite filling, but keen to try our main course of confit chicken which was delicious with a rich creamy spelt risotto which came with a hazelnut pesto topping. Yum Yum!! Our pudding was Parkin with a brioche caramel which was very sweet and rather on the heavy side. Sorry. All in all a great meal well thought out for a food box service. Will try again!

Received the meal as a birthday gift, as unable to dine out due to COVID restrictions. Received package from carrier early in the morning ice packs still frozen. Easy to follow instructions gave us a meal to savour, we shall be visiting in 2021 Will pass the word amongst friendsSandra & George Corfe

Our Daughter visited the restaurant last year and it was on our list of places to visit. However, due to the pandemic and associated lockdown and restrictions we have not been able to. My Daughter and her husband and my son surprised us for my wife's birthday and early retirement bought us a takeaway meal from Tommy Banks. The first thing you notice is the packaging is as environmentally friendly as it can be. The menu is mouth watering and the cooking instructions very easy to follow with a one page of ingredients which make up each of the courses. The accompanying red wine complimented the food which was amazing. Can only imagine the experience in the Black Swan which we hope to do once we are able post Covid.

Dear AllWe have admired Tommy Banks for some time, but never managed to get to Olstead. In lockdown we have just tried one of his Makeaway meals and it was simply delicious. We often eat at Michelin starred restaurants, so take our hats off to this offering. Well worth the money. Well done Tommy and team. Will be ordering again soon. M and N Worceste

We had recently stayed overnight at the Black Swan, the rooms opposite the gardens were lovely, the food was excellent as was the service. However the dining experience was completely let down by the decor and atmosphere (or lack of) of the dining room. Harsh downlighters, stuffy - no air, white painted walls, a couple of pictures hung at jaunty angles, a dying pot plant on the floor - we could have been at our local village hall! If as much attention had been paid to the room - lighting, decor, acoustic treatment - as the food, it would be fantastic. However it was disappointing and hence 3/5. If I was scoring by the quality of the food and the attitude of the staff I would give 5/5.

Visited with my wife for our anniversary. This was easily the best meal I've had the pleasure of experiencing.10 courses of delicious food, each cooked perfectly with some unexpected combinations and produce grown and prepared on location.Personally the stand out items in the menu, were the beetroot dish, the scallop dish and the yoghurt dessert.The dishes change based on what is in season.The menu is charged at £125 per person.There was an optional £75 supplement for a wine pairing and an additional £19 supplement for the cheese course.The drinks menu had their own unique takes on classic cocktails and a few they'd made themselves as well as a beer section, spirits and soft drinks.I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a special and memorable dining experience.Thanks to all the staff for making our anniversary do special.We look forward to coming back and trying your new dishes.

The best restaurant I have ever dined in. Took my mum here for her birthday and it was perfect from start to finish. The staff are so professional and the passion of the family run business comes through. I love the story behind every dish as well as the wines and the Michelin stars are well deserved. Can’t wait to bring the rest of my family.

We loved every minute of our stay, from the moment we walked in. The food and wine flight were amazing, the bedroom was gorgeous and breakfast excellent.

I have to start off by saying that the for the most part, the presentation, flavours, the taste of all but one of the courses, was exceptional, the pairing of wines, with food also first class and the service was efficient. But that's what you would expect from an establishment that has secured the coveted Michelin status. So why only three stars? Firstly because the Wild Mallard with Crapaudine course was, for us a disappointment. We had asked for a small break between it and the previous course and when it arrived it was barely warm. I understand that is a new addition to the menu, but for us it didn't sparkle like the rest of the courses.The other issue we had was over the Drinks package, that we chose to accompany the food, at £75 per head. Served over 7 courses, that works out at £10 per glass. It's not until the end that one realizes that the meal is actually 8 courses and that if you want a final drink to accompany the excellent Damson Brandy Treacle tart, you have to pay. As I heard one of the waiters say that a number of the wines were available at "your local Waitrose" , I felt that, at £10 each, for a single small glass of wine, that management could have stretched to an 8th glass for the final course.So hence the loss of two stars. When we settled the bill I mentioned about the Mallard. In addition I did express a view that there was "something missing" from what should have been a memorable dining experience. To some degree everything on the day felt rather formulaic and the prime purpose was about putting a diner through a process rather than experiencing the passion that goes into producing dishes that most of us will be lucky to afford once in our lifetimes.

I booked the tasting menu to celebrate my partners 30th Birthday. Needless to say this was a fantastic decision, every course was delicious the atmosphere was brilliant and the serving staff were without fault.The entire restaurant was COVID secure and the staff took the time to talk through all the courses (with masks on I might add)I feel for the industry at the moment with the restrictions and curfews but the Black Swan was an experience we won’t forget and we will definitely be back to the Black Swan in future. Outstanding!Lewi & Lisa

We booked our stay at black swan as part of our honeymoon. Sadly, our wedding didn’t go ahead due to coronavirus but we thought we’d still go and spoil ourselves. We weren’t disappointed. It was the best meal we have ever had and the cocktails were amazing. We loved the garden to plate concept and that almost everything we drank and ate, had been grown or reared a stones throw from the restaurant. We couldn’t fault any plate we received. That included the breakfast!

We were staying the other side of the A1 but managed to bag a table at short-notice so didn't hesitate. Stunning flavours etc. from start to finish. Yes it's expensive but...

We chose the three course menu of French Onion Soup, Confit chicken and Apple tare tartan. Delivered promptly, clear instructions, easy to cook/heat with minimal effort and delicious. Michelin stars at home.I would recommend you open the box as it arrives and put the smaller boxes in the fridge then read and plan using the instructions.We used to go out once a week and have not done so all year this is a fantastic experience and we will do it again.

My wife and I visited the Black Swan on Saturday afternoon for the lunch time taster menu, the service was excellent. The establishment, tables chairs decor was at best equal to a good high street café or one that you might find at a national trust venue. The food, which is the main reason we were there was we feel underwhelming, if we had turned up without knowing anything about the Black Swan I don’t think either of us would have said it was a Michelin star venue. I think what sums up the Black Swan is the drinks I had a couple of cans of beer as I was driving, the cans are the size of a cans of pop, ie coke, fanta ect and the cost was £7 each yet you can buy 4x 330ml cans Master of the Woods ‘Woodruff Lager’ of Master of the Woods Lager £14.00, this is advertised on their website.Overall, we feel underwhelmed with the experience and I would say we also felt that we did not receive value for money. Would we recommend going, honest answer I think not, we feel that the Black Swan is living off it’s recently gained reputation of Tommy Banks which was one of the main reasons we went in the first place.Sadly disappointedSteve & Eileen

Outstanding in many respects. In terms of the quality of the cooking, the artistry, the overall presentation and the service. But there is a but. You do have to be tuned into the foraging quirkiness and the admitted freshness of the vegetables, herbs, spices and flowers used. For that I am sure it deserves 10 out of 10. But the overall table experience does not have a “blow me away” wow factor. So I wouldn’t quibble with the one * which The Black Swan has but it does not, in this reviewer’s opinion, deserve two stars, never mind three. Future guests should also bear this in mind (mentioned by other reviewers): if you are staying overnight it is quite a late check-in and an early breakfast and check-out. Which impacts on the overall experience.

WOW WOW WOWStunning location, accommodation first class, food and service as you would expect A* (with bells on) Our room was . . . Stunning, nothing less stunning The food . . . I have never tasted food as good ! Served with a smile and the knowledge that what they are serving is the absolute best ingredients cooked to perfection my taste buds are still tinglingMy one oh so small negative why of why the late check in followed by a relatively early check out. A 4pm check in in conjunction with a three hour tasting menu does not allow you, in my opinion, anywhere near sufficient time to fully take in the experience. Especially the location, surroundings and the room itself.

We booked a Saturday Lunch and on arrival we were offered a table in the bar for a pre-meal drink and canapés before being shown upstairs to the restaurant.The ambience is perfect, relaxed with the class you would expect from a Michelin Star restaurant.The service throughout was impeccable, matched by the quality and variety of the sharing menu on offer. Each course was clearly explained adding to the enjoyment of this 3 hour experience. We decided against the drinks package on this occasion and opted for a bottle of wine. This is a £300 plus lunch, but 'what a treat!!'

We originally booked for our wedding anniversary in June but had to settle for a delivered (superb) Celebration box instead. Advised they were reopening, we were able to book in - customer service was excellent despite me misunderstanding and paying again when all I needed to do was advise them of my date and time. Second monies refunded promptly and no request to pay extra, not sure why another reviewer had this issue?We stayed over and the whole evening was superb from start to leaving after breakfast. Fabulous service, wonderful food and wine pairings. All explained well and feedback requested. Only one dish was not to our liking but we heard another table rave about it, it’s all about individual taste and perceptions I suppose? All the staff were brilliant, honourable mention for Ian who enhanced our evening, even if he forgot one of the wine pairings (swiftly corrected). If you are thinking of staying, the rooms are beautifully appointed and clean, the breakfast is also amazing, if you can eat it!It was also a delight to see no masks in evidence on the staff. Social distancing was observed and hand sanitiser available. We recently had a break in London and an evening at a 2 Michelin star restaurant was slightly marred by the muffled speak of the (excellent) staff and the need to constantly ask for them to repeat what they were saying - especially important for tasting menus and wine pairings. I suggest if you don’t like staff in restaurants not wearing masks, then perhaps it’s too early for you to be venturing out to eat.

We had the most amazing food here. We had the taster menu which consisted of 9 courses. It was a very special dining experience. The staff were excellent and explained every course that we had. Would certainly recommend the Black Swan at Oldstead. This was such a special,occasion.

We originally booked this in October 2019 as a birthday present for my husband, with friends! We booked dinner, bed and breakfast for 4 adults. Naturally due to Covid it was cancelled and the restaurant called to say they were happy to reschedule the booking when they were to reopen and kept hold of our full amount for the booking.However after them stating they wouldn’t be opening until the 12th August our original thought was to just rebook for the same month in 2021, before we had chance to do this they emailed to say they had refunded our money and that due to us getting it as special offer at the time of booking (which was not the case) that the price would increase by nearly £300 for the 4 of us. In light of this we feel that we have been refunded the money purely to accommodate for the restaurant to inflate their prices.Such a shame as we now won’t visit due to such poor customer services.

Booked early in the year for a treat but Lockdown delayed our trip until August and we were not disappointed.The room on arrival was spacious and very clean and we could not fault the accommodation. Even though the staff were all prepared for a different dining experience it did not distract from a superb meal. Each course was explained by a member of staff, which included some of the Chefs coming to the table. The food its self was well portioned, presented and very tasty. Just what you would expect from such a restaurant. The beetroot and lamb dishes were the best of the pick but couldn't really fault any course. The only slight downside was the wine flight, which we thought was expensive for the wines you got. But since we really came for the food, it will not distract from my excellent review. Must also mention the delicious breakfast in the morning which I thought we wouldn't manage.Overall the staff were very attentive but not overbearing and would recommend to anyone wanting to try out a Michellen Star restaurant for the first time.

Had a fantastic stay at the black swan, accommodation clean and inviting, food was superb both the taster menu and the breakfast and the staff were all very friendly and helpful. I couldn’t ask for more.

This review is for the Made in Oldstead home delivery food boxes, not the restaurant. We applaud Tommy's ethos of supporting local farmers and keeping his staff working. We expected tasty and interesting food but were beyond disappointed.The starters were underwhelming. The brined poached chicken was plain and flavourless, and looked completely unappetising with flabby white skin. If we had been served this anywhere it would have been sent back. The lamb was passable but the accompanying tomato fregola didn't go well with it and was dry and stodgy. The frangipane tart was dry and there was so little blackberry compote that you wouldn't have known it was there. If served this in any establishment it would have been sent back. The 2nd night's dessert was the only dish across the 2 menus that shone. A delicious light tangerine and marigold jelly with a raw milk set pudding. The accompanying rosemary shortbread were also lovely.Overall we were incredibly disappointed. The food was not of the standard expected. I'd have been disappointed if served this in a local pub let alone as an offering from a Michelin starred chef.Just to reassure, we very rarely send anything back in a restaurant - I can't remember the last time we did - so to say that we would have sent back a number of these dishes is not something we say lightlyIt's not an experience we will be repeating. It was incredibly disappointing. What should have been a special experience was just awful.

@paulrA1947MU - we had a similar experience with The Black Swan - we booked a meal for the family to celebrate my 60th way back before lockdown and paid in full (as they require). We were delighted when they opened in August in time for the meal, only to be disappointed when they cancelled on us as the restaurant was only opening Wednesday to Saturday. I immediately asked to rebook asap as it was for my big birthday, to be told they couldn’t accommodate us until OCTOBER! Seems strange that they are so busy they have chosen to open limited days. As my birthday is in August we weren’t prepared to wait for another two months especially for a big celebration! I asked for an immediate refund - to be told this could take up to 10 days, even though they had held our full payment for 6 months! My daughter had also contributed a £100 gift voucher which they refused to refund in full and only gave her £80.However great The Black Swan may be, there is no excuse for this appalling customer service - I received no apology for the cancellation even though it was for a very special occasion. This restaurant obviously doesn’t understand the concept of putting the customer first and we will not be re-booking (the chefs petulant rants whenever any critic dares to criticise him is also rather annoying!)

We originaly booked bed breakfast and evening meal for a joint Birthday and wedding anniversary celebration in May 2020 which was cancelled due to Covid. The Old swan agreed to hold our booking (and money), until they could reopen. When we tried to rebook the asked for a 25% increase in cost which naturally we refused to pay.Tried on several occasions to ask them to see reason and standby the original agreed booking which they refused.Consequently I have not had a good customer service experience.Has anyone else been dealt with in a similarly poor manner by this company.?

We stayed for my birthday and engagement weekend and it couldn't have been any more special! Every single course was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. The staff were extremely attentive and friendly. It was also special to stay in beautiful Yorkshire where I am from! The surrounding area is stunning.Thank you and keep up the a amazing work. We will be back!

What can I say? Eating here is one of the best experiences I've ever had. The food is exquisite, the service friendly and very efficient and the accommodation is luxuriously comfortable.We're not booked again until December - I don't know how I'll manage to wait that long!

I had a lovely meal there last night. I must say it was not as good as the previous times I have visited ( it was only the second night open after lock down so can be forgiven)My main concern was that there was no social distancing at all by the staff, no face masks and no attempt to follow government guidelines. I have eaten at several restaurants recently that took COVID 19 very seriously, customers temperature was taken on entry, the staff wore face masks and observed social distancing. I’m not sure if the Black Swan think they are in an isolation bubble, having guests from all over the UK I do urge them to rethink their policy during this unsafe and unsure time. The only nod to Corvid 19 was hand sanitizers on the tables.

We visited the Black Swan Oldstead, last year in June. And it was honestly the best experience of my life, I think about it every week at least, hence the late review. We got the tasting menu, with wine pairing and overnight stay. Every detail was perfect, from start to finish. Food, service, the Room, breakfast!! Not cheap but absolutely worth every penny! We’ve also been to their sister restaurant, Roots a few times and it’s just as good. 100000% recommend a trip!!! Lots of love.

This hotel is really out of the way so I urge you to follow the directions sent by the team to avoid a crazy up and down track that your satnav might direct you along.We stayed in “Scencliffe” which is situated on the ground floor away from the main building. The room is beautifully furnished and boasts a four poster bed and stunning bathroom with waterfall shower and Molton Brown products. We slept like logs thanks to a quality mattress and no doubt the wine pairing and cocktails from the previous night.Breakfast was good if not amazing, there was a bit of an issue when my wife was served pumpkin seeds which the restaurant was informed she was allergic to but fortunately she spotted them in time. I asked for sausages to be well cooked but they had to be returned and didn’t come back until we’d finished so that wasn’t perfect either.On the minus side, I think they’re a bit mean with their check in time (they told me 4pm) and there’s only a one hour window for breakfast - 8.30-9.30 which might not suit everybody. I only wish we’d had more time to explore the place but everything seemed a bit of a rush which is a shame as the weather was perfect.All in all it’s a great experience for a special treat, it’s expensive for this neck of the woods but worth it overall.

We ordered a celebration box a couple of weeks ago along with the recommended wine. What an amazing experience.The wine arrived the day before so we could chill it to perfection. When the food box came we couldn't believe the packaging, it was so beautiful and felt like such a gift that we were unwrapping. Instructions were simple to follow and the food was jaw dropping delicious. My husband and I just kept looking at each other and nodding as we experienced each new flavour. I'd love to know how you pickled the fennel so beautifully, mine has never come out like that.The Black Swan is on my 'to visit' list after tasting their food at Pub in the Park. Having the opportunity for a full meal coming out of adversity is astounding. We expected the food to be good but it passed our expectations. What we didn't expect was the outstanding customer service in presentation, delivery and communication. The price is higher than your average takeaway but this is no average take away and felt a bargain for such quality, real value for money. Thank you all so much for such a treat [p.s. we waxed lyrical to friends, they ordered for the next week and had barely finished the last crumbs before they were ringing to thank us for the recommendation!]

Recommended by a friend, we tried to get a slot, finally logging in at 3am and success! The parcel arrived on time, well insulated, and freezer pack still frozen.The food was a delight, easy to prepare and delicious. We’ll definitely be ordering again. A brilliant idea, and a little bit of Michelin in your own home......well done Tommy!

Tried the 5 course Celebration Food Box for the first time. As others have said the wine came the day before and the food arrived on Friday with the food well labelled and well packaged. Full instructions and easy to follow. You're not stood over the cooker for hours so can enjoy the food. The menu is well researched both with taste in mind and obviously the fact that it is sent for the customer to finish. We enjoyed every course and will be back for more. Well recommended

For the last 4 weeks we have ordered the box set from here. The food has been great, easy to finish in the oven (or sometimes to cook potatoes!!). The box set has two three course meals, each feeding two people.For a high quality meal it's really not too expensive. It's £84 (including the courier fee), so that works out at £21 a head per meal. Each meal is a starter (last nights was the smoothest chicken liver parfait I've ever had), a main of fish or meat and a pudding.Over the four weeks we have had lamb, beef, pork, fish curry, fish cakes, tonight we have the chicken to try. Yippee. starters have been terrines, tarts, soups and of course the aforementioned parfait.The joy of this food is that is it an affordable alternative to going to a Michelin restaurant. I doubt we would ever make the trip to the restaurant, so this is a brilliant way to make the food more accessible.

We thoroughly enjoyed our celebration box set last evening, it was well worth the wait for a 'slot'. Highlights for us were the Hafod cheddar custard, the rainbow carrots, the seed crackers, the sea trout and the lavender shortbread. We even allowed ourselves a short walk outside before dessert, something we rarely do at a restaurant! All in all, absolutely delighted with the meal, and very much appreciate the priority slot given, which we've already used to place an order.

We enjoyed a fabulous meal at the Black Swan last year and had booked for our wedding anniversary this weekend only to be thwarted by this pesky virus! Imagine our delight though when we got the email to say that they were doing nationwide delivery on food boxes? Our Celebration box arrived yesterday and it was such a treat, all beautifully packaged, clear instructions on how to cook/reheat/serve, none of which was time consuming. The whole meal tasted amazing and was well balanced with enough food, so that you were not hungry and also not over full. Our one slight issue was that the accompanying wine had a cork that could not be removed without it disintegrating, it needed to be filtered in any case due to sediment and in the end, we managed to get a good result for what was a fine wine.Sure it is better to have it cooked and served to you but it was a fine substitute and made even better by the email earlier that day saying that we could now book in to the restaurant.We love the whole ethos of the Banks team and will continue to support them, they restored our faith in Michelin restaurants after a couple of meals where we felt it was all ‘smoke and mirrors’, rather than great food and ambience, Long may they continue.

What a brilliant idea to create a food parcel service, we were delighted with one of the food boxes previously during lockdown and so splashed out for a celebration box. From the wine arriving a day early to allow the bottle to settle to the last mouthful of food we were thrilled with our delivery. Simply wonderful Yorkshire food, a delight !

After previously enjoying an amazing experience at this restaurant and their other restaurant Roots, when the pandemic hit we were nervous about the impact it might have on them. We have been following their journey to creating innovative food boxes to deliver locally and hoping they may expand nationally so we could enjoy it too and show our support. This weekend, that day finally came and wow it was worth the wait! The standard of food they have managed to achieve in a takeaway style format is absolutely incredible. I am still thinking about the beetroot and cod emulsion dish we had last, which was unreal. All of the food tasted amazing and I would recommend ordering one to try for yourselves - we’re already planning on ordering another one!Thank you for adapting in these challenging times to bring us an amazing lockdown treat. We can’t wait to visit your restaurants again soon.

The Black Swan is one of my favourite restaurants in the world. I was very disappointed when it was forced to close due to Coronavirus. HOWEVER, it is now offering food boxes containing two meals to prepare at home - all the preparation is done, you only need to reheat. It's not like a meal at the Black Swan because it's only three courses but the quality is still excellent. At a time when we can't go out for a meal, these food boxes are a very good substitute. To give an idea of just how good I think they are we've ordered one every weekend since we found out about them.To the Black Swan - if you can keep these boxes going once your restaurant reopens please do - we'll still be ordering.

We decided to order the Oldstead Food Box as a change from home cooking during lockdown. We were not disappointed. Ordering was easy and the box was delivered by friendly staff.The food was well packaged and labeled with ingredients and allergens listed, and cooking instructions.Most importantly the servings were plentiful and it was all delicious!

We arrived on night govt decided to advise people not to eat out which had staff on the backfoot but they all handled it very well.We had great meal. every course had great flavour and variety even the humble potato dish was great .highlight for us was langustine perfect had wine paring which was very good only not sure about beer as my wife does not drink beer overall great overnight stay .Tommy Banks was very helpful in signing book for my son particularly as he was im sure under pressure with the changes to eating out being announced that day. Hope to visit again as soon as things back to normal.All the staff friendly and helpful

The Black Swan dances a fantastic line between exquisite food, unique flavours, and an amazing experience!Never over bearing with formalities and the relaxed environment is very welcoming.When we arrived we were greeted by a lovely fire in a cosy pub setting which is the check in/reception and shown to our room in the outhouse. We headed back for some pre dinner drinks and tried a selection of cocktails and beers - the crabsolutely fabulous (apple cocktail) went down a treat!For the dinner the food was on point, they provided good intros to each dish and the tasting drinks which accompanied were well selected - although the servings were small by the end of the night we most certainly had had our fill!Stand out dishes for us were the Monkish and the Scallops.I took my wife here for her 30th Birthday after the year before she took me to the waterside inn - both amazing experiences in their own ways.PS the breakfast is not too shabby either (understatement!)

We had dinner at the Black Swan a week or so ago. This was on the basis of the tasting menu plus matching wines. It appears that I am one of the very few dissenting voices on here but honestly I was disappointed. Two or three of the courses were undoubtedly very good but I had a real sense of Emperor's New Clothes and the meal as a whole was nowhere near worth the exhorbitant price which we paid for it. The ambience was only just OK. When we arrived we were shown to a holding table on our own downstairs and left there rather too long. The restaurant upstairs consists of wooden tables and chairs which would not look out of place in a garden centre cafe. Tables were decorated with some sort of vegetable in a pot (different each table; our waitress didn't know what it was and never found out). This is a gimmick. Staff give an introduction to each course but it seems to have been learned by rote and that their knowledge is (on the whole) skin deep. First few courses were fine but did not justify the price tag. A course consisting of brown bread and butter with half a can of beer is in my opinion another gimmick. After that the food got seriously better but actually I am not sure that we enjoyed the experience any more than a meal the following day at less than half the price. We have had Michelin starred food before. There has to be some correlation between the enjoyment derived from the total experience and the price paid and I just couldn't see it here.

A wonderful treat to be sent here for the night and the opportunity to taste the wonderful food of Michelin star Tommy Banks in his tasting menu. We paired this with the wine which turned out to be a good call and it certainly enhanced the food and the wines.It was a relaxed atmosphere. Friendly staff and not at all pretentious. The room we had was in a house in the village.. very spacious and thoughtfully, tastefully decorated. Huge Bath!. Not cheap by any means but would recommend if you had a few extra pounds to blow on a wonderful experience. Beautiful country side round the area too. Can't beat Yorkshire.

The Black Swan has been on the radar for some time after seeing TB on various shows so booked this as a special one night away.Arrived and met with efficient welcoming staff who showed us to our room for the night and gave us a full run down of all amenities within the room and around the kitchen garden, which we were invited to look around. All the rooms are a very short walk from the actual restaurant and the dining room is located upstairs so not entirely sure what the situation would be for anyone less mobile, however, FoH staff welcomed us to the bar area for pre dinner drinks and a full range of wine by the glass is available for for all bottles listed on the wine list with good recommendations and alternatives suggested.The meal itself was as we had hoped, all served with attentive but not overbearing staff, the flavours and textures matched and indeed exceeded some similar establishments we have tried before. The dining room is furnished in a simple manner but is a mix of new and traditional, and one thing that stood out for me was that the chairs had been turned out from the table before we arrived, a simple but welcoming touch I feel.Oldstead is way out in the N Yorks moors but is an absolute must for anyone who enjoys food and service of the highest calibre.

Called into here last week with my partner for some food and drink. Lovely venue, welcoming staff. Great food! Will be back!

Where to begin with the Black Swan, was initially booked as a birthday present for my 30th, as we were big fans of Tommy's from GBM. Turned in to a round trip to Gretna Green for an old fashioned wedding.

For many years we have contemplated dining at a Michelin star restaurant and we finally decided to push the boat out. We chose the Black Swan as we really liked Tommy Banks when we first saw him on Masterchef. Part of us really wondered whether all the fuss about Michelin stars was worth it and would we really enjoy the food, and think we had got good value for money. The answer is a resounding YES!!!. The food is absolutely incredible. It is a set menu so you don't get to choose but it is absolutely delicious, every single course was a taste sensation. Thank you very much for a wonderful evening. We are trying to work out when we can return again.

Stayed and ate last night and had a lovely overall experience. Firstly, the accommodation was really nice, high quality and luxury furnishings and super bathroom. Adds to the price but so nice to stay (and the breakfast is great too)..

Perfectly executed amazing food. Every dish gets better... lovely ambience presented by a great team Deserves every accolade....

Dined here for a post Valentine treat. I had the runs and heartburn all night afterwards. I can't believe a place with this sort of reputation could be responsible, so I'll put it down to a rotten coincidence, but obviously spoilt my enjoyment.

I was a little apprehensive about visiting Black Swan as my last visit I messed up by going after I’d had a large lunch elsewhere, this, in turn, meant I was to blame for not getting wowed at all on that visit. Well, see below how the Black Swan scored 8.8/10 on this visit.

It really was an amazing dessert. But then everything was superb, friendly and knowledgeable staff. The steak tartare was exceptional the flavours like nothing I’ve had before, and the venison was everything I love on a plate. We drove 250 miles and worth every single one.