The Black Swan Inn in Purbeck

We have been here before, food was good last time and this time Only issue was we had to wait 50 mins for our meals when the folk around us has their meals in 20 mins I think we got forgotten Still good food but they need to remember us no locals are just as important

This is a great spot for eating in, whilst also enjoying their great tap selection of craft ipas and local ales. The meat was tender and flavourful which the coleslaw supplemented well. Service was outstanding with friendly staff. Very very proud of the progress the Black Swan has made.

Had to book for 1830 to allow for second sitting. Most tables busy and a lively atmosphere. The staff were attentive and efficient. Lots of choices on specials board. Starters were a generous portion and black pudding scotch egg was lovely. Pate was plenty to share. The mains again were substantial pub food plates. Fish pie received praise as did fish and chips. Arancini was numerous. Wine choices were very good. A very nice evening and meal. Away by 1945.

Excellent food with exceptional service that was not very prompt and very friendly and polite. Cost of the meal and drinks was very reasonable for one of the best pub meals I’ve had in ages.

Excellent! Great food, excellent service, and good value for money. Best pub meal I’ve had for a long while. Thoroughly recommend

As we were back in the area for the second time this year we decided to try a couple of new places to eat, however after some pretty ordinary meals we returned to the Black Swan and were once again delighted by the quality of the food & service. The wonderful French chef takes time to come & personally discuss any dietary requirements and will modify some of the dishes to suit. Portions are generous & prices reasonable which in my book makes it the best value/ quality establishment in town!

We ate here last Thursday on our Swanage holiday. The food was fabulous, service excellent, chef delightful! Book early to get in, very popular. The drinks are very reasonable too.

This pub was recommended by friends but steak was over cooked, vegetables appeared reheated and shrivelled and chips were over cooked or possibly oven chips. Very busy so perhaps just a bad night although the people on the next table complained about their meal and said it wasn't good the night before. Not sure I could recommend it and we won't bother again.

Book early. We were very lucky to get in on short notice. Good local ale and top food. Well worth a visit. Great fillet of beef and the lamb was also great 👍

A must try if you're visiting Swanage. Amazing food, great variety, very personable and helpful staff. Make sure you book ahead as they are normally very busy.

Came to eat here last night & wasn't disappointed. We were lucky as they had a cancellation despite the place being full. The lovely French chef came to enquire personally about my dietary restrictions & cooked a great fish meal to suit. The menu is varied with good choice of fish & veggie dishes. Given its popularity the menu is surprisingly reasonably priced. Will definitely return but next time we'll book!

My family & I have frequented this great gastro pub for almost three years & it’s about time I reviewed this lovely friendly pub. The staff are always polite whilst delivering great food to the table.. Lovely garden to enjoy in the summer.

What a great place. Staff are super friendly and service was fantastic. Great range of beers, food was great value and delicious. Will be going back when we next visit Swanage.

We had a marvellous meal at the Black Swan - beautifully prepared fresh fish, venison bouguignon, great starters and puddings - all in a very quaint old pub with friendly service. They have a vegan option.

Can see why this place gets packed out and you need to book. Was on a few days vocational trip with family to Swanage and did my homework first as only found two pubs worth eating at and this was one of them which is all down to the Chef. My Son couldn't decide which main course to have and he was given a taster of the one he didn't chose later (the pork belly) which he said was delicious although what we did pick was very good too. The meals here are value for money as have eaten at far dearer places where the food wasn't so good and you could tell Chef had a passion for his craft.

Food was amazing, staff were very nice and friendly. Dogs and kids welcome and really nice atmosphere. The chef came out to check we were happy with the food which was a lovely personal touch. Highly recommend!

Googled where to eat in Swanage and the Black Swan was very highly rated. Booked a table and really enjoyed the food. The blade of beef was easily the best I have ever had - and is served with a delicious sauce. The prices were reasonable and the service excellent. Will certainly book another table for dinner on our next visit to Swanage.

Amazing place, what a find! The food was truly out of this world, and the service is equally second to none. The beef ribs were absolutely massive and equally so tasty and the pork belly was so well cooked. If you’re in or plan to be near Swanage then this place is a must visit!

Always a surprise what we are having to eat as the blackboard menu changes frequently supplementing the main menu.Hubby was delighted soup was on the menu which is his favourite starter.I had the mushroom vol vent which was totally different from normal but still tasty.Tried Partridge two ways which was a first it was good.Hubby had fish pie which was runnier than normal but he still enjoyed it.Love the toffee honeycomb sundae for dessert.All washed down with a bottle of wine.Service was good and friendly.We will be back in a weeks time.

Had our Christmas meal last night, 6th December, what can I say, very helpful staff, food was amazing and very tasty. Book a table, you will not be disappointed. Merry Christmas to you all, and thanks for a lovely evening.

Happy to have discovered this place while searching for somewhere to eat last night while staying in Swanage. Nice welcome, even though we hadn't booked. Food was lovely, I tried the beetroot chilli & thoroughly enjoyed my meal. So much so we're returning this evening. Very knowledgeable server & a great pub atmosphere. Place was busy which is always a good sign . Plenty of choices & a changing ' specials board' One of the better places in our opinion to eat in Swanage. Worth the little walk up the hill from the town where we've tried most restaurants & pubs.

What an amazing place! Eric the chef was so friendly and helpful (I’m a pain to feed due to allergies and intolerances) and even made me my own allergen-free dessert for the next evening. Fabulous chef, good atmosphere, beautiful food and really good value for money. We’ll definitely go back.

Lovely meal , had the lamb breast from the specials board , would definitely recommend and will be going back again very soon

Wow wow wow Could not fault this wonderful pub Delicious food , well cooked at a very reasonable price . All tables full - please prebook to avoid disappointment . Can’t wait to come again . If you have the sharing platter to start with one will serve 4 - absolutely delicious

This fantastic little pub became our local whilst staying nearby. We (myself, elderly parents and dog) were always made welcome and visited several times for food and drink over the week. The food was of excellent quality and from my point of view, I was delighted to see such a range of original vegetarian dishes on the menu rather than just 1 token vegan option to cover all non-meat/fish eaters. In addition to the main menu there was an extensive, ever-changing specials board. One thing to note, it is a relatively small pub and extremely popular (justifiably so) and so booking is highly recommended even on a midweek out-of-season evening! Sunday roast was also of excellent quality- the vegetarian option was a non-meatloaf that came with the most delicious vegetarian gravy. Can’t wait to return to Swanage in order to eat and drink at The Black Swan once more! Thank you to all the staff for their hospitality over the week.

What a nice pub excellent service fantastic food and brilliant value for money. Our dog was looked after as well we will return

Excellent food, for us delicious fish pie and fillet of the day. Followed by dessert of crumble and a pecan pie. Very friendly service. We should have booked but our host managed to fit us in after a short wait. A busy Monday evening! Good...

Very welcoming , great food and good drinks to match. A bit of a stroll up the high street but well worth the trek. Local produce , expertly prepared, and a cracking pint of Timmy Taylor's too

Great food, great service. The pub was recommended in the holiday house message book and we were really glad we took previous guests advice. Food was fantastic and honestly some of the best ribs I have ever tasted!

Excellent food and wine. Very friendly and welcoming staff. Great choice on the menu and specials so many to choose from

Friendly warmth and welcoming with delicious food. Definitely worth a visit best to book thank you for looking after us so well see you next time we are in Swanage.

Very busy so needed to book a couple of days in advance to eat early evening. Lovely fish pie and pork dish with cider and beer to go with it.

This gorgeous pub is a little walk out of the centre of Swanage but certainly well worth the walk. The pub’s menu is great but the specials are wonderful. We tried to get booked in weeks ahead of our trip to Swanage but could only...

Had a family meal here. Had to book in advance which tells you something! Food was very good,service spot on. A lovely evening for everyone!

Really quality home cooking, great ingredients, a decent price and good service. This is way ahead of many other experiences I’ve had. Sardines as a starter (2 x large, beautifully presented), lamb belly in gravy with dauphinoise potatoes, fish pie, an insane chocolate pud big...

Again, very accommodating & lovely staff. The food was very good as usual. Many thanks ! We will of course be back again next year.

Managed to get a table luckily because as always has a wonderful menu and lovely specials. Always worth going for a meal. Friendly and cheerful staff. But definitely book a table in advance.

Lovely old pub, on the high street but slightly away from the main hub. Best to book in advance. Lovely Sunday roast, good generous portions with selections of meats. Comes with the gravy already over the dinner, if you like lots of gravy it’s ideal...

A wonderful visit as always to this old pub. We come here every year and it never fails to impress. Excellent service and a great ambience with friendly staff, in particular Connor and Carla. And the food is amazing! A good range and wholesome and...

We always make sure we enjoy a Saturday evening meal at The Black Swan on our annual break in Swanage, and this year was no exception. We had a lovely friendly welcome, and the food and atmosphere was perfect. Being pescatarians, there was plenty for...

The best food in Swanage! Locally sourced home cooked food in a fantastic old pub. All the dishes are incredibly tasty and well presented. Wonderful friendly service 😀 The only place in Swanage that have kept their prices affordable. Definitely book in advance. Highly recommended...

The best restaurant we have been to in Swanage. I had the fish pie which was delicious, my girlfriend had the venison loin special which was excellent. Both served with well-cooked vegetables. Given the quality of the food it is extremely well-priced. Beer was great...

Always always pre book tables here and you never disappoint. Excellent staff, place and the food excellent. Gluten free excellent choices. My husbands absolute fave the jacobs ladder! Ordered twice so far this holiday and im assured he will be ordering it on our last...

Very enjoyable experience, squeezed us in last minute in the garden, food was very good and quite large!!, had the Jacobs Ladder Rib and a decent size portion, would have been 5 stars but I’m a bit picky with cigarettes/ashtrays in the vicinity of the...

Year after year, this place never disappoints. A rare inn which combines all the best attributes of a pub - atmosphere, good beer and service and a lovely (if shaded) garden - with food of a quality one would not expect. Juat as importantly, it’s...

Had an amazing mussels starter. Rich creamy sauce and excellent mussels. The pork loin was tender and the balance of the meal once again excellent. Staff friendly and attentive. Next time we will try to get in the dining bar as we had z very...

The service and food here remains outstanding. Tonight, Chef Eric described our dishes as ‘a hug on a plate’ and he wasn’t lying! Not only that, not finding anything (as a fussy vegetarian!) to my liking on the menu, Chef Eric created a wonderful dinner...

Been here many times because the food is so good. The front of staff house are great, but never forget to give credit to Eric and his team in the kitchen. This time I had grilled plaice from the specials as not had it before....

Having been here last year this pub/restaurant was top of our list to visit again. Booked in advance as we knew they'd be busy. Service was attentive, food was delicious and ideal portion size (lots of choice from menu & specials board including vegetarian options)....

We were coincidentally staying close to this pub so dropped in and booked ahead for food. It was well worth it as the food was superb, as was the service. Plenty of choice on the menu- all fresh and good value for money. Great atmosphere...

This restaurant is great for families with children. We as a couple found it very noisy. It was full & very busy & the phone was constantly ringing. We should have maybe booked a later slot & it might not have been so noisy. The...

Great food, good service, friendly staff. We enjoyed the whitebait, and a burgers. The portions were just right for me and a little large for my wife…. Not bad thing as i get to enjoy some “seconds”…. We arrived a few minutes early but were...

Amazing place to eat. Excellent food, service always welcoming and friendly. I had the wild mushroom vol eu vont, my husband the crab and prawn quiche. Flavours were fantastic. I had the meringue nests yummy. Always remember to book as it's very popular.

This pub was recommended to us and we are so glad we managed to get a table - not easy in peak summer season! The food was absolutely delicious and the portion sizes very generous. Stand out dishes were the sharing mezze and the ribs....

We had booked to eat here months in advance, based on the great reviews. It was also recommended to us by the hosts of the cottage we had booked nearby. We arrived after a very long car journey with a five year old and three...

Whilst in Swanage looking for somewhere we could get a sunday roast, we found The Black Swan. Unfortunately, they did not have a vegan roast and as my daughter has other dietary requirements as well, we were struggling to find something she could eat. As...

This ancient pub building is very plain, just a simple set of rooms filled with tables, so really no atmosphere. You come here to eat a meal and have a drink, and those won't disappoint you. At Sunday lunchtime, it was full, so I think...

Superb tasting food, very generous servings and friendly service. We had a table in the garden - not the most scenic but not unpleasant. Dog friendly.

Regular visitors to Swanage and the Black Swan, the food again did not disappoint. Sunday roast was beautiful and a good size, pudding was also really tasty. Let down by the owner/manager’s attitude and rudeness, slow service having to ask for them to take our...

Very good for vegetarians, with a couple of specials as well as regular menu choices. Food was delicious.

Lovely food and an imaginative and fresh menu. Great veggie choices and fish, really nice specials. Dessert not quite so good but still ok - definitely return.

We ate here for two nights whilst in Swanage. The food was very good with a wide choice on the menu. Many thanks

We have been here a few times. Had sardines which are very good and the roast dinner . Both excellent. Service is also excellent.

As a group of four we had an evening meal at the Black Swan having pre- booked. The pub was busy and out table was ready. We chose from the specials board and the menu. The food was very good indeed and the choice was...

A superb meal in this highly popular pub. Booking in advance is a must. Local sea bream with clam & prawn chowder was absolutely delicious and cooked with love by the chef; a lovely Frenchman who clearly has a pride in his food. My wife...

The best pub in Swanage by a mile, I had Fish Pie and it was the nicest I have ever eaten, we also had fillet steaks and both were cooked exactly as we asked for and both were delicious. The specials board was updated as...

Lovely little pub with a nice outdoor garden/seating area and friendly staff. If you want to go here make sure you book! It gets very busy and even on a Monday we couldn’t just rock up, they were fully booked, sign of a good place!...

Having discovered this gorgeous little pub last September whilst on holiday in Swanage, we were very keen to return this week during another mini break. We were delighted to discover that the same standard of excellence still applies not only to the food but to...

A lovely welcome from all the staff we met when we visited from our AirBnB for drinks one night and dinner another. The food was an array of ever changing specials and delicious. Flavours carefully played with in unexpected combinations. We had to book a...

Great food very accommodating when fully booked.Each year we come to Swanage The Black Swan is a must.The overall experience of a friendly pub and great food sets for a great evening out.

Wonderful place , excellent staff and fantastic food. Used every day while staying in Swanage. Thank you all

So glad we could get a table, last time we were in Swanage it was booked up three weeks ahead! A really beautiful old pub in a lovely part of the town, with an excellent menu, from the traditional to the more inventive. We three...

An amazing family meal with fabulous service from all the staff. Definitely worth booking as every table was full at 12.30pn Lots of food for every course

We was really looking forward to visiting The Black Swan as we have wanted to eat here on two previous trips to the area but they have always been full booked. There was a limited choice of starters with the sharing platter not available which...

Best food in Swanage. Excellent service. Great wine. Friendly atmosphere. Fantastic French chef. Don't forget to book.

We’ve just eaten here twice in our week in Swanage. Amazing food , large portion sizes and really reasonable prices. Can’t fault anything on either visit (except that I was so full on both occasions that I didn’t get to sample what sounded like delicious...

Booked a table for 2 for 8 pm the night before. Arrived at 7.50pm and was seated and served two glasses of wine. At 8 I went to the bar to give my order but was told the waitress would come to the table to...

We were a party of four golfers staying locally at The Purbeck House Hotel, we had a fantastic meal at the Black Swan which was just a short stroll from our Hotel. The quality of the food is really good as are the portion sizes....

Visited twice on our recent visit to Swanage in May/June.Can always rely on tasty reasonably priced large portions to enjoy.We always have three courses and a bottle of wine. A recent addition of a mushroom vol a vent starter is excellent as was the pork...

Excellent beer, food and service. Very busy pub on a Sunday evening but serving tasty meals especially the fish pie. Prices are also reasonable perhaps because the pub is not right in the centre of Swanage but it is definitely worth the walk! First visit...

We ate here last year and enjoyed it. Tonight the starters did not disappoint - prawns in their shell and whitebait. The service was good too. But my main meal - a Trio of fish in pastry - was utterly tasteless and I wouldn’t recommend...

This is a lovely old pub with very friendly and helpful staff. the food was fresh and good quality. this is a busy pub so booking is a must.

The staff at the pub were extremely friendly and welcoming. There were 7 of us and they sat us at a table and took our drink and food orders. There were several ales available - the one I had was excellent and obviously well looked...

Booked The Black Swan for Sunday Lunch to celebrate my Birthday. Darren and his team ensured we had a nice private area of the restaurant to accommodate my large group. We were so well looked after on the day by Darren & all the waitresses...

Amazing location with quiet Hiden garden. Lovely atmosphere and chef/owner passionate about his food. Dog friendly. Good sized portions can't understand why anyone would complain. This is not a fast food establishment so be prepared to wait for quality food.

Visited on a Sunday evening and was told we’d need to book, great advice as managed to get a cancellation at 8pm. Every table taken on arrival and no bar to sit at if you arrive early as we did so had to visit a...

Fabulous place. Down for a weeknin Swanage. It gas a really good menu. My friend is gluten intolerant but had a good choice from the menu. The warm Dorset apple cake was amazing. Competitively priced. Friendly staff.

We visited on a Sunday evening when not many other establishments were open for dinner and we were so glad we did. Thankfully we booked a table (seemingly essential as place is busy, even on a Sunday evening). When we arrived we were shown to...

We booked to have the Sunday Roast here as we have been before while in Swanage and it is just the best fresh homecooked Roast dinner! The best we've had, plenty on the plate and the gravy is so tasty! We even booked to go...

Visited without reservation. Pub was full, however offered a table. Made very welcome, service really friendly, good choice and excellent value.

So glad we found this place. Everyone was very welcoming and the food was excellent. The chef even came out to check we enjoyed the food. Portions are generous and the whole family enjoyed their food. We will definitely return.

Here is the best place to eat in Swanage if looking for a traditional, characterful pub with lovely, reasonably priced food, friendly service then this is the place to go! Make sure you walk past all the other pubs that have been turned into food...

Our third visit - living out of the area not sure what the future of the pub is - we had heard it might be closing which would be very sad. The food as ever was brilliant and the atmosphere buzzing - it is always...

We booked a table at The Black Swann for a Saturday evening. This is usually when we dine during our girls weekends in Swanage. We had our hearts set on steaks, which we have had there before and have been amazing. Unfortunately, the menu has...

Two couples had Sat evening dinner on the Steam Gala weekend. Everything was great and although the pub was busy and all tables filled (so book if you want to get in) service was quick and attentive. Beer and wine choices were great too. Will...

We booked for Sunday lunch. The pub has loads of old charm. The food was of good quality, plentiful and good value. The staff were all friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend

Had a lovely meal with friends, including my dog. One friend is gluten and dairy free and the chef joined us and showed them all the (lots of) options and was happy to substitute where needed, e.g. swapped ice cream with sorbet with the dessert....

Visited this pub twice during our two day visit to Swanage. Food was amazing served piping hot and full of flavour. Staff were very helpful and happy to serve you. There is no mention on their website that they are a dog friendly venue. However...

Visited twice on our latest visit to Swanage.Always enjoy a three course meal with a bottle of wine.Very pleased to see soup and pate on the menu on both our visits.We prefer these traditional starters not wanting dirty fries or bread type dishes.Bring back the...

Cracking atmosphere, very tasty food and attentive staff - what’s not to like! Highly recommended, but book to avoid disappointment.