The Swan at Forest Row in Wealden

It was my husband's birthday yesterday (Sunday) so I decided to treat him to lunch at The Swan. We have wanted to go there for Sunday lunch ever since it changed hands and this seemed the ideal opportunity. I took the precaution of booking in advance and we were warmly greeted on arrival and shown to our table. Just as well we booked as most of the other tables had reserved signs on them, showing the name of the guest and time of arrival. It was lovely to see Sadie again, particularly as she recognised us from previous visits and made us very welcome. Our server was Jack, who was friendly, helpful and efficient. We decided to have roast dinners - I had the roast pork whilst my husband had the mixed roast of beef and pork. Wow, they were absolutely delicious and enormous portions. The quality of the meat, and vegetables, was superb. The Swan sources their ingredients locally, and provides information of the various suppliers. Sadly we didn't have room for dessert although we were sorely tempted. Perhaps next time we might? My husband had 2 pints of Cellar Head whilst I had a large glass of Ballon Colombard which were great accompaniments to the food. Thanks to everybody at The Swan for a lovely lunch and a great way to celebrate my husband's birthday.

I have been staying here to look after my mum who lives locally. The rooms are beautifully appointed, spotlessly clean and great value for money. Hotel du Vin quality without the cost!! New managers are doing a really good job - retained staff are amazing.

We were staying with our friend in Forest Row for the month of December whilst she recuperated from a hip replacement operation and popped into The Swan a few times. It is now under new management and we had the pleasure of having a long chat with Neil which was very interesting, also being introduced to Polly, and they made us feel very welcome. We took our friend to The Swan towards the end of our stay for a quick drink but when we saw the revised menu we decided to have something to eat from the small bites lunch menu. Our friend had the lamb kofta whilst my husband and I shared the fish goujon sandwich (which came with a portion of chips). Everything was very tasty, nicely presented and reasonably priced. We also had the pleasure of being served by Sadie, who recognised us from when we were last there in March. Whilst there, Neil and Polly both greeted us warmly which was a nice gesture as the pub was quite busy. We look forward to popping into The Swan again when we're back on dog-and-house sitting duties towards the end of February. Wishing Neil and his team all the best for 2024.

Stayed for two nights in a superior double room. The staff were very helpful and the food was good. The room was not worth £150 a night. It was sparsely furnished, with nothing in keeping with the age of the pub, plus awful perspex bedside tables and one perspex chair. There was more than enough room for a seating area. The bathroom was through a pair of swing saloon doors, so there was little privacy. Surely it would not be difficult to fit a door? The hot selection of breakfast items was excellent, but there was no continental items at all, nor was there something as simple as toast and jam or marmalade. My scrambled eggs were served on a piece of bread.... A new manager started on the day we left but he did not acknowledge us. Possibly just as well! I have waited until now to leave this review as Balfour (who own the pub) had requested a review which I sent. I was rather hoping that, by now, someone would have responded to that review with some reassurances, but nothing, which was a shame. We are unlikely to return.

Stayed on business for one night and would recommend. Lovely room, comfy and clean with a brilliant shower in the ensuite. Great meal in the restaurant and a lovely breakfast. The staff were all lovely especially Christine who seems to be running all over the palace and still managed a smile and to be courteous. Would stay again.

Went for lunch. Overcharged us then got order wrong and rather than correct it promptly the staff argued at the bar who's fault it was making us wait an extra 30 minutes to sort. The steak was quite tough but chips were nice. Staff seems fed up and mierable everything seemed to be a effort.

Avoid at all costs. Worst place we've ever eaten in, real shame. The staff, specifically Jack, were great, however the food was inedible. 4 starters and 4 main courses were amongst the worst food we've ever had. Then to top it off, 40 minutes wait for breakfast to be served possibly even worse food, it was terrible. Room was damp and had a extracter fan literally outside the door, so it was greasy and loud. The view was a petrol station. Spoke to the 'GM' in the morning, he just asked me "well, where have you ever eaten before". Real shame for the Balfour brand. DO NOT BOOK HERE....PLEASE

Awful experience, off-hand barman who should be trained in customer service by his manageress. We were told last orders at only 10.15. Eventually served by the landlady/manageress but made to feel very unwelcome overall. Barman refused to sell further drinks. They have now lost all future business from a very large local society.

Me and my partner decided to try a local pub and food, when we arrived there wasn’t much of an atmosphere (music was a little loud, instead of being background music), the manager (maybe landlady)on shift was very unwelcoming and got my drink order wrong as she didn’t listen, we decided to order two starters and two mains, starter 1 - baked Camembert to share (as stated on the menu) and starter 2 - deep fried mozzarella, main 1 - double cheeseburger and main 2 - pulled pork burger. The Camembert was realistically only for one person it was the size of a hockey puck (not even joking, but apparently they are for the price) The deep fried mozzarella is just inedible it was cold in the middle and was like they just took it out the packet, breadcrumbed it then put in the fryer, it was under cooked to the point I would of rather had it room temperature over a salad. The double cheeseburger was inedible, the bun was very soggy, like it’s been defrosted in a microwave and the beef patties where very tough to the point I didn’t even eat it at all (weatherspoons do a much better burger) The pulled pork burger was exactly the same as the cheeseburger. I spoke to the manager (landlady maybe) and told her but all I got back was I’ll let the chef know, I didn’t even get an apology at all, when I came to pay the bill she expected me to pay for the full amount, no discount was offered, I have to ask another staff member to get her back over and I explained that I was not paying for the full bill as it was inedible so she removed the two starters, then asked aggressively if I’m paying cash or card, once I payed I still didn’t get an apology for the food/ service or even a thank you for paying, not even a goodbye when we left. I would not recommend eating there ever and I will inform my friends not to as well. I hope the management can sort out her attitude as well as learn how the hospitality industry works (manners cost nothing as well as the food quantity need to be edible and also to do check backs on tables that have food to see if it’s all okay).

Nice food and lovely beer garden, all good apart from some confusion when we ordered a Creme brûlée for pudding and were given a Panacotta with Lemon Curd … but they took it back and off our bill , so no problem there.

Having dined here a couple of times it’s nice to always be greeted by friendly and attentive staff, I think every member of the team seems to be good at what they do and genuinely enjoy what they do. Especially the lady we spoke to in the snug area Sunday afternoon, all I can remember is she works at a couple of different places and was lovely! Since we last came they have made a couple of menu changes which were a bit disappointing, the chorizo on the starters has been taken off and the most disappointing they have removed cauliflower cheese as a side with the roast dinner. Please bring this back! The roast and trimmings were very good although the potatoes could have been a touch crispier. Veg, meat, and gravy all delicious. For dessert we had the torte with berry compote which was amazing! Will definitely come back and recommend.

We stayed one night at this very friendly establishment. We arrived at lunchtime and as we ordered a drink from the bar we were informed our room was ready if we would like to check in. The room was very spacious, very clean and bed incredibly comfortable. We were facing the road but the road noise was not intrusive and we did not need to use the earplugs that are thoughtfully provided. It was lovely to hear the Church bell that was over the road. We were so happy with our choice of stay we managed to fit in lunch, dinner and breakfast! All three meals were delicious. The quality of produce and meat were first class. My steak was very tender and cooked just as I requested. Would throughly recommend if you are a meat eater. My husband’s pan fried fish dish was also met with great approval.

We booked online for Sunday dinner at 6.00pm. We arrived on Thursday and walked down to the pub for a drink and to ask to look at the menu for Sunday, we where given a menu and asked if we where booked in and we said we were at 6.00pm. We arrived at 4.45pm on Sunday at the pub and told the bar staff we were booked in at 6.00 for food, but is it ok to sit outside for a drink they said that is fine. We also visited the pub on the sat and double-checked our booking for Sunday and everything was OK. We went in at 5.45 to see if our table was ready to be told the restaurant was full and that we can sit in the bar area, I told them that we had booked the restaurant he then went and got his manager who informed us that they had stopped serving food and that they had been trying to get hold of us all day to see if we could come in any earlier, we had no phone call and we had been sat in the garden for over an hour and had been in twice to drink and checked our booking, we also had an email confirmation. The staff were un comidating and very unfriendly. We were very upset and disappointed as we had been looking forward to it all day. I will never book for food again they offer terrible service and do not communicate with each other at all.

Arrived for our meal in good time & decided to have a drink in the Bar, lots of Staff but not very good Bar Service, capped off by being hugely overcharged for some wine we bought, when queried The Manager got involved & suggested member of staff had made a mistake, and cancelled original bill & started again, advised to check your bill is correct. Went into restaurant and pleasant waitress took our order but lacked knowledge about what we asked about & ordered, very long wait for meals to come when only 1 other table occupied, however food was very nice and plentiful. Wrong drinks brought again but were replaced with correct drinks fairly quickly. In conclusion we were not in any hurry so the poor service did not matter to us, but really does need some improvement & generally there seemed to be a huge training need for all the staff we encountered, watch this space for improvements?

small portions and expensive basically £17 for a McDonald burger and chips . food took ages to come 40 minutes . 6 of us ordered different meals and were all 2 star meals

We had a couple of evening drinks outside in the beer garden and the staff were very friendly and the Ale and gin were great. Weirdly, you could see any of the blokes using the cubicle through the window so I would suggest a better...

If I give you cash in your hand ,DONT PUT MY CHANGE ON THE BAR IN SPILLAGE FROM THE PREVIOUS CUSTOMER!!!! The manager needs to teach the staff properly!!!!

Had a beautiful dinner here at the Swan, trying their new menu. Food was hot tasty and delicious. We would like to say a big thank you to our excellent server Jack. He was very attentive, friendly and helpful. We will definitely return. Thank you...

We spent Saturday night at the Swan. We booked specifically because it was dog friendly. We got a warm and friendly welcome right from the start. The room was clean, a good size and had everything we needed. We ate in the pub bar, there...

Excellent food and service yesterday. Thank you! Our resident foodie (Noel, looking at you...) was particularly impressed James M

We recently stayed in Forest Row whilst dog-and-house sitting for a friend whilst she was on holiday. We popped into this pub on several occasions for a quick drink. All of the staff are very friendly, welcoming, smiling and helpful but we would particularly like...

The pleasant service at the Swan was not enough to compensate for an awful meal. Having booked a week ahead for a early table, and finding the dining room practically empty, it was a surprise to find that 4 of the items on the short...

Came to England from America to visit family that live in Forest Row and this is one of the places they brought me to. I absolutely fell in love with the aesthetics of this gorgeous building. We sat in the little seating area tucked in...

We visited sunday and had a wonderful beef and lamb which was cooked so well. The kids enjoyed their food and we had such a lovely afternoon. The two waitresses made us feel very comfortable and their service was amazing! The lady behind the bar...

Dinner was good & we took advantage of the opportunity to sample some of the estates wines at a great price (3 different wines of 125ml for only £10). Richard & Christine helped make it a fun meal with their humour & friendliness. We were...

Nestled right in the heart of the village you’ll come across this lovely little pub and you won’t be disappointed if you have to make the journey from further afield. Luckily I think we managed to avoid the lunch rush on this Sunday afternoon, greeted...

Huge room, great shower and bathroom. Huge comfortable bed, great linen and towels. Cheap see through plastic units, such a let down. No wardrobe or drawers. Complicated coffee machine which also made tea. Posh pods, not very nice. Woke up every hour by church bells....

Andrew, imported from the Griffin, Fletching, is making waves, creating exquisite dishes. Just experienced a gourmet fish, chips and mushy peas.

We popped in on Friday night for a quite bite to eat. Had an amazing meal, the starters were yummy, we had the lamb kofta, and pies for mains which were very tasty. The staff were very warm and friendly including are servers Beth and...

Not fine dining, but a cut above standard pub fayre. Nice food and lovely service was complemented by flights of sparkling and still wines from the owners vineyards. These turned a nice meal into something of an experience. I started with nicely spiced kofta and...

I was apprehensive about going back to the Swan - I was there about 3-4 weeks before and felt like I was invisible at the bar - staff looked straight through me when I was waiting to be served and people who came to the...

Visited the Swan for lunch with family, service was excellent and the food was even better! Will definitely be visiting again!

It’s my birthday today. My wife and I looked at the restaurants around our area and chose the Swan. It was the most expensive but we had been before and the Tortelloni sounded good. We remembered how good the waitress had been, very informative and...

We arrived on a lovely warm Monday evening, only one other table. We asked to eat, we sat outside and was given the menu. The ;end consisted of 5, yes 5 dishes. Fish and chips, burger, pasta (veg) dish, vegetarian dish and a pie (roots...

Ordered a spaghetti bolognaise for lunch. There were 4 or 5 options and it was between this and the burger. Very very poor. Basically tagliatelle with very little mince or taste. Then the menu stated a garlic ciabatta. This came out ten minutes after the...

We had a wonderful stay here on a Thursday evening in July. The dinner was delicious - special shout out to the borlotti bean bolognese and sticky toffee pudding! The hush Heath wine flight was absolutely superb and really good value. We stayed overnight and...

We went to the Swan on a sunny Sunday, and had an amazing time. We sat in there beautiful garden with plenty of seating. Where are server Mayan was polite and smart. We had roast chicken and lamb, which was tasty, hot and a nice...

Harveys beers are hard to keep .The first class condition of my pint suggests others will be oretty good too.I look forward to further visits.

Room clean and tidy,staff friendly and very helpful. Although window didn't shut properly so as we on front of property road was quite noisy but nothing major

After a day's walking to reach Forest Row, we found the village a little uninspiring and it seemed nigh on impossible to find somewhere for an evening meal. Feeling despondent, we headed into The Swan for a drink and were greeted by a lovely barman....

A two night stay at a lovely hotel , comfy large room , two good nights sleep . Friendly staff , pub and restaurant, great food . Thank you for a great stay !!

Visited for the first time today on a whim and had a delicious lunch. The staff were having a challenging day as short staffed but they were friendly and respectful to those of us waiting. Pie of the day was chicken and ham, served with...

We haven't been here for many a year but, now it's part of the Balfour Estates (Hush Heath) it was interesting to try it out. We decided to try lunch first. It was one of the colder April days unfortunately so it wasn't too warm...

Absolutely loved this place. Had all the charm of an old country pub & fantastic accommodation. The rooms were a good size with everything you could need for a short stay. There was a basic breakfast choice. The English breakfast was ok. I did love...

Having passed lots of times, we visited today on our way home with our dogs. So friendly and welcoming and THE BEST cod and chips we have ever had. Will be returning very soon. Thank you The Swan

Excellent food, and probably the friendliest and most relaxed staff we've encountered. Will definitely pop in again if in the area

Lovely location, friendly staff and tasty food, would recommend. I had the nut roast and sticky toffee pudding, both were delicious

Popped in for Sunday roast and had the most delicious meal, one chicken one lamb dinner. The staff where warm friendly! Are servers Kim and Nate where fantastic. Will be back again with the family next time.

There are always opportunities for people watching in restaurants. The old couple at the next table were not on adjacent chairs and each was studying a copy of a long document in silence. Throughout their meal he uttered not a word - not even to...

My Wife & I who live in.the centre of Forest Row went for lunch.New Years Day. whilst we dud not have a booking the Chef was able to squeeze us in. My Wife had fish & chips (salad instead of chips) & I had.a beef...

My wife and I have visited on and off for the last few years but this visit was superb. A warm welcome by the manager, Paul? Who showed to our table. Friendly and unfussy service with a smile from waitress. Food and menu greatly improved...

We brought a party of 30 here for lunch as part of a celebration for my sisters 60th. We couldn’t fault it! Clare (front of house) was waiting outside to welcome us. The food, which was excellent, plenty of choice including for vegetarians, was all...

Although the food here was enjoyed tastewise by everyone in our party of six, the portion sizes were minute. We had a lovely waitress who, unasked by us, suggested to the new chef that his portions were rather small and the bill was reduced. Without...

The service here is absolutely fantastic. The staff are lovely. We are staying in recently refurbished room, plus dinner in the restaurant. Nothing is too much trouble.

Great service from Jack and the rest of the team. Grab Sunday lunch and some dog treats and water for our dog. Would recommend- great food- great service - great atmosphere

Popped in for lunch late (2pm) on a Saturday, and found the place very quiet in this fashionable area - lots of red flags here - but was pleasantly surprised. Very pleasant and efficient service, hot and delicious food, by and large and a reasonable...

I decided to have the Sunday lunch and to my surprise there was a fabulous live music act on the rear terrace. Food was fabulous, a beautiful atmosphere and gave me a sense of being abroad for the afternoon given the al fresco dining and...

6 of us met at the Swan for lunch. It had just been refurbed and the menu was new that day. Very attractive decor, friendly staff and excellent food. Will definitely return and recommend.

Stayed for a weekend and had a lovely time. Room very nice, but a few alterations are needed, such as placing a mirror with some lighting near a plug so that the ladies can dry their hair and do their make up properly. Ensuring that...

Sunday roast was excellent I couldn't fault it and the staff were very friendly. I would definitely visit again when I'm in the area.

Amazing food in a lovely location. Sat Outside under a fairy lit canopy. The staff Richard and Bea were absolutely delightful! Tried the Rose wine tasting experience which I thoroughly recommend. Definitely will be coming back.

First visit since the start of Covid. Quiet lunchtime, but excellent Harvey’s bitter and good fish and chips. Fish was crispy as requested, chips good if a little over salted. Somewhat let down by curried mushy peas ( if it ain’t broke don’t fix it...

We had a fantastic Sunday lunch - the two vegetarians had the nut roast, which was great and I had the roast chicken - half a roast chicken with chunky roast potatoes and vegetables plus a Yorkshire pudding and plenty of gravy. The fourth person...

A great place for Sunday lunch with friends. The food was tasty and well-presented – and great to have a veggie roast option – we loved that. Staff were friendly, service was great and we'll definitely be back. Thanks, guys.

Popped in for an early Saturday dinner at short notice. Ate in the restaurant which is a lovely back room, airy and light. Would be great for a celebration. We were seated considerately apart from other diners. Guinea fowl with pickled blackberries and beetroot was...

I are Sunch my adult children . We had a very nice meal and the service was attentive without being pushy.

Booked to have lunch here as had viewed menu online as seemed to be items for vegetarians and catered for a allergy menu. When we arrived we were given a menu that had fewer items on it than advertised online. When we questioned the server...

Have eaten here twice in the last month and have been very impressed by how good the waiting team are. Really friendly and attentive. Have had the seafood starter which is a nice take on frito misto, fish and chips and on steak night a...

Great ambience, great food and helpful staff Outdoor space under cover Lovely to be back without so many restrictions !

Went with the kids for a meal on Thursdays evening and had a fantastic time with great food and excellent service by are waiter Ola, she was so friendly and helpful, thank you! Will be back again soon.

Went here by chance to meet a friend and ordered a late lunch. Superb. Beats other local pubs by miles. Up market menu and good service. Will come again

My partner and I went to the Swan this evening, best meal we have had in a long time anywhere. Service was quick, really friendly staff. My partner had a burger and he had the biggest smile on his face, he said it was the...

Best pub food around by far, good drinks selection,service looks a bit disorganised and inexperienced, great location, and outside seating is very tranquil

Outstanding ! We stayed at The Swan for 4 days for a family wedding. We were blown away by the service, quality of food and overall high standard of our accommodation. The staff were extremely professional and very welcoming. They could not do enough for...

Realising that our accommodations' restaurant was likely to be a disappointment we walked about 100 yards and found The Swan where we had afternoon drinks. We were not disappointed, menu was reasonable as were the prices and the service was attentive and proffesional.

Had an amazing few drinks and nibbles after a big cycle. Kim, our server made our day, very professional and had great banter at the table. Made our day! Was a perfect day of cycling topped off with perfect service. Every time I come to...

Service was a joke. Ran out of cutlery, I'll go to the Brambletye next time or McDonalds. Unfriendly and they didn't make us welcome.

Had a lovely family dinner at the pub, the staff were supper friendly, efficient and knowledgeable of the menu. The food was super tasty and delicious and piping hot. Had the sticky toffee pudding which was amazing!!! Have it if you can. Want to try...

Amazing lunch served for hungry cyclists. Delicious! Well kept ales served with a friendly smile. Highly recommended.

We were in Forest Row for the weekend and were told to try the Swan, well we ended up there every day for drinks and some food. We tried the squid and the chips and they were perfect. The next day we had eaten lunch...

With the pubs now reopened we took our first afternoon out of lockdown trip to The Swan and we were really impressed at the Covid safe measures in place, alongside a menu that puts an upmarket take on traditional pub favourites. The ploughman’s was excellent...

It's a great pub that seems to be getting better and better each time I go. The food is excellent, the staff are friendly & helpful and the atmosphere is top notch! Highly recommended...

Excellent local pub with a traditional atmosphere. Very attentive staff willing to cater for all your needs. One of our party had allergy concerns, our waiter and waitresses went above and beyond to assist. Food was delicious. Highly recommend the halloumi burger! Great choice of...

I believe the mash was Smash! And the chips were frozen from a bag. Sorry but just do the basics right, please. The Pie was good. Great service.

As always a very good meal fish cooked just right and staff friendly and helpful. The pub is a credit to the village I have used many times and always found the same. Managing very well in difficult times. Thank you.

My husband and I had lunch here on Saturday. The location very easy to fi d as it’s in the center of town. We tried to find place for lunch which is easy to park, so when we stick at round about, we saw The...

I last visited The Swan in December 2019 after they just opened and had a fantastic lunch, so I was looking forward to this visit. The menu was completely different, really basic and a bit dull- all mains £13, all starters £6- not overly cheap...

Booked a table online for dinner, arrived with my husband and 7 month old only to be told they are fully booked and couldn’t seat us! Wasted trip, won’t be returning.

Nice menu, great food and BRILLIANT service. Thanks to all staff at The Swan at lunch today. Nice variety of menu choice, spacious seating. Great service for some of us fuss pots!

Staff are really lovely and the back garden downstairs is the only place I could find in town that had a breeze and good outdoor shaded space. Recommended!

Excellent food and service. The broad bean risotto was cooked perfectly and the plaice was magnificent. We were well looked after and the tables are all spaced according to social distancing, will definitely be visiting again soon 😊

Twice in one week!!!! I dined on Friday and had an amazing burger it was juicy and reasonably priced (looked like a 5 guys burger) Ok My wife can make a very good roast but the roast I had was probably the best I’ve ever...

Came here today as our first visit to forest row, the town itself is lovely, we drove past the pub and I could smell the food so we parked up and went in. After a very warm welcome, a look around the pleasant pub, explanations...

Nice meal but shocked and disappointed with the bill, items on there we didnt have, had to get it readjusted twice, they were not busy so no excuse for wrong billing, young waitress apologised but didnt feel it was meant, the incorrect bill ruined the...

An early evening supper with family. Warm welcome in relaxed surroundings. The dining area is a high ceilinged room with well spaced tables, pleasant but not exceptional. We ordered shared starters of scotch eggs, pork bites and terrine. Scotch eggs and terrine were good, pork...

Have been to the Swan on several occasions since it reopened. Mostly for lunchtime drink but once to eat in the evening. Found bar and restaurant service to be friendly and efficient. Food very good. I know it’s now owned by a local vineyard, but...

We were stayoing at the Ashdown Park Hotel but walked over to the Swan for dinner. Two fish and chips with a chilled bottle of white, was absolutely delicious, just perfect!

Inevitably with the previous (Mountain Range restaurant chain in mind) Swan in mind, people will make comparisons. The decor is certainly brighter and the Swan now offers a place to stay. As to the food, we had bar snacks for a flying visit and this...

Excellent service and ambience. Pint of soda and lime, 50p! Perfect! However, 3 hours after eating my skate lunch, I was violently ill until the next morning. I will not be returning and will have to report potential food poisoning to FSA - I have...

We were at our wits' end looking for a restaurant that would be suitable to end the decade with and we wanted to spend time in Forest Row due to family living there. We had booked The Swan because it had been recently refurbished and...