If there is one thing you can rely on the UK for, it is its wealth of charming country pubs. Just a ten-minute drive from the centre of tourist hotspot Bath, you will find The Swan, a rustic gastropub that benefits from a gorgeous location, looking out onto willow-edged fields and over the River Avon.
The pub’s dining room boasts a cosy, thrown-together feel, punctuated by light wood tables and chairs, navy blue walls and blackboards where daily specials are written up in chalk. The kitchen at The Swan has gained a reputation among locals and tourists for its homemade style of cooking, where dishes are made using locally sourced ingredients.
You can come here for either lunch or dinner and expect to find a blend of classic pub grub and more contemporary classics. To begin your meal, you can keep warm with a homemade soup of the day or instead tuck into battered whitebait that is served alongside a zesty lemon mayonnaise for dipping.
When it is time for your main course, you can choose between regular mains or dishes from a grill. Traditional pub grub here includes a steak pie served with mash potato and seasonal veg or beer-battered fish and chips paired with tripled-cooked chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce. There are some more modern offerings too though, such as whole roasted plaice served alongside brasied butter beans, while dishes from the grill include steak with your choice of sauce, and a venison burger topped with garlic mayonnaise and served with thick-cut chips.
The Swan is very much a family affair, with the dedicated kids menu featuring a basil and pine nut pesto pasta and a mini cheeseburger with fries. You can also bring the whole family along to Sunday lunch, when hearty roasts are the order of the day.