Bristol’s The Swan is an independently operated gastropub which is also home to 12 en-suite bedrooms, which can be occupied by those in the area for business or leisure. The hotel is found in the leafy village of Almondsbury, which feels secluded and quaint, but is actually just a few minutes from the M5 and only a 25-minute journey by car to Bristol’s city centre.
The in-house restaurant at the hotel is a cute and cosy affair, which feels a little bit like being in someone’s living room. There are dark wood tables and chairs, a fireplace at one end of the room and a blackboard where daily specials are written up in chalk. The Swan’s restaurant, which has the same name as the hotel, serves a menu of contemporary British classics, which are made using local produce and change seasonally.
On the a la carte, you might find starters such as homemade soup of the day served with bread and butter, or a novel take on a Scotch egg which features black pudding and spiced tomato chutney. For your main course, take your pick of pub classics such as sausage and mash, the pie of the day or beer-battered haddock served with thick-cut chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce.
There are a few main dishes that are more akin to typical restaurant meals too, such as chicken ballotine or Salt Marsh lamb rump served alongside seasonal vegetables. To round off your meal, order sweet treats including sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream, or chocolate and raisin bread and butter pudding. For those who prefer life’s savoury delights, there is a cheeseboard.
As well as the regular menu, The Swan also serves up breakfast daily, as well as a great value set lunch menu and a slap-up Sunday roast on the weekends.