Harden's survey result
Summary
“It’s very difficult to find fault” at Tommy Banks and his family’s famous pub out in the boonies of North Yorks – head chef Callum Leslie’s ten-course tasting menu is £175 per person, and even if “you may be heading for bankruptcy at this level of pricing, the cooking is astonishing”: “we even thought it good value! with some of the most interesting and tasty desserts encountered in any starred restaurant”; “it lived up to all expectations despite (well-founded) cynicism about these things!”
Summary
“A bucket-list place so we had high expectations… did not disappoint in any area!". Tommy Banks and his family’s out-of-the-way pub in North Yorks is one of the most commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll and inspires high hopes – inflamed in large part by TripAdvisor declaring it the #1 restaurant in the world some years ago – which it arguably does a surprisingly good job of living up to. New chef Callum Leslie was appointed in November 2021, and wins consistent praise for his “out-of-this-world tasting menu with outstanding wine pairings” all delivered by “very knowledgeable” staff.
Summary
“An amazing treat as always” is hailed by fans of the Banks family’s isolated pub, set out of the way in rural North Yorkshire, which owes a fair proportion of its fame to being hailed five years ago as TripAdvisor’s #1 Restaurant in the World! Even fans, though, note that “prices have edged up” over the years, to an extent one or two critics now find a visit “a case of the emperor's new clothes”. For the most part, though, it’s still rated highly by those who make the pilgrimage. Some change is afoot: in November 2021, it was announced that Callum Leslie, who joined The Black Swan in 2019, is taking the helm in the kitchen as head chef, while Will Lockwood is moving onto Roots in York.
Summary
“Every bit as good as the hype… exceptionally clever cooking, lovely staff and a very jolly atmosphere”: still the most common verdict on the Banks family’s isolated pub, “tucked away in the North Yorkshire countryside” (near the family farm), which won global fame in 2017 as TripAdvisor’s #1 Restaurant in the World! But while its “adventurous” nine-course tasting menu still hits “amazing” heights for most reporters, its overall ratings suggest it risks becoming a victim of its own success (including the constraints of Tommy Banks’s TV commitments, and opening a second venue in York). “Sky high prices” are the main gripe, but slips in service are also a concern (one reporter “paid for a signed book and had to ask six times to receive it”).
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Black Swan?
Oldstead, YO61 4BL
Restaurant details
The Black Swan Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Great lunch, if a little pricey at £135. Famed for using preserved items, all very tasty. Best little snack was the toast with the aged Killeen and pear, good chewy and crusty bread, sea bass was perfectly judged with asparagus n the sauce, plate lickingly good sauce with the variations of mangalita pork, and the sweet/savoury "dessert of mushroom, artichoke and woodruff."
"A superb tasting menu, full of flavour and creativity and beautifully plated. From the exquisite canapés through the three fish dishes to the desserts, everything was very well balanced. The accompanying wine flight was very generous."
"As good a 1 star as I've eaten at. Food was superb and served at the perfect pace Only criticism would be the lighting in the dining room needs turning down. it doesn't make for an intimate experience"
"Over engineered and over priced The red wine I had was served far too cold. When I got home I had a wine a fifth of the price that was twice as good"
"Perfection What a great experience. A manifestation of absolutely Tommy. The food was just exceptional with the most extraordinary flavour combinations with absolutely stunning presentation. It's hard to imagine a more perfect experience. Only shame was not meeting the man himself."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £38.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £0.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
Oldstead, YO61 4BL
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 6 pm‑8 pm |
| Wednesday | 6 pm‑8 pm |
| Thursday | 6 pm‑8 pm |
| Friday | 6 pm‑8 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑1 pm, 6 pm‑8 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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