Restaurant Review: The Swan with Two Necks*

[Ad-gifted] We were recently invited to visit The Swan with Two Necks, a trendy gastropub located in Blackbrook, Staffordshire to try out their food and feature it on the blog.

We had heard so much about The Swan with Two Necks and passed it often on our road journeys, but never had the chance to dine in there so we were excited to visit the venue.  If you are looking to gift a restaurant voucher as a birthday present to a loved one, why not also check out Square Meal UK.

There is ample of parking and the pub can be easily spotted from the main road.  Soon as we arrived, we were greeted with beautiful lush décor, cosy feel and friendly staff who guided us to our table.

We ordered our drinks first as we wanted some time to look over their new seasonal menu. There was ample of wine choices, cocktails, mocktails as well as low alcohol drinks which is great especially if you are driving to the venue to celebrate a special occasion.

We ordered the No Alcohol Burnt Pineapple Nojito (Lime, Pineapple and Mint) and Strawberry Fields (Strawberry, Cucumber, Cranberry and Apple) both priced at £4.50 to start with and then ordered the Spiced Mango Margarita (Tequila, Triple Sec, Orange, Fresh Lime, Mexican Spice and Mango Juice) priced at £9.50 as well as a Low Alcohol Chase Rhubarb & Brambley Apple Gin with Double Dutch Tonic priced at £6.

The gastropub’s front of office staff are all well trained and we were taken care of by Pasquel who has worked with the restaurant for 15 years.  He asked us if we had any allergy before he started taking our orders.

For our starters, we decided to order the Slow Braised Ox Cheek served with potato puree and Bourguignon sauce (priced at £10) as well as the Goat’s Cheese Crème Brûlée served with poached sultanas and focaccia croute (priced at £7.50).   The ox cheek was tender, the flavour exquisite and each mouthful was a pleasure.

The Goat’s Cheese Crème Brûlée was equally delicious, the creamy goat’s cheese was not overpowering and the sweetness from the raisins was surprisingly comforting coupled with the crunchy bread texture. The portion size was just right, as you could have one dish for yourself or share both starters if you love to share your food.

For our mains, we ordered the Smoked haddock, king prawn and cod served with  garlic, dill velouté sauce and topped with creamy onion & cheese mash and served with butter green beans.  Priced at £17, every mouthful was heavenly especially on a cold winter day. We could taste the saltiness of the smoked haddock and this with the creamy mash was a marriage made in heaven.  The beans were tender and cooked to perfection as well.

We ordered the Slow cooked shoulder of lamb with rosemary roasted butternut squash, pumpkin puree and split mint jus as our second mains.  The lamb had a beautiful crunchy nut crust marinated with a flavourful spice seasoning.  The meat was deliciously tender and the sauces complimented it.  Priced at £19, the dish was again perfectly portioned and we did not feel it was overly rich or heavy.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated and it could easily seat 165 pax indoors and when the weather warms up, another 100 pax outdoors.  We sat for a moment, enjoying the decor and the new interiors of the restaurant before we ordered our dessert.

For dessert, we ordered the Chocolate and Orange Tart served with a blood orange sorbet, cocoa nibs and blood orange sauce. Priced at £7.50, each mouthful was indulgent! The bitter dark chocolate and the sweet orange sorbet complimented each other well.

When we thought that this could not be topped, we took a bite of our next dessert which was the Espresso Martini Choux Bun which was filled with espresso ice cream and coffee caramel sauce. Words can’t express what we felt. Each biteful of the choux bun with the ice-cream and rich caramel sauce was just heavenly and it ended our meal in such a sweet note.

What did we think of the food at The Swan with Two Necks?

Being Staffordshire based, we love showcasing local venues, restaurants and small business and we are so proud to share about The Swan with Two Necks.  The venue was stylish yet versatile, perfect for a romantic couple meal or a casual girls’ night out or even a Sunday meal with the family.

The food was delicious and beautifully presented, the staff well-trained and attentive, looking out for our every need and checking on us for drink top ups even before we realised our glass was empty.  Their menu clearly indicates specific food options such as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meals and the staff made an effort to ask if we had an allergy when we arrived.

We had such a great time dining at The Swan with Two Necks that I have another meal already booked there in the coming weeks with my friends and look forward to return again when the weather warms up to dine alfresco in their outdoor garden space.  Although they do accept walk in guest, I would recommend for you to pre-book your table especially if it is on a Friday or weekday as it does get busy.

Where is The Swan With Two Necks?

Nantwich Road,
Blackbrook,
Newcastle
ST5 5EH
01782 680343

What are their opening hours?

Monday to Thursday – 12pm to 11pm
Friday & Saturday – 12pm to 12am
Sunday – 12pm to 11pm

About The Swan With Two Necks

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*We were invited to review the food at Ice & Slice, all opinions are our own.