The Black Swan in Ockham, well what a stunning hidden gem this place is, no surprise they were the Winner of the Surrey Award 2024 for ‘Best Gastropub’. From special events with live music to gastro dining you couldn’t ask for more; with a large outdoor area with beautiful Surrey surroundings and table tennis to entertain the kids (or adults!) to the quieter intimate dining in the Lounge or Main Restaurant, The Black Swan offers it all.
OUR EXPERIENCE
We were greeted on arrival by the bubbly and friendly Black Swan Proprietor Barbara Bouti (who is affectionately known to all as Barbie!) and a charming, young waitress named Chloe who offered us to take a seat and enjoy a drink why they ensured our table was ready. Shortly after we were greeted by duty manager Nathan who showed us through to the state room that was brightly lit with exposed wooden beams and quirky interior, we were offered a wine list and food menus and given a few minutes to decide. Needless to say it took more than a few minutes as we were so spoilt for choice with such a diverse and tantalising menu. It all seemed so good. We started with a cocktail which was a perfect way to start any meal or just enjoy a drink in the stunning deck area or garden, we highly recommend the ‘Tropical Rum Spritz’ and the ‘Patron Paloma Spritz’ which were both full of flavour and really refreshing on this hot Summer evening.
SUBLIME STARTERS
Nathan couldn’t have been more knowledgeable of the menu and was more than accommodating when we wanted to make any changes. We settled on the ‘Soup of the Day’ from the Starter Menu which was ‘Roasted Thai Red Pepper and Sweet Potato’ which came with a homemade fresh potato sour dough and the choice of butter or olive oil and balsamic, it was DIVINE! The sour dough was perfectly crunchy and a great accompaniment to the soup which was packed full of flavours that all complimented each other, with a subtle hint of ginger that really came through and balanced out the other flavours nicely.
We also ordered from the Bar Snacks Menu including the ‘Thousand Layer Potato Skewers with Roasted Garlic Aioli and Basil Pesto’, this was the perfect balance of crunch, fresh and flavour and it all worked together in harmony. The potatoes were perfectly crisp coated in garlic aioli and dotted with basil pesto… I could have eaten these all day! The basil pesto is made fresh on site and you really can tell. We also ordered the ‘Sesame Roasted Chicken Skewers and Ssamjang Sauce’, these are a must try on any visit to The Black Swan. The homemade Ssamjang Sauce was out of this world and I would of quite happily eaten these by the bucket load. The chicken was tender and with a squeeze of fresh lime and a dash of spring onion you really could not make these any better if you tried.
MASTERFUL MAINS
And now onto the main event. We ordered a Black Swan pub classic – ‘The Dry Aged Double Cheeseburger layered with American Cheese and Signature Burger Sauce’ served with French Fries and of course we added the ‘Triple Smoked Bacon’. We were over the moon with our choice. It came served in a Vegan Toasted Brioche Bun (there is a Vegan Burger alternative to this dish too – which sounded just as appetising as the real thing). The French Fries were fresh and crispy and the Smoked Bacon was the perfect add-on with their Signature Sauce. It packed it full of flavour and the portion size was more than generous too, thanks! A house classic elevated to the next level for sure.
I went for Nathan’s recommendation of the ‘Pave Steak Rump – The Heart Of The Rump’ it was honestly the best Steak I have ever had in my entire life, it melted in the mouth and was accompanied by Sautéed Green Beans, fresh crunchy Salad, Fries and Pink Peppercorn Sauce. I was literally in food heaven. It was cooked to perfection “medium rare” and I could have eaten the whole thing all over again. It is also a feature on their Steak Night every Thursday from 6pm so I would definitely try this one for yourself and you will see what I mean.
DECADENT DESSERTS
As it came time for the Dessert Course, we really were full to the brim due to the healthy portions of everything, but that didn’t stop us! Who doesn’t love a pudding?! And The Black Swan has you covered with everything from ‘Raspberry Tiramisu’ to ‘Eton Mess With Vanilla Poached Strawberries’, Iced Coffee to Rum & Raisin Ice-Cream, we ordered adelicious ‘Trio of Ice-Cream and Sorbets’ including the aforementioned Coffee Ice-Cream, Mango Sorbet and my personal favourite Gin & Lemon Sorbet for all those gin lovers out there. These were the perfect little palette cleansers we needed before tucking into a portion of ‘Chocolate Filled Profiteroles with Mascarpone and Salted Caramel Sauce’, which were phenomenal and the sweet and salty combo was a truly decadent experience for us to share together.
IN SUMMARY
A huge shout out to the beautiful proprieter Barbie and all the staff at The Black Swan we really felt like “part of the family” during our entire visit you were all super friendly and made the experience for us. The food really does speak for itself but you guys really made it what it was and we can’t thank you enough here at Surrey Rocks, until next time………which will be very soon!
CONTACT
The Black Swan, Old Lane, Ockham, Surrey, KT11 1NG
01932 862364
@blackswanockham
