The Black Swan at Oldstead Reviews Summary

Category: Fine dining restaurant

Address: Oldstead, York, YO61 4BL, United Kingdom

Rating: 4.8
based on 132 reviews.

Staff Service

Pros:

  • "The staff were wonderful, attentive without being intrusive and knowledgeable friendly and sweet."
  • "The staff are lovely they couldn't do enough to make you feel welcome."
  • "Excellent service from the young and knowledgeable team."
  • "The staff are extremely knowledgeable, explaining both the ingredients and thinking behind each of the dish's offered."
  • "The staff are fantastic and they display a real sense of pride and family in what they do."
  • "The waiting staff were wonderful, extremely professional, very polite."
  • "The staff are knowledgeable, efficient, helpful and friendly."

Cons:

  • "During the whole dinner unfortunately, no mention and no event that showed the staff was aware of my birthday."
  • "The owner had absolutely no sympathy and was more concerned with not filling his hotel and the money he would lose."
  • "Impersonal service, verging on rude with absurd restrictions on time of arrival."
  • "The service was lacking and the music was painful. They just weren’t on it versus the previous visit and compared to other restaurants we’ve been recently."
  • "We were served the first course in the bar just after we'd ordered drinks so felt rushed, then moved to the restaurant upstairs."
  • "The two things that do not keep up with the rest I described are the booking service and the wine matching."

Food Quality

Pros:

  • "The food was simply extraordinary, we were very pleased that Tommy was there on the night."
  • "A superb tasting menu and matching wines."
  • "Seasonal tasting menu of unique dishes."
  • "The food was superb, better than certain 3 star establishments."
  • "The scallop was exceptional, the best I ever tasted."
  • "The food was just exceptional with the most extraordinary flavour combinations with absolutely stunning presentation."
  • "The food is faultless, fresh, flavoursome, pretty as a picture and a delight to eat."

Cons:

  • "When the food did arrive it wasn't very hot."
  • "The lamb was difficult to cut and at only 200grams for two of us with a third of that being the farce topping which overpowered the lamb it was disappointing as I was expected this to be the star of the meal."
  • "A few dishes were weak. The beetroot dish was no where near as good as their hallmark dish of a few years ago."
  • "There was one course we didn’t like (the vegetable panettone)."
  • "The dessert was so bad it left the most revolting taste that ruined what we had eaten and the next course."
  • "Some delicious courses followed by a number of dishes displaying poor technique and technical skill."
  • "The sauce tasted like heavy sweet soy sauce and was a bit overpowering in its saltiness for the delicate flavour of the fish."

Atmosphere & Location

Pros:

  • "Stunning location and some dishes with flavours I’ve never tried before."
  • "Definitely worth a visit if one was in the region."
  • "A truly lovely meal in a delightful location."
  • "The atmosphere of the place is nice and relaxed but still had the level of dining experience you'd expect."
  • "Such a beautiful location."
  • "All in all a wonderful experience in a secluded and very pretty setting."
  • "The building is situated in a beautiful location."

Cons:

  • "Here the dining rooms are small and echoey, no flowers / candles on the table, harsh lighting."
  • "Swankey/bucolic, yet lacking content."

Value for Money

Pros:

  • "You certainly get what you pay for."
  • "Not cheap but worth it, a dining experience that will be hard to beat."
  • "Well worth the wait to get a booking."
  • "I had the 10 course tasting menu which, at £85, felt like a bargain compared to the price of Michelin starred food in major cities."
  • "So what if it's pricey, worth every penny for the pleasure and special memories."
  • "Worth every penny and we will most certainly be back again."
  • "Worth every penny :)"

Cons:

  • "Adequate I guess, but somewhat pricey vs the competition now in Yorkshare."
  • "A limited, pricey menu, not what I expected from a Michelin recognised eatery."
  • "The tasting menu was amazing but it's not cheap."
  • "Tasting menu quite expensive (£250 pP even if you only drink water)."
  • "The negatives for us would have been the pricing of the room for the night, it need to be about 15% less to be more balanced."
  • "Our mid week meal and stay for two exceeded £650."
  • "Given the significant cost of a room it was a dent in what was otherwise an enjoyable visit."

Accommodation

Pros:

  • "Our room was gorgeous and we felt very welcome."
  • "The room we stayed in was very pleasant with the bathroom being a highlight."
  • "The overnight room was well appointed."
  • "The bedrooms are pleasant with underfloor heating, nice toiletries and fresh milk in the fridge."
  • "Stayed overnight in the cottage just a short walk from the restaurant, a beautiful room with great bath."
  • "We stayed overnight in the village accommodation owned by the restaurant. The room had the wow factor."
  • "The room was lavish with a very comfy bed and great facilities."

Cons:

  • "One comment for the owners, if you only have the loft apartment left, warn your potential guests that it may not be suitable for the older or less mobile."
  • "Problems with water supply meant bathing and showering difficult compounded by a faulty plug meaning bath couldn’t be used."
  • "The rooms however need some updating."
  • "The bed in our room was a small double which led to uncomfortable night."
  • "The rooms however need some updating."

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