Black Swan @ Ockham, The Reviews

It was absolutely brilliant. We went in the summertime and what an afternoon it was, with great food and great setting.

Ten of us went for lunch on Saturday - the food was excellent and served very quickly by friendly efficient staff. I would highly recommend this place.

Brilliant is an understatement.

We visited The Black Swan for a family party on Sunday. We were warmly welcomed even though there was an important staff meeting going on at the time. Although our party was less in number than originally booked we were accommodated on a large table. In terms of service, I can find no fault; even the delivery of the wrong sort of tea was rapidly corrected. I was most impressed with the quality and indeed quantity of portions provided - I feel that the party as a whole had good value for money. One of the key things in restaurants, I feel, is to have the food served on hot plates - no problems there in this instance. I have no qualms about recommending The Black Swan.

The best place for Sunday lunch, especially if you have kids and dogs! Sunday can resemble a creche so if you're looking for a quiet and romantic place for a Sunday roast - go elsewhere. If, however, you want relaxed, friendly, family orientated, noisy and a good glass of Provence Rose, then this is the place. Wear your jeans, relax with your kids, and bring the family dog too! The portions are big, the staff fall over themselves to be friendly and are great with the kids. Nothing is too much trouble and the new manager is a star. Just make sure you book in advance.

I had dinner with two girlfriends one evening and we had booked a table. When we got there, we decided to sit outside because the weather was nice but the surly waitress was not too impressed with this. The wine was good and the food was very nice indeed - expensive but worth it for a special night out. The only major problem was the staff, besides one waitress who was lovely. The lady behind the bar was unfriendly every time we dealt with her. After the staff finished work they sat at a table next to us outside and were quite noisy. I have no issues with people relaxing after work but their behaviour, especially in their kitchen gear, was unprofessional and disrupted what was a nice evening. Our main course plates were not cleared after we finished and we had to ask for them to be removed. It is a nice place but the staff need to cheer up a bit.

On my birthday I booked a table for 12:45 pm and the food arrived two hours later. One of my guest was informed that the hamburger was off the menu, so chose sausages. After an hour my guest was told that sausages were not available, so had to choose again. The food was reasonable and after the long wait, I had lost my appetite. Luckily I had my father, husband and sons with me, who made my day but the Black Swan at Ockham did quite the opposite. The poor waitress was the only person around at the sharp end.