The Swan, 1 Church Street, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1LN.

01225 868686

Walking into the Swan at Bradford on Avon has the feel of going back in time.

The stone flagstones lead into a spacious hallway, with a sitting area with deep leather armchairs, stairs up to the rooms, a large bar and dedicated dining room.

It’s the sort of place where it would be beautifully decadent to sit and watch the traffic go by.

The town centre hotel was closed about three years ago for a refit and the result is a comfortable interior which retains its historic charm.

The service was very friendly and the bar is a good meeting place for locals, who are not under pressure to eat, and a separate dining room.

A waitress led us to the dining room where a table had been reserved for us overlooking the courtyard and car park, where a few couples and groups were enjoying the late evening sun.

The menus were extensive, with daily specials, a la carte and pub classics, which included ham and eggs, ploughman’s and sandwiches.

Children also had their own menu which, I was pleased to see, had tagliatelle rather than fish fingers.

I chose my starter of crispy whitebait from the ‘light bites’ menu. However, like many an old favourite, was a tad disappointing and I should have realised that crispy meant battered.

Paul’s choice of goat’s cheese and red onion bruschettes was a better option.

For mains I had aubergine rolls stuffed with spinach, onion, garlic and feta with dauphinoise potatoes and sun dried tomato dressing. It was beautifully presented. However, it was a tad oily and I would have preferred less cheese.

Paul was disappointed to find ribeye was the only steak on offer and would have liked the choice of a better cut. He was very torn between that and the sausage and mash.

After being assured by the friendly waiter that the steak was good, he plumped for the ribeye and was not disappointed. Again, the meal was beautifully presented.

We shared a lemon cheesecake and a strong cappuccino to finish. The meal, with one glass of wine, came to just under £50.

Historic coaching inn at heart of town

Greene King ales

Courtyard with limited parking

Several menus, including one for children

Comfortable for both drinkers and diners

Friendly service

Disabled access

Our Eating Out is an independent review carried out by the Times without prior knowledge of the owners.