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Hours
Sun
11:00 - 22:00
Mon
11:00 - 23:00
Tue
11:00 - 23:00
Wed
11:00 - 23:00
Thu
11:00 - 23:00
Fri
11:00 - 23:00
Sat
11:00 - 23:00
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.0
Travellers' Choice 2023
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
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PRICE RANGE
£5.00 – £40.00
CUISINES
Bar, British, Contemporary, Pub, Gastropub
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly
meals, features
Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?
Details
About
located in the heart of Forest Row, is a bustling hub of the community. It boasts a spacious dining area and garden, making it an ideal venue for a classic country pub experience, regardless of weather or company. The menu features a range of pub favorites sourced from local suppliers. The Swan is known for good hearty pub grub, as well as its selection of dishes made from produce local to Forest Row. In addition to its dining options, The Swan also features six charming boutique rooms, providing the perfect base for exploring the countryside of the South East, including the nearby Ashdown Forest. Be sure to book direct for the best rates and enjoy the blend of classic English Inn ambiance and modern comforts.
PRICE RANGE
£5.00 – £40.00
CUISINES
Bar, British, Contemporary, Pub, Gastropub
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
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4.0
112 reviews
Excellent
62
Very good
20
Average
9
Poor
9
Terrible
12
DerekVespucci
London12 contributions
Dec 2019 • none
We were at our wits' end looking for a restaurant that would be suitable to end the decade with and we wanted to spend time in Forest Row due to family living there.
We had booked The Swan because it had been recently refurbished and were curious to see what had been done with it.
We were pleasanty surprised. The decor in the restaurant section was really tastefully done. The colour scheme, furnishings and fittings were simply delightful.
We were really impressed by the service provided to us by young waitresses. Unfortunately, I didn't get their names, particularly the one with dark hair who spent most of the evening serving us. Extremely polite, without being sychophantic and with a touch of humour. Just the right side of being informal and professional.
The food was simply divine. Really good portions which were so tasty, but we were unable to finish it - we had to take some home! The meal was washed down with a refreshing light wine for the adults and lemonade for the children. The desserts went down a treat mmm!
The atmosphere was chilled and uplifting and just the perfect way to end the decade. Superb!
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swlondonkaren
Thank you for your fantastic review. We are happy you enjoyed your visit and look forward to welcoming you back to share more great experiences with you.
Written 5 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Desyana Squires
Bali1334 contributions
Sept 2020 • couples
My husband and I had lunch here on Saturday.
The location very easy to fi d as it’s in the center of town. We tried to find place for lunch which is easy to park, so when we stick at round about, we saw The Swan on the other side of the road and decide to have lunch there.
During the pandemic, the staff ask us to write our details. It’s good. We happy to know that this place follow the health protocol and support government to monitoring the spread of covid-19
There are few corner with hand sanitation. The cutleries already packed as we normally have meal on the flight. The staff also very friendly.
I saw there is back garden which is nice area for those who come with dogs. Its nice area.
The portion of marinated olive is big, so make sure you share it if you decide to order it.
As well the pork crackling, it has medium portion. I think for nibbling will enough for 2-3 ppl.
The pies is delicious. And fish and chip also good. I asked the staff to change my mash peas with seasonal vegetable (without extra cost) the chunky chips just perfect.
They also help and give me box to take away my left over food.
Fish and chips and the pork crackling portion are too big for me 😁😁.
It such a waste if i didnt bring it home.
We will come back next time to try sunday roast dinner.
Written 20 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
.
Written 24 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Yorkiebb
Cape Town Central94 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
An early evening supper with family. Warm welcome in relaxed surroundings. The dining area is a high ceilinged room with well spaced tables, pleasant but not exceptional. We ordered shared starters of scotch eggs, pork bites and terrine. Scotch eggs and terrine were good, pork not so. Main courses were fish and chips, smoked haddock and plaice. Although the dining rooms was not full, we waited over 45 minutes for our mains to arrive. Disappointing. Most dishes were good, especially the fish and chips, but the plaice was poor. Wet fish (defrosted and microwaved?) hard vegetables and generally unappetising.
Service was okay, if inexperienced, but pleasant enough. Overall it seems the pub has still to get into top gear - if the standard of fish and chips was repeated for all the food and service was improved, The Swan could get a five rating.
Written 2 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
I am sorry you had disappointing elements to your visit with us at The Swan. I will feedback your comments to the team. Thank you for for your comments we welcome your feedback which helps us to develop and improve our service standards and food offer. Hopefully we will see you again in the near future.
Written 5 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
iholiday
London62 contributions
Aug 2020 • couples
I last visited The Swan in December 2019 after they just opened and had a fantastic lunch, so I was looking forward to this visit.
The menu was completely different, really basic and a bit dull- all mains £13, all starters £6- not overly cheap but gave the impression of a cheap restaurant in my opinion.
The starters seemed rushed and boring, the pork crackling ‘nibbles’ was in fact a bag of pork scratchings emptied into a bowl for £3.50 and the burger tasted very strongly of charcoal. There wasn’t any atmosphere in the restaurant and service seemed a bit slapdash.
I hope things improve and maybe they’d made changes for the August rush, because it’s a lovely pub, great location and nice wine but the rest is letting it down at the moment.
Written 6 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Sorry you did not enjoy your visit. We have a simplified menu to enable us to deliver our menu from our kitchen with a reduced team to enable social distancing for our staff. We are updating our menu over the next few weeks so hopefully you will give us another try.
Written 7 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Amy Morris
West Sussex10 contributions
Mar 2020 • couples
Came here today as our first visit to forest row, the town itself is lovely, we drove past the pub and I could smell the food so we parked up and went in. After a very warm welcome, a look around the pleasant pub, explanations about the company and refurbishment we felt very comfortable ordering our food here.
Firstly had the Harveys bitter which was lovely! Followed by scotch eggs to start, so yummy!
Then we both had the burger which was a proper burger, you know when you want a burger, like a real burger, this was that burger.
After the food we had an apple juice which the family company make in their own vine yard (which you can actually visit in Kent for FREE) this apple juice was just amazing!
And then dessert...
Sticky toffee pudding with ice cream, this was what you would imagine a scrumptious sticky toffee pudding to be like but even better!
And apple and pear crumble I don’t even know how to explain it I’m always skeptical at getting a crumble but this was truly amazing!
Coffee with dessert too and bought a bottle of the apple juice to take home we loved it that much!
All round we were very impressed, so much so I just had to write this review to explain how truly an amazing experience it was, thank you so much will be back some time soon 😊
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Thank you Amy for your lovely review and taking the time to feedback about your visit. Hope fully we will see you again soon.
Written 20 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
john t
114 contributions
Aug 2022 • none
It’s my birthday today. My wife and I looked at the restaurants around our area and chose the Swan. It was the most expensive but we had been before and the Tortelloni sounded good. We remembered how good the waitress had been, very informative and very enthusiastic.
On to today. We had a pretty long wait for the order to be taken and we were a bit surprised to be asked whether we wanted the marinated olives with our meal or before it, we would have thought the answer would have been obvious.
When the mains arrived after about 30 minutes I had been brought a Tagine. I explained that I had ordered Tortelloni and a rocket salad on the side. I was asked if I wanted to wait but it’s not much fun each of us on a celebration meal eating on our own so I ate it. Tagine is ok it’s just boring. I would never have ordered the salad with the Tagine.
We decided to skip desserts and coffee and asked for the bill I suggested to the waitress that she might like to ask the manager to be creative since I didn’t get what I ordered. I was told that I had been given the choice to change as if that fixed the problem.
The bill arrived, ironically the Tagine cost more than the Tortelloni, the rocket salad was included as was the 10% service charge. I said I wasn’t paying the service charge I didn’t get what I ordered, she said “well you ate it” and she went away muttering under her breath. She said hoped I enjoyed the rest of my birthday but I had the firm impression she didn't mean it . After that experience anything will be an improvement.
Altogether a very miserable birthday lunch and not a venue I would recommend to anyone.
Written 19 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Hello,
I am very sorry to here about your experience dinning with us, This is not our standards nor the way we pride our self on excellent customer service. Please except our apologizes in regards to your meal, and the way the waitress commented. This will be investigated, and be dealt with in the right process, we take these comments very seriously. Once again we are very sorry about you birthday meal.
Kind Regards
The Swan
Written 22 August 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
welshdragon121
Dinorwig22 contributions
Jun 2021 • friends
Booked to have lunch here as had viewed menu online as seemed to be items for vegetarians and catered for a allergy menu. When we arrived we were given a menu that had fewer items on it than advertised online. When we questioned the server if anything was gluten free he said “oh that’s a good question”. We looked at the menu and he said we should be okay with the steak but the chips are cooked in the same fryer as the cod! That also stopped my friend from eating as she is vegetarian and the only suitable item for her to eat was chips as she does not eat blue cheese that was in the mushroom starter. We were very disappointed with the menu and left after paying for the drinks we had ordered. Shame as was a lovely setting and we were looking forward to the eating the food we had viewed online. Staff training needed with regard to allergens !
Written 24 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Thank you for your review, I am really sorry you weren't able to stay and eat with us. Unfortunately our menu over this weekend was reduced and altered at the last minute. This was due to our kitchen team being pinged by the NHS App and told to self isolate for 10 days. This all happened very quickly and left us with little alternative other than to not serve food at all.
We continue to serve a reduced menu until Friday when our team is back up to full compliment.
This however doesn't make up for your visit not being perfect by any means and if you would be so kind as to reach out to me via email at manager@theswanatforestrow.com I will be more than happy to discuss with you further.
Kind Regards
Dan Ward - General Manager
Written 28 July 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lizzie H
London29 contributions
May 2022 • friends
After a day's walking to reach Forest Row, we found the village a little uninspiring and it seemed nigh on impossible to find somewhere for an evening meal. Feeling despondent, we headed into The Swan for a drink and were greeted by a lovely barman. We had discounted the Swan for food as they stopped serving at 6pm and it felt a little early. But having had a really helpful chat with the barman who took genuine interest in our plight and was helping us with recommendations, he also said as long as we order by 6pm then we would be OK for food. His lovely manner and helpfulness, plus the nice looking menu, absolutely won us over and we settled in and ordered dinner there. All the staff were super helpful and nice, servi ce was friendly and prompt and the food was great. We are so pleased we bothered to call in and would highly recommend it.
Written 6 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Hi Lizzie, thank you very much for your kind review, we are glad you had nice evening at the Swan, we are looking forward to see you again. The Swan
Written 8 May 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
HSussex
South East England127 contributions
Sept 2022 • friends
Nestled right in the heart of the village you’ll come across this lovely little pub and you won’t be disappointed if you have to make the journey from further afield.
Luckily I think we managed to avoid the lunch rush on this Sunday afternoon, greeted at the bar by several members of staff all of which are very friendly and happy to show you around the menu.
We opted to sit in the garden and there’s a lovely split between sitting in the sunshine or under the covered area in the marquee. During the warmer months I imagine it gets very busy!
We ordered a couple of starters to share the bread and chorizo. Certainly not the largest of portions however everything we ate was very tasty, the chorizo starter being the better choice out of the two and both of us thoroughly enjoyed it… And soaked all the oil up with the dipping bread.
For main course my friend ordered a beef burger for himself and his boy and I went for the roast lamb. Very good feedback on the burger for my friend, however my only niggle would be with the chargrill on the kids burger. Tasted amazing for adults but his boy didn’t enjoy it as much.
The roast lamb was really tasty, I never have enough gravy or jus so always order more! Yorkshire pudding freshly made for once and not rock hard! Was lovely and doughy, the lamb cooked pink just how I like and the potatoes crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Vegetables all cooked al dente and very tasty also.
My only criticism on the potatoes is they lacked seasoning and unfortunately there wasn’t any salt or pepper on the table to do it ourselves. I was expecting a bit more flavour as well, described as rosemary and garlic I believe I got a very subtle hint of garlic. Nonetheless very good.
By this point it was a bit nippy, so we asked to move inside which was no problem at all, we ordered desserts and got apple and blackberry crumble, sticky toffee pudding and ice cream for my friends son, the pudding sizes definitely made up for the starters! And we’re all amazing.
I was disappointed also that they don’t advertise the blue light discount they offer, I only found this out today looking on the website!
A lovely setting with lots of walks nearby, the pub has a lot of character and I imagine it won’t be long before the open fires are lit, dog friendly and rooms above if you fancy a bottle or two and don’t want to drive.
All in all, a very positive experience. I’m hard to please and the service and food was very good, I’ve recommended to others and will certainly be back again!
Written 26 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Thank you so much for your review, glad to hear you had a lovely time.
Written 4 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tupsix1
London34 contributions
Jun 2021 • none
Outstanding !
We stayed at The Swan for 4 days for a family wedding. We were blown away by the service, quality of food and overall high standard of our accommodation.
The staff were extremely professional and very welcoming. They could not do enough for us and made our stay comfortable and relaxing. The room we stay in was beautiful, spotless, very large and decorated it a very high standard. The bathroom was a joy (so big) with plenty of fluffy white towels. The shower had plenty of room and great water pressure. The bed was heaven - soft and very comfortable.
We ate at The Swan several times - the breakfast was delicious, good quality and fresh produce. We spoke to the chef's several times who were very proud of their food and enjoyed their jobs (always good hear!). Lunch and dinner menu's had lots of choice (even for fussy kids!)
Overall we would highly recommend The Swan to stay in and for excellent food and service
Written 23 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Thank you ever so much for your kind review it means the world to us all. It was an absolute pleasure looking after you and we are really happy you had such a great stay.
We look forward to seeing you again when your next in the area.
Kind Regards
Dan & The Team
Written 25 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Oldfarth
Nicosia8 contributions
Jan 2023 • none
The pleasant service at the Swan was not enough to compensate for an awful meal. Having booked a week ahead for a early table, and finding the dining room practically empty, it was a surprise to find that 4 of the items on the short mains menus were unavailable, leaving little choice. What food was served was patchy in quality and in some cases inedible. Calamari was chewy to the extent that our cheeks ached. Deep fried fish arrived the colour of milk chocolate, overcooked to a ridiculous extent, the fish inside dry and inedible. Two of our party did not eat any of theirs and from the look of resignation on the staff, they were used to patrons leaving their food. There was only one vegetarian/vegan option. Fortunately they had just enough of these to cater for the vegetarians in our party; anyone arriving after would have had nothing to eat.
To be fair, we did not challenge the staff or send the food back. It was a celebratory occasion and in true British fashion, we didn't want to make a fuss. Needless to say that is the last time we - as locals- will be visiting. If you cannot manage your stock and supply and cook something as basic as fish and chips, you do not deserve to be in the catering business. Let someone else take over this delightful building and make a go of it.
Written 27 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael T
Hi there, we are really sorry you had a bad experience at The Swan at Forest Row.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.
We are truly sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the quality of the food and the limited menu options on the day of your visit. We are constantly working to improve our food and service quality, and your feedback is important in helping us achieve that goal.
We hope you will give us another chance to provide you with a more enjoyable dining experience in the future - if you would like to reach out to us at: manager@theswanatforestrow.com we can perhaps try and put it right for you?
Thanks again and please accept our apologies once more, let us ensure you that this is not a true reflection of our hard work and efforts.
Written 30 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
John Griffiths
Upton Grey266 contributions
Oct 2021 • family
Although the food here was enjoyed tastewise by everyone in our party of six, the portion sizes were minute. We had a lovely waitress who, unasked by us, suggested to the new chef that his portions were rather small and the bill was reduced. Without the reduction, we would have felt pretty ripped off.
My pan roasted hake was the size of a small matchbox. There were two small piles of creamed leeks but I couldn’t see or taste the cream. There was a scattering of cubes of rather overcooked chorizo. The red wine reduction was invisible! Although the dish was OK, it didn’t deliver. Other offerings were similarly disappointing. Having said that, the sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel ice cream was delicious although it could have been hotter.
I wouldn’t rush back
Written 30 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed by your last visit; we have recently undergone an menu revamp and as such, have adjusted portion sizes. Thank you for your review, our customer's feedback is a priority to us and we hope that your next visit is much more gratifying. We hope to see you again.
Written 5 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
daphnebubbles
London83 contributions
Aug 2021 • friends
We had a fantastic Sunday lunch - the two vegetarians had the nut roast, which was great and I had the roast chicken - half a roast chicken with chunky roast potatoes and vegetables plus a Yorkshire pudding and plenty of gravy. The fourth person had fish and chips. Service was friendly and efficient and they even rang us in advance to apologise and say that there was no roast beef. All in all, a really spot for a good Sunday roast
Written 22 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Thank you very much for your great review, we are really happy you had fantastic Sunday at the Swan, see you soon!
Written 23 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Yorkiebb
Cape Town Central94 contributions
Sept 2021 • none
First visit since the start of Covid. Quiet lunchtime, but excellent Harvey’s bitter and good fish and chips. Fish was crispy as requested, chips good if a little over salted. Somewhat let down by curried mushy peas ( if it ain’t broke don’t fix it !) and cold plates. Pleasant staff and surroundings. Will come again.
Written 1 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Thank you very much for your review and honest feedback, it really does help us to improve are offering and service standards. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Kind Regards
Dan & the team
Written 3 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lauren K
Royal Tunbridge Wells13 contributions
Jul 2022 • couples
We had a wonderful stay here on a Thursday evening in July. The dinner was delicious - special shout out to the borlotti bean bolognese and sticky toffee pudding! The hush Heath wine flight was absolutely superb and really good value. We stayed overnight and really comfy beds, great bathrooms and toiletries. Breakfast in the morning was delicious - smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Excellent value for money.
Written 22 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
swanforestrow
Thank you so much for your review, so glad to hear that you had such an amazing stay here at the Swan. Im glad you enjoyed the food and drinks. Hope to see you again soon.
Written 23 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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