Situated in the heart of a historic south Norfolk market town, nestled in the countryside, lies the Loddon Swan.
The building sits majestically along the high street on Church Plain and takes pride of place for those who walk by - although I strongly recommend you don’t do that and instead step inside.
As you enter the front of the building, you are greeted with an intimate bar area with a downstairs eating area to the left.
After giving our reservation details, along with Mr W, I was shown to our table upstairs – a beautifully bright and airy room decorated with local art and plenty of space between tables. We sat over-looking the town and it was lovely to relax and watch the world go by.
Although the Loddon Swan has a small menu, there are a variety of dishes to suit different palates.
We opted for the 'perfect to share' starter of baked camembert (£12.95). Surely there is nothing more satisfying than oozy, melty cheese enriched with fresh rosemary and garlic?
With a delightful richness and creaminess, the camembert was enhanced by accompaniments of fresh salad leaves with a honey and mustard drizzle, crunchy celery sticks, black grapes, and a divine date and apple chutney bursting with caramelised flavour.
But the star of the show was the addition of two miniature focaccia loaves. Try as we might to get it, it is the chef’s secret recipe. Its unusual corn colour and spongy texture were down to using less oil and it works incredibly well. Honestly, it was sublime, and my mouth is still watering at the thought of it.
We scraped our plates clean and had time to relax and take in the ambience of the restaurant while gawking at everyone else’s food. It was a rather joyous occasion watching the different meals arrive, getting to see the majority of mains plated up. They all looked absolutely stunning, colourful, and were good portion sizes.
Our mains soon arrived and Mr W.’s eyes lit up like diamonds when his burger and chips were placed in front of him (£14.50). Comprised of a 6oz Aberdeen Angus steak mince burger with smoked back bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, and mustard mayonnaise inside a brioche bun, I can confirm that the flavours were exquisite. Yes, I was actually allowed a nibble.
It came with salad and fries on the side, of which the latter was shared with me. Hands down, the best fries we’ve ever had. Cooked to perfection, crispy but not overdone, and seasoned just right.
As lovely as his meal was, I was equally as chuffed with my herb gnocchi in a tomato and basil sauce, with sundried tomatoes, black olives and basil pesto (£14.25). It was a surprisingly hearty meal and felt like real comfort food.
With not a lot of room left, Mr W asked if he could adapt one of the pudding choices and have shortbread with a scoop of locally produced ice cream (£4.95), while I tucked into a rhubarb and strawberry tart with fig and mascarpone ice cream (£8.95). Both were a pleasant ending to what had been a great meal.
Setting
A beautiful building set in a picturesque town, with a clean and contemporary feel. You can also get yourself a room here for the evening and photos of the accommodation can be found on the website at theloddonswan.co.uk
Value
The meals were good value for money with a great selection of local produce. For a three-course meal with drinks, we paid a very reasonable £63.
Drinks
The bar itself is quite small but there is a fair selection of lagers, ales, and spirits on offer, as well as a good selection of soft drinks away from the standard usual cola and lemonade.
Unfortunately, there were no alcohol-free gin options but as these become more popular, I’m sure it is something that might be considered in the future. I enjoyed a bottle of Frankilins (£2.90) while Mr W had a pint of San Miguel (£4.50).
Toilets
Clean and fully-functionable. As you would expect.
Accessibility
Although there is a flight of stairs to get to one of the dining rooms, there are options downstairs for disabled access.
Diners are encouraged to speak with their servers if they have any food allergies or intolerances, and we discovered first-hand that the staff were very knowledgeable about the dishes and ingredients.
There is a special grill night on the last Friday of the month and the next will run on July 29. In August there will be an Italian evening on August 26. Booking is advised. The restaurant is closed on Sunday evenings.
There is also a good-sized car park outside.
Service
Could not fault it. Our server was attentive, polite, down-to-earth, and was eager to help us with all of our queries and questions about our food – mainly the bread!
Highlight
The food itself was really the highlight. It was cooked to a very high standard and I can’t imagine anyone being served a bad meal here. A lovely place to enjoy a meal.
In summary
Well worth the visit, especially for people who enjoy great, fresh food.
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Did you know...?
A chef who likes to use "complex techniques" to create new dishes joined the team at this Norfolk pub back in December 2021.
Shel Gibbs was appointed as the new head chef at The Loddon Swan after previously working at The Swan in Southwold and Park Farm Hotel in Hethersett.
She works alongside executive head chef Jason Wright, who also oversees the food at Elms Barn near Toft Monks.
Ms Gibbs has since brought in a brand new menu at the pub which has previously featured herb polenta, pan-fried salmon fillet and caramelised beetroot and onion tart.
She said: “The ethos here is perfect for me as I have an inherent interest in creating new dishes using complex techniques to get the best out of the ingredients I love, sourcing locally from farmers, fishermen and independent producers and making the final product look good on the plate – food is truly like art to me."
Disclaimer
Our food reviews are always independent. They are the opinion of the reviewer based on their experience of the venue when they visited. The establishment is not aware of our visit, is not informed we intend to write a review and bills are paid by the reviewer. The choice of places reviewed is also independent and is not based on venues which do or do not advertise in our publications.
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