Dining with Shakespeare: Fine dining meets theatre at this classic London restaurant.
- Where? Southbank, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT
- How much? ££-£££
- Cuisine? Seasonal Modern British
- Vegetarian options 🌽 – Yes
- Vegan options 🌱 –
- Gluten free options 🌾
- Dog-friendly? Yes
Adjoining the iconic Globe Theatre on the Southbank side of the Thames, Swan London offers classic British dining with a modern twist. With gorgeous views overlooking the Thames, which reflects the dazzling London skyline, this cosy London restaurant beautifully unites history with the contemporary.
For first-time visitors to London, I highly recommend exploring the Southbank, which is filled with Shakespearean Easter eggs. Make sure to hunt down his vibrant mural and look out for scatterings of Shakespearean quotes. No trip to the Southbank would be complete without a visit to the Globe Theatre, one of the most unique buildings in the city. Swan London is perfect for a pre-theatre meal, and if you’re feeling particularly Jacobean, you can even indulge in a Macbeth-inspired afternoon tea.
The restaurant boasts a classic, timeless design with dark walnut accents and soft lighting that creates a warm and intimate atmosphere in the evenings. The bright city lights shining through the windows add to the enchanting ambiance. Downstairs is ideal for casual dining and post-theater drinks, while upstairs is better suited for cosy sit-down meals. The service is incredibly welcoming, fast, and accommodating, which was my personal highlight from the evening. Overall, a lovely experience, one that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a taste of London’s Shakespearean history!
The Food
The Swan London offers a seasonal à la carte, serving high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. You could really taste the quality in each dish, and everything was cooked to perfection. I particularly loved how they elevated simple, British classics with unique pairings. Overall, the food was delicious, and I highly recommend a visit.
Sourdough, salted butter, marmite butter – £3.50
6/10 – The bread was light, airy, and overall rather tasty. Paired with the marmite butter, it was an interesting start to the meal. To be totally honest, I preferred the regular salted butter. The marmite butter was an interesting twist, but ultimately just tasted like marmite on toast. Worth a try, but nothing extraordinary.
Corn-fed chicken breast & leg, with celeriac fondant, tarragon and chestnut mushroom sauce – £26.50
7.3/10 – The chicken was the star of this dish: succulent and tender, with deliciously crispy skin and packed full of flavour. The sauce was nice but not that memorable, and the celeriac fondant didn’t do it for me personally. All in all, the meat was cooked perfectly, and I would order it again for that reason alone!
Roasted Cornish cod, with salsify and vanilla puree, and roasted pecans – £28.50
7.8/10 – This was quite the ‘hit or miss’. I personally love a sweet and savoury pairing, but my brother wasn’t quite as convinced. The puree was borderline pudding-like, but subtle enough to get away with it (in my opinion). I actually really enjoyed this pairing. The fish was super flaky and buttery, which went well with the sweet, curd-like consistency of the puree. As for the roasted pecans, they were lacking in number, which was a shame as they added a welcome crunch of texture. The cod ever so slightly trumps the chicken as the components were more exciting and harmonious, but there’s not much in it!
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