Of course lawyers need to eat, and the White Swan seems the type of place that would please them. Downstairs is a smart but decent pub, where a giant stuffed swan above the door surveys the drinkers below. There are three ales on tap (Wandle, Doom Bar and Golden Sheep when we visited).
Upstairs is a sort of mezzanine drinking area, and then up again is the restaurant - another well-kept room, where the light shines on polished glasses and heavy tablecloths. Although it was 7.30pm and still light outside, the blinds were closed, which seemed a shame, but perhaps they wanted to keep the focus on the table.
The wine list is a serious, leather-bound, multiple-paged affair. To be honest, I felt exhausted lifting it, never mind choosing a wine, and instead opted for a Golden Sheep from the bar downstairs.
The menu is shorter but equally serious. The boldest dish from the starters looked like the "Braised octopus carpaccio, Morteau sausage compôte, tomato jelly, cucumber and herb vinaigrette". I went for a lighter option of soupe au pistou. Pistou, in case you're wondering, is a Provencal sauce similar to pesto, but without pine nuts, and soupe au pistou is one of the most famous ways of using it. This version did not feature beans, as many do, but lots of finely diced, lightly cooked summer vegetables in a clear broth. A single sheep's cheese tortellini, made from pasta so fine you could almost read the menu through it, was a nice finishing touch.
My lawyer friend had "Young carrot, leek and quail egg salad, whipped goat’s curd, hazelnuts". It was a thing of beauty on the plate, the separate elements arranged like a jewels, though like most beautifully-presented dishes, it was far from substantial.
We both went for the stuffed courgette flower, served with gnocchi. The flower was still attached to an infant courgette, and both flower and vegetable were cooked perfectly. The gnocchi were among the best I have had - chervil flavoured, fried to give a hint of crispness, much more interesting than the standard gnocchi. Again, it was not a large dish - our decision to pass on side dishes was beginning to look unwise.
Still, more room for desserts, we told ourselves, and these were well worth sampling. An apricot and almond tart with amaretto ice-cream was a symphony of complementary flavours, and a generous portion compared to those that had gone before. A selection of five cheeses showed real thought and interest - Little Riding, a ewe's milk cheese from Somerset, a creamy Helford Blue, from Cornwall, Lancashire Bomber (a mature Lancashire) being among the stars. The apple and raisin chutney was a nice touch, though I was underwhelmed by the crackers. I often prefer bread with cheese anyway, and they quickly produced a couple of rolls in response to my request. (We hadn't actually been offered any bread at the beginning of the meal, but this was probably an oversight.)
The damage, as you'd expect in lawyer-land, is not inconsiderable. We had among the cheaper options, but starters run from £6 to £9.50, and mains from £15 up to £24. They do a Tastecard discount, though, so if you have a card and are dining midweek, it's quite an attractive proposition. The food is several notches above a typical pub restaurant, so overall I felt the prices were justified, even if I'd like to see a little less of the portion control.
The White Swan
108 Fetter Lane,
London,
EC4A 1ES
020 7242 9696
www.thewhiteswanlondon.com
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