The White Swan

During a bikepacking trip, I was looking for somewhere to stay and happened to meet one of the owners. She and her daughter were so kind and helpful with my bike. The room was spotless, with a comfy bed, a great shower, tea and coffee ready to go, and a TV that worked with Netflix. It was perfect. I'd missed the local pub's food service, but the atmosphere was lovely. They even offered to share their Colin the Caterpillar with me since I'd missed dinner.

We dropped in twice over one weekend in April, first for a drink and then for a meal. We were really pleased with the food and especially with how attentive the owner was. You can tell they care about the cuisine. If you love Spanish food, this place is a must. It's the best food we've ever had outside Spain. We'll definitely be back!

I tried this pub twice during the same holiday, once for drinks and dinner and once for Sunday roast. The food was extremely overpriced for its quality, and what arrived often didn't match what the menu described. The staff were friendly, but service wasn't very attentive. It took ages to order drinks and food, despite the restaurant being quiet and five bar and waiting staff working. The roast was one of the worst I've had, with sloppy boiled vegetables. It really wasn't worth the money. I can see why the other pub in Gilling West was fully booked for roast dinner while this one wasn't. To be fair, the starters and desserts were nice.

The staff were pleasant, and the ambience was lovely. They also took the cost of my fish and chips off the bill, which I appreciated. But the meal was awful. My fish was bone dry with burnt batter, and the chips were limp and soggy. My wife ordered Cajun chicken salad, and her chicken was dry too. They said the chickpea batter explained why it “looked burnt,” but that didn't account for how dry the fish was. The prices aren't cheap, and for what they charged I expected much better. I've run my own retail business for 30 years and don't usually complain, knowing how hard it is to keep everyone happy, but this was bad. I had dinner last Friday at a 4-star hotel at similar prices, and the food was stunning, 10 out of 10. This place is struggling to reach a 3. Sorry, chef, you need to up your game, especially at these prices.