The Swan At Forest Row

I was soaked after cycling back from London in the wrong clothes, and only meant to duck in for a drink before getting back on the road. Then I found out there were boutique rooms. Ben, the manager, got me a room straight away. It was Monday, so I was lucky one was free, and within minutes I was being shown upstairs. The room had sharp decor, complimentary refreshments and a bed I didn't want to get out of. I hadn't eaten, so I asked for a menu and ended up with fish and chips. The food was excellent, and I chose that dish because some of the proceeds go to charity. It filled me right up. I also took one of the wines upstairs, after trying a taste of the Balfour wine from the Staplehurst vineyards. Really good British wine, alongside some great ciders and beers. Everyone was lovely, including the locals, and the welcome from the staff was warm. They even sorted out a phone charge for me by taking it to the office straight away. It's clearly a place the locals come to, and I can see why. What started as a weather stop turned into an excellent stay. I booked breakfast right after dinner, and I'd come back for the food and the service.

I enjoyed the Sunday roast. The beef was tender and cooked nicely, and the desserts had plenty of flavour. The Swan is also handy for the shops, restaurants and takeaways, and has a good sized beer garden with lots of tables. The room was a good size, the bed reasonably firm and comfortable, and the WiFi seemed reliable. There’s a decent car park, which is a real plus around here, and the rooms are just a few steps from the ground floor. Staff were friendly and attentive, though it seemed they could have used a couple more people on duty. A few small things could be better: a room for two had just one breakfast tea bag and one chair. The dessert spoons felt uncomfortably large for the ramekins too. Breakfast starts around 8:00am, which was late for me. I had to leave earlier, so an option to take something on the go would have helped.

We took some good memories home to Germany, thanks so much. The beds were comfortable and the facilities clean. The guys were polite, attentive and gave us great service. And the food looked ready for a photo shoot when it arrived, then tasted just as good. Five stars all round.

Even with the place packed on Sunday and no booking from us, the staff found us a table. The chorizo scotch egg was delicious, definitely one I'll order again. We followed it with the beef and gravy Pie of the Day. Mash came with it, but they were happy to swap one side for sweet potato fries, which were delicious too. We'll be back.