The Swan Inn

The Swan Inn is a beautiful whitewashed pub in the Cheshire countryside with a reputation for excellent fish and seafood (despite its inland location). This refurbished gem has beer gardens front and back, some very nice rooms for an overnight stay, and regular food events like tapas nights. There’s also an annual Victorian day in December which includes an eight-course breakfast and a nine-course dinner – fortunately they skip lunch.

The menu is traditional, though not Victorian. Instead it has some lovely modern touches and you can enjoy everything from devilled lambs kidneys on toasted sourdough to smoked haddock bake to their signature bouillabaisse or zarzuela, a Catalan stew rendered here as more of a risotto.

The fish is the big draw but the steaks from the Josper grill are also good and you can find interesting dishes like loin of rabbit stuffed with black pudding and served with fondant potato, smoked bacon and creamed savoy cabbage.

Despite the very impressive menu and an airy dining room opening onto the rear terrace, The Swan Inn remains a pub with beams, a bar and a good selection of beer. There’s also a very wide choice of gin too – the perfect pre-dinner drink.