A Meal at the Black Swan Leeds

One of my favourite past times is discovering new restaurants and once a month I try and eat out at least one new place that I haven't visited before. My latest foodie discovery was The Black Swan on Call Lane in the centre of Leeds. I had heard so many great things about this particular restaurant from friends, colleagues and local bloggers, but it wasn't until last week that I finally took the plunge and made a booking and after my dining experience, I was left wondering why I hadn't booked it sooner.

The Black Swan is a very traditional looking pub on one of Leed's most frequented night strips. Call Lane is the epicentre of fashionable eateries and swanky bars in the Leeds area, visited usually by office workers and professionals. A traditional looking pub isn't usually the place you would expect to do well in these surroundings, but The Black Swan isn't like any ordinary pub. It's trendy, the Black Swan boasts an a la carte restaurant and a pizza bar and has plenty of local ale on tap, as well as a sophisticated cocktail menu. If that doesn't whet your appetite, the Black Swan menu caters for gluten free, vegan and vegetarians, making it an excellent choice for those who have specific dietary requirements and struggle finding other restaurants that meet their needs in the centre of Leeds.

The Black Swan interior is cosy with low lit fairy lighting, wooden benches, vintage posters and signs, as well as pretty mis-matched tableware. My husband and I found the music particularly impressive with the likes of The Beatles playing in the background.

When it came to ordering food, there was plenty for us both to choose from and as a vegetarian, it was nice to see food that was different to a veggie burger or lasagna.  While I was there I ate the Sweet Potato and Quinoa cakes and for dessert I had the Strawberry Parfait. The sweet potato cakes were the best sweet potato cakes I've ever had - crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside with texture of Quinoa running through it to give it some bite. The red pepper sauce complemented the dish perfectly and the wilted pak choi helped finish the dish. I could have eaten this dish three times over as it tasted so good and despite what looked like on the plate a small portion, I found it very filling. The strawberry parfait was another excellent dish, combing two of my favourite things - strawberries and honeycomb. The honeycomb almost pulled my teeth out as it was a bit of the chewy side, but it was so delicious that I couldn't stop eating it.  The strawberry pearls in the dish was probably my favourite part as every time I placed one in my mouth, it split and gave me an intense flavour strawberries, this combined with the soft ice-cream and the sugary honeycomb was a match made in heaven.

I was very impressed with The Black Swan menu and I only wish I had discovered this place sooner. The Black Swan caters for every type of dinner with it's laid back pizza options or fancy a la carte if you're looking for something a bit special or if you're simply wanting a place to relax with good music after work, the Black Swan is perfect for that too. Would I go back again? Yes, I'm already planning next time.

Have you been to The Black Swan in Leeds?

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