A good restaurant posing as gastropub

'It's certainly a pub, but not as we know it'.

The White Swan is sister to The Well (see p. 197), but is one of a completely different breed of gastropub.

These places are not content to knock out homely food in homely surroundings; their aspirations are tuned to a world of fine dining where there is little room for junkshop tables and mismatched cutlery.

Downstairs the pub ethic dominates with real ale and decent bar food; upstairs there's the dining room.

The seating is luxurious beige leather, the ceiling is mirrored, there's a cheese trolley.

The food is blisteringly good.

The presentation is simple but elegant.

Flavours are well matched.

For cooking of this quality prices are very fair.

Start with courgette and mint soup, or a leek and Lancashire risotto.

Or something seasonal, like purple sprouting broccoli, focaccia and Hollandaise sauce.

On to the mains: grilled calf's kidney with bacon and mustard; rib-eye with Roquefort butter; or a dish described as 'roast cod with boulangère potatoes, pancetta and rosemary lemon sauce' - a very decent chunk of cod wrapped in boulangère potatoes and then the whole thing swaddled in pancetta.

Very satisfying.

Puds are good, the 'blood orange marmalade sponge pudding with custard' has a real tang.

Having a go at the extensive cheeseboard ups the ante, but it is worth it to see so many fine British cheeses.

Service is slick and the wine list has some decent bottles at the cheap end.

This is a really good place to eat.

The White Swan
Fetter Lane, London, EC4A 1ES