The Swan in Ley Hill gets the thumbs up

Dec 2 2008 By Julie Voyce

We arrived at The Swan in Ley Hill, Chesham on a dark and chilly evening but were met with a warm welcome and an even warmer open fire. With gin and tonic in hand for me and a pint of Timothy Taylor ale for my partner Dominic, we sat back and perused the extensive menu.

There were eight starters and main courses all trying to tempt us to try them, and then another starter and main on the specials. Try something different the voice in my head urged, so I opted for the special starter, pigeon breast. Next I chose pan seared sea bream which came served with julienne of carrot, leek and fennel with seared king scallops topped with caviar. My mouth was certainly watering.

Dominic chose the chargrilled king scallops on a bed of herb sautéed potatoes and asparagus wrapped in smoked pancetta. To follow he had 21-day aged sirloin steak which comes from Scotsgrove in Thame. This was accompanied by triple cooked chunky chips and a medley of wild mushrooms and shallots flame-grilled in brandy and finished with pink peppercorn, brandy and wholegrain mustard butter.

I hoped I wasn’t going to get food envy as his choices sounded gorgeous too.

We were seated in the snug, a cosy little private area just off the bar which I think would comfortably seat six people. There is also a restaurant which can seat up to 32 but, if you aren’t wanting to be too formal, I recommend eating in the bar area or trying to reserve the snug. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. It is obviously well used by the locals as lots of people seemed to know each other and Nigel Byatt, who has owned The Swan with wife Sam for three and a half years, was on first-name terms with most of them. Nigel told us a little about the history of the pub. Apparently during the war Glenn Miller was based at Bovingdon air base and used to cycle to The Swan for a sneaky pint. Rumour also has it that at some point in history there were gallows at nearby Jasons Hill and the condemned men were taken to The Swan for their final meal.

Our starters arrived and I was really pleased with my choice. The pigeon was perfectly cooked and beautifully succulent. It was served with warm raspberries and beetroot, which may sound a strange combination but the different flavours and acidity worked perfectly together.

I later discovered that head chef Jonathan Dionasis, who joined The Swan in the summer, had spent the previous day on a game course and this dish had won a competition; it was easy to see why.

Dominic’s scallops quickly disappeared before I got a chance to have a try, but he informed me they were very tasty and he liked the way the different flavours and textures worked.

Our main courses were equally impressive. The presentation of my sea bass would rival a recent meal I ate at a Michelin-starred restaurant; it almost seemed a shame to have to dig in. My fish was cooked so that it was still lovely and moist but the skin was crisp, something I have yet to get anywhere near perfecting.

Dominic’s steak looked delicious and this time I wasted no time stealing a bite along with a chip, purely for the purposes of this review. I can confirm what he had already told me, that it was lean and that the pink peppercorn butter was delicious.

Again clean plates were left for our friendly waiter to collect.

Somehow we found room for pudding. I decided to keep it relatively light with a crème brûlée with fresh berries and Dominic chose the apple and pear crumble with a hazelnut and cinnamon topping with ice cream. Again somehow we managed to clear our plates in a matter of minutes, which Nigel informed me was the biggest compliment we could pay. After our meal I had a brief chat with head chef Jonathan Dionasis. He told me that he always aims to feature seasonal food on his menu. He added: "I pride myself on this. There is no reason not to and you get far better flavours using things that are in season and haven’t been shipped half way round the world."

The Swan also hosts special events, having recently held a Mediterranean evening and a seafood night. I’ll certainly be checking the pub’s website, www.swanleyhill.com, for future events. We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening at The Swan and I left thinking that if I was condemned to the gallows and offered my final meal, The Swan would be top of the list of places I would want to eat.

What we ate

Pigeon breast £6.25

Chargrilled scallops £8.50

Sirloin steak £16.50

Sea bass £15.95

Crème Brûlée £4.95

Apple and pear crumble £5.25

Total £57.40

Every Sunday there is a roast dinner which people are advised to book because it is very popular.

One meat is always beef and then either lamb, pork or corn-fed chicken are on offer. A vegetarian option is available. There are two Christmas party menus with tasty delights for parties of six or more. The first is priced £25.95 for two-course and £31.50 for three. The second menu is £21.95 for two courses and £26.95 for three. Both feature turkey as a main course and vegetarian options as well as choices including Gressingham duck, smoked haddock, sirloin beef and halibut.

The Swan is also open for lunch on Christmas Day. Guests will receive a glass of Bucks Fizz on arrival and then a three-course meal followed by coffee and petit fours. The cost for this is £69.50.

Surely worth it just to avoid the washing up! There will also be a new year’s eve party at the pub with a buffet. For ticket details give the pub a call on 01494 783 075.