Swan Brasserie, Bibury

Saturday 12 April

Dag and Diane took us out for a day's drive through the Cotswolds, including Chedworth Roman villa, Cirencester, a Norman church at Coln St. Dennis, a Saxon one at Coln Rogers, and amazingly picturesque scenery throughout.

For dinner, we ended up at Bibury, home of our favorite trout farm, which also turned out to be picturesque, as was our chosen dining place just opposite, the Brasserie at the Swan Hotel.  Which is odd, because we'd dined at a Swan in London just a week before.

After ordering wines, white and red according to taste and food choices, we started with the local product, Bibury trout ballantine, i.e. rolled up in smoked salmon, decorated with candied beets, celeriac remoulade, and caper berries.  

Our other starter was home smoked duck, piled on top of parsnip cream and a butterbean and pancetta warm salad.

Our mains were a pretty good ribeye steak, served with handcut chips (steak fries to you), grilled tomatoes on the vine, a tempura onion ring, and pink peppercorn sauce; and another ducky thing, pan-roasted duck breast with poached pear, honey-glazed turnip, and endive, with amaretto sauce.

For dessert, we split a chocolate marquise (or mini-tower) with white chocolate ice cream and a sesame tuile, decorated with various tasty dribbles across the white plate.

All the Brasserie's dishes are towered and composed across the white or brown plates, and pretty much everything was decorated with baby rocket; but good nonetheless, and served in a beautiful yet comfortable setting. 

Thanks, Diane and Dag, for a day we won't forget!