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The Cygnet at the Swan Inn, Islip, Oxfordshire

The Cygnet at the Swan Inn

4.7
4.7
122 Reviews
£41 and over
English

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 1 time today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Charming
"The Cygnet at The Swan" is an award winning restaurant. We have currently been awarded "3AA Rosettes" since being open, as well as both local awards "Ox in a Box" and "Muddy Stilettos Best Restaurant" awards.

We are open from Thursday to Sunday (lunch) with bookings are encouraged but not necessary. We consider ourselves "relaxed fine dining" style, always looking out for our guests comfort and experience. Our food is served as a selection of small and large plates arriving with a varied timing.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    English, Contemporary British
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Thu–Sun 12:00–14:30 Dinner Thu–Sat 18:00–23:00
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Paul Welburn

Experiences

  • Larger Party

    GBP 30.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    Secure yourself a larger table in The Cygnet

What 122 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Best Overall

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Best Food

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Best Service

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Best Value

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Good for business meals

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Innovative

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Great for creative cocktails

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Great for fine wines

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Good for special occasions

  • Oxford/Oxfordshire

    Vegetarian-friendly

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Cygnet at the Swan Inn offers an exceptional dining experience with "outstanding food and service." Guests rave about the "divine" cocktails, imaginative presentations, and attentive service. The tasting menu is frequently praised for its "exceptional taste and presentation." A perfect spot for special occasions, guests highly recommend this restaurant for its "fantastic food, atmosphere, and service."

122 Reviews
  1. rosemary

    Oxford3 reviews

    1.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    Cold food in a cold & miserably decorated room The only side of vegetables was broccoli- no side salads or vegetable based starters Really disappointing

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  2. Al

    Oxford1 review

    2.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Having read great reviews, we were excited to come to the Swan for my son's 18th birthday. Sadly we were very disappointed. The service was largely excellent, and our waiter was charming. However, that's where the positives mostly end. As a special occasion, we started with cocktails and mocktails - the latter seemed to go down well, but the cocktails were not up to much (my martini, in particular, was poor). For food, we were advised it was tapas style sharing and recommended to go for two small plates and one large plate - the former being in the 15 quid region and the latter 25 and above. The small plates were minuscule and the large ones were hardly much bigger, so this was not enough food, and we had to order more bread (nothing comes free) to try and fill up. The large plates, in particular, were very disappointing, with very little substance. A dish of cod on romesco sauce, for example, whilst actually by far the tastiest thing we had, was a tiny piece of fish on a swirl of sauce with three broccoli stems - almost impossible to share as it was so small - for 25 pounds this felt like a rip-off but at least it tasted good. Most other dishes were similarly tiny but didn't taste that good. As we feasted on toast when we got home starving, we all agreed that the dishes lacked flavor (possibly salt?) The desserts were sadly not much better. My cheesecake with apple granita was a bizarre and unenjoyable experience. All in all - 450 quid for a meal for 5, which we left hungry and unsatisfied, felt like a mugging. For context, we have eaten in several other fine dining restaurants, so we are not ignorant of the difference between a carvey and a restaurant; this is just poor. Maybe we just had an off night. Sadly, i suspect this place will not survive unless it changes its game massively

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  3. Emma

    Gloucestershire1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 28 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Exceptional and stylish service. A very pleasant lunch experience.

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  4. Robert

    Oxford1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    A memorable Valentine's dinner, with imaginative dishes, meticulous presentation and exemplary service. A joyous occasion indeed.

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  5. Lee

    London6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great little find, staff friendly and informative. Overall great experience and we will be back!!!

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  6. Tarquin

    Oxford1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 13 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The 2nd time I have eaten here and I think that it was even better if that's possible. The attention to detail and culinary masterpieces produced were truly excellent. I wish you every success in your next venture and hope that I can find you to enjoy your superb food once again. Thank you

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  7. Chris

    London3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 12 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    The food and service were Michelin-quality; however, the restaurant ambience was not great ; it felt a bit like being in a hall.

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  8. Andrew

    Kent9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food and friendly, attentive service, as always, and very good value for what it cost.

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  9. Gail

    Manchester2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 5 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What great value for money, fabulous food and great service

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  10. Claire

    Newcastle1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 30 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely delicious food, lovely dining room, great service. Fantastic lunch.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Cygnet at the Swan Inn is rated 4.7 stars by 122 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 1 time today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Cygnet at the Swan Inn

1 Lower Street, Islip, Oxfordshire OX5 2SB

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    English, Contemporary British
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Thu–Sun 12:00–14:30 Dinner Thu–Sat 18:00–23:00
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Paul Welburn
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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