Our dinner at Black Swan: highlights and photos
By Sam Barnard · Dinner for two on Saturday 23 November 2024. We paid the bill ourselves (a £50 deposit when booking, the rest on the night).
- A cosy, atmospheric dining room in a lovely village setting
- Standouts: the roe deer, the scallop and the partridge broth
- The North Yorkshire partridge is shown at the table before its broth is poured
- We shared one of each supplement, the scallop and the cheese, and chose glasses of wine rather than the pairing
Photos: Sam Barnard, The Starred Bill. No other diners are shown.
We paid £175 each for the tasting menu in November 2024; Black Swan lists it at £195 today (up 11%).
We didn't keep the bill, so the receipt is worked out from the restaurant's prices that night: the £175 tasting menu (from its website at the time), the two supplements on the menu card (one of each, shared) and the 12.5% service charge. Our glasses of wine aren't included. Source
This was in November 2024, so the menu and prices may have changed since.
Paid in full by us
How much does the Black Swan menu cost?
From £135 for the lunch to £195 for the dinner menu, per person in GBP, before service. The table adds the 12.5% usually added for service, an estimate (the restaurant’s bill is what counts), and the cost for two.
| Per person | With 12.5% service | For two | For two, with service | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner menuTasting menu | £195 | £219 | £390 | £439 |
| Dinner menu with wine pairing | £265 | £298 | £530 | £596 |
| LunchLunch tasting menu, Saturdays | £135 | £152 | £270 | £304 |
Every figure is for one guest and excludes service charge, which most UK restaurants add at 10–15% (12.5–15% in London). Supplements such as caviar or truffle courses are left out. Prices shown in other currencies use the day's exchange rate and are approximate.
Sources: the restaurant’s website (dinner and wine). Dinner price checked 13 November 2026; lunch price recorded October 2026 (not rechecked since); menus change, so check with Black Swan before you book.
What is the cheapest way to eat at Black Swan?
The lunch, at £135 per person. That’s £60 less than the dinner menu.
- Lunch £135Lunch tasting menu, Saturdays · £60 less than the dinner menu
- The Angel £120The cheapest one-star dinner menu in Yorkshire, Modern European
Can you stay the night at Black Swan?
Yes. Black Swan has 9 bedrooms of its own. Stays with dinner start at £795 a room (The Cosy Festive Retreat, Tuesday to Saturday, 1 to 23 December).
Rooms are in Ashberry House, across the road and in the garden.
| Package | What’s included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Cosy Festive RetreatTuesday to Saturday, 1 to 23 December | A cocktail, the tasting menu, a night, breakfast and a Made in Oldstead hamper | from £795 a room |
| The Signature StayOctober, November and January | The tasting menu with a wine flight, a night, breakfast and a hamper | – |
See rooms on the restaurant’s website Compare prices on Booking.com
From the restaurant’s website, checked 23 October 2026. Room prices and offers change with the date, so check before you book.
Black Swan: stars, chef and address
How many Michelin stars does Black Swan have?
One. Black Swan holds one MICHELIN star, one of 164 one-star restaurants in the UK.
Who is the chef at Black Swan?
The head chef is Tommy Banks.
Where does Black Swan rank on critics’ lists?
Black Swan is on 2 of the critics’ lists we follow, in their latest editions:
- No. 272 on OAD’s Top Restaurants in Europe 2026
- 85 out of 100 in La Liste’s Top 1000 Restaurants 2026
From each list’s own website, checked 24 October 2026. The MICHELIN Guide gives stars but doesn’t rank restaurants.
- Cuisine
- British
- Where
- Oldstead, North Yorkshire · Yorkshire · United Kingdom
- Opening hours
- Mon closedTue–Fri 18:00–19:30Sat 12:00–13:30, 18:00–19:30Sun closedFrom the restaurant’s website, Nov 2026; check before you go
- Address
- Main Street, Oldstead, YO61 4BLOpen in Google Maps
- Dietary needs
- Has a vegetarian tasting menu; Can cater for vegetarian and gluten-free dietsFrom the restaurant’s website; say when you book
Is Black Swan expensive for a one-star restaurant?
Its £195 dinner menu is the 8th cheapest of the 9 one-star dinner menus in Yorkshire with a published price. The middle price is £150, so it costs £45 more than a typical one.
| Restaurant | Cuisine | Dinner | Lunch | Wine pairing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The AngelHetton, North Yorkshire | Modern European | £120 | £58 | £85 |
| FIFTY TWOHarrogate, North Yorkshire | Modern European | £135 | £75 | £65 |
| ForgeMiddleton Tyas, North Yorkshire | Modern European | £135 | – | – |
| JÖROSheffield | Modern European | £140 | £75 | – |
| Star Inn at HaromeHarome, North Yorkshire | British | £150 | £75 | – |
| RootsYork | Modern European | £165 | £75 | £70 |
| mýseHovingham, North Yorkshire | Modern European | £175 | £115 | £85 |
| Black SwanOldstead, North Yorkshire | British | £195 | £135 | £70 |
| Shaun Rankin at Grantley HallRipon, North Yorkshire | British | £210 | – | £120 |
Other restaurants you may like
- British, one starThe Sportsman Seasalter, United Kingdom · dinner £85 (about US$114)
- British, one starHIDE London, United Kingdom · dinner £165 (about US$221)
- British, one starTimberyard Edinburgh, United Kingdom · dinner £165 (about US$221)
- Also one starEtxebarri Axpe, Spain · dinner €300 (about US$335)
- Also one starThe Chairman Central, Hong Kong · dinner HK$1,380 (about US$176)
Starred restaurants near Black Swan
The 6 nearest, all within 25.5 mi.
- Star Inn at Harome British · 7.3 mi (11.8 km) away · dinner £150
- mýse Modern European · 8.9 mi (14.3 km) away · dinner £175
- Roots Modern European · 17.7 mi (28.5 km) away · dinner £165
- Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall British · 19.1 mi (30.7 km) away · dinner £210
- FIFTY TWO Modern European · 20.7 mi (33.3 km) away · dinner £135
- Forge Modern European · 25.5 mi (41.1 km) away · dinner £135
All 10 starred restaurants in Yorkshire, with prices · Starred restaurants near you
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Sources Restaurant: blackswanoldstead.co.uk. Stars: Black Swan in the MICHELIN Guide. Prices: the restaurant’s website (dinner and wine and lunch), dinner price checked 13 November 2026; lunch price recorded October 2026 (not rechecked since). Rooms and stays: the restaurant’s website, checked 23 October 2026. Critics’ lists: OAD’s Top Restaurants in Europe 2026, La Liste’s Top 1000 Restaurants 2026, checked 24 October 2026. Rating: Google Maps, shown live. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Gordon Hatton, CC BY-SA 2.0). Our visit: Sam Barnard’s notes and photos, 23 Nov 2024, with the bill worked out from the restaurant’s prices then. Opening hours: the restaurant’s website, checked 15 November 2026. Exchange rates: ExchangeRate-API (1 November 2026).