The Swan at Carp

My son and I were heading out for an evening drive. Hunger pains had us consider what was good at a good price. The Swan was the right choice. Local and very welcoming, with everything home made with a passion for quality. We need more places like this.
Korean BBQ beef, Greek Burger were both excellent. Ribs were sweet an smoked to perfection. Home made truffles. Priceless.

My husband and I regularly drive up to Carp to enjoy a dinner and a pint or two at The Swan on one of their jazz nights. We enjoy the relaxed ambience and the great music that usually starts at 7-​ish and continues till about 10:30. I always order the Sir Perry Pear cider (available on tap) when I visit but they have an amazing array of beers from around the world available on tap — check out their blackboard list above the bar. Our dining experiences have always been solidly good — the menu does change with the season, with some favourites remaining (like the bento box — yet to be tried, but I’ve heard it’s great). The menu also includes a creative sandwich /​burgers /​crepes menu. I was recently disappointed to see that the Lobster crêpe was missing from the menu as I had wanted to try it that day. The venue allows couples to afford themselves many romantic, casual evenings on a budget.

My better half and I guest this spot about 3 – 4 times per year. The Swan has a lovely menu, ever changing with the seasons, and very fresh. Whenever we go it’s normaly very quiet, which is nice because we can enjoy eachothers conversation. When we are not eating, we like to stop in for a glass of wine or two. The wine menu is not spectacular, but it’s great when you want a nice quiet drink. The only thing which irks me about this place is they display a «Guiness» beer sign in their window, when they don’t actually serve any Guiness on tap, or by the can.

Expecting a five star experience from the other reviews, we were disappointed. We were there for lunch and so did not get to try some of the more elaborate dishes on the dinner menu. Our fish and chips and chicken pot pie were OK, but not as good as the Royal Oak. A dozen beers on tap and another 40 or so in cans are featured. Service is OK, but not special.
There is an unfortunate lack of attention to detail in the décor. A cluttered office cubicle graces the entrance. A neon light bulb hangs down below the pastry cooler which is also stacked with wedding cake samples on top.
We won’t be going back.

This restaurant has been around for awhile now, and is definitely the nicest restaurant in the area. Owned by two Cordon Bleu chefs, the menu is not only high-​end, but constantly changing and being updated.
The food is exquisite and uses some of the local area produce. One of my favourite meals, had to be their Lobster Bisque Soup. Three years later, and it still stands out as being one of the best soups I’ve ever had.
My only complaint is that it is not a pub. It’s not even close to being a pub. The only similarity it holds to pubs is having a slightly pub-​like area, being set in an old building, and perhaps some pub-​inspired food. Otherwise, this is a high-​end restaurant with high-​end food and should be treated as such. So any pub-​like items on the menu should be removed.
Yes, this building used to be a pub, but it’s long since left it’s pub roots and become a delicious high-​end restaurant. This is a delicious and spectacular restaurant!

Incredible lilttle place hidden in the Ottawa Valley. Purchased a few years ago my a husband and wife team of Cordon Blue trainned chefs, they took a nice little country pub and raised it to the next few levels. The menu is a mix a the traditional pub fare and some really interesting and unique creations. Ostrich shnitzel, rabbit and venison to name only a few of the standards on the menu that is always well prepared, fresh, plentiful, tasty and reasonably priced.
The Swan at Carp also carries on a long standing tradition of hosting scotch tasting nights with thematic menus paired with scotches from around Scotsland and the world. A must if you can get a seat. In the same vien they have also introduced Wine Tasting Nights for those people that are not a fan of the dram. I’ve perosnally never been but I can only imagine it would be as good as any of the scotch nights I have attended.
Truely not too be missed are the deserts as one of the owners is Cordon Blue trained in the Chocolate Arts and she does it RIGHT!