The Swan Restaurant on the Thames, Staines

We were so happy when the No Smoking Laws arrived in the UK on July 1st, 2007. This made eating inside restaurants a much more appealing option. At the same time, it made eating outside LESS appealing to those in our family hosting more serious aversions to smoke. ALL the smokers would now be outside. So we were very pleased indeed to find this restaurant with a non-smoking outdoor terrace. The Swan is across the Thames River from the Ha Ha Bar and Outback Steakhouse I mentioned in the previous post, and it is because we were sitting on the outdoor terrace that I was able to take all those other photos I just posted. It was a beautiful place to be, right on the water.
The dessert menu was written on a big blackboard, and the first one intrigued us all. What is an Eton Mess? Never heard of it. Well, after the waiter described it as a mess of meringue, cream, and forest fruits, both the boys went for it. Forest fruits end up being berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries.
The girls went for strawberry tartlet (Emily) and Chocolate Fondant (me). I thought the plates were striking.