Welcome to Black Swan Winery

The food was excellent!

For mains my partner had the duck dish (which came with nuoc cham and a delicious mixed rice) which i tasted and it was lovely. (He loved it but said the piece of duck was very small. I had the pork which came as a chunky rack on spiced pureed pumpkin and spinach and was sublime :-) It even had some crackle on the side :-)
A garden salad, fresh bread and olives were also shared and they were all fresh and tasty.

Was a midweek visit so only about 6 other tables were occupied. The service was excellent.

Nice but this place is really great during the day as it looks over a vineyard. Not much to see at night :-)

Lovely food and great service. Couldnt ask for more!

My partner and I visited the Black Swan for our 34th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday evening 12 May. The table booking for 2 was taken as 4 so we had to wait while they sorted that out. The starters and entree were delivered in a flash. A small loaf of home cooked bread and oysters. Both were very nice.

Then we sat for over an hour waiting for our main course. Customers that had arrived after us were being served before us. But there were others that were also waiting a long time for mains. The staff were friendly and helpful when we told them (a couple of times) we had not had our mains. When the mains did arrive, rabbit and fettuccine, they were warm, not hot. The rabbit was bland but the sauce was spicy and nice. The fettuccine had a little too much chilly for my partners liking.

Dined here Saturday night. Had made a booking a few hours earlier but when we arrived they had lost it! Anyway it wasn’t a problem and the waitress was lovely about seating us immediately.

Ordered the duck spring rolls and the bruschetta for entrée. Both were fine but the spring rolls were on the dry side. They came with a small amount of stir fry vegies that I personally think should be added to the inside of the rolls!

Mains chosen were a wild mushroom and spinach risotto and the lamb backstrap spiced salad with roasted vegies. My risotto was lovely and my partner enjoyed his lamb salad. I had a taste of it but the spices were quite strong and not to my liking.

We had a black swan cab sav with dinner which I enjoyed which was great because I didn’t have fond memories of their wines on previous visits. The service which I have also found very erratic was very good on this night even though the restaurant was nearly full. We didn’t have to wait very long between courses. A surprisingly nice dinner and lovely ambience (pond to the left of us and vineyard to the right).

lovely wine and fast service. I went there for dinner a couple of weeks ago with my friend. They had great food on the menu found it so hard to choose as they all looked so good. We got instead the oysters Kilpatrick, duck spring rolls with plum sauce and prawns wrapped in a wonton like wrapper with sauce. It was so nice and the service didn't really take that long. The main was lovely too. Nice atmosphere, wine and food. It would've been nicer I guess if it was a nice Sunday lunch too. I would love to go back and have lunch there one Sunday afternoon.

We went to Black Swan for lunch on a Sunday. Probably their busiest day of the week but also only half full.

From the moment we walked in we experienced the slightest attitude, which wasn't a good start. We had to find a waiter to take our order, which wasn't great, but we had a nice table in the sun so it was still okay.

Our food took just over an hour to come out. All the other tables around us got served with their food and we were still waiting. I eventually enquired as to where our food was and was told that it was only a few minutes away.

In this time, my husband and one of his friends arrived to join us for a glass of wine. My husband ordered some soup and bread and it was out within 5 minutes of ordering it. My husband has minor celebrity status in Perth and it annoyed me that he should get such good service when we had to wait awhile.

The food itself was quite lovely. We all enjoyed our meals very much and the ambience (sun shining, birds singing) and the wine was very much to our liking.

I don't think I will go back again as the service wasn't good enough for me. We asked one waitress if we could use the Entertainment Card and she said she didn't know... and just stood there. Wouldn't you go and ask someone who does know?!

We thought the hiccups in the service were avoidable, especially for an establishment in the Swan Valley.

Let me say from the start how improved I found the service this time. I had booked a table and asked to be away from doorways as however nice the day a draught is still a draught but was a tad concerned when the girl started to show us to a table by the open window instead. Upon pointing out my booking specification, she immediately offered a corner table and to close the window (which was actually French doors). From that point on, I can honestly say our waitress was smooth and efficient, friendly and knowledgeable - no having to run back to the kitchen to find out the specials today!! The only delay in the meal was waiting for dessert to be served and that wasn't too long. We had only just commented that it was taking a bit long when she rocked up with the dish and apologised for the wait.

We started with the bread of the day which was sun-dried tomato and herb damper served with herb butter which while very tasty, was a little bland. A pinch of salt sprinkled over the buttered bread improved it immensely.

I had the special entree of the day, being prawn and pernod mousseline with herb oil and bread thins. Very delicate flavour here. The only comment I can make otherwise is that this dish improved with the stronger flavoured damper. The bread thins did nothing to enhance the subtle prawn taste. It came alive though with the damper.

My main of chicken yakitori was very simple - chicken skewers, timbale of rice and teriyaki sauce. The chicken tasted like it had just been threaded tenderloins plain grilled and relied entirely on the sauce for flavouring. I personally found the sauce a bit cloying after about half way through and even the squeeze of lime did nothing to cut through the intensity of flavour. A lighter sauce would have been appreciated more.

My guest had chicken breast stuffed with a medley of finely diced vegetables and brie served on a pumpkin mash with steamed vegetables and a mustard (?) cream sauce. Very much enjoyed by that diner.

My guest followed the main with a crème brulee served with raspberry compote and chantilly cream. Big thumbs up apparently.

Considering we didn't each order an entree, main and dessert, the waitress actually understood this order and got it right and timed the delivery of all the dishes very well. Can't say that too often!

While overall happy with this lunch, won't be going back for a while, I think at least not until they have a new menu. I have exhausted the options on this one.

One of the best meals we have ever had. Would be equal to any "top" 5 star restaurant.

Will return again. Understand a little short staffed, but we would have liked to have had a wine tasting before dinner, to decide on the wine to choose.

Very crowded Sunday Lunch. Staff seemed stressed and we were told that 2 wait persons did not show up for their shift. Information we didn't need to know.

Very slow to take our order, however our entrees of a seafood tasting platter and lemon peppered squid arrived promptly. Both were of a high standard and quite filling. Immediately regretted ordering garlic bread. Very oily and soggy.

Main meals of pasta and the special of sweet lips snapper arrived well timed after the entree. Pasta was of a high standard. The fish was also good except a little undercooked. This may have been because it was described as 2 fillets, but I only received one rather thick fillet. They obviously decided one fillet was enough to satisfy the quota but omitted to adjust the cooking time. Wait person was also a little short when asked for more water and salt and pepper.

Overall the food was presented well and very tasty. Would dine there again. I would however suggest they put on more staff. Even if their staff had all shown up, it would still of been quite busy. All the staff seemed overwhelmed by their tasks and this seemed to reflect in their service and manners to their customers.

Dining at night we could not experience the supposedly beautiful sweeping views of the vineyard. Had to be content with the indoor tropical garden with a pond of Koi. Normally, this would have created a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. However, although the night we dined was cool (not cold nor windy), the weather coverings were down and the overhead heaters at full strength. What a shame as we were seated at a window table and personally, it would have been perfect exposed to the beautiful winter’s night. As such, their intended cosy effect was lost and instead we felt doubly the impact of being roasted!

As usual, being the first to arrive, we were quickly greeted, seated and orders taken within 10 minutes. We then waited and waited and waited before finally our meals arrived after 25 mins. The chef must have arrived late for work as the table behind which arrived nearly an hour after us had their entrees served within 10 mins. Then Strike 2 by the chef. The medium rib eye fillet came out well done but we did not want to hang around waiting for a replacement so we just conveyed the message to the chef via the waiter. Go to admit that the steak still tasted good ! But we started fantasising how much juicier and more tender it could have been. Sigh. Thank goodness, the lamb backstrap was a perfect 10 and the fish & chips satisfied the kids too.

Further annoyance was to greet us and our night ended dismally. Had an unpleasant encounter when collecting our wine prize. Oh well, we took it as one of those days when things don't go as well as expected. At least we got home safely as it was a fairly long drive for us. Needless to say, we would not be dining there again.

Went for Public Holiday lunch. Very busy as such a popular restaurant but service great and friendly.

Menu quite extensive and caters for all tastes.

Food arrived fairly quickly and was divine.

Only rated ambience 3.5 as on previous occasions have sat on edge of balcony but this time we were seated in middle, but should have requested edge balcony seating on booking. Overall a great lunch.

Well enough has already been said about the location of this place. Apart from a couple of rather large and prominent cobwebs and a totally dead plant next to where we were sitting, nothing has changed since other reviews.

Food, as per usual, was of a relatively high standard, although the garlic/parmesan bread was distinctly lacking in parmesan and was very oily. Today we sampled the duo of pates (lovely presentation), chicken yakitori, dukkah-crumbed lamb's brains, and the seafood tasting plate for one. The standout dish was the yakitori.

The service however was of quite a low standard. We were initially escorted to a table by an open doorway that at the time had a very strong wind blowing through it. Upon request for another table because of this, we were shown to a table on the other side of the same doorway but one table futher along the passage. Not overly impressed at this point considering the restaurant was only half full and people were spread throughout the premises.

Had the menus for quite a long time before anybody deigned to come back to us. Strike 2. I had to ask what the specials of the day were while she was waiting to take our order. When we said what we wanted to have, two items came back as unavailable. As one of these dishes was tempura oysters, we were a bit puzzled as we were still able to have oysters either natural or Kilpatrick style. They must have run out of flour or water I suppose! This waitperson was not hitting a good score! I ordered a pot of tea for one but got served a cup of tea. When I mentioned this, the response was we don't serve it by the pot. (I noted however that we got charged for a pot of tea!) Hmmm, obviously hasn't read the menu! This lass is losing even more points - she is likely to be on the interchange bench before too long. Food arrived timely, as did the drinks. We had previously looked at the dessert menu and decided that we would share a cheese platter with our coffees. Well that was the idea anyway. Our angel of a waitress however thought otherwise and decided to partake in a jovial conversation instead of coming back to see if we wanted anything else. This girl is obviously detrimental to their business. We even had a slight problem with getting a response out of her when we queried something re the account.

I have been here a couple of times in the past and had thought the waitstaff very friendly and efficient. Not today. Unhelpful, unfriendly and rather unprofessional. I will go back as I believe that she is not a true representative of the serving standards of this restaurant but if this had been the only time I had been, I would probably want to give this place a big miss.

Perhaps unfairly, I'm rating this place after a meal on Mother's Day! It was mobbed, there wasn't an empty seat in the house and the staff were clearly under pressure. Despite that, the set menu was very good with the three choices of main(chicken, beef and fish) presented in a simple but fresh style and celebrated with a bottle of Houghton's bubbly from their Quills range. The beef bourguignon was a bit mushy but I forgave it as the barramundi was perfectly succulent and the chicken breast dish was tasty and ample. Dessert was skipped for a cheese platter which had more than enough of the three cheeses to sample from. The service was friendly despite the crush and the view was striking, over the vineyards to the Hills. Recommended, particularly with visitors or for a romantic evening meal.

The Black Swan has undergone some serious renovations since I went there last - a good couple of years ago. Had fond memories of the food and wine. Menu and venue has certainly gone a lot more upmarket since then. Shared the duck spring rolls with plum sauce. Big pieces of duck in the two rolls and the dipping sauce was very well matched. The straggly bit of coleslaw they were placed on didn't look (or taste) that appetising though. I ordered the rib eye fillet (rare) and it was huge! Despite being closer to medium rare it was very tender and tasty. The mash was lovely as were the two flat mushrooms on top. My guest's lamb rump was very tender and looked quite appetising. Unfortunately for me, it had been marinated in rosemary, which I can't eat! My guest thought it beautiful though.

Between the main and the huge Adults Only milkshake, I had no room left to even contemplate looking at the dessert menu. Maybe another time! Thought the surcharge on credit cards when used with a discount card (other than their own card) seemed a bit rude, especially if you didn't see the fine print. Certainly not pointed out when the booking was made. Would go back, but only if I had cash on me.

My husband and I had relatives over from the UK and decided to have lunch at the Black Swan it was quite busy but the service was excellent. The food was served in a timely manner and all of us were very pleased with our meal.

We had the 2002 Rose with our lunch and it was really delicious.

I am saving up all my flybuys points now to be able to go back and have another meal there, then I will be able to afford to take home some more wine.

We had lunch at The Black Swan on a Friday and were surprised at the number of people eating here. We were soon to find out why. The service was good without being overattentive. The food was also quite tasty and well presented and the view is to die for.
So we both had the Pannini with Chicken, Avacado and Brie and a glass of Black Swan Classic Dry White followed by coffee.

A most enjoyable lunch made even better by the two bottles of their wine which I had been given by EatingWA for my January reviews.

A great place to show off our home towns delights to overseas and interstate visitors.

As one of last month’s winners of 2 bottles of wine, we were keen to try out the Black Swan's restaurant. Saturday midday, we were one of only 3 tables with clients on arrival and the first question asked was did we have a booking? and a near look of horror when we said we did not. Although there appeared to be plenty of tables close to the edge of the verandah overlooking the vines, we were placed on a table closer to the main entry. Our order taken quickly, as if there was to be a sudden busload of tourists arrive at any moment

I ordered the Gado Gado, with seared ginger and scallops, my partner had the chicken Caeser salad. Both meals were plentiful.

The Caeser salad according to my dining companion was very pleasant and one of the better Caesers he has had. There was certainly no skimping on the chicken, as the salad was loaded.

If anything, the satay dressing on the gado gado could have done with a bit more flavour, overall though the food was presented very attractively and enjoyable to eat.

The service was a bit all over the place, with a number of staff attending the table. We ordered iced chocolates, which when arrived were disappointing, not much chocolate and warm. So it was more like a warm chocolate milkshake.

The food took a little while to arrive, but it gave us plenty of time to take in the beautiful setting.

Overall it was a pleasant enough experience, If you are in the valley it is worth a drop in, though I wouldn’t recommend it as a destination in itself.

We love to dine alfresco & the Black Swan is a lovely place to do that. We just picked a bloody hot humid afternoon for it, which of course is our fault, nobody else's. ;-) As we sat there enjoying the view of the vineyard we discussed how lovely it must look at night all lit up, so of course we will have to go back another time to see for ourselves.

The service was very good. If anything was to be said about it on the off side, it was that they had too much wait staff, & each & everyone of them seemed to be asking us this that & the other. It soon became clear why they had that many, since the restaurant was fairly empty when we arrived. We were 1/2 way through our meal when a hen's party arrived. So much for a relaxed QUIET afternoon! (& I'm the female 1/2 of FozNSuds... haha!)

My husband ordered the Butter Chicken over rice & pronounced it very nice. I ordered the Panini with chicken, avocado & brie with chips, & pronounced ditto. (Especially good was the panini bread itself... yum!)

VERY BEST part was at checkout: Our TWO FREE bottles of wine in a little black carry bag & even 10% off our total bill. Thanks so much EatingWA & Black Swan Winery & Restaurant. We can't wait to try the wine!! (The 2005 Rose' & the 2005 Late Harvest Chenin)