The White Swan Leeds: What I thought of the roast dinners at this bustling city centre pub

I think I could count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been out for a roast dinner since moving to Leeds in 2018. It’s not that I don’t like them – I really do – it’s that very few roasts live up to the high standard set by my mum’s fantastic home cooking. So, when The White Swan invited me and my partner to give their famous roast dinners a try last weekend, we were filled with both excitement and trepidation at the thought.

We arrived just before 1pm, and while the pub was still quiet there were already a few tables tucking into a Sunday roast. We were seated in the far-left corner; nestled away from the hustle and bustle of the bar and given lovely little arm chairs and a candlelit table. With two pints of Leeds Pale quickly served to us, we were given full reign to choose whatever we wanted from the extensive menu.

I went for the pork belly with crackling, while my partner selected the roast beef to try. In true ‘eyes bigger than belly’ fashion, we also decided to order portions of the pigs in blankets and pork stuffing that had come so highly recommended.

In record time our meals were brought out to us; huge portions of pork, crispy roast potatoes and carrots piled high on the plate, topped with a perfectly puffed Yorkshire pudding. We tucked in straight away, and any worries about competition with my childhood roasts soon dissolved.

The crackling was the highlight of my meal here: the perfect level of crunch without breaking your teeth as I’ve too often experienced at other restaurants and pubs. The pigs in blankets were a close second, and although the roasts here are big enough without any extra sides, those salty cocktail sausages enveloped in bacon are truly worth saving a bit of room for.

Only now has it occured to me that somehow, in my six years living in Leeds, I’d forgotten the comforting nature of a roast on a Sunday. Each mouthful felt like home; in part thanks to the wonderfully cooked meal placed in front of me, but also to the warm setting The White Swan provides. Rich wooden furnishings, soft carpet and glowing lamps give the place a real charm, and the gentle hum of piano in the background provides the right touch of ambience without distracting from conversation.

As me and my partner finished our meal and chatted away over a pint, we realised the soft music in the background wasn’t a carefully curated playlist like we first thought, but instead a real pianist sat a few metres across from us.

It is special touches like this that make this city centre pub such a wonderful place to spend a Sunday afternoon. I’d highly recommend it.