Is England’s Black Swan pub really the world’s best restaurant?
The Black Swan at Oldstead: TripAdvisor named this rural inn in North Yorkshire, England as the world's best restaurant in its Travelers' Choice awards. Click through the gallery to discover why.
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Cozy dining room: The Black Swan is helmed by Tommy Banks, who in 2013 became the youngest chef to be awarded a Michelin star at age 24.
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Home grown: The Banks family, including Tommy's brother James, have lived around Oldstead for generations. Their restaurant sources most of its ingredients from the surrounding countryside or its own gardens.
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Crapaudine Beetroot: A Black Swan signature, this slice of home grown beet is cooked for hours in beef fat before being delicately decorated with piped goat curd and linseed crackers.
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Beautiful countryside: Part of the Black Swan's appeal is its stunning surroundings. To the north lies Sutton Bank, offering views over the bucolic Vale of York.
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White Horse: Sutton Bank is home to a white horse which was carved into the landscape in Victorian times. The area is also a gateway to the heather-covered North York Moors.
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Village inn: The Black Swan has been keeping Oldstead refreshed since the 16th century. It's no longer a traditional village pub, although at least one local pops in for a daily drink.
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Scallop with fermented celeriac: Diners at the Black Swan are served an 11-course tasting menu. Among many highlights is this scallop braised in its own shell and served with a tart celeriac sauce.
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Dinner and a show: Diners can watch some of their dishes being carefully plated in the open-plan prep area. Here a sous chef puts the finishing touches on the classic beet dish.
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Cod with cauliflower and parsley: This succulent piece of cod is cooked in water at exactly 46 degrees Celsius before being served on a bed of pureed cauliflower and parsley. It's topped by roasted cauliflower.
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Winding lanes: Reaching the Black Swan isn't easy. It lies amid a tangle of country lanes that look barely big enough to drive down. It's more than 230 miles from London and 20 miles from the nearest city, York.
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Raw Dexter beef: Topped with grated chestnut and lightly seasoned with homemade chili sauce, this raw beef dish comes from local cows reputedly fed up to four pints of beer a day to produce an incredibly tender meat.
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Stay the night: Because of the remote location, many diners also choose to stay the night. The Black Swan has nine luxury rooms to choose from.
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Venison and smoked sloe: The meat in this dish is glazed with black garlic that's been roasted for six weeks using innovative if unorthodox techniques -- it's sealed up and then wedged behind a boiler.
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Byland Abbey: A mile or so east of the Black Swan lie the ruins of Byland Abbey. The 12th-century Gothic structure is said to have once been one of the greatest monasteries in England.
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Dinner and room packages: Overnight guests typically get dinner included in room packages that cost about £350 ($460) for two people.
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Damson and kernel: Worth waiting for, the dessert selection includes this ice cream sandwich. One half is made from locally grown damsons, the other is flavored using ground damson kernels, which taste not unlike amaretto.
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A new concept: The Black Swan was struggling to attract customers before the Banks family took over in 2006. When their standard pub food failed to turn the business around, they focused on turning it into an upscale dining destination.
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Local produce: These lambs in the field opposite the pub weren't on the fall 2017 menu, but as the seasons shift, they'll likely be included. Sorry, lambs.
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Shandy Hall: Need another reason to visit? The nearby village of Coxwold is home to Shandy Hall, home to 18th-century writer and vicar Laurence Sterne, author of "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman."