Located at a corner where Cecil Street meets Marina Boulevard, The Black Swan resides in an 1930s building which used to be a bank. Running with the Art Deco theme, the Lo & Behold Group transformed it into The Black Swan, which serves classic cuisine that borders on being French-Americano.
Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by the unique bar and the high ceiling. The writing on the bar reads, “Here’s to the Rose Coloured Glasses Of Life”. La vie en rose. Well…less American since they still spelt Coloured the British way *wink*.
 |
| Panoramic view of The Black Swan |
Go for their Set Lunch (2 courses @ S$38++, 3 courses @ S$44++) because it just makes things a lot simpler although the whole bunch of us still racked our brains to choose because everything looked enticing! Good thing for you is that there were 5 of us so we ordered quite a variety of starters, mains and desserts to review.
Above is the Farmer’s Salad, so it’s just a mix of rocket, apple, celery, arugula and tossed with a vinaigrette. Nothing too special about this.
Add S$4++ to order their Crab Salad which has sunflower seeds, avocado, mango, grapefruit and a citrus vinaigrette. Needless to say, this was a little more interesting than the Farmer’s Salad.
For an additional S$6++, go for the Foie Gras which is pan fried perfectly and comes with a toast on a yuzu marmalade. Not a fault in this dish except maybe not enough of foie gras?
For those who are feeling ‘safe’, go for the Duck Confit (+S$4++) which was very crispy on the outside and still tender on the inside. It rests on a bed of bacon potatoes and a mustard sauce. Judging from how 2 of my colleagues ate their duck, it was good on the first few bites but in true Duck Confit style, it does a get a bit much.
Another main course was the Seafood Linguine. It’s good and it wasn’t wow. Just tasted like how it should be. This is one of the few dishes that were not French-based but Italian but I guess if you’re going with an American theme, both cuisines go.
If you like fish, they have the Pan Seared Red Snapper with an egg sauce and with leek done two ways. The skin of the fish was crispy and the sauce creamy. However, it tasted exactly how a pan fried fish should taste like.
Yours truly went for the Mangalica Pork Collar (+S$6++) which came with pickled red cabbage and apple sauce…
It looks like a piece of steak and cuts a little like a piece of steak but beef it is not. This piece of pork was succulent and very well seasoned. It was simple but yet you know that you cannot replicate this dish with your home kitchen unless you’re a very skilled chef with a good grill pan. I gave everyone a morsel of this porcine goodness, which spoilt their tastebuds and their mains don’t taste as good as it did before. Oops. Needless to say, everyone on my table recommends the pork!
For dessert, I went for the Sticky Date Toffee Pudding (above) which tasted absolutely divine! The cold vanilla ice cream went really well with the sweet, warm pudding which could’ve been too sweet if it wasn’t for the slices of banana and ice cream. Absolutely divine.
If you like dark chocolate, go for the Chocolate Dome. Inside that dome casing of rich, dark chocolate is a vanilla creme mousse and it’s paired with strawberries and blueberries. Very classic.
Finish it off with a cup of coffee or tea and you’re good.
That about sums up our whole experience in The Black Swan. Everything was classic and slightly laid back and it would be quite a romantic throwback to the 1930s, sitting at the bar and enjoying a glass of martini or whisky. I’m sure if you dine here at night, you might even let your imagination run a little wild and think that you’re in a scene from The Great Gatsby. It helps that the restaurant has a Mezzanine floor which houses their ‘Powder Room’ – an intimate bar for craft cocktails and whiskies. If they played jazz music, I’m sold. I’ll find as many excuses as possible to be treated to meals here.
It’s not the cheapest place to dine for lunch though. You’ll need to be prepared to spend around S$65/pax if you’re ordering the 3 course meal with all the add-ons. Nonetheless, it is a place that is worth visiting at least once!
The Black Swan
19 Cecil Street
Singapore 049704
Tel: +65 8181 3305
Website: www.theblackswan.com.sg
Leave a Reply