Swan London, British restaurant at Shakespeare's Globe, London, GB
Swan London is a two-floor restaurant inside the Shakespeare's Globe building on the South Bank of the Thames in London. Large windows on the upper level face the river and look directly across to St Paul's Cathedral on the north bank.
The restaurant was created as part of the Globe Theatre complex that opened in 1997, driven largely by the efforts of American actor Sam Wanamaker to bring the site back to life. The original Elizabethan theater had stood nearby before it was demolished in the 17th century.
Swan London sits beside the Globe Theatre, and many visitors combine a meal here with a performance the same evening. Some dishes on the menu carry names taken from Shakespeare's plays, giving the food a direct link to the theater next door.
The restaurant is on the South Bank riverside path, within walking distance of several tube stations and the Millennium Bridge. Window seats on the upper floor fill up quickly, so arriving early or booking ahead makes a difference.
The name Swan refers to a real inn called the Swan that stood on Bankside in the 16th and 17th centuries, a short walk from where the original Globe was built. The name is a direct nod to the neighborhood's past, not a modern invention.
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