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José Pizarro has spent more than two decades shaping how Spanish food is enjoyed in Britain, building a career around good produce, uncomplicated cooking and the conviviality of sharing a table. His restaurants are most closely associated with London, particularly Bermondsey Street, but The Swan Inn in Surrey offers a different expression of his cooking: Spanish flavours served within the familiar surroundings of a British gastropub.
Set opposite a leafy green in Claygate, Esher, the pub pairs Pizarro’s food with a garden, traditional interiors and six rooms in a converted barn, making it as suited to a leisurely lunch as an overnight stay outside London.
Spanish Cooking in a Surrey Pub
The Swan Inn was José Pizarro’s first gastropub, taking his established approach to Spanish cooking into a setting that retains the character of a traditional British pub. Wooden details, comfortable seating and a log fireplace give the interiors an easy warmth, particularly during the colder months, while the atmosphere remains relaxed rather than overly polished.
The contrast feels natural. Pizarro has long favoured straightforward dishes built around carefully sourced ingredients, which translates comfortably to a gastropub. Spanish staples sit alongside dishes influenced by British pub traditions, with locally sourced produce complementing ingredients brought in from Spain.
Outside, the garden terrace extends the experience during warmer weather, when weekend barbecues bring grilled tapas outdoors. An outdoor fire pit gives the garden some use beyond the height of summer, while dogs are welcome at the pub.
For private gatherings, The Swan Inn also has a private dining room alongside options for larger events in the dining room and garden.
A Menu Led by Spain
Spanish produce provides the clearest thread through the food. Pizarro’s familiar tapas include tortilla de patatas, croquetas and 100% Cinco Jotas Jamón Ibérico, alongside dishes such as pan con tomate, Padrón peppers and boquerones.
The menu changes with the seasons, which is where The Swan Inn becomes more interesting than a straightforward reproduction of Pizarro’s London restaurants. Grilled seafood, meat and vegetables feature alongside larger dishes and paellas, while the pub setting leaves room for recognisable British influences. Fish and chips, for example, have appeared with Estrella Damm batter, while the Scotch egg has been reworked with Spanish and Mediterranean flavours.
During warmer months, the outdoor barbecue adds another dimension, with ingredients cooked over the grill and served as tapas. The emphasis remains on sharing, allowing a meal to move between smaller plates and more substantial dishes without becoming overly formal.
This seasonal approach also makes more sense for The Swan Inn than relying on a fixed collection of signatures. Croquetas, tortilla and Jamón Ibérico provide continuity, while the surrounding dishes can respond to produce and time of year.
Spanish Bottles and Pub Traditions
The drinks selection follows the same British-Spanish balance. Spanish and European wines have a prominent place on the list, alongside British real ales and draught beers. Gin and tonics, beers and cocktails broaden the choice for those visiting primarily for the pub rather than a full meal.
Wine remains the natural companion to much of Pizarro’s cooking, particularly when ordering several tapas to share. The selection reinforces The Swan Inn’s Spanish identity without losing the familiar ease expected of a neighbourhood pub.
Six Rooms Behind the Swan
For guests who prefer to stay after dinner, six en-suite rooms occupy an old converted barn behind the pub. They are simply presented and equipped with televisions, complimentary tea and coffee, and free Wi-Fi.
Their appeal lies largely in convenience. The Swan Inn is a gastropub with rooms rather than a full-scale luxury hotel, and the accommodation is best viewed as an extension of the dining experience. Breakfast is served at the pub in the morning, allowing an evening meal to become an easy overnight escape from London.
The leafy setting also helps. Claygate offers a quieter backdrop than Pizarro’s London addresses, while remaining accessible enough for a short Surrey stay.
The Bermondsey Street Years
Pizarro’s association with London began long before The Swan Inn. After growing up in Talaván in Extremadura and developing his career in professional kitchens in Spain, he moved to Britain around the turn of the millennium. His early London career eventually took him to Brindisa, where he became executive chef and established himself as one of the prominent figures in Britain’s growing appetite for Spanish food.
In 2011, he opened José Tapas Bar at 104 Bermondsey Street. The compact, informal restaurant drew inspiration from the tapas bars of Spain, concentrating on small plates, sherry and the quality of individual ingredients.
Pizarro Restaurant followed further along Bermondsey Street at number 194, providing more space for substantial dishes and longer meals while maintaining the same Spanish foundations.
Lolo by José Pizarro, at 102 Bermondsey Street, has since completed a trio of Pizarro addresses on the street. Named after his childhood nickname, Lolo broadens the formula with an all-day approach and dishes influenced by European and Mediterranean cooking. Together, the three restaurants have made Bermondsey Street the centre of Pizarro’s London presence.
From the Royal Academy to Abu Dhabi
Pizarro’s portfolio now stretches well beyond Bermondsey. At the Royal Academy of Arts on Piccadilly, Keeper’s House by José Pizarro brings his Spanish cooking into one of London’s major cultural institutions. The restaurant occupies the historic Keeper’s House and combines tapas and seasonal dishes with Spanish wines, adding a distinctly Pizarro identity to the Royal Academy’s hospitality.
Further afield, José by Pizarro at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers marked his first restaurant outside the UK. The move took his approach to Spanish cooking to the UAE while retaining the produce and flavours that have defined his restaurants in Britain.
His connection with Spain has also developed into Iris Zahara in Zahara de los Atunes, Cádiz. The private property can accommodate up to ten guests and provides a more intimate way to experience the food and landscape of Andalusia, with tailored stays that can incorporate private cooking with Pizarro and excursions centred on the region’s food and sherry traditions.
For a luxury traveller interested in Pizarro’s work, Iris Zahara offers perhaps the clearest link between his restaurant career and the Spanish landscape that continues to influence it.
A Career Rooted in Spanish Cooking
Pizarro grew up in rural Extremadura, where his family’s relationship with farming and fresh produce shaped his understanding of food. Before establishing himself in Britain, his career in Spain included experience at Michelin-starred El Chapín de la Reina in Madrid, followed by a position as head chef at El Mesón de Doña Filo.
That background remains evident in a style of cooking that gives considerable weight to ingredient quality and seasonality. His work has also extended into publishing, with books including Seasonal Spanish Food, Basque: Spanish Recipes from San Sebastián & Beyond, Catalonia: Recipes from Barcelona and Beyond, Andalusia: Recipes from Seville and Beyond, The Spanish Home Kitchen and The Spanish Pantry.
Television appearances on programmes including Saturday Kitchen, This Morning and Sunday Brunch have further broadened his profile in Britain.
His contribution received official recognition in 2024, when he was awarded the Order of Isabella the Catholic for his role in strengthening cultural connections between Spain and the UK through gastronomy. The distinction came as he marked 25 years in Britain, underlining how much his career has become connected with Spanish food’s place in the UK.
Pizarro’s Surrey Address
The Swan Inn occupies an interesting position within that career. It takes the ingredients and dishes associated with Pizarro and places them in a setting far removed from a conventional Spanish restaurant, without making the combination feel forced.
Croquetas and Jamón Ibérico can accompany a drink at the bar, larger dishes suit a leisurely lunch, the garden comes into its own during warmer weather, and six rooms allow dinner to stretch into the following morning. For those already familiar with Pizarro’s Bermondsey restaurants, The Swan Inn offers a more relaxed Surrey interpretation of a cooking style that has become closely associated with his name.
