Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in Bishop's Castle
Hardens guides have spent 33 years compiling reviews of the best Bishop's Castle restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 10 restaurants in Bishop's Castle and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Bishop's Castle restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Bishop's Castle Restaurants
1. The Charlton Arms
British, Modern restaurant in Ludlow
Ludford Bridge - SY8
“The view from the dining room over the river is one of the best in the county” at Cedric (brother of Claude) Bosi and wife Amy’s well-established inn, on the Ludford Bridge (and also with outside seating), where the food – relatively traditional and posher than pub grub – “continues to be of high quality”.
2. The Clive Restaurant with Rooms
British, Modern restaurant in Ludlow
Bromfield - SY8
Limited but positive feedback on the eating possibilities afforded by this 17-room B&B in a Georgian House a short drive from Ludlow. It offers a straightforward menu majoring in steaks, burgers and cuts of venison.
3. Checkers Pantry
French restaurant in Montgomery
Broad St, Powys - SY15
2023 Review: In Spring 2022, Andrew Birch (erstwhile head chef of London’s Savoy Grill) and his wife Rachel relaunched this well-known coaching inn, part of a small scenic town in rural Powys. The main option is a seven-course tasting menu (with a vegetarian alternative), but there’s also a simpler lunch. No feedback as yet in our annual diners’ poll.
4. Upper Rectory
French restaurant in Welshpool
Berriew - SY21
2022 Review: Kerry Huber serves “wonderful ‘posh nosh’ meals” in her home, a beautiful old black-and-white house full of atmosphere – “highly recommended” and very good value at £35 for seven courses, served ‘supper-club’ style. Top Tip: guests rave about the signature twice-cooked soufflé.
5. Old Downton Lodge
British, Traditional restaurant in Ludlow
Downton on the Rock - SY8
Ideal for a “hideaway date night in the shires”, with a “combination of discrete modern features melded into an ancient, beautiful and comfortable building” (whose stone dining room was built at the time of the Norman Conquest) – Pippa & Willem Vlok’s country-house guarantees a “really great experience”. “Truly remarkable staff” include head chef Nick Bennett, whose “highly skilled cooking” produces meals to savour.
6. Fishmore Hall
British, Modern restaurant in Ludlow
Fishmore Rd - SY8
A “lovely restaurant with a view of distant Clee Hill, and situated in a pretty conservatory on one side of the gorgeously restored Fishmore Hall hotel” (replete with fancy spa since 2016). Chef Phil Kerry worked his way up from sous chef, and turns out “superb” tasting menus and à la carte dishes that are “really innovative”. The venue also hosts a more casual bistro.
7. The Cliffe at Dinham
restaurant in Ludlow
6 Halton Lane - SY8
2021 Review: Just across the River Teme from Ludlow Castle, a short walk from Dinham Bridge, this small hotel incorporates a conservatory restaurant extension with garden views, and terrace for the summer. Reviews of Ian Pugh’s modernised but relatively traditional cooking are very positive: “consistently delivering a good quality dining experience, with an imaginatively presented, seasonal menu”.
8. CSONS at The Green Cafe
British, Modern restaurant in Ludlow
Dinham Millennium Green - SY8
“Interesting and well-prepared local food” – “now with a Middle Eastern influence” – is on the menu at this idyllic spot from the four Crouch brothers, aka the CSONS. “The pleasure of dining here is derived not just from the good food but also the location at Dirham Weir, beside the River Teme, with wildlife to watch and even the chance of spotting an otter”.
9. Mortimers
British, Modern restaurant in Ludlow
17 Corve St - SY8
“This lovely Ludlow restaurant” makes a suitable setting for “old-fashioned high-end dining” that showcases “top-notch” cooking from well-travelled chef Wayne Smith, who has worked for luminaries including Pierre Koffmann, Richard Corrigan, Tom Aikens and Claude Busi – the latter having put this address on the gastronomic map as Hibiscus. The venue “has been a little inconsistent over the years”, going bust as La Bécasse, but Wayne has brought stability since 2015, and “recent meals eaten there have been excellent, each course finely prepared and very tasty”.
10. The French Pantry
French restaurant in Ludlow
15 Tower St - SY8
This “great little French brasserie serves all the classics in an unpretentious, enjoyable and charming way”, close to the centre of this historic market town. In summer 2023, proprietors Olivier & Lynette Bossut took over the shop next door, launching it as a café and deli called Marmalade, with their son Ryan in charge.
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