Shropshire, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

Self-taught chef Martin Board’s “really tempting menu” of “beautifully presented dishes” wins consistent ratings at the seventeenth-century inn-with-rooms he runs with his wife Mel in a village outside Shrewsbury.

“An excellent addition to the town” – this year-old bistro occupies a “quirky and enchanting” sixteenth-century merchant’s house (the old Drapers Guild Hall) that “is worth a visit in its own right” and was “once a setting for the TV film adaption of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol”. “The food is very good indeed, based on local ingredients and the menu changes regularly.” “Wine is from the long-established local wine merchants Tanners.”

Ben Hall and Carla Cook have created a “super menu and the food delivered matches up… in fact exceeds expectations” at this four-year-old venture with an open kitchen. “It’s small, so be sure to book in advance, especially for a special occasion.”