Church Stretton Restaurant Guide

A 20-minute walk from the hallowed foodie ground of Ludlow, this handsomely renovated Georgian spa hotel is home to a casual bistro and this more formal haunt – a “lovely place to dine” that’s set “in a large light conservatory” with “beautiful views” of the surrounding countryside (“including the short row of small ‘Forelle’ pear trees after which the restaurant is named”). “The food is usually very tasty” (be it the à la carte or tasting menu) and, despite the odd ‘off’ report this year, a “relaxed, pleasing evening is the rule”. “The hotel has recently changed hands” (to a private Midlands-based buyer, who acquired it in March 2024) “though Phil Kerry, the head chef, remains in post so it is to be hoped that Forelles retains its special character despite the change”.

Nothing but praise for this “fabulous” and “consistent” all-day café run by the four Crouch brothers, and offering inventive brunches and beyond. Its globetrotting dishes come in small-plate versions or as (fancified) mains, and there are some “very tasty” dishes to enjoy. Every first Thursday of the month they offer a five-course ‘Mystery Menu World Tour’ that momentarily halts the globe and zones in on a specific country.

2024 Review: This appealing indie café/restaurant, in a quiet side street, has a modish industrial-style interior, while the open kitchen turns out seasonal eats spanning small plates, steaks and lots of snackable ‘things on toast’.

Chef-patron Wayne Smith “continues to fly the flag for fine dining in Ludlow even if the town’s once-unassailable place as a food lover’s site of pilgrimage has now entered into history”, following the departure of high profile chefs such as Claude Bosi and Will Holland, both of whom operated Hibiscus and La Becasse respectively from these very premises: “a period building with panelled walls and a courtyard close to the town centre”. Smith’s focus is on “traditional but fine dishes using excellent local ingredients” including, appropriately, Mortimer Forest venison (“the Herefordshire beef never fails to delight”, too).

This “wonderful little restaurant” from Olivier & Lynette Bossut in the middle of Ludlow offers a “very Gallic atmosphere”, with “perfectly judged blue-and-white decor”, and “food that’s utterly delicious in the most rustic of ways” – including possibly “the best French onion soup you’ll find anywhere this side of La Manche”. Their spin-off café next door, Marmelade, closed down in autumn 2024.

2024 Review: “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”.

“A secluded gem where culinary delights await in the ancient dining room” – close to Ludlow but “not easy to find down a winding country lane through the estate” – Willem & Pippa Vlok’s restaurant-with-rooms offers a “consistently excellent” hyper-local menu from former MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Nick Bennett, staff that are “friendly, efficient and knowledgeable”, and “wooden-beamed bedrooms offer rest from the weary routines of everyday life”. Price-wise, it’s “a bargain for cooking of the quality, emphatically so by London standards”.

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.

Tudor-era Drapers Hall – dating from 1483 and still owned by its founders, the Shrewsbury Drapers Company (these days a charity) – makes a “beautiful location” for chef Adrian Badland’s “outstanding meals”, which are served in a candlelit dining room with heavy drapes and original dark wood-panelled walls (the six bedrooms are equally atmospheric). There’s a five-course tasting menu at £49.50 per person as well as a standard menu of, say fans, “unfailing” quality.

“Imaginative dishes with a modern twist” are on the menu at this “well-drilled” operation from chef couple Ben Hall & Carla Ernst, who met while cooking at the esteemed Gidleigh Park in Devon. Their tasting menu is “very good without being over-bearing”, while an à la carte option is also available at most times and lighter meals are served in the bar. The restaurant takes its name from the Beatles song famously covered by Oasis.

2024 Review: “In the centre of the gorgeous village of Upton Magna”, Martin Board & wife Mel’s “lovely country pub-with-rooms” won nothing but praise this year; despite the seventeenth-century setting, the “food is far from traditional and leans towards modern British – all absolutely delicious and expertly served” (with “particularly good fish dishes” a highlight); add in “sensible prices”, and it’s a “standout restaurant in Shropshire”.