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
“Enjoy your meal in the dining room overlooking the river” when you visit this popular inn on the Ludford Bridge, which is run by Cedric (brother of Claude) Bosi and his wife Amy. The kitchen “often does interesting variants on the standard dishes, and the food is a cut above”. Top Menu Tip – “the twice-baked soufflé is excellent”.
2. The Clive Restaurant with Rooms
British, Modern restaurant in Ludlow
Bromfield - SY8
“Upmarket pub grub sourced from local suppliers” wins praise for this Georgian B&B, which sits about five minutes’ drive outside Ludlow in the heart of the 8,000-acre Oakly Park Estate. Pub classics (like burger or fish ’n’ chips) are available, but the menu is more bistro than it is pub grub, majoring in a selection of steaks… you can even have afternoon tea!
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 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”.
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
“Located in a gorgeously oak-panelled dining room in a grand old building half way up the hill in steep Corve Street”, this “unpretentious, traditional restaurant is a favourite Ludlow eatery” for all who comment on it. (“Previously it was the location of Claude Bosi’s Hibiscus when it was in Ludlow and then Alan Murchison‘s La Becasse where Will Holland was Head Chef”). “In summer, there is a quiet courtyard for pre-meal drinks and a small bar at the entrance for drinks in winter and hors d’oeuvre prior to dining”. “Chef-patron Wayne Smith has perfected his dishes over time and continues to serve excellent, accurately cooked food using delicious local ingredients and although regulars may recognise dishes from previous visits, the food is thoroughly enjoyable”. Top Menu Tip – “some of the local beef is highly memorable for its tenderness and flavour”.
10. The French Pantry
French restaurant in Ludlow
15 Tower St - SY8
“This lovely, cosy French-style bistro” in the centre of Ludlow, from husband-and-wife team Olivier & Lynette Bossut, “serves good hearty helpings of rustic Gallic food” – such as “fabulous onion soup served with a vast cheesy crouton” and “coq au vin with more chicken than some poultry farms!”. With “friendly service”, it’s “usually busy with locals and tourists”, so you “need to book”.
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