Rating **** That well-known phrase “the best things come to those who wait” was very apt when I returned to The Old Orleton in Wellington with boyfriend Simon. As the restaurant was closed for improvements over Christmas we had had to content ourselves with a good meal in the bistro at that time, yet we were determined to return when the dining room re-opened.
The Old Orleton Inn at Holyhead Road was originally a coaching inn and was formerly known as The Falcon Hotel. The cellars of the Grade II listed building date back to the 1500s; other parts date from the 16th and 17th centuries.
New owners Peter Ottley and Paul Turpin bought it last year before beautifully restoring it.
The restoration work was complemented by a new contemporary interior, which works extremely well and provides a great backdrop for the great food. Previously the duo owned and ran the well-known Oliver’s Bistro in Ironbridge for 16 years.
Since opening, its restaurant has already gained a loyal following of regulars and the ˆ la carte menu is unusually changed every fortnight to cater for them.
Simon and myself believed it would be the perfect place to celebrate our first year together. And it was.
As the restaurant was already fully booked on the Friday night we had in mind, we settled for the Saturday evening instead.
The ˆ la carte menu offers three courses for £26.95 or two courses for £21.95 which I think is very good value indeed considering the high standard of food served.
For starters I ordered the chefs chicken liver & cognac parfait, a little pot of liver pate served with wafer toasts and Orleton plum chutney.
Simon chose the seafood & dill pickle medley,a chef’s selection of seafood including crab and crayfish, tumbled into a light dill pickle salad.
For my main course I could not resist simply baked whole lemon sole with lobster butter and crushed dill potatoes.
Simon ordered the finest fillet of Shropshire beef with celeriac galettes and devilled lambs kidneys. Both meals came with a selection of seasonal vegetables and minted new potatoes.
I was really looking forward to seeing what the owners had done to the candle lit dining room and I was not disappointed. It had been beautifully and tastefully decorated and furnished in a mixture of traditional and modern styles. The tables were laid elegantly. Everything looked exquisite.
By watching the staff you could tell that there were perfectionists at work here and the diners were obviously their main priority.
My pate was gorgeous. It had a good, strong, earthy homemade taste and texture. The accompanying homemade chutney was also very tasty and there was enough wafer toasts. Absolutely scrummy.
Simon’s seafood & dill pickle medley looked wonderful and very fresh. He said it was delicious.
As our dishes were cleared we settled back in eager anticipation of our main courses.
My lemon sole was beautifully presented. Hot, tender and had a good flavour. It was obviously fresh and I enjoyed it very much. There were enough vegetables and these again were hot and fresh and tasty.
Simon’s Shropshire beef was thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn’t just good, it was more than good, said Simon. Again it was beautifully presented and the portion was more than satisfactory.
By the time it came to pudding greed was definitely rearing its ugly head for me. I did not really have enough room left but ordered one anyway. I shamingly ordered Tia Maria mocha white and dark chocolate mousse served cappuccino-style and topped with whipped cream.
How absolutely wicked. It was very light, very delicious and a more than generous portion. Simon had to help me finish it in the end.
Simon’s cheese and biscuits choice was again generous, fresh and tasty with enough biscuits even to keep him happy.
A couple of coffees and liquors finished off our special night. The Old Orleton remains one of my favourite places to eat.
MENU SAMPLEStarters
Chef’s soup of the day; summer fruit, black pepper and feta cheese cocktail.
Main courses
Juniper & thyme duck breast with truffled polenta with wild mushroom polenta and blackberry sauce; tenderloin of local pork with cider jus served with baked apples and cream smoked bacon cabbage.
Desserts
Old Orleton classic Tiramisu (coffee and cocoa layered sponge with mascarpone and cognac); baked brown sugar peach (with Amaretto and chunky white chocolate ice cream).
ATMOSPHERE
Relaxing and enjoyable.
SERVICE
Efficient, professional, courteous and caring.
DISABLED FACILITIES
Flat access, toilets planned in forthcoming extension.
SMOKING POLICY
Non-smoking throughout.
Restaurant review
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