The Lion + Pheasant, Shrewsbury - food review

If there's one thing Shrewsbury doesn't have, it's a reputation for fine dining. Despite all of the plaudits that have come its way in recent years, it remains something of the poor relation to Ludlow when it comes to à la carte eating.

For sure, Shrewsbury has become the county's most important town when it comes to vibrant independents offering mid-priced lunches and dinners. It has a food festival that attracts more than any other in the region and a host of bustling, high quality shops. A culture of artisan food and drink has become embedded in recent years and there are frequent new openings.

And yet when it comes to the county's best, Ludlow still holds all the aces. Old Downton Lodge at Old Downton; Fishmore Hall on the outskirts of town; and Wayne Smith's excellent Mortimers in Ludlow's Corve Street, are the county's go-to restaurants for discerning fine diners.

The same has been true for some years. Since the start of the century, Ludlow has outgunned the County Town. Back then, it was south Shropshire's battalion of Michelin star restaurants. These days, it's still ahead of the pack.

That, however, is a little unfair on the Lion + Pheasant, in Shrewsbury's Wyle Cop, which offers high quality food at sensible prices. Sophisticated dishes featuring imaginative food combinations and textures are the order of the day.

There's a sense of refinement, too, with the menu well-rehearsed, thoughtful and executed with considerable skill.

It's not just the food that impresses at the Lion + Pheasant. Service is good too. That stems from co-owner Jim Littler, one of the county's most experienced restaurateurs and one of the few to have worked in Shrewsbury's last Michelin-starred restaurants: don't ask the details, it was too long ago.

Jim, however, was around at that time and keeps abreast of the best of food and drink. He's a class act who passes on his silky skills to his charges. So when my friend and I arrived for a mid-week dinner, we were shown to a table in front of a roaring open fire. Service was swift and self-assured. Jim's team allowed just the right time between dishes and left us in no rush. We were able to enjoy our food without intrusion or fussiness.

A selection of breads arrived as we settled in. Homemade and served with an oniony butter, they were decent if unremarkable.

A small cup of mushroom soup was much better. Dressed with dehydrated strips of mushroom, it was earthy, robust and packed with flavour. When chefs do the simple things well – make a bowl of soup – it inspires confidence and my friend and I looked forward to our next courses. They arrived in good time. My friend opted for a plaice and spinach terrine with a caper and shallot crumb, herb emulsion, duck egg mousse and lemon purée. It was a well-balanced dish that was flavoursome and light. The delicate plaice was bolstered by iron-ey spinach while the lemon provided a citrus edge and elevated other elements.

My rabbit tortellini with a mushroom broth, pickled kohlrabi, braised butter beans and tarragon was sublime. The pasta was decent, though it fell apart a little too quickly, while the sweet-savoury rabbit was delightful. The mushroom broth was the finest element and the thin slices of pickled kohlrabi added a new dimension, providing acidity that contrasted well with other flavours. It was confident, intelligent cooking.

Our mains were impressive. Curried cauliflower with roasted squash, pan fried halloumi, charred celery a golden raisin salsa and coconut tapioca was a dish of varied delights.

Bitter celery and creamy halloumi, sweet salsa and warm, savoury cauliflower – it was a vegetarian's treat. The tapioca was a bit of a spare part: though it added crunch, it provided little else and felt unnecessary.

My chicken breast with winter veg was the evening's best dish, just nudging itself ahead of the mushroom soup. A corn-fed chicken breast was cooked with exceptional skill so that the skin was golden and as crisp and brittle as ulta-thin crackling. It was heavenly. The chicken was plump and tender, clear juices gently oozed under the knife.

The accompanying vegetables and starch were pretty good. Butternut squash was golden and caramelised, a squash purée was sweet and rewarding. A golden, deep fried rosti-style potato was the only element that underwhelmed. It had been cooked beautifully and crunched like car wheels on a gravel drive, but was underseasoned and a little bland.

We skipped desserts, having enjoyed four assured and impressive courses between us. The bill, including drinks, came in at a little over £60, a fair price to pay for food of that standard.

The Lion + Pheasant came to life when Jim and his business partner, Rachel Chidlow, assumed control seven years ago. Chidlow, an architect, was instrumental in restyling the venue, bringing neutral colours, contemporary furnishings and opening up spaces in the historic 300-year-old building so that they are flooded with light.

Since then, it's dazzled customers and critics, winning a number of recommendations from The Telegraph, Sunday Mirror, Independent, Elle and Shropshire Magazine. It's consistently been the best fine dining restaurant in Shrewsbury in recent years.

And though others in town and in Shrewsbury's hinterland have made an attempt to rival the Lion + Pheasant, it's comfortably ahead of the crowd.

That doesn't mean it's perfect. Though service and food are both good, there is room for minor improvement. The kitchen paid attention to detail across the four courses we ate, but there were little things here and there where the level could go up a notch: no erroneous tapioca crisps, keeping the cauliflower in proportion, making double-sure on all of the seasonings et al.

Nonetheless, it offers dreamy food that focuses on the best of the seasons and puts together ingredients in a creative and imaginative way.

There were moments where dishes exceeded expectation – the mushroom soup and corn-fed chicken – and the venue runs like a well-oiled machine.

And though Shrewsbury has many other independent bistros that offer decent food at affordable prices, the Lion + Pheasant remains the crème de la crème when it comes to fine dining.

By Andy Richardson