Reviewer’s rating ****

The last time I saw the restaurant at the new Theatre Severn, I was wearing a hard hat and high visibility vest.

It was during the building stages of the £28 million development, with contractors and builders busily working away to get the place ready for the official opening by the Earl of Wessex in March this year.

So I didn’t exactly know what to expect when I suggested a pre-show meal to my partner, Frazer.

The restaurant is on the top floor of the theatre, with fantastic floor to ceiling windows along the whole length of the dining area, allowing a flood of natural light and evening sunshine to pour through.

The decor boasts a contemporary feel for a refreshing ambience, which fits in well with the surrounding design of the theatre.

Riverside setting

The new restaurant at the Shrewsbury theatre is the perfect location for a lovely riverside evening meal, shopping date with the girls on the terrace, or even a fresh breakfast before your hectic day begins.

The table was booked for 5.30pm, with the show – The Jazz Dance – starting at 7.30pm. On arrival, the restaurant was empty, although there was one other table reserved.

Our waiter suggested that booking is always advisable, as the previous night was fully booked.

We were seated, as requested when booking, at a window table by our waiter, who was friendly and gave us plenty of time to select our drinks and food.

Four-course menu

During our time at the restaurant we sampled a four course menu and a wonderful bottle of wine which had been previously tasted by our server through a staff tasting session, enabling him to give us insight into which wine would accompany our chosen food.

Following our aperitif of grappa, we selected a bottle of Pinot Grigio, which was opened in front of us allowing us to sample it before moving on to our starters, which were a smoked salmon and crayfish terrine and a smoked duck breast with a spiced pear chutney.

Both dishes were presented attractively with the food tasting freshly prepared and the flavours complementing each dish.

We then opted for a chorizo pasta dish to share for the next course. With a spicy mouth explosion, the pasta was cooked to an al dente bite, and there was plenty of it!

Delicious mix

For our mains we decided to go for the fillet of sea bass with a roasted vegetable ratatouille and a risotto which was originally pan roasted chicken supreme with mushrooms but on request from us was changed to a seafood selection, consisting of crayfish and scallops, along with other fishy delights, which proved to be a delicious and well balanced mix.

The sea bass was perfectly cooked to a moist spongy texture, with the ratatouille and the lemon and chive vinaigrette adding to the flavours.

Finally, although very full with the large portions we decided to share a baked blueberry cheesecake with a blueberry compote – which, although we couldn’t finish it, was the perfect choice to complete our pre-show meal.

Upmarket gem

Theatre Severn also offer their customers an Ultimate Dinner and Show Experience for a selection of their forthcoming shows.

Enjoy a starter and a main course before the show, and during the interval return to your reserved table to enjoy your dessert with tea or coffee.

The restaurant at Theatre Severn is a new and upmarket gem waiting to be discovered on the banks of the River Severn.

By Laura Dutfield

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Warm chicken liver and black pudding salad with marsala dressing (small £4.95, large £7.95)

Mushrooms on toast with grain mustard and fresh herbs (£4)

Pasta

Mushroom carbonara with baby spinach and truffle oil (£7.95)

Pan-fried salmon linguini with lemon, dill, capers and olive oil (£7.95)

Mains

Fish pie with wholegrain mustard mash, baby spinach and roast cherry tomatoes (£8.95)

8oz rump steak with hand-cut chips, rocket salad and mustard and tarragon butter (£11.95)

Side orders

Hand cut chips (£2)

Fresh seasonal vegetables (£2)

Sweets

Lemon tart with berry compote and mascarpone (£4)

Vanilla creme brulee with cherry and almond shortbread (£4)

Atmosphere

Quiet but pleasant. Ideal for pre-show.

Service

Good. Waiter was very attentive with excellent knowledge of the wine.

Disabled facilities

Full disabled facilities and car parking nearby.

Contact

Theatre Severn, Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury. Telephone (01743) 256550.