Rating: *** Andy Richardson loves the setting at Drapers Hall Restaurant but says it’s a case of ‘must try harder’ to impress fully.

If our visit to Drapers Hall Restaurant had been written as a play, it would have taken the following form:

Dining Companions Visit A Restaurant: Take I

A man and woman walk into Drapers Hall Restaurant, in Shrewsbury. They have made a reservation and arrive at 7.15pm, on the dot. A polite and attentive waiter asks them whether they’d like a drink in the bar, or to be shown to their table.

Acceding to their request, he shows them to their table and offers menus to peruse. And then he forgets about them. Twenty minutes later, they flag down another waiter and ask for service. Cut.

Dining Companions Visit A Restaurant: Take II

A man and a woman are seated in the dining room at Drapers Hall Restaurant, in Shrewsbury. Having had longer than any person could ever need to peruse their menus, they finally place their order.

He chooses seared scallops with a chilli sauce, crème fraiche and cucumber ribbons, she chooses basil and tomato soup.

Ten minutes later, a waitress appears with their food. Three steps from the table, she snags her heel into the carpet and sends a scallop flying across the room.

Imagining the diners have not seen her faux par, she turns on said heels and retreats to the kitchen. Sadly, she forgets to pick up the scallop, leaving it on the floor. Cut.

Dining Companions Visit A Restaurant: Take III

A man and a woman are seated in the dining room at Drapers Hall Restaurant, in Shrewsbury, casually eyeing an errant scallop that sits incongruously on the carpet. A waitress reappears to collect the lonely mollusc, picking it up and placing it in the palm of her left hand. She notices that the man and woman have seen her and, making light of the scene, jokes: “I don’t suppose you’d like a free scallop, would you?” The man and woman look at each other. Scales fall from their eyes. Cut.

Drapers Hall Restaurant, Shrewsbury

Dining Companions Visit A Restaurant: Take IV

A mildly unimpressed man and a patient woman are seated. . . A waiter appears with a plate of scallops, for him, and a bowl of basil and tomato soup, for her. The soup is piping hot and she takes to it with enthusiasm.

The scallops – almost certainly the same ones that made an appearance in Take II – are stone cold. The man beckons the waiter. “I’m afraid these scallops are cold.”

The waiter replies: “I’m sorry, sir.” He picks up the dish and returns it to the kitchen. Cut.

Dining Companions Visit A Restaurant: Take V

I think, by now, you’ve probably got the picture. Let’s call it a wrap.

As dining experiences go, visiting Drapers Hall Restaurant, in St Mary’s Place, was like watching a car crash. No service, lame service, huffy service, cold food: and all before I’d had time to enjoy a single course.

There were no excuses: we’d booked an early table and were the first guests into the dining room.

Ah yes, the dining room. Drapers Hall Restaurant has one of the finest in the county.

It’s a winning blend of trend and tradition, where traditional linen and silverware are paired with paintings and sculptures by contemporary artists; where wood panelled walls and 17th century fire places sit happily alongside Bang & Olufsen hi-fi equipment; where huge vases of tumbling flowers fill the room with dazzling colours and sweet, summery fragrance. It’s impossible not to fall in love with Drapers Hall.

Dining there is like stepping back in time into a bygone age of classicism and sophistication.

It’s been some years since my last visit and I looked forward to a Friday evening dinner with great cheer.

The menu has recently changed and, sadly, not for the better.

Interesting flavour combinations that once featured on a fine dining menu have been replaced by bistro-style classics.

The venue seems to be changing its target audience; seeking out a higher number of diners with a penchant for good quality steak or other gastropub fayre, rather than those who were once wowed by its stunning monkfish in a coconut and mango curry or similar dishes that showcased the chef’s skills.

When our food arrived, my friend was pleased with her basil and tomato soup, though I was non-plussed by the scallops. They’d been inexpertly cooked, giving them a blackened and slightly bitter outer, rather than the golden, crisp exterior that was expected.

They were served with salad leaves, which required a stone cold plate – which meant they soon lost their residual warmth.

My friend opted for a vegetable risotto which was somewhere between ‘fairly good’ and ‘unremarkable’. It packed plenty of flavour but had been slightly overcooked, so that the grains of rice lacked the requisite al dente texture.

My sea bass with tomatoes, chorizo cubes and new potatoes was a clean and elegant dish, where the natural flavours were allowed to shine.

The waiter returned to offer us desserts and, having failed to make a selection, my friend and I opted for an assiette platter, which comprised mini portions of six different dishes.

A pear and amaretto cheesecake had good texture and flavour, a crisp-and-sticky meringue was the stand-out component, a home-made ice cream had been created with real skill while a hot chocolate fondant had great taste but had been cooked for just a little too long and was a little too cakey.

The evening improved as it wore on. The waiting staff got into their stride – a local man in his mid-to-late-thirties was particularly good, being polite and deferential throughout – while the standard of food also picked up.

Drapers is the sort of venue that ought to be scoring four out of five, without breaking sweat. But it faces stiff competition from other restaurants in town: the Lion + Pheasant, on Wyle Cop; Ian Matfin’s The Lion, on Wyle Cop and The Armoury all serve better food.

No doubt it will iron out the rough spots and communication between kitchen and front of house will improve.

However, for now, it earns only a: Good-but-must-try-harder rating.

ADDRESS
Drapers Hall Restaurant With Rooms: 10 St Mary’s Place, Shrewsbury, SY1 1DZ
Telephone: 01743 344679
Web: www.drapershallrestaurant.co.uk