Andy Richardson pays a visit to the restaurant voted Shropshire’s best on Tripadvisor.

It’s come a long way since being founded in 2000. In a little more than 10 years, Tripadvisor has turned us into a nation of critics.

The restaurant reviewers who traditionally sought out the best and worst in any given town now have a new force to contend with: the armchair critic.

Tripadvisor has given a voice to the tens of thousands of people who spend their hard-earned cash on local restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions – then use social media to describe the experience.

In Shropshire, Tripadvisor’s mystery customers are alive and well. They’ve visited 277 of the county’s restaurants, ranking each of them for food, service, value and atmosphere. The results have been surprising at times. Mr Underhills, in Ludlow, for instance, which is the county’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, finds itself at just 13th overall. Thirty of its 43 reviewers described it as excellent but, remarkably, it finds itself only third best in Ludlow.

One place lower on Shropshire’s top 277 chart is The King and Thai, the incredibly good restaurant run by chef Suree Coates, that last month was named the best Thai restaurant in the UK. High-flying Ludlow eaterie La Becasse finds itself at number nine, with the food of Will Holland inspiring many customers.

So what does the great British public believe should be the county’s number one? According to Tripadvisor, the answer is Restaurant Severn, at Ironbridge. Of 49 diners who decided to write about their experience, 46 described it as being excellent. The remaining three considered it very good.

Having not eaten at Restaurant Severn, it was time to run the role over the classical French eaterie, which stands a stone’s throw from the iconic Iron Bridge. My friend and I arrived for a midweek service to take advantage of the absurdly-low prices. Restaurant Severn offers a three-course menu at just £25.95 during the week, which makes for exceptional value.

Restaurant Severn offers a fine dining experience at affordable prices. It’s located just off Ironbridge High Street in a quaint, almost ramshackle building. The interior is more impressive than the exterior, with the reception providing a space in which its owners display numerous awards, photographs of special events and even reviews from the Shropshire Star. They take pride of place, illustrating the restaurant’s achievements to customers new and old.

Inside Restaurant Severn, Ironbridge

On the night of our visit, head chef Eric Bruce was loitering with intent in the reception, where his waitress was serving drinks. A gregarious man, he exchanged tales with my friend and I, talking about highlights from the evening’s menu, before disappearing into the kitchen to begin cooking. Eric has an impressive reputation, having spent four years at the famous Cafe Royal Regent Street, where he was responsible for the Michelin starred Royal grill.

He held numerous executive chef positions, including one at the Kensington Palace Hotel London, The Tower Thistle hotel London and the five star De Vere Royal Bath Hotel Bournemouth. He also cooked at the De Vere Belfry golf resort Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, and during his nine years in charge of the kitchens he catered for numerous celebrities and golf tournaments including The Ryder Cup, Benson and Hedges and English Open.

His partner, Beb Bruce, studied advanced pastry in Birmingham before worked at The Belfry. With Eric, she helped launch The Navigation Inn and Warehouse restaurant for Maesbury Marsh, Oswestry, where they achieved two rosettes for food.

After wishing us a good evening, Eric and Beb disappeared to the kitchen and their waitress brought us a small vessel of olives and cheese snacks, while we enjoyed an aperitif.

We were given a window seat, from which we enjoyed an unobstructed view of the High Street. Tables in the dining room were set reasonably far apart, so we were able to enjoy our food without being overheard or disturbed by conversation from neighbouring tables.

My friend started with a black pudding dish, featuring chorizo, mushrooms and bacon with a soft-poached hen’s egg. It was an explosive start to the evening, with strong, powerful flavours making for an exceptional course. I opted for the seared king scallops with sweet cured bacon and salad leaves, which were a treat.

My main course featured venison and pheasant in a rich sauce with dauphinoise potatoes and seasonal vegetables. It was an impressive dish that showcased Eric’s skills. The flavours were well-matched, the cooking precise and there were subtle seasonings which made for happy eating. My friend was equally impressed.

We enjoyed a pause before selecting our desserts, which were sublime. I opted for a raspberry mousse, which was wonderfully light and deliciously sharp. The dish was the perfect counterbalance to the substantial starter and main. My friend, meanwhile, went momentarily silent while demolishing his final course.

There are many things to admire at Restaurant Severn. It is an extremely impressive venue in a wonderful location and it is not surprising that many people enjoy it. The service is good, the food impressive and the prices absurdly good value. But does that make it worthy of our highest five-out-of-five rating? Well, not quite. It doesn’t provide the sort of memorable experience that will live on for months or years to come.

It’s very, very good – but it lacks the je ne sais quoi, the unique spark that takes it from the memorable to the exceptional. Make no mistake, it’s highly recommended: book a table and you won’t be disappointed – the value for money takes some beating, it’s hard to think of many restaurants that can compare. The food is very good, though at times a little on the heavy side, and the cooking and flavour combinations are precise and classically-based. But, for this critic at least, it is one of Shropshire’s best, rather than The Best.

ADDRESS
Restaurant Severn, 33 High Street, Ironbridge, Shropshire TF8 7AG
Tel: 01952 432233
Web: www.restaurantseven.co.uk