Mr Underhills, Ludlow
Among passionate foodies, there are few subjects as contentious as this: What is Shropshire's number one restaurant?
Among passionate foodies, there are few subjects as contentious as this: What is Shropshire's number one restaurant?
The battle for supremacy has raged for more than a decade, since a time at the start of the millennium when the county became the UK's number one destination for rural dining.
Back then, there were four Michelin-rated restaurants in the county: Shaun Hill's Merchant House, Claude Bosi's Hibiscus, Chris and Judy Bradley's Mr Underhills and Ken Adams' The Oaks. One of those survives, Mr Underhills, and it is currently the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Shropshire.
Before I take a step further along the 750-word road of this week's restaurant critique, I know that in pinning my colours to the mast I'll offend countless chefs who believe they are deserving of the title. And, in fairness to them, there are a good number of exceptional cooks and restaurants who ought to be in anybody's top ten.
Fishmore Hall and La Becasse, which are both in Ludlow, and The Wynnstay, at Oswestry, all offer avant-garde cooking of the highest calibre.
Their respective head chefs are imbued with talent and are pushing the Michelin inspectors hard for inclusion in the little red book. Checkers, at Montgomery, is the closest restaurant to Shropshire with a Michelin star and its French-influenced food is a treat. Classic flavours and a wonderful dining room make that venue reminiscent of Shaun Hill's Merchant House.
There are others that are extremely good – including a number that eschew fine dining and offer lower-priced food. The Green Cafe, in Ludlow, for instance, is a perennial favourite. You can eat there for a tenner and enjoy some of the best food in the West Midlands, with bold, unfussy flavours taking star billing. The King and Thai, in Broseley, is arguably the best restaurant specialising in food from around the world: chef Suree Coates is a deserving holder of the UK's Thai Chef of the Year title for 2011.
But in this critic's view, there is a first among equals – and that is Mr Underhills. It's a restaurant I've visited countless times down the years and reviewed on several occasions. I return because, each time I visit, it offers a new culinary experience. I never feel as though I fully understand it, each time I visit it's moved on.
It has a delightfully romantic setting on the banks of the River Teme, in the shadow of Ludlow Castle and the verdant and rolling Whitcliffe Common. It is at its best in summer, where a riot of colour explodes in its terrace garden and diners can sit out on the patio to enjoy the best of local food.
Mr Underhills' magnificence is about much more than its great location. Service, food and dining room ambience are all deserving of top marks.
Earlier this year, the restaurant was given an extensive make over and it is now part art-gallery, part neutral-coloured dining room. There are few venues more conducive to a great dinner.
My most recent visit was with three friends and we enjoyed the best of local flavours. I'd happily write a 15,000 word dissertation on the quality of chef Chris's cooking, the easy charm and grace of maitre d' Judy's service or the sense of bonhomie that fills the dining room.
Make no mistake, the food was of the highest order. Inventive touches took humble local ingredients – Bridgnorth asparagus and Marches beef – to a higher level. Each element was exceptionally well-judged, seasoned with great skill and presented like a masterwork. The four of us returned countless cleaned plates, it was a night to remember.
Fashions come and fashions go, chefs invent new techniques and try to dazzle with culinary fireworks. But, in the final analysis, there's nothing so good as well cooked local ingredients. That is Mr Underhills' raison d'etre and the reason why this critic still considers it the county's best.
ADDRESS
Mr Underhills, Dinham Weir, Ludlow, SY8 1EH
Tel: 01584 874 431
MENU SAMPLE
Mr Underhills offers a fixed market menu and a typical summer menu comprises – the cost depends on whether or not diners take a cheese course, and is around £60 per head.
Oakly Park cheddar frittata
Cone of pickled artichoke with crunchy sprinkles
Almond veloute with grapes and Pedro Ximenez
Bridgnorth asparagus and garden sorrel risotto soup
Hake on fondant tomato with chorizo and orange
Slow roasted fillet of Marches beef and parsley and shallot jus with braised beef pie and creamy spinach
Yorkshire rhubarb sponge with custard ice cream
Hot beetroot fondant with carrot ice cream, pea custard and black pepper caramel
Petite fours and coffee
ATMOSPHERE
Refined and sophisticated.
