Rowton Castle, Halfway House, nr Shrewsbury

Reviewer's rating: ****

CATHERINE ROCHE visits a castle in a grand setting - but her meal was a little disappointing.

The dining area at Rowton Castle

It's still dark outside and recently Arctic, so my boyfriend and I crept into the warmth of Rowton Castle Hotel and Restaurant for dinner.

A castle has stood in the grounds at Rowton, six miles west of Shrewsbury, for nearly 800 years, but recent excavation work of the cellars has revealed even earlier signs.

The building has seen many changes and alterations over the centuries but remained primarily a family home.

Now of course, it is a 17th century Grade II listed building which is used as a hotel, a restaurant and for functions including weddings.

The car park was empty as we arrived on a Friday night for dinner. Knowing the meal may take some time, we booked for 7.30pm, but we were the only diners for a good hour.

We were shown in to a drawing room to sit by the fire, where we ordered drinks and were shown the seasonal menu, which changes every few months. There were about six choices from both the starter and main course menus and we noted the restaurant sources local, genetically modified-free food from its suppliers.

To start, I went for the slow cooked shredded rib of beef, chilled and seasoned with black pepper and tarragon, edged with a sweet and sour vegetable relish. Simon chose the roasted skate meat lightly pickled in a piquant escabeche marinade, served on a fine fennel salad finished with a coarse seed mustard dressing.

After a while we were shown through to the dining room, which is magnificent, intimate and dark. The room has a medieval feeling, with carved wood walls and large heavy dining tables and plush velvet chairs. It is very subtly lit and although we were the only people dining, I am sure we would have felt quite alone even if the room had been full.

Our starters arrived promptly and we ordered a good bottle of Merlot to accompany them.

My starter was very unusual and was almost like a course paté. But the richness of the chilled beef, which was quite tender, contrasted well with the sharpness of the sweet and sour relish. Very tasty.

Simon's skate was very light and perfectly cooked and he found the delight, light and fresh accompanying flavours complemented the fish well without distracting from its delicate flavour.

For main course, continuing our beef and fish theme, I ordered the roasted fillet of cod set on to a savoury cabbage and smoked salmon cake, glazed with a fresh horseradish butter. Simon chose the fillet of beef cooked pink, set on to a Portobello mushroom, glazed with a blue cheese sauce and garnished with a sweet red onion marmalade, for which there was a £3.50 supplement.

In between courses we were offered a refreshing lemon sorbet to help cleanse our palates and the head member of the waiting staff chatted to us about how the economic climate had affected the hotel. He informed us that the hotel survived well because of function and wedding bookings but the restaurant trade had rather dropped off. The restaurant is not open every night as it is dependent on wedding bookings, so it is important to ring ahead and book.

I have to say I found my cod overcooked and nothing special, but cod by itself can be quite bland. Luckily the fish was accompanied by a rustic looking and tasting "cake" and the horseradish butter sliced through the richness of the oily fish well.

As usual, Simon had chosen the best dish out of the two of us and we both thought his piece of beef was executed perfectly.

The blue cheese 'glazing' was subtly brushed across the beefy mushroom so as not be too overpowering.

There was a good and well cooked selection of fresh vegetables and the portions were sizeable, filling and pleasing to the eye.

I was completely stuffed by this point, but in the interests of tasting all courses, I chose the mousse of dark and milk chocolate centred with black cherries steeped in kirsch topped with tuille biscuit accompanied by pear and ginger puree.

Simon went for the warm carrot cake glazed with a lemon and orange syrup served with a quenelle of cinnamon scented fromage frais.

The flavours involved in my perfectly presented dessert would have been a wonderful mix – if I could have tasted any chocolate. There was but the hintiest of hints of chocolate flavour in the mousse, which was a lovely consistency. I would have perhaps enjoyed the cherries in the middle if I could have eaten more of the mousse. But it was just too lack lustre on the flavour front.

Simon said his cake was moist and bursting with all the usual flavours but it was not outstanding.

Overall we felt we were expecting a little more from the food while being seated in such grand and historic surroundings. We couldn't help but feel that maybe more effort was being put in to weddings and functions, and during the current economic climate, rightly so. But with just a little push, the restaurant could be an outstanding Shropshire dining spot, instead of just a really good place to eat.

The setting is so grand and special, the food should really match. Overall, more people should be aware of the restaurant at Rowton, as it deserves attention.

MENU SAMPLE

Two courses £26.95 - three courses £29.95

Starters

Chicken liver parfait with orange and kumquat marmalade and Melba toast.

Pan fried pigeon breast on rocket salad with a balsamic reduction and baked olive oil croute

Main courses

Breast of chicken marinated with paprika and pomegranate with sautéed pine kernels, baby spinach, tomatoes and Greek yoghurt.

Slow roasted belly of pork on bed of sweet potato and white pudding edged with a blackcurrant gastrique

Desserts

Strawberry and champagne trifle with crushed amaretti biscuit, crème Anglaise and cream; ravioli of dark chocolate truffle with light vanilla scented caramel sauce white chocolate ice-cream

ATMOSPHERE

Cosy

SERVICE

First class

DISABLED FACILITIES

Not great

Contact

Rowton Castle Hotel & Restaurant, Halfway House, near Shrewsbury. Tel: 01743 884044