Dragons Den, Telford Town Centre

says "I'm in" after a teatime visit to The Dragons Den - Duncan Bannatyne was out.

When the Dragons Den restaurant opened in Telford centre a few years ago, I must admit I had some doubts.

Nightclubs and bars had been and gone on that site and on the surface, little seemed to have changed.

But a few weeks ago, I decided the scratch that surface - and found an oasis of calm in an otherwise bustling shopping centre.

The interior is lavishly decorated, with a huge dragon suspended from the ceiling providing a great centrepoint.

Indeed, my son Louis rarely stopped staring, and now has a new word - snake.

He'll get it right soon enough.

My wife Claire and I arrived just before the teatime rush and pretty much had the entire place to ourselves.

With our youngest son Luca once again snoozing away in his chair (I promise, he isn't like that very often) we eyed the buffet with glee.

That was at the very top of our list . . . until we realised it was closed.

We had a few doubts about choosing from the a la carte menu, the major worry being my inability to pronounce difficult words.

In scenes reminiscent of Fawlty Towers, I subconsciously attempt to tackle these words with a fake Chinese accent, which sounds like a cross between Black Country and French. Its best left to the imagination.

So when our incredibly useful waitress (my receipt says we were served by 'Ben') told us to simply point at what we wanted, it was a huge relief.

To begin the meal, I decided to go for the Szechuan chicken wings, while Claire plumped for chicken and sweetcorn soup.

Young Louis broke every rule in the book (he's used to that) and went for a doughtnut, or as he says a 'do-du'.

It is the only time he has chosen dessert before the main course and he will never do it again, but on this rare occasion, he got what we wanted.

The waitress saw to that - in fact, we were not even charged for Louis' pre-meal treat.

When our starters arrived, my eyes widened by at least 50 per cent.

In fact, I had to keep on checking whether I had ordered a double portion - it was huge. Not that I am complaining, of course.

My chicken wings came with the most wonderful spicy yet sweet szechuan sauce and had plenty of meat to keep me entertained.

Claire's soup was also proving to be a bit of a classic. It is a particular favourite of hers and had plenty of chunky chicken pieces, with a sweet flavour that mixed brilliantly with that of the meat.

Oddly enough, the one criticism of our night out was the attention paid to us by our waitress. We were grateful for the watchful eye, but it did, at times, become uncomfortable. We didn't feel free to chat as we would in other restaurants.

But this attention was also a bonus. When we had finished our starters, they were whisked away in seconds and replaced with a bowl for my to freshen my hands in. After those sticky chicken wings, this was most welcome.

And so on to our main courses.

Louis had the children's option of chicken and chips, although to be fair, he is more adventurous than his parents when it comes to food and he eyed our meals with envy.

Next time, we'll be ordering his food from the adult menu.

I decided to try the crispy duck in orange sauce, while Claire went for the crispy chicken in lemon sauce, for side-orders we chose rice and chips, but needn't have bothered.

Both courses were delightfully indulgent with lovely coatings and sauces that were simply divine.

My duck had very little fat and rolled off the plate, on to my fork and rolled off the tongue. It was that easy to eat.

Claire was having similar fun with her chicken and lemon. The lemon flavour was sharp and zingy, while the meat itself was plentiful and juicy.

Although I poked at my rice and stole a few mouthfuls, there was no real enthusiasm after the highs of that main course.

Claire was the same with her chips, which she reported were a little too dry for her taste.

After all that - and some ice cream for Louis - the bill came to just over £45.

Even though this included a couple of drinks for each of us, it did seem just a little bit pricey, although for food that good, expect to pay a premium.

A little while ago, the Dragons Den was voted 'The Best Restaurant in Shropshire' in a poll. I wouldn't go that far, but it is certainly among the top 10 per cent.

ADDRESS

Dragons Den, Central Square, Telford Town Centre, Telford TF3 4JL

Telephone: 01952 219 921

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Crispy pancake roll £3.00; Fried stuffed crab claw £4.00; Barbecued spare ribs in plum sauce £7.00

MAIN COURSES

Kung po duckling £9.50; Sizzling beef in black pepper sauce £9.50; Squid curry £10.00

ATMOSPHERE

Very calm and organised, and we got the feeling that very little would change, even on the busiest of evenings.

SERVICE

A little over-bearing and at times we felt uncomfortable at having a waitress hover near our table. But at other times, that would prove to be a bonus.

DISABLED FACILITIES

The restaurant is on one level with ramps where needed