I visited the pretty Bridgnorth pub winning fans on Tripadvisor - here's my verdict

In search of some sustenance, I paid a midweek visit to a lovely local pub in Bridgnorth with great staff and some really nice food on the menu.

Although, if I had one complaint it would be the baguette. I wish the Old Castle in Bridgnorth would sort its bread out.

Because stuff like that counts. It was pappy, soft, like you’d buy from a supermarket.

Yes, when you go out for dinner, it’s all about the environment, the experience, the service, and all of that stuff, and The Old Castle scored well on that front.

But it’s also about eating things that are better than the stuff you might find at the back of the cupboard, bottom shelf of the fridge, or aisles of the supermarket. And the bread was sadly none of those things.

Having said that, this establishment has so much going for it that you can probably overlook some disappointing bread. And with just a few minor tweaks, The Old Castle could be really excellent.

The Old Castle pub, in Castle Street, Bridgnorth, is in a gorgeous location and is a well-run venue that, baguettes aside, does stuff pretty well. Those self-made critics on TripAdvisor are big fans, too, ranking it the sixth best place in town.

There will always be some that are underwhelmed by some of the food. But before we pass on by, we ought to point out – there are oodles and oodles of five-star reviews, too, from people who admire the pub’s friendliness, its delicious roast dinners, a humungous mixed grill, and the reasonableness of the prices.

If only one, from Nuneaton, could spell Bridgnorth – there’s no ‘e’ in the middle, but we hope you had a lovely time, and, yes, it’s a great place to go sightseeing.

The Old Castle mixes trend and tradition. It’s old school, a great place for real ale and simple food.

Its hanging baskets are a riot of colour in summer while it’s near to some of the town’s better sights – ones described by Charles I as offering ‘the finest view of my kingdom’, no less.

The historic and traditional British boozer offers a great range of beer and simple dinners for gastronomes whose idea of a good time is breaded garlic mushrooms and Tex-Mex loaded fries, a homemade chilli con carne or a plough’s lunch with a baguette. Ah, not the baguette.

The staff were lovely. Polite, efficient, and eager to please, they were friendly and informal, warm and engaged.

Pleasing - but the earth didn't move

There were no airs and graces and they had a pleasing knack of being able to put guests at ease. And all power to them, for always doing that.

The food was fine. A prawn cocktail was creamy and flavoursome, with an okay side salad and bread and butter.

The earth didn’t move, though it was pleasant enough with hints of lemongrass and coriander, doing the job and providing a hit of sweet salty prawn flavour.

A cheese burger with fries was a mixed bag.

A tiny pot of coleslaw felt a little pointless while the fries were a bit average. They perhaps lacked rough edges and golden hues.

The onion rings, in contrast, were fabulous and a real highlight: crunchy, crisp and full of sweet onion-y flavour, they were encased in the crispest lightest batter and were thrillingly more-ish.

A burger was a game of two halves. The bread wasn’t great, I’m afraid.

Magnificent and punchier than Usyk

The burger, in contrast, was magnificent. Juicy, ever-so-slightly pink, filled with flavour and well-seasoned, it had been cooked with no little skill and was delivered punchier flavours than an Usyk left hand.

It might not have been the best cheese burger and chips in the county – but the burger and the onion rings were worth the admission price and didn’t disappoint.

And while it was a quiet old day in The Old Castle, with few customers, there was a decent atmosphere, largely engendered by hard-working, ever-willing staff, who did their best to please.

We ought to talk about the venue, because the pub itself is great. The hanging baskets were out, bringing thrilling yellows and reds to an historic part of town.

It says much about a place when its owners go to the time and trouble to make such an effort – and their hard work on these floral creations didn’t go unnoticed.

More clocks than Switzerland

The pub is welcoming, photogenic, and with plenty of rustic charm. The magnificent exterior was matched by an interior that captured the history of the place, while featuring more clocks than Switzerland on its wall.

When a venue goes to so much trouble to make itself look pretty, wouldn’t it be sensible to spend an extra 20p on a decent brioche bun, to elevate standards?

Maybe – and maybe not.

The Old Castle Inn is a pleasant enough place where warmth, a friendly bar, decent ales and basic grub await all-comers.

It wouldn’t take much to raise the marks from this reviewer several notches by matching the same standards of care and attentiveness to parts of the menu as it does to the beautiful, picturesque exterior.

The ales are great – and they’ve got the Cask Marques to prove it, as well as the Good Pub Guide awards – and so are the staff.

Sample menu

Starters:

Southern Fried Chicken Goujons -Whole Fillets of Chicken Breast served with BBQ Sauce and Salad £6.75

King Prawns in a Lemongrass Garlic and Coriander Cream Sauce Served with Brown Bread & Butter £7.95

Mains:

Jake’s Homemade Steak and Ale Pie Served with Chips or Mash, Peas and Gravy £15.95

Home Roasted Minted Lamb Shank Served with Chips or Mash, Peas and Gravy £18.00

Desserts: Toffee Ice Cream Sundae £6.50

Chocolate Brownie Sundae £6.50