Places we have enjoyed eating at this year.

Mr. Underhill’s , Dinham Weir.

Mr. Underhill’s r remains one of our firm favourites. The location is ideal and the garden with its views across the weir and the river, makes a wonderful place to have your pre dinner drink in summer. Underhill’s has held its Michelin star for years and it is easy to see why. The food is superb and the service is quietly efficient without being over bearing. The wine list is excellent and not over priced. Apart from the desert menu, the menu is a set one though they phone you the day before to tell you what is on the menu and whether there is anything you do not like. At our last time there in November the menu was:

Cuquillio olives with orange and thyme + olive gougere to go with your pre dinner drinks.

Small cones of marinated smoked salmon.

Garden sorrel veloute + crème fraiche ice cream

Duck liver custard + sweet corn cream + lemongrass glaze

Hake + fondant tomatoes + chorizo dressing

Slow roasted fillet of Marches beef + braised beef pie + parsley & shallot jus + spinach cream + celeriac & leek puree.

Cherry sponge (a sorbet) + dark chocolate ice cream

Choice from desert menu or cheese platter

Coffee & petits fours.

The cost was £59.50 which though not cheap is very good value for what you are getting. The dining room can only take about 24 covers and this, together with Mr. Underhill’s national reputation, means that you have to book well in advance, especially if you want to dine on a Friday or Saturday. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

The Globe Bar and Chang Thai Restaurant, Market Street.

This is another of our favourites. The Globe is one of the few pubs in Ludlow to have a garden . The area has tables and large bamboos round the garden which makes it an ideal place for a drink in summer or a light lunch. They do an excellent Thai lunch for £10 or you can use from the menu. We enjoy the Thai Tapas. Lunch can be taken in the restaurant, bar or garden. On Sundays in summer they do a BBQ which consists of fish, scallops, prawns, squid, various skewers (fish , meat, vegetarian) and thick ribs. The restaurant gets very busy so it is best to book in the evenings.

The Courtyard, Quality Square.

The Courtyard is currently doing excellent business and deserves to. It is open for coffee and cakes during the day and has a very good light lunch menu. We particularly enjoy the baked crab with lime and ginger and stilton and apple parcels with tomato chilli jam. It is open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. This is a small establishment with about 24 covers so booking for the evenings is necessary.

The French Pantry Bistro, Tower Street.

This is one of Ludlow’s newest eating places and is a welcome addition to those establishments between the pub menu and more expensive restaurants, 3 courses in the evening costing £22.95 open Wednesday to Saturday. The menu usually has 4 starters, main courses and deserts to select from with a daily special. The menu changes every week. It also does light lunches from Monday to Saturday when it is also a French food and drink shop. We have eaten there 3 times and it gets better and better. Not surprisingly, because they sell wines, the wine list is good and reasonably priced. There are about 20 covers so you do have to book for the evenings.

The Rose and Crown, Church Street.

This pub is one of Ludlow’s oldest and is set back in a courtyard. It is an excellent watering hole and serves very good pub food either in the lounge bar or separate dining room. We went for a meal after one of our guests gave it a rave review on one of our cottages’ review sheets. And, they were right; the food is very superior pub food featuring mainly locally sourced food. The menu is short but there is plenty to tempt you and the menu is changed regularly. Well worth a try.

The Waterdine at Llanfair Waterdine, Nr Knighton.

This very fine restaurant with bedrooms is owned by Ken Adams and his wife, Isabel. It is about a 35 minute drive from Ludlow but it is well worth the effort plus you get to see some glorious countryside as the restaurant is situated in a hamlet close to the Teme Valley. The building itself, a welsh long house, dates back to the 1500s when it was a drovers inn. We like eating in the Sun Room as it has superb views over the Teme Valley. The menu tends to be very strong on organic ingredients and seasonal produce with many of the vegetables being grown by them or rather Isabel. It is difficult to pick out favourites as when we see the menu we could quite happily eat any of it. We enjoy the organic welsh mountain lamb, the roe deer loin, partridge and the local pork. I have never really enjoyed pigeon but was tempted recently by the pigeon breast in puff pastry starter. It was delicious. Despite being so far in land the sea food dishes are excellent, the sea food coming from day boats from Cornwall. The crab cake starter is excellent.

We go there mainly for the Sunday lunch. The menu has usually 4 starters, mains and sweets and costs £22.50. Do not go if you only like roast potatoes and a roast on Sunday. But, if you enjoy good food superbly cooked then the Waterdine is a must. We stay there each year for a couple of nights as we enjoy the peace and quiet of Llanfair Waterdine and the superb views of the night sky as there is very little light pollution. We are also able to enjoy then the evening menu that costs £32.50. None of our guests who have eaten there have been disappointed. It is open for lunch Tuesdays to Sundays and for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. However, you must book you cannot just turn up. Give it a try you will not be disappointed.