Mortimers
Ludlow, Shropshire
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Once a hostelry, this attractive listed building has played host to numerous chefs with pedigree over the years: Claude Bosi (currently at Bibendum) opened his first iteration of Hibiscus here; Will Holland ran it as La Bécasse and current incumbent Wayne Smith lists the likes of Pierre Koffmann, Tom Aikens and Bosi himself on his culinary CV. Mortimers emanates a quietly formal, elegant vibe with its thick carpets and neutral colour schemes, while the food is picture-perfect, balanced and classy. There’s a fair amount of overlap between the titular three-course carte and the seven-course tasting menu, but value is assured – especially with the inclusion of ‘amuse-bouches, three types of bread and a pre-dessert’. Everything is 'excellent and nicely prepared', noted one reader, with well-chosen ingredients to the fore and a deft hand in the kitchen. A starter of scallops paired with gazpacho, aubergine purée and ratatouille is winningly eclectic, although other dishes are more classically European in style – as in beef with confit onion mash, shallots and baby leeks or corn-fed guinea fowl partnered by peas and baby gem. Rich, comforting ideas win the day when it comes to dessert (dark chocolate and hazelnut with caramel ice cream, for example), and there’s praise for the ‘quite delightful’ artisan British cheeseboard too. Well-chosen wines start at £32.
