Christopher's — Restaurant in England

My wife and I visited Christopher's for the first time in November 2024. We had a bit of a struggle to find car parking close by, and no parking was available near St Andrews Church further down the street . We had to leave Shifnal and come back in , eventually finding a nearby street parking spot in a bay on the main road .

The timbered building looks lovely and full of character . Once inside we were taken to our table by a friendly waitress and soon got talking to a friendly couple on the next table . We had booked a table earlier on that night by phone and Christopher ( the owner ) had tried to ring back earlier in the day when we had phoned outside opening hours with no reply. Christopher's also has an on-line booking system via their 'clunky but functional ' website .

My wife had a Devilled kidneys on sour dough toast, starter which she was very pleased with . I did not have a starter but had a main of 'Chargrilled Pork Steak on the bone , creamed mashed potatoes and vegetables' [£19.95] which was again very enjoyable. My wife had an 8oz Sirlion Steak , with hand cut chips , vine tomatoes and mushroom [ £24.95] - recent medical situations and medicines have restricted her food intake but apart from a bit of help from the greedy husband with some of the great chips , she was ab$le to eat all the steak and still smile ! I then had an interesting Apple and Winterberry Crumble with custard [ £7.50] - a decent pudding, but I would try a different one when , hopefully , we visit again .

The dining experience at Christopher's was , for us, a relaxing and enjoyable one . It is not cheap, but the food is of a high quality and cooked to perfection and therefore well...

Christopher’s in Shifnal has a great atmosphere and friendly, attentive staff. Our experience started well with an excellent espresso martini and a tasty ham hock starter.

Unfortunately we had a very long wait for our mains. Two tables arrived after us and they had been served and had eaten their mains before ours arrived. The portion of nut roast was delicious but very small, when we commented to the serving staff they said the chef would come out and speak to us, instead a server came to our table and told us the portions were based on weight and the meat and nut roast weight were served as the same. My wife’s portion of nut roast was clearly smaller than mine with what looked like a piece missing. But she did have a very large piece of parsnip where my parsnip was minuscule. If weight was based on the total plate it could have been a true statement. The Yorkshire pudding was burnt, it was replaced but still overdone.

Desserts were a mixed bag, the crème brûlée was small but good, the brownie was more like dense chocolate cake and with a burnt top covered up with chocolate sauce. We were also overcharged, though this was quickly corrected.

Afterwards, checking images online to see if our experience was a one off, we noticed similar burnt dishes, suggesting the chef is not that critical of his own high standards which he seems to promote on his website.

Throughout the staff were lovely, but on reflection no apology was made.

A promising place, the chef is creative and has some flare, the food tasted good, but attention to detail needed. We walked away...

@christophers_shifnal offers a friendly and intimate setting, creating a welcoming and cozy atmosphere. The staff were gracious and accommodating, promptly replacing an overcooked chicken dish without any fuss.

⭐️3/5 Recommended🤔 Price 💸💸

What we ate: The food was served piping hot and maintained its temperature throughout the meal. Here are some our thoughts on the dishes:

•Scallops with Pea Purée: The scallops were small, paired with the black pudding and pea purée. The purée lacked vibrancy and overall we felt the black pudding needed to be crispier.

•Goat’s Cheese Croquette: This dish was simple with a kick of chilli from the sweet chilli sauce.

•Chicken: Although initially overcooked, the staff’s prompt replacement was appreciated. The chicken was flavourful but fairly dry and needed a sauce rather than a paste to bring the dish together.

•Hake: The hake was a generous portion topped with a cheddar and herb crust. Not flaky and perhaps a little overcooked but paired well with the lemon butter and tenderstem broccoli.

•Sautéed Potatoes: Unfortunately we both felt these were flavourless and didn’t add anything to either dish.

Overall Experience: Christopher’s excels in creating a warm and inviting atmosphere with attentive service. While for us some dishes were average and could benefit from slight adjustments in flavour and texture, the overall dining experience was pleasant.

Food is of course a matter of opinion, and our experience reflects our personal tastes and expectations on the...