Mortimers — Restaurant in Ludlow

We were fortunate to be in a position of being able to treat ourselves to a once in a lifetime event; fine dining in a Michelin starred restaurant. We were the only diners that night which meant that we had private service. The service was personal and excellent. We elected to try the taster menu @ £85 per head for 7 dishes. The food itself was nice but not outstanding with the exception of the beef dish which was delicious. I’ve included the menu and some sample dishes on the night. Would we go again - no. The food was lovely but the evening was breathtakingly expensive paying over £12 for an alcohol free G&T and a mandatory service charge of £32 for the 2 of us. We had little change from £300 and whilst we expected to pay a lot more for the ‘occasion’, we were shocked. Does it need to be prohibitively expensive ? Yes you are paying for fine dining and yes we went for the taster menu but I’m sure they would attract more customers if they were a bit more grounded and realistic with the pricing. £32 service charge for 2 people on a quiet night ? Finally, we hoped that ‘chef’ would make an appearance on the night given we were the only customers. How was your meal ?, where have you travelled from ?. Sadly no, we never saw ‘chef’ which we think was a missed opportunity on...

It didn’t meet expectations. We had the tasting menu, which took almost three hours. There are some great dishes, some ok ones, but also a deceiving one, so it’s an up-and-down menu. Older menu pictures look pretty similar, so you’d expect bullet-proof flavours and execution, but it's not quite there. The first two dishes were lovely. The duck had terrific elements like the parfait, but the crispy skin tasted stale fat. The sea trout was perfectly cooked, but the vegetables didn't integrate. The beef was amazingly tender, and the burnt shallots were a good complement, but the confit onion mash was too thick and not very flavourful. The first dessert was a mystery: a simple and muted vanilla ice cream with blackberries, a pistachio ice cream and a cake that didn't combine with the other elements. The chocolate and hazelnut dessert returned to a good level, so we had a good taste to end with. It is a good restaurant, for sure, and the service is fabulous, but we had better food —or at least as good— at other restaurants in Ludlow for less than half the price, so it would not be my first option when coming...

Faultless! Mortimers Restaurant in Ludlow delivered an exquisite dining experience that exceeded all our expectations. The 6-course tasting menu was a symphony of culinary delights, expertly curated and flawlessly executed. Standouts included an enticing selection of snacks - the cheese tart was memorable, bursting with rich and creamy flavours. The scallop and apple dish was an ingenious marriage of textures and tastes, while the Trout paired with Baby Beets and Horseradish Crème Fraiche was fresh and wonderfully balanced. The Beef with Confit Onion Mash, Shallots, and Baby Leek was deeply satisfying, a testament to the chef's skill in layering and bringing out deep flavours. The meal was rounded off with two delectable puddings, each a perfect sweet note to end on. Complementing the phenomenal cuisine was the attentive, prompt service that was at once warm and professional. Coupled with the restaurant's relaxed ambiance, it made for an evening that was as enjoyable as it was delicious. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a top-tier dining...