Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

For some time I made the mistake of thinking that no group of restaurants in the region of 200 locations could hope to maintain the quality for which I was looking.

Then one day I decided to put my prejudices to the test, walked into Oxford Ask! and discovered that I could not have been more mistaken. Their claim to serve freshly prepared quality food in stylish and comfortable surroundings with friendly and efficient service proved to be absolutely spot on.

Since then I have also discovered that a degree of consistency seems to operate throughout their restaurants, and that certainly does take some achieving, implying a degree of management that is enviable. They are perfect places for an impromptu snack, a bit of culinary grazing, or the full works, and families are catered for particularly well.

Their trendy décor usually comprises tiled floors and black furniture with well set tables that sparkle with glass, silver and spotless linen. Ten starters include crostini and bruschetta, followed by a range of salads, pasta and al forno, oven baked pasta, some with chicken.

The pizzas are stone baked in the oven, creating a crisp, authentic and delicious flavour, and they all come topped with mozzarella and tomato. Calzone introduce a touch of opulence with a folded pizza baked in the oven and topped with garlic butter and melted grana padano, whilst inside expect to find chicken or a vegetarian mix.

Amongst the specials may I warmly, in every sense, recommend the polpette al forno, a popular Milanese dish of beef meatballs sautéed in garlic with fire roasted peppers, caramelised onions, chilli and pomodoro sauce, with penne pasta, topped with cheese and oven baked.

An enticing selection of desserts list banoffee pie and tiramisu amongst them, and the coffee tastes like coffee, which may sound banal, but I guess you know what I mean.

Thanks to a well selected wine list speculative drinking can offer handsome dividends, even with prices rarely crossing the £20 barrier.

The family-run Castelo Hotel is located in Castle Foregate, close to the Shrewsbury train station and ideal to explore the town's many historic attractions. This friendly refuge charms people with its simple yet smart surroundings and warm and friendly service. Ten bedrooms are comfortable and well-equipped, providing guests with a relaxing home from home atmosphere.

The restaurant offers an exciting blend of Mediterranean and traditional British meals through its seasonal menus. Relax with a light snack at the bar and enjoy a glass of wine from their drinks list that offers a wide choice from the Old World.

The handsome Rowton Castle, about fifteen minutes out from the centre of Shrewsbury, is a perfect setting for a relaxed evening amidst truly baronial surroundings set in the lush Shropshire countryside. The Grade II listed building delights guests with original features that include wood panelling and a magnificent carved oak fireplace.

The AA rosette dining room, with 17th century carving, velvet armchairs and intimate lighting makes a suitably grand background for your meal, which might consist of a starter of confit of maize fed chicken leg set into a terrine wrapped in dry cured ham, followed by grilled peppered duck breast sliced and served with a fricassée of oyster mushrooms or pan-fried fillet of mackerel with a smoked bacon and courgette risotto. A dessert of rich velvet chocolate torte could make a suitably freshening finish, with its accompanying passion fruit sorbet and mango puree.

If you've always wanted to have an English castle wedding then Rowton Castle could be just the place for your dream day. The Georgian Dining Room and Cardeston Suite are available for private dining.

Whilst the 42 Loch Fyne restaurants have a shared background there is a welcome degree of individuality encouraged throughout the group, which makes for customer interest. If you like wholesome, fresh and reliable seafood caught and reared under carefully controlled conditions, well presented in unfussy surroundings, and you enjoy being well looked after by pleasant staff, Loch Fyne is for you.

There is an increasing awareness of other food staples with an extended choice of meat dishes, but it is the original fare upon which their success was created that prevails. Loch Fyne kippers, a fine bouillabaisse, braden rost, kiln-roasted salmon fillet, and the toothsome oysters on ice, with a selection of accompaniments, all are to be found throughout the various restaurants, as well as Glen Fyne 21 day aged rib-eye steak and Scottish smoked venison. There is invariably a well-travelled wine list available which is sensible, both in content and prices.

Loch Fyne's greatest achievement has been to prove to a sceptical populace that chains or conglomerates can be made to work in the eating-out public's best interests.