La Becasse Reviews

I felt the food was average and the wine was overpriced.

We had lunch from the a la carte menu last Wednesday. The food was interesting, delicious and beautifully presented. We particularly enjoyed the guinea fowl and the crab risotto. Service was efficient but, in my view, lacked warmth. There was an impressive but expensive wine list. One aspect of our visit that annoyed us was that as soon as we were seated we were asked if we would like mineral water. When we said no, the water glasses were promptly whisked away, with no offer of filtered or tap water made. The tap water, served alongside a £40 bottle of wine, tasted as if it contained TCP - quite unlike the tap water we tasted while staying in Ludlow. This marred an otherwise pleasant lunch.

We visited this place towards the end of February and couldn’t have been happier. Service was attentive, yet discreet with the staff clearly enthusiastic about their product. The food was very reasonably priced for its quality and the taste was just perfect.

On arrival we called to check the parking arrangements and located free parking behind the restaurant. We were shown to a lovely room with old wood panelling, to a perfectly laid table near the window. Crisp white linen, rose pink glass chargers set the scene for a lovely Valentine's Day lunch with our friends.

We opted for the Gourmand Menu @ £55 although we were very tempted by the eight course Valentine's Menu with champagne @ £65. It was possible to opt for the Menu Du Jour at £24 for 3 courses. It was explained to us that exchanging one or two of the items in the menu was perfectly acceptable.

Our service was impeccable all the way through the meal. We were waited on discreetly yet shown great attention when it was required.

The food was a beautifully presented work of art, tasted amazing and was delivered with the correct timing for a leisurely lunch with friends.

Recommends from our meal are:

Winter artichoke salad - was a delight, the quail's egg and fried risotto balls were a perfect delicate balance with the flavour of the artichoke.

Crab risotto with champagne foam was a great hit too. Lovely texture and flavour.

Parmesan crusted scallop with curried vegetable and parsnip crisp was wonderful in contrasting taste and texture.

Venison steak with beetroot and juniper berry jus, blackcurrant, chestnut and a brussel sprout was an enjoyed by all.

Cheese option @ £9 supplement is very extensive and served from a wonderful wood and glass display brought to the table. The aroma was tempting. Selecting 4 cheeses with the expert guidance of the waiter was a pleasure. His knowledge was extensive about taste and texture and location. Served with fine crisp wafers in a choice of flavours,

The desserts were out of this world - presentation made it all the more desirable.

Coffee served with a supply of delicious chocolates brought our meal to a successful end.

We did have some wine - both recommends from the sommelier and both experiments for us. We had a bottle of Lebonese white and followed through with a full bodied red. Sorry to admit - I can't remember the names of either bottle - I do remember that they were perfect to compliment the meal.

We are so impressed with this restaurant - we felt it only fair to write this review and allow them to gain recognition for their excellence. I know we will be back again - next time it will be dinner and we will take on the wonderful taster menu.

What a pleasant surprise, so very different, bright, airy and a wonderful atmosphere. It felt right from the moment we walked in. The choice of food was excellent a very good menu for a Sunday lunchtime. The service and the staff were impeccable polite and knew what they were on about. We shall be going back again but in the evening. Do hope it gets a Michelin Star as it well deserves. Good luck. Glenis and Micheal Baskerville.

My wife and I together with our two friends recently visited La Becasse for the Sunday Lunch. It was our first visit to this restaurant since it was reopened by the present owner. Parking at the rear of the property was extremely convenient and from the time we entered the building we were greeted by their very pleasant staff and shown to our table in the dining room. It is very pleasantly decorated with a nice bright coloured carpet and pictures containing the same colours were displayed on the stone walls. Having no external windows in our part of the restaurant the lighting was good and really complemented the new decor enabling us to see what we were eating.

Our food was excellently cooked and presented well. The Staff were very attentive to all our needs and were very informative when asked about various foods and wines. Well done La Becasse and see you again soon.