Old Downton Lodge

4.8 (27)

£41 and over

Contemporary British

Old Downton Farm, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 2HU

About this restaurant

Romantic
Good for special occasions
Innovative

Head Chef Karl Martin has joined the team. He has created a tasting menu that changes every day and is served Tuesday to Saturday nights. Please contact us for this week’s menu. The dining room is in its pomp when set out for a party of eighteen, but it is equally atmospheric when laid out with tables of two or four. It has the feel of a grand medieval hall. In fact, it was built around the time of the Norman conquest, but do those small triangular windows suggest a more prosaic history? What you probably won’t see is the kitchen where Head Chef Karl Martin is paring down the choice of stunning fresh local produce – there’s so much to choose from.
Karl produces a daily changing tasting menu for which he draws inspiration from local produce when he visits the Market and goes on his foraging expeditions in the Herefordshire countryside. Dinner is available on Tuesday to Saturday night only between 6pm and 9pm. We will send you the menu in the week before your stay.

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Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
£41 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary British
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sat 6:00 pm–9:00 pm
Website
http://www.olddowntonlodge.com/
Payment Options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
Old Downton Farm, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 2HU
Area
Ludlow
Parking Details
Hotel Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Indoor Fireplace, Wine

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Old Downton Lodge.

4.8

(27)

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Energetic

27 Reviews

n
noelc
Warwickshire1 review
5.0
Dined on 20 October 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent ! would highly recommend , been twice and would go again !
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AJ
AndrewJ
London6 reviews
5.0
Dined on 4 September 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A beautiful converted barn served as the lounge area where we were cordially welcomed by all staff. We didn’t feel in any way inferior for not being residents! My favourite gin (Tanqueray 10) was served with a slice of grapefruit rather than the usual lime or lemon: a small but effective detail that was to be one of the hallmarks of this fine restaurant, along with the menu card bearing our surname, the table in a quiet corner just as I had requested in my booking, the courtesy call the day before to check on any dietary requirements, the friendly (definitely not stuffy) demeanour of all staff who served us... The main dining hall felt medieval or baronial with lovely triangular dovecote holes in the stone walls (if that’s what they were), tapestries hanging and a seating plan that gave plenty of space between diners. We opted for the 6 course tasting menu and I had the flight of wines to accompany with my wife sticking to water as designated driver. Each course was exquisite and well-paired with the wines. I particularly enjoyed the Lebanese Chateau Musar with the Wagyu and the Pinot Noir with the pork - all nicely explained by the waiters. We spent £200 in total for an excellent culinary, social and architectural experience; a lot some might think but as fine dining goes this is very good value. Often you pay a lot for really nice food only for it to be spoilt by the waitering, seating or ambience; but not here. My wife and I are not frequent fine diners but we’ve experienced enough (in Cambridge and London) to know that Old Downton deserves to be more widely known than its remote location might dictate. Just two small suggestions for improvement. The background music on arrival in the dining hall (50s jazz I think) did not complement the medieval ambience and the decaf coffees we had at the end were not up to the high standard of the rest of the evening (tasted like ‘instant’). But forgive that nit-picking. Overall the experience was fantastic.
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AW
AlexW
Birmingham/West Midlands (county)5 reviews
5.0
Dined on 31 August 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A fantastic meal at a stunning restaurant. Karl and the team should be very proud of what they're doing.
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AJ
AmandaJ
Shropshire1 review
5.0
Dined on 25 August 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely fantastic place, the sun shone as we sat in a beautifully landscaped coutyard, almost felt like individual garden areas. The room was very tasteful and finished to a high standard. The food was magnificent and time was given to talk us through the wine flight as this not our area if expertise. Over all I could not find a thing to fault!
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XN
XNGasTz
London3 reviews
4.0
Dined on 4 August 2018
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
- Exceptional food - a very talented chef... - Wine flight could be upgraded (and price increased accordingly to match the quality of the food). It was very good value for money but I think the amazing food could benefit from a "fine wine flight"...
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CH
ClareH
Staffordshire4 reviews
5.0
Dined on 21 July 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious tasting menu with unusual foods. Presentation of food was amazing. Service excellent. Small dining room created a lovely atmosphere.
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PJ
PeterJ
Bristol3 reviews
5.0
Dined on 25 May 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent degustation meal and win match, beautifully presented
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LB
LadyB
London6 reviews
5.0
Dined on 19 May 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A fabulous find! Wonderful staff and the food was exquisite! We had the taster menu, I can’t fault it! Next time we’ll be staying!
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SL
SyLyT Gold
Nashville4 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 May 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
From beginning to end, our evening at Old Downton Lodge was superb. From the moment we arrived, the staff was attentive, discreet, professional and welcoming. We chose to try the tasting menu, which was an excellent choice. The six courses were bursting with interesting surprises in flavour and texture, each mouthful to be savoured. The room was gorgeous, low-lit and quiet, the pace was pleasantly slow, so that we could thoroughly enjoy the extraordinary meal. And all the while, the staff attended to our every need without intruding. It was a perfect evening, and one of the best meals we have enjoyed!
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3
31redland
London8 reviews
5.0
Dined on 12 April 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fabulous six course tasting menu for £60 per head- delicate flavours; creative pairings; everything beautifully cooked.
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Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
£41 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary British
Hours of Operation
Tue–Sat 6:00 pm–9:00 pm
Website
http://www.olddowntonlodge.com/
Payment Options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
Old Downton Farm, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 2HU
Area
Ludlow
Parking Details
Hotel Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Indoor Fireplace, Wine

Home
United Kingdom
Shropshire
Ludlow
Ludlow

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing