The Thornescroft, Shipley

When somebody from nearly 200 miles away recommends a restaurant in our region, you just have to take it seriously.

So when West Midlands expat Di Masters dropped me a line from the sunny climes of south Devon to tell me about her experience at the Thornescroft in Shipley, I just knew I had to pay a visit.

Di recently returned to the region to celebrate a birthday, and had nothing but praise for the place, citing the superb food, ambience and service, and saying it compared more than favourably with what was on offer in Torbay. Then again, that's where Fawlty Towers was supposed to be.

Actually, she was not the only person to suggest The Thornescroft, seven miles out of Wolverhampton, on the road to Bridgnorth, with Pippa Spencer from Albrighton also giving glowing reports. Indeed, it seemed rather popular when I tried to book a table several days in advance, with only a single late-night slot available on a Saturday night. However, if at first you don't succeed, try again. When we called just before 7 o'clock we were told there had been a cancellation, managing to bag the first table of the night.

The Thornescroft is a picturesque, three-storey Georgian building set behind a small, pretty-looking garden, with a narrow path leading from the car park at the side. It gives the restaurant a pleasant, old-fashioned and secluded feel, which is not too common these days as the grass and hedges give way to asphalt.

But it is the small room at the front, furnished with a series of dainty-looking two seat sofas, which really catches the eye. Cop a butcher's at the stunningly intricate wood carving above the bar, and then pause to think about how much time, effort and skill must have gone into creating this masterpiece. Put it this way, it puts Tracey Emin's unmade bed into perspective.

The bar room is also decorated with an interesting oval painting above the fireplace, which bulges outwards from its frame like an egg, and the window ledge is lined by some venerable-looking philosophy books. The look is traditional rather than trendy, cosy rather flash, but it makes for a most pleasant way to cocoon yourself from those increasingly cold, wet and windy nights which are descending upon us. A nice pint of real ale from a local microbrewery would have made the experience complete, but sadly this was not an option, although I could at least console myself with a pleasant pint of Banks's mild.

A young, smartly-dressed couple were the next customers to arrive, who settled down and waited for the rest of their large party to arrive, and the early trickle of customers quickly developed into a flow. The customers cannot easily be categorised, but there is a slight bias towards the middle-aged and elderly, with a significant proportion of families and large-ish groups of friends celebrating special occasions together.

A lot of thought had clearly gone into the menu which, while not huge, offered a good variety of interesting dishes, and there should be something there for most tastes. While the lure of the locally-farmed Pattingham beef proved hard to resist, I decided in the end to opt for the English pork loin steak, pan fried in sage butter, with creamed potato and red wine sauce, while my companion opted for Norfolk chicken, but asking for the barbecue glaze to be omitted.

After around half an hour, we were taken through to the main dining room. It was a pleasant place to be, a large airy room with a high roof and wooden beams, and exposed stonework to some walls.

The room appears to have been extended at some point, with a narrow section running off the main area, and it successfully manages to create a traditional atmosphere. The light wooden tables, and comfortable chairs upholstered in a soft pink fabric to match the carpet, give a bright, upbeat feel, complemented by the gentle lighting.

I would certainly go along with Di's glowing reports of the food. I was actually a little unsure about the red wine sauce, having found many of these to be a little bland and predictable, but this was one of the best, if not the best I have ever experience, with a lively, tangy flavour, without being too overpowering.

The meat was tender and nicely cooked, and the mashed potato was thick and creamy without being sickly or sloppy.

Generous

We were provided with generous helpings of fresh vegetables and new potatoes, but my companion was disappointed to find there were no hand-cut chips with her chicken, which the menu had led her to believe.

The desserts went down well, too. Unlike many sticky toffee puddings I have encountered, this one really did taste of toffee, rather than having its flavour drowned out by excessive volumes of chocolate. My companion enjoyed her rich chocolate marquise, which had a gentle tang of rum about it, although she was unable to complete it.

The bill, with drinks and coffees came to £49.35, which seemed pretty reasonable given the standard of food, the pleasant surroundings, and good attentive service, so it is little surprise that this restaurant has won plaudits from both near and far.

And even if you don't manage to get a table, it's worth travelling 200 miles just to admire the wood carvings.

The Thornescroft

Bridgnorth Road,

Shipley

WV6 7EQ

Phone: 01902 700253

Starters

Home-made soup of the day, with toasted garlic croutons £4.50

Braised chicken and hare wrapped in Parma ham, served with pickled vegetables and bread £6.50

Fillet of smoked mackerel on a creamy potato and beetroot salad and finished with caviar dressing £5.75

Crayfish tail cocktail in a Marie Rose sauce presented with little gem lettuce and buttered bread £6.50

Main courses

Pan fried sea loch trout seasoned with lemon and presented with pasta and a fresh tomato sauce £13.50

Haunch of venison in a rich gravy with port, redcurrants and chestnuts with mashed potato £15

Crisp half roast Gressingham duckling with a large buttery fondant potato and Madeira sauce £17

Cajun blackened cod in a natural yoghurt dressing £12.50

Desserts

Crisp meringues filled with raspberry ice cream and chantilly cream then topped with a white chocolate and Baileys sauce £5.50

Warm vanilla rice pudding layered with an autumn fruit compote and topped off with home-made Shrewsbury biscuits £5.50

Selection of ice creams smothered in toffee sauce and marshmallows, then finished with sweetened cream and biscotti £5.25