I visited one of Bridgnorth’s most handsome restaurants - this is my honest review

And, frankly, if being a GP gets you a house like that, it’s time for all of us to retrain. Forget a steady nine-to-five, forget climbing the company ladder, it’s time to down tools and learn how to use a stethoscope. Because The Atrium is a bona fide gem, a building of immense architectural merit.

It was opened in 2020 and the team behind it deserve every credit. Northgate House has been converted from a local practice into an all-singing, all-dancing wedding venue, café bar, and dining room.

It serves breakfasts and brunch, coffee and cake, and the full monty for those who want lunch or dinner. In an era where it’s hard to appeal to all-comers, The Atrium has covered most bases while preserving the character and tradition of a beguiling venue. The restoration was sympathetic, the interior pays homage to the standards that were once kept. It’d be nice to think that if a visit were to be made by Dr Georgian Doctor, which, I’m sure, wasn’t the former GP’s name, he – because it would have been a he, back then – would have rolled the tips of his handlebar moustache while purring with approval.

I felt much the same. Bridgnorth’s a magnificent town. A town beloved by day trippers from across the great divide – that’s the Shropshire/Staffordshire border, to you and I – it’s steeped in history and is the perfect place for a day out.

With the majesty of the River Severn, with the aesthetic splendour of a lovingly preserved town centre, and with miles and miles of undulating countryside, there are few places finer.

Curiously, the town hasn’t boasted the sort of gastronomic tradition that other Shropshire towns have developed.

While Ludlow had a history of Michelin-starred chefs, albeit a generation ago, Bridgnorth welcomed mid-priced indies.