The Red Lion, Shrewsbury

Reviewer's rating ** As soon as I tucked into my starter I was unimpressed, writes Russell Roberts. It was still not too late to find somewhere else and after a few mouthfuls of my duck spring rolls I seriously questioned whether we ought to cut our losses and leave.

Hoping that it was just myself that had chosen badly, I glanced at my partner Alison to see how she was faring with her butterfly king prawns with a delightfully sounding sweet chilli sauce. But her face said it all - it was a let down.

That only four of the six breaded prawns promised on the menu arrived on the plate was a blessing and she did not even bother complaining.

By the time our starters had turned up at our table we had been waiting 40 minutes. The waiter/barman apologised for the delay but that was the least he should have been sorry for.

The lettuce accompanying my spring rolls and oriental dip was limp and obviously not fresh. Needless to say I didn't touch it. The salad garnish surrounding Alison's starter was also just as bad.

Before I go any further I should explain that we had arrived at the Red Lion in Battlefield expecting nothing other than a very good meal. I have visited the pub on several occasions in the past and have always been satisfied. So it came as a shock that the food was so poor.

The pub offers a relaxed ambience and follows the same food ordering procedures of many chain pubs with diners going up to the bar with their table number before selecting their meals.

Happy to give the Red Lion the benefit of the doubt we hoped the main courses would win us over.

I don't know why but they arrived in double-quick time compared to the wait we had endured earlier. I chose the Italian chicken with melted cheese and covered in a tomato and basil sauce with chips and salad. The chicken was OK and the sauce which accompanied it had flavour but the chips looked anaemic and again the salad would not have looked out of place in a dustbin.

However at least it filled a gap and there was no doubting it was streets ahead of the starter.

Alison chose the chicken Kiev which was coated in crispy breadcrumbs and filled with a garlic and herb butter and served with chips and salad. But again it was lacking in taste and quality and I could tell she had no real enjoyment in eating it.

To be fair the pub offers good deals on its food and we had been able to select two main courses for the price of one. But just because the meals are relatively cheap to buy doesn't mean that little or no effort should be placed into ensuring they taste good.

While contemplating whether to brave a dessert I noticed that several customers in the dining area appeared to be enjoying steak dishes and mixed grills.

Although it was a weekend and there were tables still available, it must still be doing something right to be attracting people and I began to wonder if we may have had a different experience had we chosen something "from the grill".

We both decided to have a dessert and opted for the banana chocolate sundae. It was basically a glorified banana split with generous scoops of ice-cream, whipped cream and chocolate flavoured sauce.

It was the best course of the evening by far and we both enjoyed it, although it was too little too late in terms of the overall dining experience.

The pub re-opened following a refurbishment in May last year when it was fully re-decorated with new carpets. It is a pleasant venue to enjoy a bite to eat and a drink and still retains its older charm with an open fireplace and wooden beams.

But unfortunately on this occasion the food let it down and it is not a place we will be rushing back to.

ADDRESS

The Red Lion, 29 Battlefield Road, Shrewsbury, SY1 4AB

Tel: 01743 443291

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Cheesy garlic bread (£3.35); Home-made black pudding and bacon fritter served with chunky chilli chutney and a fried egg (£3.45); Duck spring rolls filled with duck, onion and hoi sin sauce served with mixed leaves and sweet chilli sauce (£3.45)

MAIN COURSES

Full mixed grill (£13.45); Chicken Kiev served with chips and a crisp dressed salad (£9.15)

DESSERTS

Double chocolate fudge cake (£3); Sticky toffee pudding (£3.30); Jam roly-poly (£3)

ATMOSPHERE

Lively and friendly

SERVICE

Average

DISABLED FACILITIES

Wheelchair access and disabled toilet