Last updated January 2024

Eating Out: daytime only mostly, but the best lunch in Ludlow is at the Millennium Cafe, run by Csons. We don’t often eat out nowadays, but there are several other Lucky Dip candidates – The Queens pub, The Angel Bistro (expensive, but good fish choice), Bill’s Kitchen (daytime only mostly), and the Charlton Arms.

Takeaways – Source Pizza (Csons) or Golden Moments Indian. The latter is quite variable, but usually good.

Drinks – we appreciate a good pint of draught beer, and a feeling of community, and there are two Ludlow pubs I would recommend on that basis – the Dog Hangs Well in Corve Street (difficult to find, ask a local), and the Blood Bay, both cosy, communal, and warmly welcoming. They are both small indoor spaces which persuade you into close contact with staff and strangers, and neither allow mobile phones.

The Apple Tree at Onibury and the Boot at Orleton have good gardens and beer. 

The South Shropshire area has some fantastic small breweries with some of my all-time favourite real ales. These are:

         hobsons twisted spire

Hobson’s Twisted Spire (3.8%). The brewery is about 15 miles away in Cleobury Mortimer, and if you want a pint fresh from the brewery, try the King’s Arms. Hobson’s Bitter is also excellent. 

Ludlow Brewery is an excellent addition to the choice, especially ‘Best’, and the stronger ‘Stairway’. The Brewery is in an old Engine Shed near the station, and it’s a temptation towards daytime drinking, as you can go for brewery tours or try beers at their bar, usually till about 5pm. The Brewery also has regular evening dos, music, beer festivals and plays etc.

It’s likely you’ll find beers from both these breweries in The Queens, the Charlton Arms and the Blue Boar in town, or the Boot at Orleton, together with Wye Valley beers. The Dog and the Blood Bay tend to change their draught beers every week, and source them from further afield.

There’s a similarly wonderful choice of locally brewed ciders – I’d particularly recommend Dunkerton’s and Dragon Orchard ciders.