Latest Restaurant Review (Restaurant 1779 @ Telford Hotel & Golf Resort)
A few years back we reviewed the Leisure and Gym facilities at the Telford Hotel & Golf Resort and we had a very relaxing few hours and were very pampered, they achieved top marks! This time rather than lose a few calories it was time to add a few and spend an evening in Restaurant 1779.
The views from the Restaurant are breathtaking, spectacular views of the countryside towards the Ironbridge Gorge, the restaurant has a very comfortable lounge area to have a drink before being escorted to your table in the spacious restaurant, comfy sofas and a real feel of relaxation, we felt as though we were on a weekend break!
In addition to the restaurant there is of course spa and gym facilities on site, therefore the opportunity of having a relaxing day finished off with a meal is very tempting, there are many packages available to suit your requirements, surprisingly many locals use the spa and meal package. Once in the hotel you could be anywhere in the country so why spend so much on fuel and wasting time on the M6?
The hotel’s General Manager was appointed last year and has very high standards, customer service is very important and employing high quality staff is also essential to achieve the high level of service across the hotel including the restaurant. The menu was recently updated and is changed frequently and specials are also available. Quality, presentation and consistency is very important to the GM and the Chef.
We were seated in the main restaurant and I was surprised how spacious it was, there are areas where if you want a little privacy this can be arranged, there are large windows looking out at the views; we felt very comfortable and at ease, a relaxed environment. There was a good mix of customers, business people, couples of all ages and fairly busy, which is always a good sign.
After studying the menu, we chose our starters, I decided on the Duck and Fig Terrine, which was pork, chicken and duck liver terrine with fig chutney and crisp bread priced at £6.50 and Ann had Chicken Compression, Suffolk chicken and oven dried tomato compression served with tomato salad and onion Jam priced at £7.50.
They arrived promptly and presentation was of a high standard, a lot of care and attention had been made on both dishes. Fresh warm bread was also served with ample butter. My Terrine was excellent, full of flavour and the fig chutney was the perfect companion for the dish a great combination of flavours. I had a large portion and did run out of crisp bread but plenty of fresh bread available as backup! Ann’s dish was equally as good, again a large portion and well worth the £7.50, the dish was again full of flavour and extremely well put together, she thoroughly enjoyed the dish.
There are plenty of mains to choose from, fish dishes, fresh pasta, risotto, grills, wholesome food and a good selection for vegetarians and they will cater for any dietary requirements. It was a difficult choice for me as I would have liked a few of the dishes but I chose the Char-grilled Chicken which is cooked on the bone and gives the fullest flavour and is portioned by the chef just before service to remove the bones for easy eating. The chicken is coated in a special sea salt rub and finished on the chargrill, you can then choose 3 sides all for only £14.00. I wasn’t counting the calories so selected chips, onion rings and ciabatta garlic bread. Ann decided on the Fish Pie, cod, salmon, prawns and smoked haddock, white wine and cream sauce with a rosti potato top served with rocket salad and garlic ciabatta priced reasonably at £11.00.
Once again both dishes were well presented, and appeared to be of a high quality, my chicken was extremely moist and tender, usually chicken can become a little dry when cooked on a chargrill but the timing had been monitored to perfection, my side dishes were also very good, very tasty onion rings, highly recommended! Ann was equally pleased with her Fish Pie, it was a pleasant change to have Rosti potato rather than the traditional mash, good quality fish and plenty of it, she really enjoyed the Rosti Potato as a topping, adding character and flavour to the dish, Ann’s dish a little more healthier than mine!
We had decided on our desserts at the very start of the evening, so we were both looking forward to this moment! Toffee pudding with sticky toffee sauce for me, served with crème caramel ice cream priced at £6.00 and Ann the Chocolate Trio, crème brulee with white chocolate ice cream and profiteroles priced at £6.00. However they had no profiteroles left so this was substituted with a chocolate sponge, she wasn’t too disappointed!
My toffee pudding was perfect and easy to summarise, very sticky toffee sauce, tasty sponge and delicious ice cream. Ann was pleased with her choice, it appeared she had three desserts in one, chocolate sponge, crème brulee and ice cream, it worked well, a great combination and great flavours.
If you are looking for a restaurant that takes you away from the busy central locations, offers a relaxed environment and you want that feeling of being away for the weekend then Restaurant 1779 is for you, when we left we felt we should be going back to our room, after three courses it may have been a good idea. The hotel has fantastic facilities including an incredible golf course, Spa facilities and ideal for parties, weddings or conferences.
Reviewed by Michael & Ann Haines
