The Golden Cross in Shropshire

We visited the restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. This was our first visit for food and we were not disappointed. The food was amazing. Wine and service also good. It’s a beautiful, eclectic place and we will definitely return.

Lovely atmosphere and excellent service, but sadly, the food didn’t live up to it. We had the leek and potato soup, the rabbit, and the fish and chips. - The soup? Decent, but far too salty. - The rabbit? The beans were the best part, but the dish itself was bland and, again, heavy on the salt. - The fish and chips? Over-fried, overcooked, and, frankly, disappointing. For the price, you expect much more than style over substance. The setting is gorgeous, but the food simply isn’t worth the cost. It wasn’t even the price, just the food was no good at all.

We’ve been coming here for a couple of years now and it’s always superb… The food is innovative, distinctly home made and utterly delicious. Paired with great service, a decent wine list and a lovely ambience, the Golden Cross is a gem of a restaurant…

Fantastic place in the heart of Shrewsbury, just off The Square. Food has always been great every time we have visited when in town. Very intimate setting which makes it even better.

Lovely little pub 500 years old and well worth a visit. Made us feel really welcome. Good choice of beers , we didn’t have the food , but a party of 7 came in who hadn’t booked and they fitted them in despite being busy

Had had this hotel recommended as a place for lunch. We were visiting Shrewsbury for a night so decided to eat evening meal there and stay the night. The meal was good and well served and the restaurant was full. Our room was small and rather dark but comfortable and well supplied. The breakfast was lovely. We parked on double yellows outside to unload and load and left the car overnight at the Abbey about 10 minutes walk away.

Here to write a review for the bedrooms upstairs, as we didn’t eat at the restaurant but wished we had. The plates meals looked incredibly delicious and the restaurant was full- always an important sign. This place was the most unexpected, incredible surprise for my husband and I for an evening away from our children. We accidentally happened upon The Golden Cross restaurant because I spotted a gourmet popcorn on the posted outside menu while waiting to eat at a sushi restaurant across from it. When we finished our sushi meal and walked into The Golden Cross, I noticed they operated as an Inn and enquired about staying in a room for the evening because my husband’s parents offered we stay the evening in town if we found a place to stay. They had a vacant room available (there are 4 total at different rates/sizes) and the price was unbeatable (£95 for our adorable room perfect for 2), especially for the location (in downtown Shrewsbury) and for the wonderful design of the place. The charming, eclectic designs of the restaurant and the bedrooms (I peaked at them all upon checkout) won us over, but who really won us over, and the most lovely part of the experience, is the family who own and operate it. They are incredibly lovely. Their story is fascinating and the couple, plus their 20 something daughter, do it all from the cheffing, bartending, serving, hosting, etc. They are legends and legendary! Please make sure to eat at the restaurant and stay in the bedroom upstairs if you’re ever in Shrewsbury! Ps; they are pet-friendly AND they offer a complimentary breakfast with the price of the room. I also learned that if you book for more than an evening you get a massive discount on the price. 15 stars! Bravo!

Fabulous old building - the suite is stunning: great bathroom, four poster bed and more. Splendid service from the team, and perfectly located. Exceptional.

Gorgeous place to stay, very central. Highly recommend!

After reading great reviews, we booked for four at 8pm on 29th June 2024. My husband ordered the Moroccan pie in filo pastry £22 which was served on its own and looked lost on the plate, was bland in taste. The rest of us went for fish and chips which were delicious, the house wine was priced at hotel rates. Ambience was lovely and cosy. Unfortunately, my husband left hungry and disappointed but did not wish to cause a scene.

Visited this restaurant with four friends on Saturday night for dinner when visiting Shrewsbury. Everyone of us enjoyed the food, wine, ambiance and friendly patrons. The Golden Cross has a lovely cosy feel. We dine leisurely and nothing seemed too much trouble for our hosts. Would definitely recommend and would have no hesitation to return to dine once more.

What a gem! We stumbled upon it. Atmosphere is fantastic, very cozy, gentle vintage music. The staff is lovely and helpful. The scotch egg almost made me cry, it was exceptional!

Sauna, pool, and steam room but the standard room size was ok.

Beautiful little pub in the heart of Shrewsbury. We called in for a drink on a recent trip to the town. There's a good choice of wines and beers, but sadly, no cask conditioned hand pulled real ales. It's a friendly place they mainly concentrate on meals, it does have a good reputation for the food.

Popped in for lunch, a lovely atmosphere and a lot of character, we only had a starter and desert eachbut what we had was incredible, beautifully presented and gorgeous flavours, an absolute must visit, we will be returning on our next visit to Shrewsbury excellent quality at a good price

We LOVE LOVE LOVE The Golden Cross. Impeccable delicious mouth watering food. So cozy, so yummy and so hard to stay away from.

The food was very good and nicely presented, they also have a good wine list. However the evening was spoilt for us because of a large noisy group and we could hardly hear each other speak. It would have been nice to have been asked if the meal was ok and no-one asked if we wanted coffee.

soup was quite large, I fell in. can someone help. oh my godddddddddd

Absolutely AMAZING. Couldn’t fault it. You walk in you’re greeted with a smile. Best restaurant in town!! The food was incredible.

We expected it to be quiet booking early evening, mid-week, but we did not expect the dining room to be cold and to see a dog running round the room. There was also a smell of dogs. The main courses we ordered were tasty, however, the portion size of the pork dish was small. I do not consider that the one small piece of belly pork and a quarter of a roast sweet potato to be adequate. It was very disappointing that the chap who served us, that could have been the owner/ manager, did not come over and ask if everything was ok with the meal. There was nobody else in at the time! I paid the bill and was still not greeted in a friendly manner! An expensive, disappointing experience that we will not be repeating.

10/10 lovely place great food and staff - good price for excellent food! We travelled for a family get together.. Definitely worth the drive..

Always a delight to return to this fabulous restaurant. Fantastic food and service every time, with as ever an eclectic menu superbly executed 😊

Good choice if you’re looking to treat yourselves on a special occasion. Very warm and cosy, not pretentious. Portions were small but nicely presented, everything was piping hot and full of flavour. The owner/ manager and waitress were friendly and efficient. Prices were high but the quality of the food and cooking were obvious. The option to book online, staff to welcome you on arrival plus larger portions would make it 5 stars.

This won't be a long review as we were only in The Golden Cross for less than a minute! There were four of us and we arrived there at approx 2 55pm, to be rudely and abruptly greeted by a man, who maybe the manager? Before we said a word he said, "We've stopped serving food!" I replied, "That's ok, we only want drinks." He replied, "Sorry, can't serve you I'm going to lay the tables ready for this evening now, for 5pm service." There were plenty of tables available but obviously he didn't mind losing the trade, what a great position his business must be in if he can afford to turn custom away! It was the rude and abrupt manner that annoyed us, and I'd love to see the amazing laid tables if they take two hours to prepare! Needless to say, we won't go there again to attempt to have drinks, and neither will any of our friends! Good luck to you if you go there for drinks, you may be lucky and be greeted by someone with a pleasant and civil manner!

Really like this place, lovely decor, lovely atmosphere, lovely food but… This was our second visit and I don’t know if there are two owners but each time we have had the same guy and he is so miserable. Served us in an overcoat and scarf presumably because he was too miserable to turn the heating on. Such a shame.

I found this wonderful hotel/restaurant whilst looking for a nice place to meet up with friends from Wales as Shrewsbury is equidistant from Bromsgrove. It had great reviews on Tripadvisor and looked interesting. We arrived 30 mins early but were immediately greeted by the owner who directed us to our table in a lovely part of this quirky old building. The menu, although not extensive, covered for all of tastes from traditional roast beef to Asian curry. We all went for roast beef which was well cooked and served with lots of veg and a rich gravy. We all had sweet which was delicious. To sum up we had a lovely Sunday lunch in a beautiful inn in the historic centre of Shrewsbury.

We enjoyed a warm, hospitable welcome from proprietor Gareth, a well-equipped, comfortable room and an excellent breakfast. The Golden Cross has real character and enjoys a great location in the heart of Shrewsbury. Strongly recommended.

Had a great experience at the restaurant, friendly service and amazing food. The ambiance is nice too

Quirky surroundings, warm and very cosy ! Food and wine mediocre and over priced. Service average . Has been a favourite in the past but we are now very unlikely to return.

Fabulous birthday meal with friends at the Golden cross. Service was excellent and attentive throughout. The food was scrumptious. Loved the ambiance, cosy and chic. Definitely a birthday meal to remember, thank you!! Highly recommended.

Fab menu fab surroundings &fab service, love love love The Golden Cross. Good choice of foods. Food was delicious. Ambience was fantastic

Beautifully decorated interior, relaxing background music, friendly service, wonderful food, sums up a perfect lunch stop on a visit to Shrewsbury. We loved this gem, the food was exceptionally good, I loved my roast beef sandwich, it was perfect for me.

Had a first class meal emy Fiance. I had the salmon which was to die for. Staff and service first class. Fabulous atmosphere too. Loved the decor. Really special place.

Had a wonderful lunch as a birthday present all4 of us were very pleased with the choice, guality, price and service.

Ideal location in the town centre, lovely and quiet considering its location. Decor really shows off the character of the property and our room was spotlessly clean. We were given a warm and friendly welcome from Gareth and Teresa, who allowed us to check in early as the room was available. The bed was the comfiest I have ever slept on. It was like sleeping on a cloud. Thank you so much, we will definitely stay again.

There Italian desert consisting of ice cream topped with cappuccino and amaretto was decadent and delicious.

This was a beautiful little quirky place, the owner was very friendly, so glad we found this little gem

We visited because it was supposed to be the oldest pub in town, the man behind the bar didn’t know nor care, and wasn’t too friendly. Our group included a wheelchair user and the pub claimed to accommodate - it did not so we had to sit out the front. There was an offering of one larger (it was off and the owner didn’t acknowledge) and one ale. The toilets were based down some steps (again not fit for wheelchair users) and the only thing to wash your hands with was shower gel.

We called here after finding it tucked away down an alley. Amazing food, atmosphere and service! Amazing beef and the panna cotta was perfect!

Found by chance The decor was a mix match that creates a unique ambiance that works well The food was amazing could not fault it The service was top class and pleasant Highly recommended will certainly go again

Found this eclectic gem by chance after wandering and looking for a pub for dinner. So happy we found it. Food and service was high quality- our best meal so far after four weeks of travelling.

Setting: marvellous eclectic, stylish decor with quiet jazz music in the background. Staff: friendly, helpful, engaging, knowledgeable on the menu. Service: efficient and attentive, though main courses took a litre while to arrive. Food: high quality, varied menu, the kitchen know how to season food (so many restaurants don’t!), perfect portion size (i.e. enough to leave you satisfied but not over faced). Drinks: selection of draught IPA’s, lager and good wines. Overall: this venue is perennially popular for a reason - certainly recommended for lunch or dinner.

A very traditional setting. We enjoyed an excellent birthday celebration here as a part of a group in a private area. Meal choices were taken in advance but we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food with which we were served. A lovely evening with first class food, drink and service. Excellent. Thank you. Definitely back again soon.

Disappointing. We have eaten at The Golden Cross many times previously and always loved it there. Visited for a Sunday lunch for my Dads birthday. Staff were not welcoming, the table for 4 of us was too small. Two of our group had soup for starters, which was good. Roast dinners, the beef was beautiful but Roast potatoes were burnt, Yorkshire pudding too salty and gravy not warm enough, minimal veg for our table too which we did comment on. Our puddings were tasty but also not warm. Room was bitter cold due to door being opened. A bill of £150 later and no-one even asking how our food was we went to get a coffee elsewhere and warm up. A great shame.

Lots of beautiful dishes to choose from. I opted for the cod which was perfectly cooked. Service was very good - staff very friendly and helpful. Wine is on the expensive side but then it is a first class restaurant.

Beautiful Christmas setting and delicious food, from whitebait to slow cooked pork, which was divine and Cod in a Mediterranean casserole.

We have been here a couple of times last year but when we heard via social media it was up for sale and closed, we wrongly assumed when it opened again it was to new owners. However we were totally wrong!! My husband ordered the...

We booked for lunch and we’re given a lovely round table by the bar. The service was efficient, the menu was interesting and the ambiance was warm and relaxing. The food was well presented and delicious. The cost was about £100 with wine.

Excellent food, great atmosphere, attentive fun service. Put this restaurant on your list if you are in Shrewsbury.

Lovely Sunday lunch. Excellent service. Let us pick part only of set menu.

Had a lovely Sunday lunch with daughter and partner in this cosy “hostelry” in the centre of town; good choices made for excellent eating with a good well-chosen wine list to help the meal go down. Lovely English puds for dessert on offer and the...

Lovely food with a nice atmosphere.

Our first Sunday lunch here. Food whilst delicious was overpriced with very small portions. My partner needed to eat when he got home …

Lovely host, well made plates, good wine list, and a sticky toffee pudding to die for! (And the confit duck was approved by my pretentious French friend)

Late June was unseasonably cool so it was a surprise that our table (reserved in advance) in the evening was opposite doors propped open leading onto a yard. No word was offered to ask if this was acceptable or that they would close the doors...

Stayed at this hotel as my son was in the Yeomanry freedom of the Town parade. What a find. Gareth, Theresa and their daughters were absolutely lovely. So friendly. The 700 year old Inn, pub, restaurant is so warm and relaxing. We chose the small...

Another lovely visit to The Golden Cross! This truly is an excellent place to go, food is beautiful, service is always exceptional, great atmosphere, nothing not to like at all! 10/10 as always 👍😊

Change isn't a good thing. I know we are in a cost of living crisis but the price hike since the new owners took over is a bit to much. Fancy food for twice as much. Bring back the old menu. The pizzas they served...

Lovely food service excellent staff was very pleasant. Would recommend this restaurant to all. Thank you for a lovely evening.

One of my favourite pubs in Shrewsbury town. Great quality food. Keep it up.

We had the best stay. We were in the suite right over the front of the restaurant, which also spanned over the alley. The owners were very friendly and helpful with information about the area and made the best full English fry up I've ever had! We'll be back.

Stopped for a glass of wine as it looked very inviting. Was really nice and cosy inside, bit like a French bistro. Will definitely stop there for food next time I'm in Shrewsbury. Edit. I did indeed stop for food and an overnight stay. The food was really nice. Great atmosphere with pretty much all tables booked up. For the overnight stay, the room was small, but loads of character. Will definitely return again, hopefully in the summer.

Visited The Golden Cross for Sunday lunch at the weekend and I cannot fault the restaurant. A very quirky place and we found the owners and staff were very hospitable and attentive. We were the first people to arrive but it very quickly filled up...

After popping in to a completely empty restaurant around 8pm, we politely asked if it was ok for a quick drink, they asked if we had booked, we hadn't and would not to serve my wife and I drink's. The very rude girl said "if...

Took my boyfriend here for his birthday. He'd told me it was amazing and he wasn't wrong! Everything about this place oozes plue class. The food was absolutely superb; the decor is exciting, the ambience buzzzy but somehow also chilled, and the service was excellent....

What a find. The meal at this family run retaurant was exceptional - we ate at the Ivy in London a couple of weeks back and this was better by some margin! Delicious and beautifully cooked - a reat treat. Lovely ffriendly staff and delightful...

Absolutely fantastic dinner at The Golden Cross. I went for my birthday meal at the end of January with my parents and partner we all throughly enjoyed ourselves. The food was epic, the service was fantastic, and I was even treated to a surprise rendition...

We had a family lunch in the private downstairs room to celebrate our Golden Wedding Anniversary. The food, service and drinks were excellent. Two members of our party were unable to attend on the day after the granddaughter tested positive on a Lateral Flow test...

Past this place many a time and looked an interesting place to eat so my partner decided to book us a lunch there. We were seated quickly had our drinks and food order taken swiftly but from then on things went downhill!. Food was an...

Fantastic gem of a place, lovely warm Christmassy feel, great welcome, great food, friendly people, will definitely be returning

Quite disappointing fish and chips, advertised as twice cooked chips but no matter how many times you cook them frozen chips are still frozen chips. Also not everyone is a fan off dogs wandering around whilst you are having a meal, not very healthy if...

Food was faultless, lovely wine, great service with good friendly banter. We will be back and would highly recommend.

Excellent atmosphere, stylish/chic decorations, cosy atmosphere and jazz music quietly playing in the background. The husband and wife owners have run this place for 20 years. They know their menu, can talk around the items and the food is always g a very good quality....

Absolutely amazing find!! Superb food, very friendly hosts. Obviously very popular with the locals. Quaint old pub. Definitely recommend.

This was our first lunch here and I have to disagree with some of the earlier reviews. The quality of food was matched by the hosts: excellent. We were celebrating a friend’s birthday and nothing was too much trouble. Highly recommended.

My husband and I went to the Golden Cross on Thursday evening after seeing the many positive reviews. There are many good things about this place but unfortunately we left feeling disappointed and wouldn’t return. First impressions are good as the restaurant is laid out...

Beyond fabulous! A wonderfully eclectic setting, with friendly and attentive staff but the most important aspect was the food! It was utterly DIVINE. I wish we lived nearer so that we could be regular customers!

Went for a meal with my partner we both had fish&chips - found the food good but £15.50 was very over priced for essentially a small piece of fish . Lovely dining Room good ambiance but the price seem ridiculous compared to other pubs/ restaurants in Shrewsbury.

A unique place to eat. Food was superb. We will definitely be eating here again. Thank you.

Absolutely legendary service and superbly fresh and delicious food!! 🙃🙃

We had a fabulous Sunday lunch to celebrate my husband’s birthday. We were spoiled for choice for every course. The food was freshly prepared and full of flavour. The restaurant had a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and best of all….our dogs were also welcome! We look...

Great place, great food and superb service.

Cosy, quirky and informal. The cross is a real cool place. Great food, wonderful service, relaxed atmosphere. Definitely go back.

What an absolutely brilliant gastro pub. My wife and I found it by accident and sat and had a drink outside but after seeing how nice it is inside and looking at the menu we wanted to go back and eat there. Last night I...

Lovely food. Owners friendly and attentive. Thank you for a lovely meal.

Excellent food. Very good service. Will return.

Great food, beer and service. Highly recommended.

Delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere, friendly efficient service - recommended.

This room was exceptional! King bed and best complimentary tray I've had in years! Was £80 due to concert but we saved £150 on another hotel further away.....luckily someone cancelled last minute and we grabbed it! Breakfast always good.....definitely will return!

Fabulous meal, classy service and lovely atmosphere- it’s one of my favourites and never fails to impress - well done G & T and many thanks to chef

Incredible tasty meal at The Golden Cross last night. Charming service from the owners a d staff. Everything on the menu sounded great but chose the mackerel to start, halibut and poached apricot, all delicious. We were impressed with the choice on alcohol free drinks...

Best fish and chips in my life ! The food is divine (fresh and really tasty). The staff is welcoming and friendly. The ambiance is cosy What else do you need ? I wish this restaurant is in London. Highly recommended !!!

Very nice restaurant and amazing food!

Found this place by accident wandering around Shrewsbury but very glad we did. Food is delicious with a really varied menu - a cut above your standard pub food. Friendly staff and an excellent jazz music playlist.

This was our second visit to this fabulous restaurant and we weren't disappointed. The restaurant is only small but very quirky. The service is excellent and the food absolutely amazing. Couldn't fault a single thing. Just wish it was nearer to us so we could go more often. Recommended.

A really cosy restaurant (unless you want more space in the big room upstairs). Delicious and beautifully presented food. A great choice for a real treat. My Halibut was perfect.

Very probably the most tasteful Sunday Roast in Shopshire. The ambiance is lovely, the inside decoration very cosy. The owner is very helpful, nice and welcoming. The 3 course menu for the Sunday road is a no-brainer. Everything was delicious, I will definitely come back...

Fabulous food in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Highly recommended

Gareth and Theresa's gem in Shrewsbury is second to none... love the atmosphere, food, rooms to stay.. everything.

My husband and I had always wanted to have a meal here as looks so cosy and romantic. Booked at the beginning of December. Greeted and shown to table. I had a long coat on and had nowhere to put it as sitting on a...