Upper Rectory in Powys

The most relaxing dining in the wonderful eclectic home of chef Kerry and front of house Paul. The food is outstanding, beautifully presented with delightful flavours. There is true passion in every dish with the added bonus of fresh grown produce from their garden. A must visit whenever in the area

What a wonderful little find. All six courses were superb, extremely flavoursome and not too large. Fantastic little touches like dried petals and herbs. The owners are passionate about their food and it shows. Extremely well presented. This is the first time I've got through a six course meal without feeling bloated such was the delicacy of the food. Thank you so much.

Stayed in Shropshire for 3 nights and looked for somewhere for our final night in this beautiful county. Thanks to Googlemaps we found The Upper Rectory. Such a homely welcome. A unique experience with intimate dining, all sharing the same menu with excellent food prepared by Kerry and served with enthusiasm by Paul. Delicious!

Lovely relaxing evening spent here at the upper rectory. Gorgeous meal topped off with the best nights sleep in the shepherds hut! Kerry and Paul are superb hosts, and nothing was too much trouble. It was a fabulous start to my birthday celebrations!! Thank you Kerry and Paul.

What a wonderful place. From the moment we arrived everything was superb. Great hosting, and the most delicious beautifully cooked food. Highly recommended and we can’t wait to return! Thank you for a lovely evening.

Just celebrated my friends 65th birthday at the Upper Rectory and we were all ‘blown away’ by the venue, the hospitality of Kerry & Paul but most importantly the exquisite fine dining which was ‘first class’ and delicious to taste. The cost of the menu was very reasonable and the quality of the food was excellent with competitive bar prices for the wine & beer. All in all this was a fantastic experience & one which we will repeat again in the very near future as we enjoyed the experience so much. Thank you Kerry & Paul and hope to see you again soon, thank you Ray & Dee.

Unique experience as you dine in the private residence of husband and wife team (host and chef). Great ambience and lovely experience. Visited on a cold rainy evening inside was warm and inviting. You are first shown in to a characterful reception room with a open fire ( well certainly in winter you will have the fire ) Here you will have pre dinner drinks and nibbles and likely chat with the other guests. Lovely tasty food and plenty of it. Thank you for a great evening.

This is a small friendly restaurant just outside the centre of Berriew. We have had dinner here several times over the last twelve months. The food is delicious and the atmosphere warm and comfortable. A real credit to the friendlyA guide to G couple that own it and the village in which it is situated.

This restaurant is an ideal combination of relaxed eating with a true focus on excellent seasonal cooking. Everything was delicious, using local and garden produce. We had the surprise January menu and each course just sang with flavour. Thank you Kerry and Paul, we are looking forward to our next visit already.

We wanted a special menu with plenty of choice for a friend’s big birthday, and Upper Rectory delivered. Nothing fazed them: when some members of the party announced dietary needs or wanted something even fancier at the last minute, their flexibility and genuine attention was refreshing. I’m also impressed with their locally sourced produce and generous portions. Thank you!

Tried the eat at home menu a few times over the last year and also Christmas day too. Really excellent food, easy to follow instructions on how best to serve. Food beautiful presented and canapes a real treat whilst waiting for our food to heat. Christmas day was a close to eating out as we could get. Highly recommend and cannot wait to book again

Tried to make an order for takeaway and informed that the order had to be in by the previous Wednesday. Looked at the menu again and nowhere is that mentioned. Sorry, Upper Rectory, your loss. You won't see me try again and you will have a slating when people ask my opinion.

Decided to try the takeaway menu and so glad we did excellent cuisine, well packaged and easy to heat up. The deserts were to die for, will definitely be ordering again. Thank you

I, like many had my birthday during lockdown and had been planning on a trip to the restaurant. I wasn't disappointed though with the meal we were able to eat at home. So beautifully packaged and presented with clear heating instructions even my partner could manage to do it! Delicious and memorable.

This was our 3rd visit to Upper Rectory. The previous two were fantastic, and this one still managed to exceed expectations. Stunning 7 course taster menu, each and every course beautifully presented and fabulous. Great waiting staff and a relaxed, enjoyable ambience. Can't wait to come again.

Another delish meal last night, this time including Soupe de Noel, smoked buffalo with burrata and a bordelaise sauce, the always-welcome twice-baked cheese soufflé, Prosecco sorbet, a really tender and tasty ballotine of Turkey with excellent vegetables, then a chocolate tart with Christmas pud crumb and very yummy Christmas ice cream, finished off with a couple of excellent welsh cheeses, coffee and delightful little mince pies.Enjoyed everything as always, and the turkey was so flavoursome and moist, something rarely achieved. The room looked warm and welcoming, and what a lovely idea to provide all guests with a gingerbread reindeer rather than a cracker - much more memorable! Another brilliant experience - thank you all so much.

Had a lovely meal with family last night. Great food, interest location and good service would recommend. Such great value for what you get.

Visited here after a recommendation, this has got to be the best dining experience we have ever had, from the welcome when we arrived to the lovely food that we were served. It was a seven course tasting menu, every course was tasty and you could tell it was cooked, prepared with love and passion, the service was fantastic has each course was served you were told what it was, what was in it, if the veg or herbs or edible flowers came from the garden. The wine and drinks were not set at extortionate prices either. The menu is changed with every season. Absolutely loved the place and will visit again, & again. But don't tell everybody 😉

I tried here with my partner. Firstly the vegetable veloute seemed like canned tomato soup, as you can see from the picture, very orange for a veloute. It wasnt great but we thought for the price charged it was ok. The cheese souffle seemed undercooked in the middle and burnt on the bottom, more like a flan consistency. The duck though cooked very well was very salty. When we got there it all seemed awkward, getting drinks was a bit of hassle, when we asked what flavour the sorbet was we were asked to guess! Obviously checking may have been difficult. For the money paid it was ok, I wouldn't ever choose to go back and did spend the last 3 courses wanting to leave early. Very disappointed it did not live up to reviews, the food was not great, I left wishing I'd had a sandwich from Tesco instead! Maybe charge more and improve quality? Very odd decor also

From the moment the very lovely Kelly answered the door to us we were made to feel that our dining experience was going to be something out of the ordinary. We were not disappointed ! The flavor pairings were inspired. The setting has just the right amount of quirk! Kelly displayed enthusiasm and delight as well as knowledge about the food she served. to us in such an engaging manner .She will be missed when she goes onto new adventures.

My wife and I ate here on 27th July.Although we have lived locally for 13 years this was our first visit and we feel sure that it wont be the last.The seven course taster meal was absolutely delicious and it was served by delightful staff.Our initial worry that we would be unable to eat so many courses was unfounded and the only one we passed on was the cheese board.This was packaged up for us to take home - a nice little touch.

Am so pleased we booked our anniversary meal at Upper Rectory. We had been recommended by friends to try it and we will be doing the same with our friends its a must.From ringing the doorbell on arrival to leaving some 3 hours later we had a great time venue, food and atmosphere all first class.We had the 7 Course Tasting Menu and unfortunately we cannot choose a favourite course as it was all lovely. The drinks upon arrival and canapés were all served beautifully by the front of house young ladies who were attentive throughout the evening and explained each course and were so delightful they are a credit to The Upper Rectory.We will definitely be returning and would love to in Summer to see the gardens. Thank you to Chef and team. Go and try it but make sure you book to avoid disappointment.

What a lovely experience. The location is beautiful and quirky The food is superb locally sourced treats for the taste buds. Knowledgeable and engaging staff. We are in real dilemma now as to keep this gem to ourselves or let everyone know.

We ate here as a party of 4 on 27 April when visiting friends locally. Our friends had eaten here before (and were happy to return), first time for us. What a delight this place is. Building is an old rectory in a rural location and you are welcomed with cocktails and canapes in what was previously a parlour/front room. The dining room is small 6/7 tables and was fully booked tonight. Advance booking is strongly recommended, the restaurant is only open Thursday-Saturday. The menu is a fixed 7 course tasting menu which is changed monthly. We started with a Golden Vegetable Veloute with Garlic Croutons followed by Smoked Free Range Chicken Breast with New Season Asparagus. Excellent start!. This was followed by a Welsh Artisan Cheese Souffle and then an Upper Rectory Sorbet. Again very good. This was followed by a Garlic Stuffed Fillet of Pork with Pomme Puree and Pea Veloute and then a Lemon Posset with Shortbread Biscuit and a Cheeseboard of local cheeses with Grapes and Biscuits. The whole meal was delicious. The tasting menu is a fixed price and our bill for the evening including a bottle of wine and pre dinner drinks was a very reasonable £200. Front of house greeting and table service was both friendly and welcoming. We would definitely eat here again.

Visited last night with my husband, and we both enjoyed a wonderful evening, which started with cocktails while seated in front of a very welcoming log burner. The whole place was very cheery in full-on Christmas mode. The fabulous seven course Christmas taster menu was just delicious from start to finish; we especially loved the smoked venison, which was delicate and meltingly tender and the four bird roast - again, each meat was tender and full-flavoured, and it’s lovely to have home-grown vegetables, locally-produced meat of high quality and delicious wine - as I said, we loved it all!

Dined at the Upper Rectory last week. As usual a stunning meal in lovely surroundings. A wonderful atmosphere, booked to go again !!

What a fabulous meal we have just had at the Upper Rectory to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. The food, staff and ambience were beyond great. Thanks so much Kerry for such a wonderful experience.

Later in reviewing an excellent evening we had at The Rectory at the 24th March. First time visit following recommendation from a friend. Lovely venue located in an old building, friendly and smiley staff and excellent food that is value for money. Visited with my husband. Initially we sat in the lounge area were you are given the menu and a you can order a drink. Then you are shown to the dining area. A lovely cozy country style environment. If i recall correctly....seating for 18 maximum. Its an ideal location for intimate dining, however there was a table of four dining too and I know that a hen night was held here, so seating is flexible. Im guessing the hen night had all the diningroom that night! Ive eaten at Cheques ( Michelin star venu in Montgomery) a few times and I love that dining experience however if you want a similar, good qulity meal at half the price then look no further than Upper Rectory. While the finer details, such as freshly made different variety of bread at the table while you wait for your main meal, are better at Chequers the quality and presentation of food is as good in many ways. I definately intend to go again. My husband an myself had the tasting menu which we found excellant, well planned, served well by staff who care about what they are doing. Went away pleasantly full with my tastebuds happy. Would highly recommend a visit.

Lovely birthday treat from a friend. We had a fantastic welcome, great service throughout without being intrusive. The food was absolutely delicious, each course so delicate and tasty. The tomato soup was amazing! 7 courses with extras! Fantastic value for money and lovely homely surroundings. Would highly reccommend this hidden little gem. Thank you.

Visited the restaurant for the first time Friday evening, what a lovely setting,made to feel very welcome upon arrival. The restaurant was set out beautifully & the food was just outstanding we had the seven course taster menu, so relaxing & we weren’t rushed between courses.

A meal for six on a Friday evening to celebrate a birthday and our first visit. The seven course taster menu was very good value. The service was attentive and efficient and the food quality excellent. The setting was as much like being in someone's home as being in a restaurant making for an excellent, unique occasion.

Upper Rectory was recommended some time ago by friends and we wish that we had acted on it earlier. This was very good experience, great food and drink plus very friendly and helpful service. Not at all pretentious thank goodness.

Visited with family recently.This was around our 4th or 5th visit & I'm afraid to say we felt disappointed.There was the usual tasting menu which on previous visits was superb but this time we felt economies had been made which were detrimental to the food. Okay I know the price is reasonable for a tasting menu& that all businesses need to be profitable in these difficult times but this can have the opposite effect. We felt too many courses were served in shot glasses which made us feel oh no not another shot? First course was a mushroom veloute, served in a shot glass with a bite size choux bun on the top. Veloute was not as creamy as I'd expect but decent enough. Not sure what if anything the choux bun added. The cheese soufflé was good & didn't disappoint. When we got to the fish course we felt the fishcake had too much potato & very little fish. This was served on a bed of mash .Potato overload. Mashed potato goes a long way! When we got to the main, this was lack lustre. It was so memorable I can't remember what meat we had & served with a vegetable purée. Puréed veg go along way? What really disappointed us was to find the bottle of wine we ordered had Tesco on the label. Nice wine but I don't expect to visit a restaurant & be served supermarket wine at a bumped up price. Thinking about it after ,the bread also tasted like it was from Tesco too. A shame really. On a positive the serving staff were lovely.& the venue is nice.

We hired the restaurant for my wife's 50th birthday celebration. From initial contact to discussion about the menu, our arrival and the food and service on the evening was fantastic. By far the best dining experience we have had since moving to the area. Thoroughly recommended for any occasion.

Well worth 5 stars, I would give it 6 if I could. The hosts were great, made us feel very comfortable straight away and the service was fantastic. The restaurant is effectively the dining room of their house. They must have had great fun decorating and furnishing the house, all very tastefully done. All courses were delicious and beautifully presented. The owners are clearly enthusiasts with lots of different flavours and combinations, all worked very well. I hope we will be able to eat there again.

I cannot understand why I have not visited the Upper Rectory before- I enjoyed one of the best meals of my life in a relaxed yet gracious setting. The service was exceptionally good and every one of the seven courses was delicious. For those who want to try new taste experiences without being the subject of a cullinary experiment, this is ideal. This is fresh food cooked to a timetable, so booking is essential: the Rectory is very popular, both with locals and visitors. It was excellent value for money. We will be back soon. Very soon.

I love this little gem! The owners presented a variety of amazing treats. I love the emphasis of local produce & cheeses. By far the most memorable meal in Wales!

Het upper rectory restaurant is eigenlijk bijna een privé aangelegenheid: er kunnen maar weinig gasten dineren en het restaurant is niet elke avond open. Op tijd reserveren dus want het is succesvol en zit bijna altijd vol. Er is niet een echte menukaart: er wordt gewerkt met tasting menu's: 5 gangen met heerlijke hapjes die ervoor zorgen dat je lekker en genoeg eet, zonder dat je propvol naar buiten rolt. Met onze dieetwensen was uitstekend rekening gehouden. Alice (en haar collega) van de bediening is supervriendelijk, aardig en humorvol. Het eten was mooi gepresenteerd en lekker. Voor degene die niet meer willen rijden na het eten: er zijn kamers die gereserveerd kunnen worden.

Absolutamente fantástica comida a precios increíblemente razonables. Interior y personal que le preocupa su experiencia culinaria. Totalmente recomendado.

Este restaurante lleva un poco acostumbrarse. Mientras está esperando a ser sentados uno sentado en una habitación pequeña, pero bien amueblado y bebidas y canapés, pero ofreció una no puede escapar del sentimiento de espera afuera del director de estudio. Sin embargo, desplazarse al comedor...

Lugar poco agradable, muy poco de hecho así sin duda recomendado ya que solo tienen unas pocas mesas. Hacen un menú degustación de 7 platos que es de un valor increíble. Comenzó con canapés en el salón, el hongo velouté era preciosa, dos veces el...

Hemos cenado en el Rectory en varias ocasiones y nunca he tenido una mala comida. El menú de degustación de siete platos, que cambia regularmente, es Valor asombrosamente buenas en £29. 95 y hay una lista razonable de vino. Lo único malo es el servicio...

Buena comida, excelente servicio y excelente relación calidad-precio. Recomiendo encarecidamente una comida @ la superior. Puede esperar a volver!

I visited in November I took my partner for a Birthday treat, I had read the previous reviews and it was somewhere that I had wanted to visit for a long while.The tasting menu was lovely, the Wild mushroom veloute served in a vintage teacup was tasty and full of flavour, the following courses which included Gravlax, Twice baked Soufflé and Pork were beautiful and cooked to perfection.Superb Lemon Posset to finish, rounded the meal off beautifully.This is a must visit, and we will definitely be booking again.

This was our first visit and we were treated to the Christmas Taster Menu.As they were fairly busy on this Saturday night (there were approx ten other diners) our party went directly into the dining room on the proviso that we would have the sitting room to ourselves to enjoy our port and coffee after the meal.Course after delicious course were smoothly served to our table and the intervals allowed time for us to catch up on the lost art of conversation. My personal favorite was the "Gin and Tonic" sorbet which was amazing.Perhaps a little too much lemon in the stuffing for my own taste but all in all an wonderful meal.After eating we retired to the sitting room to enjoy our coffee,meet the cat and relax in front of the wood burner,a fitting end to a lovely evening. Can't wait until the next time.

My second visit here. A real gem of a find, friendly, personable and lovingly cooked tasty food, a wonderful dining experience. It like walking into someone's home, I think there are only five tables and once in you are there for the night. Loved the Xmas menu. All courses bar one were an absolute delight. Sadly the star of the show, the turkey dinner was mostly stuffing with very little turkey, not sure if it was just my helping where it was sliced, and I would have looked crispy cooked bacon on the pigs in blankets, mine sadly was fatty and not cooked enough. No dauphinois potatoes either but a swirl of mash. That said, the rest was a delight and it was well worth the money. I was so full at the end I couldn't eat the wee mince pie with my coffee!

This was our first visit to the Upper Rectory, but it certainly won't be our last. The evening started with us being settled into the beautiful sitting room for canapés while our table was prepared. It was a delightful opportunity to chat to fellow guests before we were taken through to the dining room. Every course was beautifully cooked and presented, we couldn't fault anything. We were concerned that the 'taster menu' would leave us feeling hungry, but at the end of the evening we were certainly full, without that 'stuffed' feeling. The atmosphere was calm and friendly, as were the staff. We had a wonderful evening. We can't wait to see next month's menu. Excellent value for money, we would recommend the Upper Rectory without hesitation. Thank you so much!

An excellent Saturday night was had by all..great service, interesting menu including dishes that some of our party would not have ordered, but nevertheless enjoyed, and great service.The small numbers of covers lends itself well to this operation, as the staff are free to be attentive and the courses flow, making it an enjoyable process.Would recommend to all...Bookings only taken....

What a fantastic evening. £28:95 for a 7 course taster menu. All courses were so tasty & they adapted the menu for our dietary requests = 1 meat eater & 2 vegetarians. The atmosphere is cosy with only 16 seated on the evening we went. The staff are very friendly & unintrosive. The food was imaginative, interesting and most of all tasty. Good selection of drinks. Would love to visit again.

Came across this little gem and booked for a special occasion. Great experience all round from the intimate setting to the care and passion that obviously goes into the menu and food. Having eaten tasting menus at some very well known restaurants this was superb value and we will always look to book again and again.

We discovered to Upper Rectory by accident. It's just on the Welshpool side of the village of Berriew, up what looks like a private drive. At night, be aware that it's dark around there! You are eating in someone's house so numbers are limited. The evening we went there were 12 diners including us. So, the service is great with just the right blend of chat and matter of fact dinner service. There is no choice, the seven course tasting menu is well described and the staff introduce each course as it arrives. Saying this, as they appeared to be regular diners, the table behind us were all offered a Tuscan fish stew instead of the guinea fowl course so there can be variations. The food offered great value for money with each course having something interesting to offer. You can pay an awful lot more for much poorer quality than this! The star of the show for my wife was the twice baked cheese soufflé with a very good rarebit sauce. For me it was the white chocolate and raspberry moose. I didn't sample the wine list as I was the driver but my gin and tonic (Brecon gin and Fever Tree tonic) was very good.We spent a happy three hours at the Upper Rectory. All the courses were beautifully presented and as I said, it is possible to pay a lot more for much worse. We'll be back.

It doesn't take a diatribe to describe the Upper Rectory experience. Put simply, I've eaten there a number of times, with my wife and with groups of friends, and it is just excellent. That word encompasses the thought that goes in to the menu, the way the food is sourced and cooked, the presentation, the service, the ambience and the value for money. I can't wait to return.

Along with friends, I have eaten at Upper Rectory on several occasions and cannot believe Mr Williams diatribe - it really does sound to me like he bears a grudge for whatever reason and has chosen this portal to express it. The Upper Rectory serves amazing food, the menu is available for all to see and if a dish, or any part of it does not suit, I have found the owner to be more than accommodating - I myself am allergic to shell fish and our meal has been altered to make sure I am not poisoned! There is always a warm welcome, service is efficient and friendly. I would not hesitate to recommend the Upper Rectory. Unfortunately I agreed that Mr Williams review helped me - not the case - I clicked the thumb looking for a "thumbs down", an option that was sadly not available

I'm a man of few words but on this occasion I would just like say thank you to Mr Williams...... I wanted to describe you as a complete plonker but feel you manage this just fine yourself.Now then would I dine at this establishment again ......In a heartbeat 100%

Having eaten at The Rectory on a number of occasions,I would simply like to reply to the very biased review given by Mr. Williams. Each and every meal that we have received at The Rectory has been pleasant, personal and faultless. The service has been second to none and we have been very impressed with the 'home from home' experience that we have received. The food has been of a high standard and the owner has always been keen to ensure that all our tastes are catered for. Mr. Williams, sadly, seems to have an axe to grind (along with an appalling ability to write in a grammatically correct way and an inferiority complex with regard to his own musical knowledge!!) In my humble opinion, do not hesitate to eat here!

As newbies to the area our neighbours organised a dinner here for all of us. We had no idea what to expect (other than the fact our dietary foibles had been well catered for!!) but had a really lovely evening, with delicious and inventive food and in great surroundings. The only improvement I would make would be a better wine list but that's juts me, the wine snob!

As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for, and so I suppose I only have myself to blame for ever thinking that a 7-course so-called ‘tasting menu’ at £28.95 per person (not including any drinks) would ever be anything greater than average. It wasn’t average … nowhere near average. Indeed, the owner should aspire for average, because that would be a huge improvement.Allow me to begin at the beginning. Knowing that my wife and I would be visiting the very lovely Powis Castle and even lovelier gardens on a Saturday in July 2016, I booked a table for two at 'Upper Rectory’ many weeks ahead for what we thought would be the nice conclusion to a lovely day. How wrong could we be? We arrived ten minutes before our allotted 7pm booked table to be shown in to a rather cramped and strangely bedecked waiting room. That was when the first problem hit us straight away. The smell of DOG! My wife and I never actually saw the offending beast, but we both could certainly smell it, and even more so later on in the dining room every time the adjoining door to the kitchen was opened. But I will come to that later.We were asked if we wanted a drink. Neither of us wanted alcohol on this particular evening so we asked if they had any fruit-based or soft drink cocktails? They had a very scant selection of soft drinks and so we opted for an elderflower soft drink. It came in cocktail glasses, and so was a tiny drink, which was not the portion we had anticipated, but then that kind of set a trend for portion size.The next thing that was so wrong was the music, which ranks as one of the most irritating CDs I have ever heard in my life. Not only was the music annoying, irritating and inappropriate to the surroundings, it was far too loud. My wife and I were sat in adjacent uncomfortable chairs with just a couple of feet of each other but we were stunned into silence by it, particularly once more people arrived whereupon it would have descended into a shouting competition. So we waited to be sat at our table, and we waited. And we waited. Eventually we were offered two canapés each – a really bland and virtually tasteless small piece of puff pastry that hadn’t risen properly with some red stuff in it purporting to be some kind of cheese and beetroot concoction. That, at least, was edible, albeit served on a dirty great lump of wood, which looked as pretentious as it did unhygienic … which kind of set the stage for the rest of the meal. The other little morsel was, let us say adventurous in a Spanish kind of way, if not a little presumptuous. It was a single green olive with an anchovy wrapped around it’s outer. That didn’t bode well. Such combos are an acquired taste at the best of times, but certainly more suited to a situation where, perhaps at a tapas bar, you have a good range of food items from which to choose, so it’s not such an issue if anchovies or olives or both are not to one’s taste. I find it rather arrogant to offer up such a thing as part of an English restaurant tasting menu on a ‘like it or lump it’ basis. Well we lumped it and left it where it deserved to rot, on the pretentious big lump of tree. And so we waited. And we waited. And our tummies rumbled. And we looked at our watches again and again wondering why we were being expected to wait in a dog-smelling room, while hoping to any god that might exist that the owner would change her incredibly irritating CD, or at least turn the volume down a bit.Eventually, at past 7.15pm (25+ minutes after our arrival and 15+ minutes late for the 7pm table we had booked), we were ushered into the slightly odd, brightly lit post-war time-warp that was the dining room. To our dismay, the awful and overly loud music was also being pumped into the dining room via some equally shrill little speakers as those in the waiting room. By this point I was hungry and irritated, and so politely asked the young waitress if she wouldn’t mind changing the music and perhaps reducing the volume a little. She disappeared and within moments the owner stormed in, full of attitude, and virtually trying to pick a fight over it. She demanded to know what was wrong with the music, so I straightforwardly told her it was really irritating to my ear and it was intrusively loud. But rather than just accepting that and accommodatingly putting on something different, she started trying to defend the music, stating that it we were ‘GUESTS’ in HER home and that the music was to create a nice ‘ambiance’ (it had all the ambiance of a hospital waiting room). She went on to state that this wasn’t a commercial restaurant (you’re telling me!), but that it was a special eating place in her home and that they are always busy and booked up. She was literally telling us, in as many words, that we were PRIVILEGED to be eating in HER home! I had to restate that I found the music very irritating, to which she suggested that I might compromise and have it just turned down a bit. I just stuck to my line and so she then sarcastically asked me what I think she should play, very much with an attitude of, “you don’t know what you’re talking about, and this is MY house and MY business after all.” Well, she didn’t realise it, but she was speaking to a postgraduate-qualified musicologist and historian (with distinction-graded MA degrees in both Music and Humanities) who is as well versed in all kinds of pop, rock, jazz, film and world music as I am classical music. And, after 54 years of cultured dining experience around the world, and with world expert status in certain aspects of music history, I can assure her that her choice of music was exceeding bad for the surroundings, bad for the ambiance, bad for the older age groups and demographic of most of her guests, and bad for the occasion. Granted, music preferences are very personal and subjective, but I have listened to a huge amount of every kind of music going, and this music was inappropriate with a capital ‘U’. But anyway, when I informed her of my suggestion, asking her if she had any classical music, she just scoffed at the suggestion and said she didn’t have any classical music, as if I was stupid for even suggesting such a thing. For a supposed restauranteur, her attitude against classical music as ambiance music was amazingly ill-informed and philistine. I didn’t bother to argue the point with her, but there is every mood imaginable to be found in classical music, particularly soft, romantic tunes, eminently suitable for a pleasant dining experience. I wasn’t expecting her to play the ‘William Tell Overture’ or ‘Flight of the Bumble Bee’. So she went off in a huff. A few minutes later she put on a Tracy Chapman CD and the young waitress came out to ask if that was OK. Yes. Fair enough. Acceptable. But why the big fuss? Why not just change it when a paying customer says it is irritating, intrusive and too loud? So, with whatever little atmosphere there might have been totally ruined, we sat and wondered what was on the menu first then? Soup! Ah, great! But we are currently watching our waistlines a bit, so we thought that we would skip on the bread. Well, at least my wife did, but I was so hungry by the midpoint of the entire meal that I gradually worked my way through all four little half slices of soft grain bread, to avoid heartburn as much as anything. But I digress … the soup. Well, my wife and I have eaten tasting menus before and have eaten in all kinds of really top restaurants in locations all over the world, from the great seafood restaurants of Iceland and Norway, to the great oriental restaurants of Thailand and mainland China. But NEVER, have we ever been offered soup in a tiny shot glass. It was little more than a tablespoon’s worth. Not that we minded because the soup on offer was a very lumpy Gazpacho. Now my wife ordinarily likes Gazpacho, but found this too lumpy, too raw, particularly the tomato skins and pieces raw onion in it … which is amazing to achieve that in such a tiny shot glass. Personally, I hate Gazpacho anyway, and I cannot eat raw onion because I find it indigestible. To me, it was a further bit of food arrogance to presume that an acquired taste such as Gazpacho would be to everyone’s liking. I heard murmurings from one of two others in the dining room that they weren’t fans of raw onion either. Anyway, we shrugged our shoulders and thought that it could only get better. The waitress collected our shot glasses, which, I may add, were served on yet another lump of wood, this time with holes the size of the shot glass bored into it, but with such a tight fit that there was a very real danger that someone would get showered in Gazpacho to get it out of the wooden block. I had to carefully unscrew both mine and my wife’s glass for us to even attempt to taste it. I had left almost all of mine. So the next thing was the owner came storming back in a very arrogant and confrontational way, as if to say, “How DARE you not like something we have so lovingly prepared!” I just thought, “Well, I’m sorry, love, but I just don’t like it … get over it!” So I just sat quietly and listened to her embarrassing blathering on about how concerned she was that I didn’t like the canapés (about which neither my wife nor I had actually made a single word of complaint), that I didn’t like the soup, and that she was worried that I wasn’t going to enjoy ‘the experience’ of it all. She carried on demanding to know if I didn’t like the rest of the menu, to which I said the rest of it SOUNDED fine. In the end, I had to say, “Look, it’s no biggie … just because I don’t like the soup, it’s NOT OBLIGATORY to like everything that is served up on a plate.” (I used the word ‘plate’ rather ironically, because to this point of the meal, I hadn’t seen one other than the side plate). She asked if there was a different soup I wanted, but not in a nice accommodating way, but in a huffy, demanding and confrontational manner, as if it were me that were making all the fuss! I looked at what she had served me, looked at the miniscule size of the vessel in which it came, and pondered: (a) what’s the point? And (b) how would I know what soup they have? And (c) how long would it take? It would clearly be too much hassle for them anyway. But, in any case, I was really hungry now, so I just wanted her to get on with the main meal. She then disappeared in a huff, never to reappear for the rest of the time we were there. I had held my tongue a LOT given her deluded and almost Basil Fawlty kind of attitude, but I had decided that if I heard any more of her confrontational, fussing outbursts like that again, I would be immediately demanding a conclusion to ‘the experience’. Fortunately for her, she subsequently stayed out of my way. My wife was ready to tear a strip off her, and the only reason she didn’t was this was supposed to be MY birthday treat, and so it was MY choice, and MY call as to whether to stay or go. I did very nearly just stand up and walk out, but I stayed on a mixture of ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’ and a morbid curiosity of ‘how bad can this get?’ A lot worse, as it happens.So then, after more extended waiting, what was the first and the last decent bit of grub came our way. It was a cheese soufflé, and it was, I am happy to admit, very tasty. That said, I would have preferred it on a proper bit of china plate, or even an old piece of bog-standard crockery, than the small piece of grey slate it came on. I’m not really into eating off Welsh roof tiles, but there’s that old ‘pretentiousness’ thing again. Next came some kind of hard-boiled egg, or at least half a boiled egg, with some kind of herby, creamy filling whipped up with the egg yolk in the middle. It was edible enough but hardly a culinary treat (the lady on the table next to us couldn’t eat it). And it came with a less-than-perfect single daisy flower head shoved in it the middle of the filling. Now, personally, I never like things on my plate that are inedible. HOWEVER, English daisies ARE edible, at least their petals. It is also very trendy to garnish food with such edible flowers. That said, a lot of trendy chefs are increasingly guilty of ‘style over substance’, and if they concentrated more on cooking things properly and tastily and less on edible and inedible presentation garnish, us genuine foodies would be much happier. English daisies are also apparently very bitter, so not the best thing to serve up with an egg, in my opinion. But if you are going to shove a daisy head into a hard-boiled egg thing, then you should at least pay some attention to detail, and make sure that the daisy head is a perfect one, not a manky one with faded and wilting petals as was mine. I saw the lawn of their garden and there were thousands of the blighters. So why not give me a nice daisy, even though I would merely pull it out of the egg within seconds of arrival before placing it on one side to be later scraped into the bin … surely, the epitome of pointlessness. Oh yes, and I almost forgot to mention that the stomach-churning smell of wet dog emanating from the kitchen, every time one of the staff came in or out of the dining room, was accompanied by a dog hair on my wife’s egg. Mmmmm … nice! Smell the dog … now TASTE the dog! Why ANY restaurateur and/or hotelier thinks it is acceptable practice to keep dogs on the premises is absolutely beyond me. Dog owners grow so used to their dogs’ filthy smells that they can’t even smell it, but to non-dog owners it is disgusting!!! By this point, we were beyond complaining to the owner because we would both have given her such a verbal kicking it would have been very alarming and embarrassing to the other diners, and we very thoughtfully and kindly didn’t wish to ruin their evenings in such a manner. There was a mango sorbet at some point in the proceedings, which was rich and tasty, and fine if you like three-teaspoon portions. These would have been tiny portions in a proper professional ten-course tasting meal, but for an amateurish seven-course tasting meal, this was taking the pee.Other than the cheese soufflé, the next most substantial course was a small amount of chicken breast which had been sculpted into the chicken equivalent of arctic roll, but using a truly horrible and overpowering sage stuffing. In fitting presentational style it had a bizarrely huge sprig of parsley, with a big stem and several big leaves on it, again, stuck into the middle of the food like a mini tree growing out of the dish. Unlike my wife who left most of hers, out of sheer hunger, I persevered with mine and ate it all with some of the aforementioned sliced bread. However, I later regretted it as it left a horrible and unquenchable bad taste in my mouth. The combination of the bad and overpowering stuffing and the overall lack of calories saw me stopping, on the way home, at the first motorway service station on the M54, downing a pint of banana milk shake, eating a Kellogg’s chocolate cereal bar, and finishing off with a Cadbury’s Daily Milk choc ice … partly out of hunger and heartburn, but mostly in an attempt to get rid of the horrible aftertaste of the meal. And even that didn’t work. Nor did toothpaste and mouthwash, until the following morning after a good sleep and a nice cup of tea.The cheese course was also bizarre. Back came the slate servers with three big lumps of cheese on it. Nothing wrong with the cheeses, but in size they were completely out of proportion with the rest of the small portion sizes. It’s not what you would expect of a tasting menu so much a Ploughman’s lunch. A lazy cop-out of a course. Sadly, a third failure of hygiene and attention to detail came forth to add to the manky daisy and the dog hair … that of a mouldy grape. There were only three of four grapes on the cheese slate, but one of them had a slash on the side with visible mould in it. Yuk!And to cap it all, the ‘petit fours’ as advertised on the ‘like it or lump it’ tasting menu of the day, were in fact just ‘petit four’, or even just ‘petit two’, to be more accurate. In other words, there were only two ‘petit fours’ served between two people and thus only one ‘petit four’ each, which was a clear breach of promise given the plural that is implied with ‘petit fours’ on the ‘per person’ basis implied by the menu and the price per person being paid. Moreover, these particular ‘petit fours’ were shop bought, not homemade, which is very lazy and below par for a tasting menu.So we asked for coffee, and sat regretting that we had not instead followed our noses towards the great smells coming from a local Indian restaurant, and sat, and sat, and waited and waited. We had travelled for the big day out in Welshpool from Tamworth in Staffordshire, which is a good two-hour drive each way, and so we kind of wanted to be on our way sooner than later. The meal had taken an excruciatingly long three hours and ten minutes (plus the extra ten minutes we had foolishly spent arriving early). That is a very long time for ANY seven-course meal, let alone a hunger inducing meal of tiddly portions such as this (I think my metabolism moves faster than they can serve their tiny courses). That might have been okay for a good meal in a nice, relaxing or even romantic environment, but this was none of these things. What it was … was awful, amateurish, awful, pretentious, awful, irritating, awful, dog-smelling, awful, annoying, awful, embarrassing, awful, unhygienic, awful and awful. Oh yes, and awful. We were hoping for awesome, but we got awful. Like I say, you usually get what you pay for … although this was bad at any price. This was bad for a free meal or if they were paying you to eat it. We had told the young waitress that we had a two-hour journey ahead of us, so if they could get on with giving us the bill sooner than later, that would be appreciated. At 10pm we got the bill for about £75-ish, but then no one appeared for another ten minutes, so in the end, we wished our fellow diners farewell and left £80 in cash on the table in 4 x £20 notes (she only takes cash or cheque anyway), in order that we could be on our way without further delay or drama. We also figured it was safer that way, because if the owner had dared to ask us if we had enjoyed ‘the experience’, one or both of us might have erupted, particularly if a simple ‘no’ would have been met with a load of arrogance, argument and feigned care as we experienced earlier. If you CARE about what you serve, you DON’T put manky, wilted daisies in their food, you DON’T let dog hairs get on their food, and you DON’T serve up mouldy grapes. So it WAS avoidably rude for us to depart in that way, but it was the lesser of two evils, and very much kinder on the other diners by some considerable margin.In our view, the lady that owns and runs this establishment is arrogant, confrontational, deluded, and fundamentally scared of being ‘found out’. Well, she has been found out now, and I can only guess that the five star reviews received to date were likely from her network of personal friends and local acquaintances who she coerces into upping her TripAdviser status way beyond what she deserves. I should have paid heed to not only the words of ‘Andy M’ of Montgomery on TripAdviser from 2011, but more tellingly to the very arrogant reply which she made to that man via TripAdviser. In many ways, it partially prepared me for the possibility of the confrontation that came our way too.An ‘experience’? This was one of the most spectacularly bad dining experiences my wife and I have ever had, and we therefore have some very genuine and very serious advice for her to turn her business around, which she would be very well advised to take on board and heed.1. DON’T confront customers in an aggressive and confrontational manner, nor make a big fuss, just because they don’t like a particular foodstuff or course.2. DON’T tell them or imply that they should be grateful or feel privileged to eat in your home, because no customer could care a flying fig whether or not it’s your home. YOU have set up your home as a restaurant by YOUR choice and invited in paying customers who expect certain courtesies and standards in exchange for their hard-earned money. It is YOUR privilege to have their custom, not THEIR privilege to eat your substandard meals. So get real!3. DON’T argue with customers if they don’t like the music or find it too loud. Get yourself a good selection of music, and if you want to play modern or trendy music, then at least don’t choose single artist albums who may not be to your customers’ personal tastes. Instead choose ‘various artist’ compilations so there will be more chance of ‘something for everyone’, or at least a quick change of artist if the music is not to their taste. Better still, seek out some relaxing mood music, preferably instrumental, but without too many tinny drum beats … and/or get some better speakers and/or keep the volume down a bit.4. GET your foul-smelling dog the heck away from the kitchen, the waiting area, the dining room, or preferably give it to someone who doesn’t run a restaurant in their own home. 5. Realise that tasting menus are for top professionals, not relative amateurs like you. If I were you, I would abandon the tasting menus, enrol on a night-school cookery refresher course, and concentrate on providing good, basic, wholesome home-cooked three-course meals (maybe one meat and one vegetarian three-course menu per day with fresh local ingredients), because you are out of your depth with what you are attempting to offer on a budget price. Truly, consider going back to basics, and crack that one before eventually going back to tasting menus, because your overall poor quality of food, lack of attention to detail and hygiene, tiny portions, pretentious presentation, are simply not up to the job. Seven courses with only one out of seven being genuinely good, plus lazy, cop-out cheese board and shop-bought ‘petit four’ (singular) does not a tasting menu make, however reasonably-priced it may initially appear.I could go on and on, but I am not Gordon Ramsay, nor am I Lord Sugar. What I am, however, is a cultured and seasoned traveller and lover of great food, and what I am telling you straight, is that you need to pull your socks up and consider your future, because right now, based upon your 16th July 2016 Saturday evening tasting menu, I would have to tell others, purely on the grounds of a sense of civic duty and fair play, to avoid your little home-based restaurant until you have had chance to put a lot of things right, not least your hygiene practices, what you serve, how you serve it, and the environment in which it is served.I don’t want apologies, I don’t want excuses, and I sure as hell don’t ever want to eat in eating establishment where you may work ever again. Not only would I not accept a complimentary apology meal, I would not even accept such a meal if you were PAYING ME to eat in your home, restaurant, dog pound, or whatever you want to call it.

There is a standard tasting menu offered 3 nights a week, although there was a table which had vegetarians and the menu was adapted for them so it's possible to adapt if you give them notice.It took a long time to eat - not sure if it was a factor of the kitchen freshly making all the items or what. There was even a fair gap between dessert and cheese and given this was nearly 11 o'clock half our table left as they were too tired to wait. Certainly everything was freshly prepared, but we felt too much for a tasting platter. The soup for instance was more than half a cup of cold Tomato and Basil soup which they labelled a "shot"My advice is to ignore the bread, and book as early as possible. There's plenty of nice food to come:-) And at the price it is incredible value for money.One off-putting aspect of this slightly quirky restaurant is that you are in waht was probably the dining room of a private house. Seating is 20 Max, we had about 15 in the room and it started to get a bit too noisy for private conversation

We were lucky enough to get a table after a friend´s suggestion and we had the best meal I´ve had in a long long time!. The tasting menu was fabulous, from start to end. The service was impeccable and it felt like being a home but with a fantastic meal served directly to your table. I cannot recommend enough this place. The surroundings are beautiful, the food is incredibly good and the service is spot on too. It´s definitely the perfect treat!!

yes it's a must to go there for a real treat ---great food and the service was excellent, easy parking and the house is full of character not forgetting the friendly cat , ,

Really really can't thank you enough Kerry. What a lovely unforgettable experience. From the second we arrived Kerry makes you feel so welcome and at home. We stayed at the "Shepard's Hut" which is situated at the paddock at the back of the Upper Rectory. A unique experience which everyone should try. After a lovely complementary bottle and wonderful chocolate cupcakes in the hut we chilled out and headed into the main house for our 7 course tasting menu. 10/10. The food was fantastic from start to end. Plenty of time in between the courses to enjoy the atmosphere and conversation. Very Parisian. After a lovely chat and night cap(s) with Kerry we headed back to our cozy Hut with the log burner still going for an extremely comfortable sleep. Waking up watching the mist rise above the paddock and Welsh landscape was the perfect start to the day. Tied in nicely with a trip over to lake Vyrnwy for a bike ride around the lake!! We will def be back again soon!!!!! Well done what an amazing experience giving us a wedding anniversary we shall never forget. An absolute hidden gem!!!!Xxxxx

This was our first visit to Upper Rectory last Saturday and I can't praise Kerry enough she cooked a special 7course taster vegetarian menu just for me! everything was beautifully presented and tasted fantastic such a pleasant change from the usual run of the mill offerings -it was all wonderful but the piri piri sweet potato was just divine.My husband raved over the wild boar ,there was such a lovely atmosphere friendly helpful staff we were well looked after I think Kerry deserves a mitchelin star Thankyou once again we will be back

Considering We live so close I cannot believe we don't go more often, everything about the Upper Rectory is close to perfect. As soon as you arrive, you are made to feel welcome,the atmosphere is cosy. There is a good wine selection with stunning food ( 7 coarse tasting Menu) Every course was perfect and what I love about the tasting menu is you often get something that you wouldn't normally order but you are always pleasantly surprised. Coffee in the lounge ended a Perfect evening.Very Highly recommended ( just wish I knew which glass I was supposed to use)probably wouldn't of chose but you are always pleasantly surpris d.Finished off with coffe in the lounge

Last night at Upper Rectory our group of 10 friends celebrated four 50th birthdays. We all absolutely loved it,all the food was amazing, delicious and beautifully presented, my absolute favourite was the cheese souffle .The young staff were polite and helpful.the whole atmosphere of their small dining room was lovely, comfortable and warm, We arrived at 7 pm and before we knew it, the clock had struck 12, On behalf of our group we would like to thank you all very much for a fabulous night and there is no doubt in my mind ........we'll be back !! xx

Had dinner at the Upper Rectory last Saturday evening and it was excellent. This is the first time I have had a 7 course Tasting Menu and it was an absolute treat. The salad of kangaroo and ostrich was scrumptious and the twice baked Welsh artisan cheese souffle to die for! The presentation was immaculate, and I would definitely recommend the Upper Rectory to others and would eat there again.

We have eaten at Upper Rectory several times in the past and I have to say the food is consistently of a high standard. Presented beautifully in a relaxed atmosphere. Friendly helpful staff, its a must to go for dinner.

We booked a table for two to celebrate an anniversary. We particularly like tasting menus and the location for this, an hour or so from home, with the option of staying over nearby, and the reviews, were the reasons we booked. The menu is standard, and we were seated in a lounge areas to have amusee bouche and choose our wine. One of the a.b.s was olives with anchovies and I'm not keen on olives but the combination made them tasty!We ordered a grand vin de Bordeaux which isn't cheap at £29, however it was excellent a St Emillion 2012, we went into the dining room, just 4 tables, one for 2, ours, plus 3 tables that sat 4. The room was cosy, but there was enough room and the layout allowed relative privacy.The food was superb. We particularly liked the cheese soufflé and main course, though everything was excellent. We though the meal was good value for money and would return

We stayed in the Upper Rectory's newly renovated Pool Road cottage in Berriew village. A wonderful, sweet one bedroom 'Ty Twt' (means Iittle house in Welsh) The owners have thought of everything and the simple, traditional decor is straight out of a Country Living feature! Lovely home made Welsh cakes and delicious jams to welcome us.We also enjoyed a fabulous seven course taster menu by the thoughtful Upper Rectory owners at a private function in the Andrew Logan Sculpture Museum in the village - magnificent!

Taster menus might be considered by some as a taste of the 70s but this restaurant is a wonderful advert a renaissance.The location is incredibly intimate. At one point I was invited to join in the discussion at an adjoining table! But for an occasion when we were deliberately looking for something a bit different, it was just right. The seven course menu is wonderfully varied and tastes beautiful. And if there's something which isn't particularly to your taste, you're bound to enjoy something else.Definitely worth a visit when you're in the area!

We love this perfect little resturant. the amazing 7 course set menu is always superb quality and such good value for the price. the trade mark cheese soufle is gorgeous. staff are very attentive and make you feel gery welcome. I wouldnt change a thing. our perfect night out for anniversaries or birthdays is always going to be here.

A very different dining experience to the normal restaurant. More like going round to a fine home for diner. Set tasting menu was excellent. Just be sure to check on the phone before if you have any particular dislikes or food allergies. Overall outstanding value.

Our second visit to The Upper Rectory was in December 2014, when we just had to take four friends to experience for themselves what we had been raving about.We knew it would be special and we weren't disappointed. We're a bit picky about food - a vegetarian, one who only eats fish and I can't eat root veg - and once again we were sorted out with absolutely no fuss, no tutting or eyes rolling to the ceiling. Those of us who couldn't have the set menu were not disadvantaged in any way and were able to experience the same flavours, textures and overall dining experience as the others (please take note, big expensive restaurant on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, reviewed by me in February 2013!) .Our evening was a pre-Christmas evening out for the group of musicians we sing with. The ambience was perfect - a happy, contented buzz of conversation from other diners added to the evening, with a bit of banter between tables for good measure (they all got off lightly - we have been known to burst into song on occasions - we thought that may be taking good cheer a bit too far!).The food was, again, superb with a mix of flavours and textures as good as anything we've experienced on our travels and, as someone else has said on here, the value is incredible - seven courses for less that £30. There's a Michelin-starred restaurant a few miles away - we've eaten there as well and the food at The Upper Rectory is comparable in terms of the menu, the cooking and the presentation - and it's less than half the price.It probably says it all that one of our number when we visited is a restaurateur himself and takes a lot of impressing - boy, was he impressed!More power to you Kerry, Steve and your lovely team - we're already looking forward to our next visit!

We went to the Upper Rectory in December 2014 for a girly family Christmas get together and we had the most fabulous evening. Every one of our 7 courses was wonderful and delicious, the service was friendly and efficient, and the atmosphere was lively and fun. The dining room is cosy but very comfortable, and the staff couldn't have done any more for us. The menu changes each season and is incredible value for 8 courses plus some delicious canapes (£28.95 per head). We had a Christmas menu which included a gorgeous soup in a teacup, the moistest turkey, and one of the most gorgeous chocolate pot desserts I've ever tasted. Can't quite believe that this place is still such a well kept secret locally. Would recommend a visit to anyone....

We think this is an interesting place to eat out. Food is pretty good, although not exceptional, but is reasonably good value. It's a fixed 7 course menu that changes seasonally. I would recommend avoiding when Christmas work parties are there, as it's in a small lounge-size room, so can get pretty rowdy. We ate our dessert and cheese courses in their lounge.

We not only ate the food, we stayed the night...We arrived around 4pm, after spending a few hours in Welshpool, I have to say, Welshpool has some very friendly people.We were met by the delectable Kerry, who had me howling with laughter, within minutes, and making us feel incredibly welcome, as she showed us to our accommodation for the night. Which is a shepards hut, complete with a complementary bottle of wine, tea coffee and biscuits. . Nothing was too much trouble, she even bought some large chunks of wood so my husband could play with the brazier.. You know men and fire.. Grrrrr.. Which gave me time to read my book, and take in the views in peace.. 8 o'clock came around and we were shown into a lounge with cheese straws and olives, washed down with a very good Prosecco. . Later we entered the dining room small yet perfect for a romantic candlelight dinner, wasted on my husband he was there purely for the food. But you never know, you might have a partner, that will notice something beyond his/her plate.Speaking of which, the food.. My goodness the food.. We started with a soup, served in quaint tea cups, so tasty, followed by twice baked cheese soufflé, then four other equally delicious dishes. By the end of the meal, the whole dining room was speaking to each other, and all were singing the praises of the Upper Rectory. A most enjoyable evening. We then tootled up to the Shepherds hut, husband lit the log burner (Grrrr) The next thing I knew, there was a knock at the door at 9am, to be greeted by fresh ground coffee, orange juice, hot croissants, muffins jam and yoghurt. All in a wicker basket.. I have to say, it has got to be, the best weekend, I have had, for a very long time.. Thankyou Kerry and team.. Can't wait to return.. That's if you'll have us.. Xxxx

My partner and I were spending the weekend at Mellington Hall Hotel on a living social deal which included one evening meal. I was so glad I found this family run restaurant for the other evening. We arrived at Upper Rectory and immediately felt very welcome, we were shown to the lounge while our table was being set. The lounge and dining area were both very homely, and very quaint, seating 5 parties of 2-4 at a time. The food was outstanding, even courses which I would never normally pick, were so tasty, and well presented. Great value for money!!The staff were very friendly and we didn't feel rushed or a nuisance. I think more people should try this restaurant, I know we will be back!

For some reason, this lovely restaurant had gone off our radar. We put that right on a sunny July evening and so glad that we did. I think we had 9 courses in all but don't let this put you off if you are overfaced by the thought of so much food. It comes like the best presents - in little parcels - canapes, amuse bouche, starter, sorbet .... all beautifully presented with nice gaps between so you don't feel you are being rushed through. Don't worry about the set menu either - every time we've been we've eaten something which maybe we wouldn't have chosen ourselves from a menu with a choice - but then we would have missed out. Just sit back and relax. The staff here understand customer service and the excellent chefs know what they're doing - so leave them to it and you will be pleasantly surprised I'm sure. The menu is published on FB in advance so if you had an allergy or something, I'm sure if you rang ahead they could tweak something for you - but luckily we are able to go with the flow here. At the time of booking our July visit, I noticed they are doing a gourmet night in August so booked that at the same time - so it won't be as long until our next visit - and we are very happy about that!! The dining room is in their own home, so is small - ideal for couples and small groups but also would be nice if you were celebrating a birthday or something and wanted to treat your friends!

A unique, charming and wholly unexpectedly fab night out. Great fresh food, lots of variety and engagingly presented. Excellent staff and great value. We will be going again - no question.

First and most certainly not our last visit. Welcomed at the front door, shown to the lounge where we ordered pre dinner drinks which were served with amazing canapés. All courses were fabulously tasty, and whilst the portion sizes were not large they didn't need to be.... there were 7 courses! Very quaint and homely place but big on service, style & quality. Fine dining experience without a high price tag. Can't wait yo revisit with friends.

We are locals and regularly visit the Upper Rectory. It is fantastic value for money but more to the point it is the attention to detail that this couple take. True professionals!The food is superb.You won't be disappointed.

Couldn't ask for more. Compared favourably to local Michelin starred restaurant. Lovely meal, ambience and service. Even the price was right! Only booked on the day and got in due to a cancelation. I'm veghie and my husband has an allergy but we were catered for without any fuss and the set menu food we received was not compomised in any way. Well done and thank you for one of the best meals ever!

This is our third visit - each time has been fantastic, the menu is always thoughtfully put together and each course works with the next. The service is also spot on,We also over in the Shepherds hut accommodation this time, which was a really magical experience, it was very cozy and breakfast in the morning came in a huge basket- orange juice,fresh coffee and hot pastries- fantastic!

What a lovely meal - great 'home cooking', beautifully presented with fantastic flavours, that equalled a recent dining experience in a Michelin Star restaurant. It's the whole experience of eating good food in a relaxing setting. Although the room itself is quite small, we didn't feel too close to neighbouring diners. For a taster menu, the portions are very generous and there is a varied, yet reasonable wine list. All in all, excellent value for money. The superb service also should also be mentioned.

I am usually fighting an uphill struggle when visiting mid-Wales to go out for food (with exceptions of the excellent Bistro 7, and pricey and falling standards of the Checkers), so was very impressed with my recent visit to the Upper Rectory.To my surprise it has been going for three years, had I known I would have been here sooner. The restaurant offers a no choice 6 course meal, however with amouse bouches and petit fours it was more like nine.It is worth noting that the restaurant isn't looking for a Michelin dining experience, and nor does it have the price to match, so whilst it might like a bit of finesse, the food on the whole was excellent, and moreover fantastic value. What really makes the place is the setting, the warm welcome and the friendly social vibe.When you enter you are unhurriedly escorted to what feels like a comfy living room, and you have the option of chatting to the other diners before you sit, I love this. After some simple yet tasty and salty (good thing) amouse bouches/mini tapas, we ordered from the extensive wine menu (unfortunately had to settle for a local beer due to driving). I would love to take advantage of the innovative and charming overnight accommodation and make a night of it next time.We had pepper soup which was a nice appetite whetter, even if the tomato flavour dominated. Double baked cheese soufflé followed (I think there was cheese in almost every course - ideal), which was soft and full of flavour. Then following a slightly out of place lemon sorbet palette cleanser, a main of chicken wrapped in pepper and bacon on some delicious potato dauphinoise. Unfortunately the herb sauce looked beautiful but wasn't sufficient in quantity to really taste it; the red berry suace (I think cranberry) was dominant however. Although the chicken was a bit dry, it was tasty enough and just the right size.A tart au citron followed which was great, rich and umptous, I could have eaten a few of those, the edible flowers a nice touch, the cape gooseberry/kumquat thingy (I forget the name of them) was unnecessary as it had no part in that dish.The cheese course was huge. I have never had such large chunks in any restaurant per person and have paid £15 for the privilege elsewhere. I prefer just a few really tasty ones, and that's what we got, a really great selection of welsh cheese with grapes and what I think are garlic crackers from ASDA (no shame with that if so, they are one of the best).I passed on coffee but this came with some really nice petit fours, especially the rich cake.The ambience was very personal, very close, as you are only one of four, maybe five tables, it was really nice to hear the chats of the other tables, though some may find this a bit close for comfort no doubt. The dining room was a mix of styles, but fitted nicely to the traditional and beautiful black and white exterior; and complimented by some nice scented candles. The service was unfussy, friendly and personal. 10/10. Ive seldom had better service in top restaurants, credit to the front of house girls who really have a charm about them.I will be back when the menus change which I was told they often do. Hopefully I can spend some time sat outside on the tables in the lovely garden out front.Value: Well, Id personally suggest you charge more.Excellent.

I had originally called to reserve a table for my girlfriends birthday, and the earliest i could get was 3 weeks later, and now i know the reason, everything about this beautiful idyllic place, the food, the service, the atmosphere is amazing. if you are ever in the area or even for a long day out in the picturesque village of Berriew, this is a must. you will not be disappointed, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my dining experience, the only down side is that it had to end. But i will be going again !

I am writing my first restaurant review and that in itself speaks volume for this wonderful restaurant. From the moment you walk up the driveway to the front door you are reminded of a time when eating out was a special experience, this is not a rushed or corners cut experience, this is fine dining over the course of an evening. First you are treated to being met at the door & led into a cosy lounge area, to eat canapes before being led into a very tasteful and atmospheric restaurant. The waitresses are friendly and the service is smooth both important factors in making the evening special but the food...well the food is something else. Each course is beautifully presented and tastes as amazing as it looks. Without a doubt we will be dining here again, this is the perfect place for a special evening out and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend booking a table here...and you must book in advance and now we can see why! Perfect!

We had the taster menu, which was both excellent value for money and quality food. Lovely relaxed atmosphere. Will be returning very soon.

On arrival a warm welcome awaits, may be a little warm for some but the roaring fore adds a nice touch, although it felt hot later on in evening, wines were expensive and the bottle we had chosen was from a well know budget supermarket charged at £17.95 when you can purchase for £4 a bottle felt a little ripped off at that price, but after paying the £27 for the tasting menu I can see they need to make money else where, but again the food was good better than a lot in the area, but it just lacked the finishes touches, soufflés were flat, very tasty though but not fluffy enough as you would expect. The main was on the cold side as the plates were not warmed, the main was tasty a lot of flavours going on although I'm not sure they went well together, just not for me but my wife loved it, the cut of chicken was a thigh bone which had very little meat which was a shame but again can't rally complain as the cost reflects these issues , you do get a lot through out the courses. I would recommend its worth a visit and at that price especially and you are not rushed to finish your meal so it's a place you can have a leisurely evening.

My wife and I went there for our first visit. There will be more. Considerable thought and planning had gone in to all eight courses of which, to our preference, all but two were full of flavours. We were most impressed. The service is wonderful and the waitresses could not have been more pleasant. Walking in does give one the impression of intruding upon someone's sitting room - but perhaps that was because we were not in a group. However, that feeling soon leaves when in the cosy restaurant with its distinctive ambience. We would have preferred a larger table. We are discussing going back in a much larger group later in the year. The wine list is very good and our chosen bottle was delicious.

These guys really know how to run a restaurant. The place is compact and has a great reputation, booking ahead is a must. The setting is delightful. The fixed menu may seem a little strange to some, so do be aware if that, but it really is a thing if beauty. We were not disappointed. Everything is so well done!!Drinks are well priced with loads of choice. Service too was exceptional from the young staff.

Just back from a night in the lovely romantic shepards hut,and an extraordinary taste extravagazser in the beautiful quaint restuarant . .Spoilt from start to finish with warm and friendly hosts. Got to say we loved every moment ,the breakfast came in a wicker basket with warm cheesy muffins and crossiants and delicous apple turnovers with fresh coffee yogurts and jams enough to feed an army. Big thank you from both of us as weve had a tough couple of months, and we so needed this little spoiling, so glad we came love and affection to you and your lovely waitresses :) Keep up the great experience you give x

We are always searching for a good restaurant that is not too far to drive , and the food is good. We found that last Saturday night. A group of 6 of us went for the 7 course Taster menu and loved it. After having our pre-dinner drink in the lounge, we went into the cosy dining room, where our soup was already on the table. This was followed by tasty mussels,then beautiful twice baked souffle. After sorbet, the main course was duck leg, shortly followed by the sweet which was treacle tart. We then had cheese and biscuits. It was all beautiful. We then went back into the lounge for coffee. It was a cold evening but the 2 young waitresses went to great lengths to ensure that we were warm and comfortable. I'm sure we will all go back and probably take a few more friends along. (We did think the drinks were a little expensive but we will just limit the amount we have next time. So that isn't a problem)

Visited on Saturday evening to celebrate a friends birthday. We were shown in to a cosy lounge with log burner and ordered pre dinner drinks. The room was welcoming, warm and relaxing. We were then shown to the dining room, again tastefully decorated, warm and welcoming. Our food was excellent, all 7 courses. The portions were the perfect size. All the dishes were beautifully presented and perfectly seasoned - don't think I have ever been out for a meal and not hunted down the salt and pepper, but this was not necessary. The desert was out of this world. The service was excellent, the young lady serving us was attentive and very pleasant. All in all, a perfect evening. Just a shame only two tables occupied, there are lots of people out there missing out on a treat!

Only one world to describe this place and that's amazing !!! We went there on Saturday 18th jan as part of a party of 17 we could not fault any part of are evening and what fantastic value for money can't wait to go again ,my only complaint was that it was a little cold in. The dinning area

Lovely intimate restaurant with only 4 tables in total. Chef and food was terrific, but waitress wasn't very experienced. Overall, this is a wonderful little restaurant with an exclusive feel.

Excellant ingredients and cooking. (Actually the cheese suffle was a bit more solid that some but still tasty. No problem.) Excellent service by two bright girls who were always there when you needed them. Very good value for money. I strongly recommend this restaurant. A bit difficult to find in the dark. They could do with a light on their sign on the road.

Having moved from London a couple of years ago, we cannot believe our luck to have found such an amazing gem of a restaurant virtually on our doorstep. Kerry and Steve are such warm and welcoming hosts, having created a totally unique experience, with food that would not be out of place in any of the top restaurants I have eaten in in the past and an atmosphere that is both intimate and relaxing. The staff are delightful and nothing is too much trouble. We have visited several times - I'd go every week if I could! Charming!

My wife and I travelled a round trip of 76 miles for this Anniversary meal, then discovered they only took cash or cheque payments, so a frantic search through the wallet, purse and car we managed to rustle sufficient funds (£23 in coins!!). The panic was unnecessary as the host insisted a posted cheque would have been sufficient and not to worry and just enjoy the evening. The two waitresses (one on her first night) were very friendly and efficient. We settled in the comfortable lounge with nibbles then stepped into the restaurant where we had the 7 Course taster menu. Each course was well presented and accompanied by edible flowers - which was a unique experience. Highlight for me was the twice baked souffle. Highly recommended and we will certainly be back.

This is a unique little place. Since we last visited, they now offer a tasting menu which starts with the home made nibbles in the lounge on arrival whilst you enjoy a pre dinner drink and peruse what treats lay in store for you. You are then invited across the hallway into the friendly and cosy atmosphere of the dining room. It's actually nice not to have to choose what you want to eat .... just sit, relax and await one delicately prepared and beautifully presented course after another! Everything looked so pretty and tasted even better. It's all rounded off with a good cup of coffee and a lovely selection of petit fours. Customer service is excellent and the whole ambiance is so nice. They are very busy and deservedly so - so book early. We already have our October date confirmed - so that says it all.

A warm and friendly welcome with nibbles in the lounge. The range of seasonal food was well prepared and presented. The staff have to be complimented on their attentive though not over intrusive approach. Though the courses were smaller than normal (as expected when partaking in seven courses) they were well thought out with a good range of fresh fayre. An excellent venue and one we will be visiting again