La Lanterna at the Old Vestry

You'll find yourself in St Alkmonds Square, pushing through the door of what was once the Old Vestry, now transformed into something altogether more convivial. The bones of the building matter here — there's real character in these walls, the kind you can't manufacture. You're getting straightforward Italian food done with care: handmade pasta, proper risotto, the sort of dishes that don't need reinventing. It's become a proper fixture in Shrewsbury's dining scene, the type of place where locals book tables and actually show up, week after week. Prices sit comfortably in the middle ground, which means you're not paying through the nose, but you're eating something worth your time.