Discover the best pubs & restaurants in Shrewsbury
Town/City Name
Shrewsbury
County
Shropshire
Population
72,000
About Shrewsbury
Nestled in the centre of Shropshire’s most wonderful areas of natural beauty, Shrewsbury is a large market town. The River Severn runs through the town which also sits within a few miles of the Welsh border. Shrewsbury, Shropshire has a wealth of history and contains some of Shropshire’s most impressive medieval style buildings, cathedrals, a beautiful Abbey and 9 bridges that cross the River Severn.
Amongst Shrewsbury’s many history landmarks you will find Shrewsbury castle which is located in the centre of town set within beautifully landscaped grounds. Shrewsbury also houses the famous retired prison known as the Dana which you can visit and has been featured on several TV programmes. Shrewsbury’s quaint cobbled streets are lined with a wealth of boutique and quirky independent shops, with a fantastic indoor market hall which has won many awards including Britain’s Favourite Market Hall, back in the summer of 2018.
The magnificent train station has fantastic transport links, you can travel to other market towns that are relatively local to Shrewsbury such as Ludlow, or commute to a major city such as Manchester within 1hr 20min, London in 2 hrs 31mins and you can reach the Welsh coast in under 2 hours. In close proximity to the train station are a number of pubs, bars and restaurants so of you are looking for a venue for food or drinks whilst you wait for your train, you don't need to walk far.
Shrewsbury has a lively atmosphere, with live music venues and a bustling nightlife. Explore the Shrewsbury nightlife, visit a cocktail bar and get yourself on the dance floor in one of the clubs and dance the night away. As well as clubs, you can visit an upmarket bar, a pub for a great selection of drinks and sample a lovely real ale from a local brewery; serving real ales is definitely a 'Shrewsbury thing' no matter if you are visiting a bar for a quick glass or looking to relax in a local pub with friends for the whole evening. You will find the locals, bar owners, pub landlords and the friendly staff welcoming in this amazing town in Shropshire, with a great atmosphere, often noted as one of the best places to go out in the United Kingdom.
Shrewsbury has a vibrant and multicultural food and drink scene catering for all tastes and age ranges, you are sure to find a restaurant, bar or pub that suits your mood. The Pubs and Restaurants in Shrewsbury town are diverse, serving great food, Sunday roast, real ales, cocktail bars and the best nightlife with live music.
You can find pretty much anything that you crave, including Gastro Pubs serving real ales, British and Italian Restaurants, Indian Restaurants, Tapas, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants, Fine Dining and more spontaneous eats, such as award-winning Fish & Chips, Chinese Takeaways, high-quality Kebab Houses, Fast Food, Coffee Shops, Cafes or indulge yourself in a trendy bar or themed pub – The historic market town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire in the United Kingdom really does have it all when it comes to places to eat and drink with popular venues such as Blind Tiger, House of the Rising sun and destinations such as Theatre Severn and Victoria Quay.
Shrewsbury’s coat of arm depicts 3 loggerheads (leopards) with the motto Floreat Salopia translating to ‘May Shrewsbury Flourish’.
Shrewsbury is twinned with Zutphen in the Netherlands.
Nestled in the centre of Shropshire’s most wonderful areas of natural beauty, Shrewsbury is a large market town. The River Severn runs through the town which also sits within a few miles of the Welsh border. Shrewsbury, Shropshire has a wealth of history and contains some of Shropshire’s most impressive medieval style buildings, cathedrals, a beautiful Abbey and 9 bridges that cross the River Severn.
Amongst Shrewsbury’s many history landmarks you will find Shrewsbury castle which is located in the centre of town set within beautifully landscaped grounds. Shrewsbury also houses the famous retired prison known as the Dana which you can visit and has been featured on several TV programmes. Shrewsbury’s quaint cobbled streets are lined with a wealth of boutique and quirky independent shops, with a fantastic indoor market hall which has won many awards including Britain’s Favourite Market Hall, back in the summer of 2018.
The magnificent train station has fantastic transport links, you can travel to other market towns that are relatively local to Shrewsbury such as Ludlow, or commute to a major city such as Manchester within 1hr 20min, London in 2 hrs 31mins and you can reach the Welsh coast in under 2 hours. In close proximity to the train station are a number of pubs, bars and restaurants so of you are looking for a venue for food or drinks whilst you wait for your train, you don't need to walk far.
Shrewsbury has a lively atmosphere, with live music venues and a bustling nightlife. Explore the Shrewsbury nightlife, visit a cocktail bar and get yourself on the dance floor in one of the clubs and dance the night away. As well as clubs, you can visit an upmarket bar, a pub for a great selection of drinks and sample a lovely real ale from a local brewery; serving real ales is definitely a 'Shrewsbury thing' no matter if you are visiting a bar for a quick glass or looking to relax in a local pub with friends for the whole evening. You will find the locals, bar owners, pub landlords and the friendly staff welcoming in this amazing town in Shropshire, with a great atmosphere, often noted as one of the best places to go out in the United Kingdom.
Shrewsbury has a vibrant and multicultural food and drink scene catering for all tastes and age ranges, you are sure to find a restaurant, bar or pub that suits your mood. The Pubs and Restaurants in Shrewsbury town are diverse, serving great food, Sunday roast, real ales, cocktail bars and the best nightlife with live music.
You can find pretty much anything that you crave, including Gastro Pubs serving real ales, British and Italian Restaurants, Indian Restaurants, Tapas, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants, Fine Dining and more spontaneous eats, such as award-winning Fish & Chips, Chinese Takeaways, high-quality Kebab Houses, Fast Food, Coffee Shops, Cafes or indulge yourself in a trendy bar or themed pub – The historic market town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire in the United Kingdom really does have it all when it comes to places to eat and drink with popular venues such as Blind Tiger, House of the Rising sun and destinations such as Theatre Severn and Victoria Quay.
Shrewsbury’s coat of arm depicts 3 loggerheads (leopards) with the motto Floreat Salopia translating to ‘May Shrewsbury Flourish’.
Shrewsbury is twinned with Zutphen in the Netherlands.
Places to eat in Shrewsbury, Restaurants in Shrewsbury
Places to drink in Shrewsbury, Pubs and Bars in Shrewsbury
A brief history of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury was known as Scrobbesburh in Old English and to ancient Britons as Pengwern, the name eventually became Salop/Salopia, which is still an alternative name for both town and county. It evolved further into Schrosberie and finally to Shrewsbury.
Shrewsbury was founded around 800 AD and was home to a mint in the 900s. In the late middle ages, Shrewsbury’s success as a town came from wool production, The Shrewsbury Drapers Company dominated the Welsh wool trade during this time.
In 1403 The Battle of Shrewsbury took place in area now known as Battlefield. The battle was between Henry IV and Henry Hotspur Percy, the King was victorious. During the English Civil War, Shrewsbury was a Royalist stronghold; the town finally fell due to a betrayal at what is now known as Traitors Gate or St Mary’s Water gate. Thomas Mytton was captured in many Irish prisons and hanged which in turn led to Prince Rupert executing parliamentary prisoners in nearby Oswestry.
In the 18th Century, Shrewsbury became a popular stop-off for people travelling from London to Ireland which led to a great many coach houses being built, some of which are still open for business today.
A lock of Emperor Napoleon’s hair is in the Shropshire Regimental Museum at Shrewsbury after he was sent to a nearby location to be guarded after his exile.
Shrewsbury is well known as the birthplace of Charles Robert Darwin, the naturalist, geologist and biologist, his book The Origin of the Species is widely considered the foundational concept in science.
During the second world war, Shrewsbury received minor damage helping the town keep many of its original buildings, unlike many other English towns. The town wasn’t as lucky against 3 IRA bombings in 1992; severe damage was caused at the museum, which saw many artefacts lost, and the cost of the damage ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Popular things to do in Shrewsbury
- Take a tour of the Dana Prison - https://shrewsburylocalhistory.org.uk/street-names/the-dana
- Visit the Shropshire Wildlife Trust - https://www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/
- Hire a canoe on the River Severn - https://www.shrewsburycanoehire.co.uk/ or https://www.hireacanoe.com/
- Take a walk around the Castle - http://www.castlesfortsbattles.co.uk/midlands/shrewsbury_castle_town_walls.html
- Walk around the Museums - http://www.shrewsburymuseum.org.uk/
Free things to do in Shrewsbury
- Take a look at Quarry Park and the Dingle - https://originalshrewsbury.co.uk/visit/quarry-park
- Walk round Haughmond Hill - https://www.forestryengland.uk/haughmond-hill
- Visit Shrewsbury Abbey or St Chads Cathedral https://shrewsburyabbey.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Parish-Profile-of-Holy-Cross-version-8_with-photos_revised2.pdf or https://stchadschurchshrewsbury.com/
- Follow the Shrewsbury Darwin Walk - https://www.thedarwinwalktrust.org/description
- See the Quantum Leap - http://www.discoverdarwin.co.uk/quantum-leap/
Great for kids in Shrewsbury
- Attingham Park offers a beautiful woodland walk which includes, the river, an 18th century home and lots of wildlife - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/attingham-park
- Climbing the Walls have great taster sessions for any age range or ability - https://climbingthewalls.club/
- AMF Bowling is great fun for the whole family - https://www.amf-bowling.co.uk/shrewsbury
- SUP Shrewsbury, see the town from the river with a paddleboard hire - https://www.hireacanoe.com/canoe-hire/paddle-board-session/
- Get up close and personal with falcons, hawks, owls and eagles at Battlefield Falconry Centre - https://battlefieldfalconrycentre.co.uk/
Great for dogs in Shrewsbury
- The Sabrina Boat Tours are dog friendly and dogs are free - https://sabrinaboat.co.uk/
- The Dana Jail welcomes furry friends - https://www.shrewsburyprison.com/
- The Quarry is a perfect place to let your doggy stretch his/her legs - https://originalshrewsbury.co.uk/visit/quarry-park
Dog friendly bars
- The Armoury - https://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/armoury/
- Cromwell’s Wine Bar - https://www.cromwellsinn.com/
- Albert’s Shed - https://www.albertsshed.co.uk/
Dog friendly restaurants
- The Olive Tree - https://www.theolivetreeshrewsbury.co.uk/
- Off the Square Bistro - https://www.facebook.com/offthesquarecafe/
- Chez Sophie - https://www.facebook.com/lescrepesdesophie/
Did you know?
The Christmas Carol (1984) was filmed largely in Shrewsbury. You can see Ebenezer Scrooges gravestone in the cemetery at St Chads next to Quarry Park.
The hidden gems of Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury was voted healthiest high street in the UK, meaning have the high street with most independent shops, here are a few:
Clothing
- Hibiscus - https://www.hibiscushop.com/
- Oberon - https://www.oberonshrewsbury.co.uk/
Independent shopping centre
- The Parade - https://www.paradeshops.co.uk/
- The Market Hall - https://www.markethallshrewsbury.co.uk/
Books
- Pengwern Books - https://www.pengwernbooks.co.uk/
- The Raven Bookshop - https://www.ravenbookshop.com/
Jewellery
- Snooty Fox Jewellery - https://snootyfoxjewellery.co.uk
- E&J Jewellers - https://www.ejjewellers.co.uk/
Unique to Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury holds a flower show in Quarry Park every year in August, usually the second Friday and Saturday of the month. It one of the largest events of its type in UK. It is also featured in the Guinness book of records as one of the longest running flowers shows in the world.
The flowers show includes choirs, bands, a large kid’s area, food hall, food and drinks shows and a lecture marquee, the event ends with a fantastic closing display of fireworks bringing each day to a stunning climax.