 VISITING friends in Newtown, we always have the dilemma of where to eat. The town has a surfeit of Oriental eateries, but Chinese sweet and sour just didn't appeal. So wending our way in and out of Shropshire and Powys, we drove for 20 minutes to the Gothic style pile that is Mellington Hall. With a sweeping, mile long drive and Offa's Dyke at the bottom of the garden, the floodlit Victorian building really is a site to behold and first impressions made us all gasp a sharp intake of breath in wonder. Inside the magnificent entrance hall, great beasts' horned heads are mounted and large paintings hang. Mullioned windows and an imposing fireplace surrounded by comfy sofas complete the scene of grandeur. If the decor was anything to go by, we were in for a marvellous dining experience. As non meat eaters, Gina and I scanned the menu for the fish and vegetarian main course selection. But we were disappointed. Salmon was the only fish dish and there were just two vegetarian choices on the restaurant menu. Our carnivore husbands, however, were well catered for and they chose fillet and sirloin steak. Pork, lamb, chicken and Welsh venison were also on offer. We were seated in the smaller, candlelit dining room which, although more intimate than the main, elegant, wood-panelled dining room, felt a little chilly near the windows. Gina and I shared a starter of grilled goat's cheese on a bed of leaves with red onion chutney in a tortilla basket, drizzled with fresh pesto and accompanied with a soft bap. It was perfect and we were left drooling. Our husbands were by now eagerly awaiting their steaks. Ken had ordered a medium rare sirloin with peppered sauce, but when it came it seemed rather small and was cooked medium to well done, with no sauce. He had to go in search of the sauce and mustard, and although both arrived quickly with an apologetic waitress, the mustard was of the hard-to-open, sachet variety. David, on the other hand, said his fillet steak was perfect. But they both agreed the accompanying broccoli was tough, undercooked and inedible. Nonetheless, it all got washed down with a very drinkable South African house red - fantastic value at £10.50 a bottle. | 
