I visited a magnificent Bridgnorth restaurant offering delicious food at low prices - and that isn't the only reason you should give it a go

Rock stars hate an empty house. If there’s one surefire way for a flunky to anger a rock star it’s this: send them out in front of a sea of empty seats. The seats where people have chosen to stay at home, rather than marvel at the rock star’s genius, shine like beacons. They smash the ego. They dent the sense of self-worth. They provide an unhelpful reality check for those who imagine they’re impregnable.

And so rock star tantrums invariably arise when concert halls are half full, three quarters full, or more. The smoke and mirrors brigade hurriedly removes chairs, adds in hall-length curtains, to screen the empty seats, or finds other ways of avoiding the petulance that invariably arises.

If that’s the way rock stars behave when their gigs are less than sold out, imagine what it’s like to be a humble restaurateur. They have to do a similar thing – dazzle, for an hour and a half, and transport customers to a place where they forget about the daily round. 

They do it for less, of course, and the odds against them are higher – there are higher energy bills, and more variables than a weather forecast, from the price of ingredients to the mood of the staff, from Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy decisions to Brexit. If everything goes to plan for the rock star, holiday homes, swish cars, and fancy holidays await. If everything goes to plan for the restaurateur, they get to stay afloat, avoid liquidation, and fight to see another day.

So if the rock star gets narky at the sight of a few empty seats, imagine what it’s like to be a restaurateur when you open on a Monday in autumn when the weather’s foul and people are recovering from the weekend.

That was the prospect facing the owner of Legend’s, a Cantonese restaurant, in Bridgnorth, when I called in for a table-for-one on a Monday evening. I counted the other guests not on one hand, but on one finger – there was one; a guy in the corner, collecting a takeaway. He was soon gone, leaving me out-numbered three-to-one by the restaurant owner, young and inexperienced waiter, and chef. Wow. It’d be easier to close.

And yet, and yet.

Legend’s wins effusive praise for delivering the goods when it would be easier to lock the doors, turn off the lights, and settle down on the sofa. Because how on earth do you find the motivation to keep going when the place is damn near empty? The answer, quite simply, is because you have a sense of determination and professional pride that the rock star lacks.

And so on Monday, in an empty dining room, I enjoyed fabulous service, delicious food, really low prices, and a magnificent experience that persuades this critic to encourage you, dear reader, to try it out. Legend’s was motivated, on-point, with precision cooking, and engaged service. Truly, it couldn’t have done any more, which is why it scores so highly.

I didn’t bother booking. There was no point. After all, who eats out on a Monday? Restaurant critics, that’s who. Everyone else has had their fill on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And most restaurants and pub-diners are therefore shut, counting their money, nursing their loses, or planning for the week ahead.

Legend’s is one of the rare restaurants that keeps the doors open. Like the corner shop that’s open all hours and gets unexpected trade from motorists who suddenly need to buy kitchen roll, or cat food, or a packet of Tuc biscuits, Legend’s is there for those who eat when others stay home – as well as operating the normal service at other times.

It’s a busy, bustling, no frills kinda place. There’s the usual Far East knick-knacks, which are low cost and make the place look a little brighter. It’s a large space, in premises that were formerly a bank, with a sea of tables. It’s simple, it’s unlikely to win the Homes and Garden Award for best interior design, but it’s homely and welcoming, which is the thing that counts.

The owner couldn’t have been more welcoming. “A table for one? Yes sir…” on a night when the money going into the till would have been less than the costs of keeping the place open.

She brought menus, offered drinks, and brought delightfully crisp and sweet-salty prawn crackers, with a side of sweet chilli sauce. I couldn’t have felt more welcome, more included – and that, from a lady who’d got one other guy in the room, waiting for a takeaway.

Satay king prawn starter delivered with immense skill at Legends restaurant in Bridgnorth

My starter was a satay king prawn, featuring four prawns on skewers. The prawns were cooked with immense skill. They were just set, firm, but not tough, with plenty of succulence and bite. The texture was exceptional. They were coated in a crunchy, peanutty, not-too-hot satay, which was exceptional. Chunks of cucumber had been placed beneath the prawns, to provide textural contrast and add a cooling element to the dish. The three items were perfectly balanced, well-seasoned, and complemented one another exceptionally well. It was a simple starter that oozed skill and class.

My main was a Szechuan chicken and similar qualities were evident. The chicken was beautifully, lip-smackingly tender. Cooked with real skill, it was served with vegetables that were al dente and rice that was sticky and glutinous. The sauce had a gentle heat, and was perhaps a little sweeter than it might have been, though the overall impression was of a chef with real skill and a passion for their work.

How much did it all cost at Legends in Bridgnorth then?

The bill was less than £25, including drinks, and service was magnificent throughout, as the restaurant owner made a number of visits to the table, to ensure all was fine, then engaged in a sort-of complimentary chat: ‘You look sporty, in your clothes.’ I’m not sure I agree, but thank you.

The most impressive part was that Legend’s delivered during an evening when motivation must have been hard to find. It was supremely classy throughout.

Sample Menu at Legends in Bridgnorth

Starters

Prawn crackers £2.90

Barbecue spare ribs £6.50

Shredded chicken roll £5.20

Mains

King prawns with garlic sauce £10.50

Scallop with assorted vegetables £16.50

Beef with mushrooms £9.50

Extras

King prawn fried rice £11.90

Asparagus £8.90

Beansprouts £4.80

Where can I find Legends in Bridgnorth?

Legend’s

1 Bank Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4AJ

01746 765999

Rating: 9/10