Ye Olde Toll House, Willenhall
The waitress had probably never seen anybody so apprehensive about paying for drinks.
The waitress had probably never seen anybody so apprehensive about paying for drinks.
"Do you want to put that on your food bill," asked the waitress in the tiny bar area of Ye Olde Toll House, while my dining partner perused the extensive menu.
"Er, no, I'll pay for it now," I replied hesitantly, wondering if it would be necessary to make our excuses and leave. It was Friday night and I had been expecting this historic restaurant, which had received so many glowing testimonials, to be heaving, but we appeared to be the only customers in the building.
"It's a bit quiet," I ventured, and the waitress explained it had only opened 15 minutes ago, and was expected to liven up soon.
Fortunately, as I spent 20 minutes anxiously sipping an orange juice, customers started to filter in, and we felt confident enough to order.
As the name suggests, Ye Olde Toll House was built in the early 19th Century by an enterprising businessman who realised there was money to be made charging people to use his road which provided a quick, direct route between Walsall to Wolverhampton. A sort of M6 Toll road for the horse-and-cart driver in a hurry.
It is believed that once it had outlived its original purpose, the building was used in the early 20th Century as a brewery, becoming a cafe after the Second World War, and finally being taken over by its present family owners and turned into a restaurant in 1971.
It is certainly an interesting building.
From the outside, its black-and-white frontage looks much older than its Georgian origins suggest, with a distinctive arched window to the upstairs, and a high, almost conical roof.
It certainly stands out among its pretty unremarkable surroundings.
An old-style cast-iron pillar box is a curious feature in the foyer. The small bar area is an interesting contrast of styles, the black ceiling beams and white walls giving a distinctly olde worlde feel, while the bench seats were neatly trimmed but in a curiously sombre blue-grey colour, slightly reminiscent of a 1970s Inter-City dining car.
A nice touch was the bowl of olives on the table for customers while they chew over their options.
There could be no faulting the choice on offer, with 10 starters, 10 regular main courses, and 10 sweets on offer, plus specials on a blackboard in the bar. If this is not enough, there is also a separate fixed price menu where customers can have two courses with coffee for £12.90 per head, or one course for £7.90 per head. And then there are two vegetarian menus, and a special children's menu.
The high roof is even more distinctive in the main dining area, with the vast expanse of timberwork providing a real focal point. The leaded windows and dark wood panelling also give a quaint feel, although the red bricks of the wall next to where we were sitting looked suspiciously 1980s, and more at home in the chimney breast of a suburban semi than an historic restaurant. One thing that could not be criticised was the comfort of the room, with none of the hard chairs, rickety tables or cramped corners which sometimes detract from an enjoyable meal.
Service was good, and another nice detail was the generous bowl of freshly baked bread which was waiting for us when we were seated, and by around 8 o'clock the small dining room was starting to fill up.
We ordered a half-bottle of a New World white wine, which had a pleasant, fruity flavour and was excellent value at £8.25.
The meals themselves were good rather than great. My companion had opted for stir fried vegetables in a puff pastry case with a white wine sauce, but was disappointed by the size of the pastry given the £11.50 price tag, although there plenty of vegetables. It came with a side dish of, er, more vegetables, which is great if you are looking to meet your five-a-day quota, but does not make for a particularly varied dining experience.
My sirloin in a peppercorn and brandy sauce was immaculately presented and tasted good, but was not really special enough to justify the price of £16.70 (including the sauce). The sauce itself had a pleasant, rich flavour, but was a little on the thin side.
Last week this column remarked on the disappointment of only getting three or four slices of potato with a pork fillet, but this week we only got two small new potatoes each. Are all the chefs on the Atkins diet or something?
We decided to make up for the shortfall and order a side bowl of chips, which came promptly and were good value at £1.50.
If the main course was something of a curate's egg, the desserts were superb. My caramel ice cream with fudge pieces was one of the best I have eaten, and my companion described her sticky toffee pudding as "delicious", saying it was the best she had eaten in a while, warm with a good portion of sponge and topped of with creamy whipped ice cream at her own request.
The restaurant obviously enjoys quite a following in the area, offering a unique environment, unlike anything else in Willenhall, as well as pleasant food, and good service.
But, at £50.25 for two courses, one filter coffee and wine, it faces some very stiff competition.
Ye Olde Toll House
40 Walsall Road,
Willenhall WV13 2ER
Phone: 01902 605575
Starters - Smoked salmon and crab salad with lemon and dill dressing £6.50
Home-made chicken liver pate served with toast and an apple and ginger chutney £5.90
Mushroom vol-au-vent filled with mixed mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce £5.50
Mains - Fillet of pork with caramelised apples ad calvados sauce £14.80
Shank of lamb braised and served with crushed potato and garlic, and red wine jus £15.80
Supreme of chicken served with oyster sauce, satueed mushrooms and asparagus £14.50
Saddle of venison with wild mushroom risotto and blackcurrant sauce £17.40
Vegetarian (all £14.50) - Field mushroom filled with sautŽed vegetables topped with goats cheese and a herb crumble
Stuffed pepper filled with spinach, ricotta cheese and brown rice with a tomato and chive sauce.
Desserts - Cold lemon souffle £5.50
White chocolate brulee £5.50
Brandy snap basket filled with ice cream and strawberries £5.50
Baileys cheesecake £5.50
Apple crumble served with custard £5.50
