Himley House Hotel, Himley

Sometimes a gentleman needs a servant or two, writes 'The insider'. Nothing too grand, you understand, but sometimes it would be nice to have the odd bit of help here and there.

You know, a butler who, at the click of the fingers will bring in drinks, on a Ratner's sherry decanter. Perhaps a footman to bring toast in the morning, maybe a maid or two to plump the pillows and run me a bath.

Okay, I'm probably getting a bit carried away here, it's just that I'm in what used to be the old lodge house at Himley Hall. This sprawling estate was the official residence of the Earl of Dudley, where King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson were regular guests.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent even spent their honeymoon here - could you imagine that today? So if nothing else, the service ought to be pretty good.

It could have done with a few more servants during our visit, on a very busy Friday night, though. One man, a stocky, hearty young gent called Sam, seemed to be dealing with all the orders. There were other staff around, but they all seemed to be pre-occupied with other duties, leaving Sam to cope with the crowded bar.

I imagine there were in excess of 100 people in the restaurant during our visit, including a large private party. The clientele encompasses a pretty broad range, but inevitably gravitates towards the middle-aged, middle class and middle-of-the-road.

There was also a youngish couple on the table next to us, and a family celebrating a birthday on the table behind.

With his mop of thick black hair, white shirt and red, striped tie, there was something about the fifty-something man near the bar that shouted "football manager." He was probably nothing of the sort, but I could just imagine him leaning against the dugout, animatedly shaking his head at his errant players.

The building, said to date back to the 17th Century, is an impressive three-storey affair, draped with wisteria and pretty hanging baskets at the front, with the rear hotel annex appearing to have been added at a later date. Back in 1947 the Earl of Dudley sold the property at auction for just £17,000, while the mansion house itself went for £45,000. Mind you, the way house prices are heading these days, I can't say I'm surprised.

The interior is best described as rustic. Divided into two distinct sections, the more informal area around the bar has foliage hanging below the ceiling, and wooden farming tools suspended along the top of the walls, as well as an attractive stone fireplace. The walls are decorated with a mixture of tapestries, oil paintings, and photographs of old Dudley, which curiously include one of a rival pub, The Saracen's Head.

There is a separate raised area, with dark wood-panelling, and an interesting carved-wood ceiling with two huge circular openings, and in both areas there are huge blackboards informing customers about the extensive choice of specials on offer.

On the whole, I think I preferred sitting in the bar area, which is a little quieter and more relaxing, although it probably pays to avoid the seats next to the door, which do get a little draughty with people coming in and out.

Our table looked a little weathered - I couldn't work out whether that was part of the rustic look, or was just worn out, but tucked away in the corner of the bar area it was a pleasant place to be, with the gentle lighting adding to the aura of serenity.

There is also a reasonable range of real ales on offer, and I went for Town Crier, from the Hobsons Brewery in Cleobury Mortimer, while my companion opted for a half of Guinness. There was a choice of 30 different wines on offer, ranging from a £2.95-a-glass Chenin Blanc, to a £75 bottle of Bollinger.

The menu is made up mainly of traditional British country-inn fare, and there is certainly plenty of choice. I was tempted by the free-range pork loin steak, but was less keen on the vegetable ratatouille it was served on, and the shepherd's pie and beef pie sounded equally tempting. Eventually, though, I plumped for the free-range sausage with mash, while my companion opted for Scottish salmon wrapped in pastry with lemon and chive dressing.

When my meal arrived, I was a little concerned it would be a triumph of style over substance; although it was elegantly presented, the mash carved into a neat little cube and topped off with red onions, it did not look particularly generous, and I pondered about whether I should have gone for a side order.

Fortunately, these fears proved unfounded, with the meal proving far more filling than it first appeared. The sausage was particularly impressive, having a good, slightly seasoned flavour, without being too overpowering, while the mash was soft and creamy without being too sloppy. My companion gave the fish a firm thumbs up, but was less taken with the new potatoes it was served with, saying there was a slight tangy flavour.

While the food came reasonably quickly, there was a bit of a delay in clearing the table once we had finished, although the staff were all friendly and polite. Perhaps a few more of them are needed, though?

For afters I went for the chocolate fudge cake, served with extra-thick Channel Island cream, which was mousse-like in texture. It was a huge portion, and its rich flavour and thick sauce was rather morish.

The bill came to £30.26, which I thought was pretty good, being no more than some pretty run-of-the-mill pubs. While there are plenty of trendier, slicker and chic-er restaurants around, there are not many places at this price which offer the same calm, soothing ambience, and distinctive, characterful surroundings.

Just the place to wind down after a long day at work, in fact.

ADDRESS

Himley House Hotel, Stourbridge Road, Himley, near Dudley DY3 4LD

Tel: 01902 892468

MENU SAMPLE

Starters:

Spicy chicken with cucumber salad and mint yoghurt dressing £3.50. Chicken liver and pancetta pate with red onion chutney £4.75.Prawn cocktail £3.95. Creamy garlic and pesto mushrooms on toast £4.50.

Main courses:

10oz rump steak £9.75. 7oz fillet steak £10.25. Mixed grill £11.50. British ham with free-range egg and chips £6.50. Pork loin steak with herb crumb on Provencal vegetable ratatouille and British new potatoes £10.50. Whitby scampi with chips and peas £7.50.Breast of chicken filled with mozzarella, wrapped in bacon, served with a tomato and basil sauce, sauteed British new potatoes and seasonal vegetables £8.95. Grilled British lamb rump and mustard mash with a spring vegetable and pearl barley stock £11.95.Asparagus and crushed butternut squash wrapped in pastry with British seasonal vegetables £7.95.

Desserts:

Apricot, honey and almond cheesecake with cream £4.50. Treacle sponge pudding with custard £3.75. Bramley apple pie with custard £3.95. Bread and butter pudding with scones, clotted cream and extra thick Channel Island Cream £4.25.