Tillington Hall Hotel, Stafford

I was feeling a bit edgy, I don't mind telling you. It was a Friday night, time was getting on, and it was starting to look like this week's Insider would be coming from the nearest chip shop.

The plan had been to spend the evening at an unassuming looking pub on the outskirts of Stafford, which had been recommended to me by Express & Star reader Breeze who said it belied its modest-looking exterior with excellent food, good service and remarkable prices.

It certainly looked appealing, with stylish pine furniture and soft lighting. Unfortunately it was also fully booked. As far as this place was concerned, it was going to be a case of dine another day.

The tension was starting to mount by the time we reached the main road into Stafford, when suddenly I spotted a small blue sign at the side of the road for the Tillington Hall Hotel. After a metaphorical screech of the brakes, and an even more metaphorical handbrake turn, a very hungry Insider went in to investigate.

There was a feeling of deja vu on arrival, not to mention a few more white knuckles - there was a counter where diners were supposed to wait to be seated, but alas there was nobody attending it. The panic was shortlived, though, and after inquiring behind the bar a charmingly polite gentleman offered us a choice of seats.

The Tillington is set back from the road and surrounded by quite extensive gardens, and I have it on good authority that the building was originally owned by a salt miner. We still had to ask for a cruet to be brought to our table, though.

Like in many Best Western hotels, the restaurant is a large conservatory at the side of the main building, and we decided to go for a table by the window. It was surprisingly quiet for a Friday night, perhaps a third full at most.

At one table by the window, a mature couple were engrossed in their newspapers, the one reading The Guardian, while the other appeared to be studying the Daily Express - I bet they have some lively conversations.

Further along the room there was another middle-aged couple, and a family group with a young child; a few yards from our table a mother was chatting with her student son about how his university course was going.

It actually made for a quite relaxing ambience, though, and it was a pleasant place to wind down to the swing music piped through in the background. The walls are painted in a soft pastel green, and adorned with simple, understated mirrors, illumination coming from a combination of ceiling-mounted downlighters and wall lights with eye-catching royal blue glass shades.

Plush brown curtains are draped from above the huge windows and the tables finished in a modern, light wood. But while the wicker-backed chairs looked stylish enough, were not especially comfortable to sit on.

The menu was superb, probably the best I have ever seen. I'm not talking about its content, I mean the menu itself: elegantly bound in a wood veneer cover, it was unlike anything I have seen before, and I was well and truly won over before I had even opened it. I probably ought to get out more.

There was substance to back the style up, too, with a very good choice of appetising-sounding options. The menu changes on a daily basis, with an extensive set menu allowing people to select either two or three courses for a fixed price, or alternatively there are some individually-priced grilled specials can be combined with these.

It proved a difficult choice, and we were both about to go for the lamb steak, but there was a last minute change of heart as I went for the braised beef in gravy instead, asking for chips instead of the dumplings, and my dining partner also followed suit.

When it comes to alcoholic beverages, it is one of those places that is better suited to those who prefer drinking from the grape rather than the grain: there was a reasonable wine list, offering a good choice of house wines, and more exotic bottles of white, red and rose, but sadly the draught beers were restricted to lager, Guinness or Tetleys. I decided that a pint of Carlsberg was the best out of a disappointing choice.

The food came in reasonable time, and there was no faulting the courtesy of the staff, who were all totally charming, although - for the second week running - there was an unfathomable delay in delivering horseradish and vinegar. Horseradish with beef, vinegar with chips - it's not exactly a surprising request, is it?

The beef was very good, in truth much better than I was expecting, tender and superbly cooked, and soaked in a deep, rich gravy, and it also proved rather filling. I was not so keen on the chips though, which were of the stringy variety that reminded me a little of McDonalds.

For afters we both went for sticky toffee pudding in caramel sauce, and it was delightful. Sticky toffee puddings so often flatter to deceive. The number times that I have been seduced by the mouth-watering descriptions only to end up with something soggy and over-cooked, I care not to mention, but this one was the real deal.

The bill came to £47.15, which seemed about par for the course. But the drinks, at £3 for a pint of lager and £2.30 each for coffees, were a little pricey.

By this time, the barman-turned-waiter, who greeted us at the start of the evening, was now manning the reception desk - he was certainly earning his money that night - and with a cheery smile, he wished us well as we made our way home.

What had been looking like a disastrous night had actually turned out to be quite a pleasant experience, and a valuable lesson had been learned: before travelling 30 miles for meal out, make sure you have booked a table first.

ADDRESS

Tillington Hall Hotel, Eccleshall Road, Stafford, ST19 1JJ

Phone: 01785 253531

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Risotto of smoked haddock with a poached hen's egg; Creamed parsnip soup;Sauteed mushrooms, garlic and granary toast

Mains

Pan-fried venison steak served on braised cabbage and fondant potato; Chicken breast filled with black pudding mousse, wilted greens and mash; Trio of fish with carrot tagliatelle, crayfish butter and dressed salad; Aubergine topped with honey roast vegetables and lemon sauce; Grill specials - (with mushrooms, tomatoes, chips and peppercorn butter); T-bone steak £17; Lamb steak £14

Desserts

Lemon tart and chantilly cream;Treacle sponge and orange sauce