Chic Restaurant, Ramada Hotel, Oldbury

You could describe the exterior of Oldbury's new Ramada hotel as "functional". Or, writes our mystery meal reviewer The Insider, you could be honest, and say it's a bit of a minger.

The entrance is attractive enough, with its modern black tiling, imposing canopy, and distinctive stainless steel pillars, but the rest looks like it was built with a Bayko set.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I suggest that anyone who considers this grim grey-and-red carbuncle to be beautiful should head straight for the opticians.

Of course, this matters not one jot. It might not look great from the road, but you don't eat your dinner in the car. Well at least you shouldn't, although given the traffic queues that seem to build up along this congested dual carriageway, there are times of day when this does seem a tempting proposition.

But it's the inside that really matters, and you'll be pleased to know that on that score it really does hit the target. A huge glass chandelier dominates the achingly elegant reception area, which oozes style and opulence.

Sitting in the bracingly cool armchairs of the foyer, admiring the dramatic design of the reception desk, it is easy to forget you are in Oldbury; the whole design would not look out of place in a top international hotel in Paris or New York.

And while the utilitarian design of the outside might not win any awards for style, it is practical. The large, level car park and wide doors - ­ although one of the front glass doors was out of action on the night of our visit ­- coupled with a spacious reception area means it should be a wheelchair user's dream.

The restaurant is immediately behind the foyer, and while not quite as plush as the scene which greets visitors, it is still pretty swish, with gleaming marble walls simple, but stylish furniture, and solid block flooring creating a real feel of quality and class.

The huge, strangely shaped, glass fibre pillar at the back does let the side down a little, though, and the floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows, offering a panoramic view of the car park, do look like they have been borrowed from a railway waiting room.

Worst of all, though, was the logo on these windows: Ramada Birmingham Oldbury.

Do they have any idea how offensive this is to locals? According to Ramada's website, the hotel in Cannock is described as "Birmingham North", and that's halfway to Derby.

These gripes aside, though, you have to say it does look good, and you wouldn't believe that a building that looks so unappealing on the outside could be so elegant inside.

The restaurant reflects the modern trend of having an open plan kitchen, where you can watch the food being cooked; it's all a matter of taste, but I think I would probably prefer not to look at steaming saucepans, even if it does prove the food is freshly cooked.

For a Friday, it was looking rather quiet. There was a young family on the table next to us, and a couple, probably in their late 20s a few tables away. There was also quite a discerning group of two couples behind us, who seemed to be asking rather a lot of questions about the menu.

Staff were polite and friendly, our waiter, Anuj, flamboyantly dropping the serviettes into our laps as we took our seats. The menu was varied, with the

main menu featuring both traditional British and Mediterranean dishes, or for those wanting something a little more exotic, there is also a separate Indian menu featuring dishes from the Kavi restaurant chain.

After a bit of deliberation, I decided that the pork cutlets served in a wholegrain and mustard sauce sounded delightful, so you can imagine my disappointment when I was told it was not available. The mixed grill, featuring a fillet of beef, lamb chops, chicken satays and sausage sounded good, but was perhaps a bit more than I could manage, so I went for the sirloin steak, opting for saute potatoes rather than jackets or gratinated spuds.

My dining partner went for stuffed chicken breast served with peas and mushroom risotto rice.

The wine list caters for all tastes and budgets, ranging from the £11.50 a bottle house wine, to the £300 Crystal champagne, although it should be

noted that only red or white ­ and not rose´ ­ wines are sold by the glass. We opted for the Veuve Valmante Demi Sec, quite good if you like your wine sweet, and reasonable value at £13.50.

The food came in reasonable time, and was decent enough, but a touch bland. The sirloin was quite tasty, being nicely cooked and reasonably tender, but

could have done with a steak sauce which was surprisingly absent from the menu. It came with a prodigious quantity of saute potatoes which were

enjoyable, if a little salty, and my fried vegetables were far nicer than my companion's, which had been steamed.

Best part of the meal was the citrus tart we both had for afters, which was truly gorgeous and excellent value for £3.95. The total bill was £47.25,

which I do feel was a little on the high side.

If stylish surroundings are your priority, it is simply marble-lous ­ (sorry I couldn't resist) ­ but overall, the experience was good rather than outstanding. And at this end of the market, I think people tend to expect something a little special.

ADDRESS

Chic Restaurant, Ramada Hotel, Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury, B69 4RJ

Telephone 0845 838 7316