Little Italy at The Dartmouth Arms, Burnhill Green

Staycation. An awful word, don't you think? Does anyone actually use it in the real world?

Like the cliche "blue-sky thinking", it really should be put in the box that everyone's so busy trying to think outside of and be locked away for a very long time, writes our undercover meal reviewer The Insider.

I should confess. The real reason I hate this word, is because this summer, I think I've actually found myself on one. Forget balmy, evening walks, exotic cocktails and people-watching on the beach - several weeks of much-needed DIY is facing me this year.

It's been put off for long enough, so the Speedos and sandals will remain hidden away for at least another year, and my clothing of choice will largely be ill-fitting overalls that are spattered with such contrasting paint colours from years gone by I look more like Joseph in his technicolor dreamcoat than Handy Andy.

So on the days hard-earned cash isn't being spent on new guttering, a bathroom floor and all the other jobs that have been ignored for far too long, I've been looking at how one can chill out or have fun right here in the West Midlands.

Parks not frequented in years have become a real source of enjoyment, while museums on the doorstep that have been taken for granted have been a pleasure. It's also been fun looking for places to eat that, just for a couple of hours, make you feel a million miles away from home.

This week's spot did just that. The clue is in the name, Littly Italy at the Dartmouth Arms. Now I've never been to Dartmouth, but Italy is probably my favourite holiday location of all time. Having been told it's like a little piece of that beautiful country hidden away in the Shropshire countryside, I was looking forward to the visit very much indeed.

Located in Burnhill Green, near Pattingham and Albrighton, I was faced with a journey I'd never made before. Not a particularly daunting prospect, but after being a slave to the sat-nav for months, it has finally conked out and I was left with the directions scribbled down on a piece of paper on the passenger seat from a colleague.

The journey towards it from Wolverhampton was a pleasant one, once all the confident country drivers that don't take kindly to me slowing them down on the twisty roads had left me in peace anyway. The further I got out of the city the more alien it felt, and I had that feeling of having driven too far, and faced with a few unnamed roads, I gave up and asked a young mother out walking with her daughter in Albrighton for directions.

Turns out if I'd driven about 100m further, a sign reading 'Burnhill Green - two miles' would have presented itself. Two minutes later and I was ambling up the drive towards the Dartmouth Arms. It really is at the heart of this tiny hamlet, surrounded by farms, cottages and what appears to be a row of newly-built country homes just on the approach to the pub. The car park was large and despite a couple of Range Rovers and a few more expensive-looking motors there were plenty of spaces.

The evening sun was still fairly bright and there was no noise but birdsong and the laughter of a few punters sat outside the front.

Its website says there is an "an old-fashioned belief that a pub is a pub and a restaurant is a restaurant - which is why ours are separate". And the two could not be more different.

The pub is beautifully preserved old inn, with wooden floors, oak tables, old pictures on the walls and plates and tankards hanging from shelves, all of which make it feel very cosy and welcoming. The bar is split between too rooms, both of which had a smattering of people in them. We ordered a drink and were given menus by an extremely polite waitress, who informed us we could stay in the bar until our food was ready. It had a really 'local' feel to it, but unlike some similar spots, we didn't feel like strangers at all.

Diners are welcome to eat in the pub it seems, but 20 minutes or so later and we were ushered into Little Italy, which was like taking a quantum leap into another world. Red and white checked tablecloths covered lots of little tables, while old chianti bottles acted as wax-covered candle holders. Opera music played through the speakers and around the walls were images of Italian architecture, as well as an ancient map of Venice. It had a real authentic feel to it, and thankfully, the food was just as convincing.

The mussels came covered in a thick and spicy, tomato and onion sauce, which was quite different to a lot of restaurants which tend to serve them with a thinner sauce. It was, however, a very pleasant surprise. The shellfish were huge and dripping in the delicious topping, which wasn't too overpowering. My companion's only complaint about her beef ravioli starter was that it was huge - definitely a lot for a first course. But it's hard to be too critical when something tastes so good, and she duly ate the lot.

The steak risotto that followed was divine - the meat was cooked perfectly for me, the right side of both medium and well-done, and the rice thick and creamy. The chicken and mushroom risotto, although described as "absolutely lovely" defeated my companion somewhat as she was pretty full from the starter. It was a very enjoyable evening, made even more pleasant thanks to the exemplary service from the staff, who couldn't do enough for us.

The bill came to just over £40 with two coffees and a few soft drinks. And yes, just for a while, we did feel like we could have been in a small street cafe in Rome.

With places like this on our doorsteps, who needs the real thing? Maybe a staycation might not so bad after all.

ADDRESS

Little Italy at The Dartmouth Arms, Snowdon Road, Burnhill Green, near Albrighton, WV6 7HU

Phone: 01746 783268

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Fegat di Pollo - chicken livers sautéed with garlic, mushrooms, sherry and cream served on croutons, £5.95; Camembert Fritto - soft cheese fried in breadcrumbs served with cranberry sauce, £4.95; Capriccio ai Gamberetti - prawns cooked in lobster sauce with mushrooms and topped with mozzarella, £6.25; Cozze allo Chef - mussels cooked with a choice of garlic and leeks in a white wine sauce or tomato and garlic sauce £5.95

MAIN COURSES

Spaghetti alla Campagnola - spaghetti served with homemade meatballs in a tomato and garlic sauce £10.75; Linguine ai Gamberi - king prawns cooked in a refined sauce of tomato, garlic, mushrooms, finished with cream £12.25; Fillet Steak Rossini - served on a crouton with pate in a red wine, mushroom and cream sauce £19.95; Duck la Rossa - duck breast served with a raspberry sauce £14.95