The Crown at Wergs, Tettenhall

What an unusual name,

. No, I don't mean The Crown. According to some sources The Crown is the most popular pub name in the UK, belonging to 704 pubs.

But the Wergs. Have you ever wondered where that comes from? Anyone who is familiar with Wolverhampton will know where it is, but do you know where the name comes from?

You probably won't be too surprised to find that I have been doing a little research. And I am delighted to tell you that the area was recorded as Withegas in 1202, taking its name from a variation of the Old English word withigas, meaning 'willows'. According to expert David Horovitz, there would have been great expanses of marshy land, covered with willow trees.

I bet you're glad I shared that with you, aren't you?

Indeed, it is still pretty leafy today, and there are plenty of trees shielding the pub from the surrounding main road. Even though, I'm not sure that the website, which bills it as a "country pub and eating house" maybe stretching things a little. Can you really have a country pub in Wolverhampton?

What is beyond doubt, though is it is a very swish and stylish place. I decided to pay a visit after being told it was the 'in-place' to go, and the difficulty I had in securing a table certainly seemed to confirm that. On two previous occasions I had telephoned to book a table, to be told that only late-night slots were available.

And, as I am sure my colleagues would concur, I'm someone who really does need my beauty sleep. Third time lucky, then, and a mid-afternoon phone call ensured there would be a table available for eight o'clock on a Thursday night.

The Crown, a former Harvester, is now part of M&B's flagship Premium Country Dining Group, and received an extensive revamp towards the end of 2009.

While there were not the Rollers or Astons I have seen outside its sister pubs, there was an £86,000 Audi R8 parked up by the door. So it is no surprise to find that the interior of The Crown is as plush as they come.

The subdued lighting is set at just the right level to bring out the best in the distressed oak tables and glistening golden crushed velvet upholstery. A dash of bling, but not too much.

The service is certainly polished. A smart, well-spoken young man courteously pulled back the chair as my companion took her seat, before offering a few pointers about some of the different drinks on offer.

It is my belief that you can often tell the quality of the food by the choice of the beer on offer – after all, how often have you been blown away by the culinary delights of the place which specialises in cheap lager? – so it was encouraging to be given a knowledgeable explanation of the different real ales on sale.

Regular readers will know I am a huge fan of the locally produced Enville Ale, but I guess many of you would get a sense of deja vu – multi-lingual or what? – if I spent another week waxing lyrical over its virtues. Besides, according to the menu, Thursday night is sparkling night, with special promotional offers on four different sparkling wines. Well it would be rude not to, don't you think?

It is said in trendy circles that Prosecco is the new champagne, with UK sales of the fashionable and fruity sparkling wine from northern Italy having doubled in recent months. Well, this is certainly a trendy place, and the Insider is always at the cutting edge of modern thinking, so we decided to try a bottle of Perla Rosa for a very reasonable £15.

According to the label it has a "thin and persistent perlage" and "elegant scents of flowers and fruits", but you will probably be more interesting to know it is an easy-drinking, lightly fizzing, dry-to-medium wine, with a pleasant, zesty flavour.

The complimentary platter of different bread rolls with a dipping bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar was a nice touch of the kind that distinguishes those special places from the merely competent.

The menu is described as "modern British, comfortably interwoven with some Mediterranean influences". In other words, it is a little bit more sophisticated than the standard pub fare, but no so exotic as to frighten off those with more conservative tastes.

If it is the "Mediterranean influences" that appeal to you, then the choice of pasta and pizza will probably fit the bill. The pork Milanese, where the meat is flattened and fried in a breadcrumb coating sounded interesting, as did the rump of lamb in soubise sauce, but I had rump of lamb the other week, and was starting to suffer steak withdrawal symptoms.

The fillet sounded the perfect antidote then, coming with a very spicy black pepper sauce.

Presentation was excellent, the big, square, hand-cut chips arranged in a perfect jenga tower, and it was hard to find much to criticise with the taste, either.

If your idea of a good dinner is to see your plate piled high with super-sized portions, you are going to be disappointed, but as with many of the best meals, it is far more filling than it looks.

The meat was deep, soft and sumptuous, the fat chips crisp and golden. Of course how spicy the sauce should be comes down to personal taste. Some like it hot, and they will love this, but I think I would have enjoyed it more had it been just a tad milder. Still, you know what they say about pleasing all of the people all the time.

My dining companion dabbled with the idea of smoked salmon pizza, but decided instead to go for the smoked haddock fishcakes, which came with a curry hollandaise sauce. They got a firm seal of approval, and at £7.95 for a small portion, they are reasonably priced too.

The desserts menu is bigger than the main menu at many places, offering a comprehensive choice of puddings, dessert wines and other after-dinner drinks.

Ice cream for me, then. Well, actually, ice cream and cookies, and it was the latter that made me choose this for my finale. The substantial chocolate-based biscuits were far more satisfying than the bog-standard wafer, but my one criticism would be that the chocolate-and-vanilla ice cream was not especially exciting.

Again it's all down to personal taste, but perhaps a choice of different flavours would please more of the people more of the time? We are splitting hairs here, though.

The total bill was £58.65, and at this end of the market the pub chains always have their work cut out against the smaller, more individual pubs and restaurants. However, the other side of that coin is that this is a very slick, professional outfit, where everything works like clockwork. Service was superb, the young waitress called Charlotte couldn't do enough for us, and that, combined with the stunningly plush decor, means that every visit is going to be a memorable one.

On a purely culinary level, there are plenty of places that can match The Crown. But what few of them can offer is that extra touch of pizazz, that sense of occasion, that dash of glamour which makes a visit an occasion to remember.

The jewel in The Crown, if you like.

ADDRESS

The Crown at Wergs, Wergs Road, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton WV6 9BP

Tel: 01902 753634

Web: www.thecrownwergs.co.uk

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Minestrone soup with fregola and shaved parmesan £4.95; Lamb koftas, mint yoghurt, kohlrabi, cumin and carrot salad £5.95; Baked mushrooms, spinach, dolcelatte and stiratta Romagna £6.25

MAINS

Spit chicken with lemon, garlic, thyme and chips £11.95; Roast rump of lamb, sauce soubise, asparagus, pancetta, button onions and baby potatoes £15.95; Piccante stone-baked pizza, with pepperoni, chorizo, tomato, jalapeños £9.95; Blackened cod fillet, egg noodles, pak choi, mango and chilli salsa £14.95; Tagliatelle, slow cooked bolognaise and parmesan £6.95 or £10.95

DESSERTS

Warm brownie, vanilla ice cream with dark chocolate sauce £5.75; Eton Mess £4.95; Apple and blackcurrant crumble with vanilla custard £4.95