The Westacres, Wolverhampton

It's an enjoyable evening for our

, as The Westacres, in Wolverhampton, provides good value, superb service and charming staff.

They seek him here, they seek him there, but nobody can find that elusive Insider. Whatever you say about me, I'm nothing if not unpredictable.

So when Christoper Addy dropped me a line to suggest that The Westacres in Finchfield was the perfect place for a Sunday lunch, I did what you would expect any self-respecting international man of mystery to do.

I turned up on Friday night.

And quite a lively Friday night it was too.

While the wet, gloomy weather did its best to put a damper on the evening, the illuminated gateposts of the Westacres shone like a beacon at the end of the narrow corridor of foliage at the foot of Wolverhampton's Finchfield Hill.

The Westacres has the look of an Edwardian country house about it, perhaps not quite Downton Abbey, but the sort of place where a successful industrialist might have once lived, with a servant on hand to make sure everything runs smoothly.

But while the wet weather might not have dampened spirits inside the building, it certainly made its mark on the car park. Had it been a dry evening, I might have observed that it was a good level car park, with around 30 spaces, which should provide good access for disabled users.

However the considerable precipitation that seems to have swept the region over the last few weeks showed the car park was clearly far from level – the giant lake that appeared in the middle of it left us in no doubt about that.

You certainly see a cross-section of the population here. As we arrived a slick, youngish man in a sharp suit ventured out into the rain, preoccupied by a conversation on his mobile phone. I didn't see what type of phone, but I'll venture it was one of those smartphone things. And if it wasn't, it should have been. People like that always have those smartphone things.

Walking through the smart porch area, we were met by a group of elderly ladies who appeared to be celebrating a birthday party; in the one corner, a young family was tucking into a meal, on the table behind an older group appeared to have just finished theirs. Stan and his mates, a group of three shaven-headed biker types, occupied a table in the middle of the room, and I must admit I was quite fascinated by the one who appeared to have come up with an ingenious solution to those bad hair days – his barnet was tattooed onto his head.

Being an Ember Inn, it is furnished in the usual corporate style, with chopped logs stacked around the entrance and a feature fireplace set in a chimney breast, which is no doubt very popular during the winter months. It is generally a soothing, comfortable ambience, with smartly upholstered fabric seats and simple, modern decor, although our table in the corner was a little cramped.

According to the website, the Westacres is "surely the best real ale pub in Wolverhampton". What? Better than the Great Western, The Hogshead, or the Newhampton? That's quite a claim.

There was an interesting little menu outlining all of the ales that would be available over the autumn, but I could not see any reference to the "rack of three ales" I had enjoyed during previous visits to Ember Inns, where you can sample three different thirds of a pint.

I was also a little disappointed to find that the three ales on offer were all a little on the strong side, so in the end we opted to share a bottle of Prospetto Pinot Grigio rose. Can't you just hear the wine snob choking on their 1982 Petrus glasses? Pinot Grigio? And rose? Well it's worth remembering that Pinot Grigio is the UK's most imported wine, so some people must like it. For those with an open mind, it is a pleasant, easy-drinking wine with a fruity flavour.

The menu is a familiar mix of traditional pub classics, and the prices are fairly modest, ranging from the grilled chicken breast at £4.95 to the mixed grill at £8.95. There is also a special set menu, with two courses for £8.95, or three courses for £10.95, as well as a two-for £7.95 offer during the day.

With more than 30 options on the main menu, including several vegetarian dishes, there should be no problem finding something to your taste. I did consider the "award-winning sausages" – I'm sure I've had sausages at an Ember Inn before, but that must have been before they were conferred with their award-winning status. I've also had the steak and Timothy Taylor pie before, so you probably won't be too surprised to hear that I went for the sirloin steak.

Service was superb, better than at any other pub from this chain I have experienced. Before each course arrived, a charming, pleasant young waitress came to our table to confirm what we were having. Why don't other places do that? I'm sure it would avoid all manner of needless mix-ups. The staff also showed much patience in dealing with a particularly difficult customer who was needlessly making his presence felt at the bar, prompting a barmaid to apologise for his behaviour.

The food came in reasonable time, and was enjoyable but unremarkable.

The steak was obviously a decent cut, quite tender and while reasonably lean, it had quite a distinct, meaty flavour, but it was not as warm as I would have liked. The same could be said of the chips, which looked like they had come out of a packet, but were pleasantly crisp and golden. And at £8.95 it does represent good value.

My dining companion went for smothered barbecued chicken, and observed that while it was generally a good meal, she would perhaps have liked it to have been cooked a little more.

For afters we had the sticky toffee pudding and the profiterole sundae. Both were sweet, a little bit naughty and definitely very nice, being far bigger than you would normally expect for £3.45 and £3.25 respectively.

The total bill was £32.60, so it was good value for a pleasant, relaxed evening in stylish, surroundings.

As we left, the immaculately dressed and impeccably polite door staff – you couldn't really call them bouncers – wished us a good evening.

A shame they couldn't do anything about the lousy weather.

ADDRESS

The Westacres, Finchfield Hill, Wolverhampton, WV3 9HP

Tel: 01902 747333

Web: www.emberinns.co.uk/thewestacreswolverhampton

MENU SAMPLE

STARTS

(all £3.25 for one, £5.95 for two, and £8.95 for three)

Goat's cheese toasts with caramelised red onions on toasted ciabatta; Arbroath smokie bite-size fishcakes; Potato wedges topped with cheddar, sour cream and with or without bacon

MAINS

Minted lamb shank with mash, peas and green beans in a minted jus £8.95; Stuffed flat mushrooms, filled with pea, broad bean, mint and cheddar stuffing served with crushed herb potatoes and a mixed dressed salad £5.75; Tomato and feta chicken breast with crushed herb potatoes, green beans and a light tomato sauce £7.95; Sea bass fillets with crushed herb potatoes, green beans and a Jersey cream, parsley and chive sauce £8.95; Gammon with seasoned chips, peas, half a grilled tomato and either two fried eggs or fresh pineapple £5.95

DESSERTS

Lemon cheesecake with a raspberry sherbet compote and whipped cream £3.55; Kentish bramley apple pie with custard £3.25; Orange spiced chocolate tart with whipped cream £3.35