The Bell Inn, Kingswinford

Now let's be honest, it does sound a bit dubious. "Come with me to look at some etchings" sounds questionable at the best of times,

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But when it comes from a mysterious, publicity-shy character who lives under a veil of secrecy, you could be forgiven for running from the hills.

Nevertheless, if you do visit The Bell at Kingswinford, please take my advice and take a wander around to look at the fascinating pictures on the walls. The sketches, the prints, the old photographs – they capture in a few images exactly what it means to be from the Black Country.

The tranquility of Edwardian Himley, the gritty yet glittering glass industry of Wordsley and Amblecote. The Victorian splendour of the the Dudley Opera House; the windmill in Upper Gornal; the Chrysler Building in Manhattan. Er yes, I wondered where that one fitted in. Dudley and New York? I'm always getting those two mixed up.

I decided to call in at The Bell following a tip from Keith and Val, who wrote to me many moons ago telling me about the excellent food and friendly staff.

And you will certainly have no problem finding it: two giant illuminated beacons akin to something you would want to see outside a Las Vegas Casino, take care of that. Then again, you wouldn't want to rely on the house numbers to find it – remarkably, The Bell manages to be No. 614 High Street.

How exactly did it manage that? It's not even a particularly long High Street. You could walk the length of it in 10 minutes. A little more research revealed that a bit further down the road, the house numbers run well into the 800s.

All I can say is there must be some pretty tiny properties. Either that, or some of them must have rather a lot of house numbers. And that would be greedy.

It has to be said that it does look a bit underwhelming from the outside. Not ugly, just a touch bland, in a 1980s suburban sort of way. Some quite attractive landscaping work at the front does a reasonable job of softening the appearance of the single-storey building, but it does look a touch like a security hut at the entrance to a factory complex.

Smart and tidy, but hardly brimming with character. There is a level car park to the rear, which was quite sufficient during our midweek visit, although I suspect it could get a bit crowded at weekends. There is something of a Tardis-like feel to the building, which seems much larger on the inside than outside.

Comfortable is the best way to describe the interior. It is a large single room, with a big bar in the corner, and a raised area separated from the rest of the pub by some fairly substantial brick pillars and a large fire grate.

The area at the back of the pub has gone a bit trendy, furnished in a modern, minimalist style with laminate flooring and soft vinyl chairs, but the rest of the room has a more traditional, homely feel.

They have done quite a good job of making it seem as cosy as possible, with two large sofas dominating the middle of the room, and the comfortable heated bench seats lining edge of the room, providing a welcome relief from this seemingly neverending winter.

For a freezing Tuesday night, it seemed to be doing quite a decent trade, with most of the customers dining rather than drinking.

There is a relaxed, orderly feel to the place, and the majority of customers seemed to be middle-aged, although there were some younger people. Just down the steps from us was quite a large group made up mainly of twenty- and thirty-somethings, with an older man who could have been one of their fathers.

Just across from us in the raised area was another group which seemed to span a couple of generations, and there were a few groups of married couples.

This probably all sounds a bit run of the mill, but that would be unfair as the owners have made a real effort at making the pub as interesting as possible, the attractively lit pictures depicting the area's rich heritage being a case in point.

There is a good choice of real ales – although sadly the Enville was off on the night of our visit – and a decent wine list.

But it is the menu which really sets The Bell apart. The meat is supplied by local butcher Rob Newey, who famously became so attached to one of his pigs, that he adopted her as a pet, so it is safe to assume that he looks after his livestock.

And refreshingly, the chef appears to have made a real effort to add a bit of sparkle to the food, with several interesting choices on offer.

The steak, mushroom and ale pie is the biggest seller, but I was tempted by the belly pork in apple and cider sauce. At least I was until I saw the specials board, which was almost as comprehensive as the main menu – and I thought the trio of lamb cutlets in port and rosemary jus sounded just too good to resist.

And so it proved. The lamb was tender but pleasantly crisp, accompanied by generous helpings of nicely browned saute potatoes, carrots and sugarsnap peas. The pinkish jus was quite lively, with a potent flavour and a fairly heady aroma.

My dining partner was raving over the tomato and onion tart, which came in a Mediterranean-style sauce. I did feel the sachets of sauce and vinegar on the table let the side down a little, though.

The lemon cheesecake I had for afters was a bit of a surprise. A small, round dessert, it was decorated with what are best described as small inch-long sausages of zesty icing sugar, and it made for something a little different, as well as tasty.

Service was efficient and polite, and the total bill came to a very reasonable £28.65. As I had two courses, there was also a complimentary coffee, a nice touch, I thought.

A ringing endorsement, you might say.

ADDRESS

The Bell Inn 614 High Street, Kingswinford, DY6 8AJ

Phone: 01384 402666

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Prawn cocktails £3.35; Loaded potato skins £3.45; Plum duck £4.10

Main courses

8oz rump steak £8.95; Gammon £7.95; Steak, mushroom and ale pie £8.25; Belly pork in apple and cider sauce £9.25; Sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry £8.25

Desserts

Carrot cake £3.75; Chocolate fudge cake £3.25; Belgian chocolate pudding £3.95