Whittington Arms, Lichfield

"It's best to book" proclaims the website. However, it was advice I'd decided to ignore,

So we arrived at The Whittington Arms hungry and wet from a deluge of rain that seemed to last only as long as it took to get from the car to the door.

It was Sunday lunchtime and the place was packed to the rafters, so I shouldn't have been surprised. It had been a last-minute decision to try here having discovered our intended destination opened every day except today.

It was a good job too, as we'd planned the original venue, which has a particularly nice outdoor terrace, around the supposedly brighter bank holiday weather, only for last Saturday and Sunday to produce four seasons in one day.

The chap behind the bar spent a couple of minutes working out if we could be squeezed in, and thankfully a waitress located a spot for us. We took our drinks to an inviting leather sofa while the table was made, and we dried off in front of a window, just in time for the sun to appear again, beaming through the panes of glass seemingly taunting us.

The Whittington Arms lies on the A51 between Lichfield and Tamworth, just down the road from the barracks and the Staffordshire Regiment Museum.

The building dates back to the early 1900s, and was the clubhouse of Whittington Heath Golf Club until the early 1960s. It's a bit in the middle of nowhere, so it doesn't strike me as a big drinkers' pub, although there's lots of real ale and plenty of draft and bottled beers on offer.

Its main function is as a restaurant, and one that you'd need to drive out to. Thankfully it's got a large car park to cope with demand. It was once a Brewer's Fayre, but in recent years has been transformed into what's been described as a trendy gastropub with a cosy, autumnal colour scheme of reds, oranges and browns, oak floors, a bar carved out of wood and huge floor to ceiling logs as features.

The room has been split up into various dining areas that offer a different experience depending on which one you're placed in. There's lots of cosy leather chairs set around small tables, while in the middle of the room there's a raised platform surrounded by glass panels, which had maybe seven tables situated quite close together.

It was a hive of activity in there – families laughing, babies crying and children playing. It was nice to see people enjoying themselves, although I quietly hoped to myself our table would be somewhere a little quieter. As if the staff had been reading my mind, we were led to one of the few quiet corners of the restaurant, a little table for two near a window and the far end of the bar.

While busy, the atmosphere was still quite relaxed for a Sunday afternoon, with chillout tunes emanating from the speakers, and the young, enthusiastic team of staff kept things under control.

The menu is filled with traditional English meals, from the pub classics – gammon steak, beer-battered haddock – to the more adventurous such as grilled guinea fowl breast stuffed with chorizo, and venison steak. There was also Sunday lunch on offer.

And as well as an abundance of starters, there's also three platters – a fish mezze, a meat platter and a house sampler. The last of these is a sample of most starters on the menu, no less than seven dishes. It sounded huge but we were reassured it was a manageable feast.

The delicious French onion soup comes in a small, espresso sized cup, there's also a couple of squares of hot, melt-in-the-mouth deep fried brie, a chicken skewer which was a bit too chargrilled for our liking, a wonderfully soft crabcake, and a rather hefty portion of chicken terrine and duck rillette, which came with three pieces of soft bread.

It was topped off with three huge sauteed king prawns. This choice is £12.95 and well worth it, as you're not left with the nagging feeling that you've ordered the wrong thing.

The baked whole seabream arrived hot and steaming on the table. There were a few bones to pick out, but the fish was meaty and plentiful, while the chive butter sauce was devilishly rich and there was lots of it, poured over soft new potatoes, spinach and cherry tomatoes.

The roasted pork fillet and braised pork belly was Sunday comfort food at its best – rich, salty and soft, it came on a bed of black pudding mash, with a separate dish of vegetables.

The desserts too looked divine as they were carried past our table, particularly a rather lavish creation I took to being chocolate brownie, lemon tart, Eton mess and vanilla ice-cream.

The bill, without desserts but with a couple of bottles of pear cider and soft drinks, came to just under £50 with a tip.

The lasting impression of The Whittington Arms that it is a warm, welcoming place, that wants to accommodate any kind of guest. A fixed price menu during the week offers great value grub, there's a wine club and apparently you can even get a free glass of fizz if it's your birthday.

Some large pubs struggle to maintain their character and friendliness – this one doesn't. But it might be an idea to book.

ADDRESS

Whittington Arms, Tamworth Road, Lichfield WS14 9PS

Phone: 01543 432340

www.thewhittingtonarmslichfield.co.uk

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Coconut tempura tiger prawns with a sweet chilli, coriander and coconut dip, priced at £4.75; Grilled portabello mushrooms, topped with crisp bacon, garlic and chilli oil £4.95; Crab cakes on a rocket and scallion salad with a light chilli dressing £5.95.

MAIN COURSES

Black olive and onion tart with cumin roasted vegetables, topped with onion rings and a tomato and smoked paprika dressing £8.95; Fillet steak with chicken pâté on toasted brioche, served with Madeira sauce, rocket salad and home-cut chunky chips £16.95; Welsh lamb shoulder, slow-roasted with sundried tomatoes, garlic & rosemary served with seasonal vegetables and potatoes £12.95.

DESSERTS

Glazed lemon tart with crème fraiche & strawberry coulis £4.50; Chocolate and hazelnut brownie with ice cream £4.95; Treacle tart with clotted

cream £4.95