Best Western Himley Hotel, Himley

Sat in the restaurant of the Himley Hotel, I look up at the pointed, high-beamed roof, and then cast my eyes along the tall, sturdy-framed windows,

A faded black-and-white line-up of schoolboys sits on the weathered red-brick wall behind us, a purple-striped blazer takes pride of place next to the archway.

The badges of the different Cambridge colleges are displayed in a frame.

You know what, I was half expecting a crusty, white-haired headmaster in a dusty mortarboard and chalk-marked gowns to stride up to the front of the room and invite us to sing All Things Bright and Beautiful.

It you haven't gathered, the room where we were seated used to be a school. Back in the 19th century, it is where the Earl of Dudley's servants would have sent their children, and it's good that the restaurant's new owner is making the most of this building's heritage.

For such a tiny village, Himley does remarkably well for places to eat. Just 400 people live here. There is a church, but no shop, and indeed no longer a school. But there are three restaurants.

The Dudley Arms, an old haunt of King Edward VIII, was the first place I visited when this column was launched in 2008, and continues to be popular with readers today for its good-value meals. The Himley House Hotel, formerly the lodge at neighbouring Himley Hall, has also been visited by The Insider.

Himley Country Club, as it used to be known, was arguably the poshest place to eat in the village. The immaculately-attired manager would greet diners in the foyer, impeccably-mannered staff would lead diners to elegantly laid tables.

Then there was a period of decline. A couple of changes of ownership, speculation the building would be turned into a residential home and, finally, the administrators were called in. The future looked bleak, but then the Butterfly Hotels chain stepped in at the 11th hour to give it a new lease of life.

Looking from the car park, it is hard to spot the Victorian schoolhouse which forms part of the restaurant, so dwarfed is it by the various extensions and wings that have been added over the years.

But take a walk along School Road, which is, I suppose, the nearest thing Himley has to a high street, then the view is very different. A narrow opening, and a flight of child-sized steps lead up from the pavement to the tiny red-brick building, which looks just as it would have done when it echoed to the throng of shrieking children.

Today, the hotel is a sprawling modern complex, dominated by a huge conservatory at the front, and a large function room and residential wing at the back. The car park has more than 100 spaces, but they are packed in tight, and manoeuvring around the spaces by the door can be tricky, particularly for anybody in a larger vehicle.

On the other hand, the packed car park is clearly a good sign, and so busy was the restaurant on the night of our visit that there were no tables available in the conservatory. Disabled access is excellent, with numerous ramps inside the building.

One of the reasons for the packed conservatory was the visiting coach party, on a Heritage of England tour. A group of four youngish ladies were sat to the one side of us, while two middle-aged men, who I gathered to be schoolteachers, were seated on the other.

While I loved the ambience of the room, I did wish they would turn the wireless off. It was not as if it was even loud enough to hear properly, just the tedious white noise of some DJ prattling away.

There are two menus: a two-for-£9.95 menu, which is also available in the bar, offering simple grub such as a beef lasagne, sweet and sour pork or a cajun chicken salad, and a more sophisticated set menu, giving diners a choice of one course for £8.95, two courses for £12.95 or three for £15.95. Both look good value, particularly as the budget menu boasts that all dishes are home-made and freshly prepared. On the other hand, it should be noted that there are supplements charged on some items from the main menu.

The wine selection is impressive, with a broad spectrum of wines helpfully broken down into different flavour types, enabling the novice to find exactly what they are looking for. Prices are sensible too, with the numerous house wines available at £3.50 for 175ml, or £5 for 250ml. For beer drinkers there is a choice between Bass bitter, Stella lager, or Guinness.

The main menu has a selection of courses running to three pages, including one given over to vegetarian dishes.

There was no fillet steak though, so I settled for the 8oz sirloin, for which there was a £3 supplement, and with the peppercorn sauce which added another £1. My dining partner wanted the fish and chips from the "two-for-£9.95" menu, and the friendly brunette waitress said this was no problem, although it did come at a price, as I will explain later.

Simple, good quality food is the best way to describe the meals. The steak was char grilled, and quite strong in flavour, and while the sauce was a little runny, the peppercorns were fresh and vibrant. There were plenty of tasty hand-cut chips, although I would have preferred carrots to the peas that came with it.

The fish was also good, and appeared to be of equal standard. If you take advantage of the "two for £9.95 menu", then I think you are getting a bargain.

Unfortunately though, we didn't. While I realised choosing just one meal from the "two for £9.95" menu would cost more than a fiver, I didn't expect to be charged the full £9.95 either - particularly as one course on the supposedly more expensive table d'hote menu was just £8.95.

The total bill, which included an ice cream, two coffees, two glasses of wine and a half of Bass, was £39.20, which overall I would say was very reasonable.

I did enjoy the experience, and would go again.

But next time I would take full advantage of the special offer, even if it meant settling for a smaller 6oz steak.

A lesson learned for the next visit. But all in all, it's a class act.

ADDRESS

Best Western Himley Hotel, School Road, Himley, Dudley, DY3 4LG

Phone: 01902 896716

MENU SAMPLE

Price £8.95 one course, £12.95 two course, £15.95 three courses

STARTERS

Warm smoked mackerel salad; Fan of ogen melon; Chicken and tarragon terrine

MAIN COURSES

Ricotta and rocket ravioli; Blue cheese tart; Spinach and brie parcel; 8oz ribeye steak

DESSERTS

Toffee apple meltdown; Belgian waffle; Raspberry and white chocolate bavarois