The King's Head, Bearwood

There's a fine line between 'fine dining' and fine dining and The King's Head is toeing it right now,

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It's not easy for a pub to straddle that fine line between a boozer and a restaurant.

The bosses want to attract sophisticated diners willing to sip wine and tuck into something more than a bar snack.

But they don't want to put off drinkers that may fancy a few pints on a Friday night.

And it is this dilemma that faces the King's Head in Bearwood - a historic pub on Hagley Road that underwent a radical £1.5 million makeover three years ago.

It was once seen by many as a rather dingy watering hole but is now eager to attract people willing to pay up to £20 for a main course.

With popular boozers such as The Bear just a few minutes stroll away on Bearwood High Street offering basic grub for £2.99, there is plenty of competition.

And The King's Head also stands on the border between the staunchly working class Bearwood and the leafy suburbs of Harborne.

Catering to both of these tastes is a tall order and it was interesting to see how it was faring three years on from the revamp.

Following the revamp, restaurant manager Yaska Shahrokh told the Express & Star: "It's a pub but it's also so much more. It's friendly, relaxed and the food speaks for itself."

And, on first impressions, it seems that mission statement is still being adhered to.

It is unmistakeably a pub, and the comfortable bar area, full of sofas and armchairs, greets you when you walk through the main doors near the car park. But at the other side of the bar, a waitress is ready to take you to a table decked out with napkins, cutlery and wine glasses. In other words, you now feel like you are in a restaurant.

There is also a large decked area at the back of the pub, shielded from the noise of the Hagley road traffic. We decided to eat outside and soak up the last of the day's sunshine - a rare treat in April.

Judging by the bustling groups of twenty-somethings on the other tables, plenty of other people had had the same idea.

And this combination of quality pub and eaterie in itself is one of the King's Head's best features.

So now, on to the food. Having that wine bar atmosphere is all well and good, but the restaurant's food needs to be a cut above standard pub fare.

We were pleasantly surprised to see a two-for-one offer on a list of 20 chef's specials.

Many of the main courses from the restaurant menu were on there but, cheekily, it seemed the prices had in some cases mysteriously risen by about £2 during the transition.

The roasted piri piri half chicken was £10.95 originally, but was listed as £12.95 on the offer. Nevertheless, we decided that the offer was still good value so we continued. I went for that old Black Country favourite, faggots, in red onion gravy with chips, for £10.95. It was delicious, with some of the tastiest gravy I have ever consumed.

The chicken, on the other hand, was a disappointment, as we were expecting it to be marinated in piri piri, but it instead came with a pot of the sauce on the side.

The side salad also looked as if had come straight from a bag.

The Greek Mezze starter of taramasalata, houmous, tzatziki, feta cheese and flatbread (£6.95) was much better, and we had to leave some of it for fear of getting too full.

Sadly, a request for an Irish coffee to finish the meal was met with the unapologetic reply: "We haven't got any cream,"" which left us rather baffled.

Sure, all restaurants run out of supplies at times but surely someone could have run down the road to a supermarket to grab a few pots.

At least my beautifully moist home-made bread and butter pudding came with custard.

The bill, including a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc for £4.50, a bargain £1.95 pint of Carlsberg and two soft drinks, came to £38.20, which is middle of the market - but bear in mind it would have been at least £10 more without the special offer.

However, after sunning ourselves on the veranda, we left feeling a little underwhelmed.

Service was a little slow, the food was hit and miss, but the atmosphere was great.

It seems the King's Head also treads another fine line - the one between being good and average.

Which is a shame, as the potential is there for so much more.

ADDRESS

The King's Head, Hagley Road, Bearwood B17 8BJ

Phone: 0121 277 4130