Lyndon House Hotel, Walsall

Walsall's Lyndon House Hotel is a perfect spot if you're looking for hearty food with a price tag which won't break the bank,

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This was going to have to be good. It was the opening night of the Stourbridge Beer Festival. And here I was looking to sample some great ales, plus a bit of food. In Walsall.

I dunno. The things I do to bring you this column.

When I wrote about a similar conundrum in December last year, reader Julian Smith was good enough to get in touch, suggesting I should try The Black Country Arms.

"It has excellent meals and also the best kept real ales I have tasted in a long time," he told me. Sounded good to me, so that was the plan.

Just one problem. It was now 7.45pm in the evening. And the Black Country Arms stopped serving food at 4.30pm. Better get a Plan B then.

Plan B turned out to be the Lyndon House Hotel, a charming ivy-covered inn, which is highly rated by the ale-drinking fraternity.

Didn't know about it? Blame Walsall's nightmarish road layout for that. The red-brick building, with its Mediterranean-style sun terrace, stands like a monument to a bygone age, stubbornly remaining on its hillside perch, but cut off from the rest of the world by the spaghetti-like chaos of modern town planning.

Although I've been here on two previous occasions, I still managed to get lost several times as I negotiated my way around the surrounding one-way systems, bus lanes, pedestrian zones and realigned road junctions.

Perhaps that's why it offers full bed-and-breakfast accommodation – once you get there, you will never find your way back.

Lyndon House, formerly the Royal Exchange, has its own car park, which is accessed by driving under a monogrammed wrought-iron arch. But be warned, its hillside location makes for a very steep walk up to the entrance. It may make sense to use the public car park next door, which is free in the evening, while Blue Badge holders may be able to park in the street.

There used to be a stylish Italian restaurant in the conservatory at the back, but it seems to have gone the same way as so many eating places in recent years, and disappeared. Certainly, my recollection of it was of a place that seemed very quiet.

That room is now available for private functions and cabaret tribute acts with Tom Jones, Freddie Mercury or, if you bowl up tonight, you will be able to see Ronan Cheating.

Dinner is now served from the main bar at the front. A large, square room, with an impressive island bar and substantial beams to the ceiling, which makes for a cosy atmosphere. The furnishings are quite basic, with simple tables, button-backed benches and round-backed chairs, but this adds to the warm feel and period charm.

And anyway, who needs fancy furniture, when there's a choice of six real ales? Abbot is a little on the strong side for a work night, but there was Theakston's Best Bitter and Traditional Mild, plus a special house ale made by Theakston's. The house ale was pleasant, but for my money the mild, a dark, nutty beer, using a blend of pale, crystal and black malts, is the one to go for.

I would say it is very much a local's local. There were lots of people who would appear to be regulars perched on stools around the bar, a few elderly people sat in the one window, in the other a young man regaling his lady friend with tales about his life of adventure.

Don't expect any nouvelle cuisine here, though. It is very much a back-to-basics experience, with quite a small choice of simple dishes, with a few daily specials to add a bit of variety. The sirloin steak had been crossed out and replaced with a rump, and after ordering our food, a member of staff came over to say the haddock had all sold out, but cod was available instead. There could certainly be no arguing with the prices, with nothing on the menu costing more than £6.95.

Truth be told, I wasn't expecting too much from my £4.95 cottage pie, but it turned out to be a very pleasant surpri se. In a square, white porcelain dish, it appeared to have been homemade, and was hot and with plenty of substance, with a tasty minced beef filling. I'm not sure, though, that the best accompaniment for a pie filled with peas and carrots is, er, more peas and carrots, and while the chips were hot and tasty, they did appear to have come out of a packet. Then again, how can you complain at this price?

My dining companion's cod and chips was generously proportioned, and the fish was soft, white and fluffy, coated in a homemade batter.

The chocolate sponge cake for afters was pleasant enough, but nowt to get too excited about. But then again, for £1.95 you can't expect too much.

The total bill, for two main courses, one dessert, coffee, a pint-and-a-half of ale and a glass of wine was £17.95. I'll repeat that – £17.95. And remember, that includes a homemade pie and proper cask ales.

I left the Lyndon House in two minds. On the one hand, I thought a building of this style and character, and with such a good range of real ales, should be aiming at a slightly higher end of the market with its food.

But the other side of that coin is that it offers terrific value. Let's be in no doubt, it is very much a cheap-and-cheerful experience, but if you're looking for simple, home-cooked food at bargain prices it's hard to beat. I can't remember the time I had such a good meal for so little money.

And we should all drink to that.

ADDRESS

Lyndon House Hotel, 9-10 Upper Rushall Street, Walsall WS1 2HA

Tel: 01922 612511

Web: www.lyndonhousehotel.co.uk

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Soup – choice of cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, oxtail or vegetable (£1.95); Portobello mushroom filled with Cheddar and onions (£2.95); Smoked haddock and mornay sauce (£3.95)

MAINS

Gammon steak with two eggs, chips and peas (£4.95); 8oz rump steak with garnish and chips (£6.95); Crispy battered haddock with chips and mushy peas (£4.95); Sausage and mash in onion gravy (£4.95); Chicken casserole with mashed potatoes and sweetcorn (£5.95)

DESSERTS

Fruit salad gateau, Chocolate sponge cake