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The Boat
Staffordshire, Lichfield - Modern British - Restaurant - £££
Not far from the M6 toll, this white roadside pub is a spirited foodie destination, attractive, modernised and extended, it’s now one of a new breed of country restaurants. It helps that it has a chef-proprietor with experience at the fancy end of the culinary spectrum – Restaurant Story, Eleven Madison Park – but that is not to say Liam Dillon is cooking haute cuisine, not a bit of it. This place is all about classy renditions of 'absolutely delicious' food everyone wants to eat. Knowledgeably sourced, often local produce (some grown in the polytunnel in the Boat's garden) is the jumping-off point for forthright seasonal dishes with the three-course carte and four- or six-course tasters striking many alluring modern British chords. A pink, tender breast of Anjou pigeon, perhaps, served with pickled blueberries, yeasted cauliflower, a mini sausage of the leg wrapped in home-grown chard and petals of baby onion adding acidity, or a perfectly cooked piece of cod with ce...
Not far from the M6 toll, this white roadside pub is a spirited foodie destination, attractive, modernised and extended, it’s now one of a new breed of country restaurants. It helps that it has a chef-proprietor with experience at the fancy end of the culinary spectrum – Restaurant Story, Eleven Madison Park – but that is not to say Liam Dillon is cooking haute cuisine, not a bit of it. This place is all about classy renditions of 'absolutely delicious' food everyone wants to eat. Knowledgeably sourced, often local produce (some grown in the polytunnel in the Boat's garden) is the jumping-off point for forthright seasonal dishes with the three-course carte and four- or six-course tasters striking many alluring modern British chords. A pink, tender breast of Anjou pigeon, perhaps, served with pickled blueberries, yeasted cauliflower, a mini sausage of the leg wrapped in home-grown chard and petals of baby onion adding acidity, or a perfectly cooked piece of cod with celeriac purée, a deep-fried potato ring and dollop of Avruga caviar. It all ends on a high with a well-made chocolate parfait, nuggets of white chocolate ‘Aero’ and a deeply flavoured malt ice cream topped with a milk crisp. Dishes are flagged with intelligent wine pairings, but do seek the sommelier’s guidance as the full list ventures beyond the usual suspects, focussing on the organic and sustainable.
VENUE DETAILS
Walsall Road, Muckley Corner
Lichfield
Staffordshire
WS14 0BU
01543 361692
OTHER INFORMATION
Wheelchair access, Parking, Family friendly, Dog friendly, Credit card required, Deposit required