The Boat Inn, Walsall Road, Lichfield, WS14 0BU
Visit: 15 August 2021
Price: *
Website: https://www.theboatinnlichfield.com/
I have eaten at the Boat Inn, Lichfield, many times, and the food and service are excellent.
The 3-course “choice” menu costs £60 per head. There is a six-course tasting menu at £85 and a drinks package at £55. These prices have increased recently, but that is not surprising after the Covid closures over the past year and a half.
We chose the “choice” menu. The starters included roast quail breast with an excellent crispy breadcrumbed leg on the side. The quail was perfectly cooked and very tender. There was also a scallop starter with apple, cucumber, and horseradish cream. The scallop was cooked perfectly. However, for me, the horseradish cream was too spicy hot and overwhelmed the scallop. There was also a starter of goats cheese, served with heritage tomatoes and a tomato gazpacho.
The main courses included a roast halibut fillet with salsify, ravioli caviar and fish sauce. The halibut was cooked perfectly and the saltiness of the caviar with the fish sauce was particularly good. There was a Hereford beef fillet that was accompanied by an excellent bone marrow bread and butter pudding and a bordelaise sauce. This was the standout dish of the evening for me. Or, you could have chosen a roast lamb rump, served with compressed belly, and a salsa verdi. All the main courses were excellent.
For dessert there was a custard tart with a white chocolate crumb, a chocolate parfait with peanut brittle and a peanut ice cream, or Lichfield strawberries with dill meringue and shortbread. There was a selection of three or five cheeses (for a supplement of £11 or £15) with chutney and some sensational cheese crackers. The sweet desserts were very good, but the cheese and crackers were outstanding.
This is still a great restaurant, definitely one of the best in the Lichfield area. The food is of a very high standard and the service is friendly and attentive.
I highly recommend a visit!
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