The Boat — Restaurant in Lichfield

My husband and I dined at the Boat for the first time last Friday. We were greeted on arrival and sat down in the restaurant, and water was served. The waiter informed us that the waitress would be over shortly, and off he went. The restaurant was not busy, in fact we had only booked our reservation the night before. We waited for nearly 15 minutes, and despite there being several staff around the restaurant, no one came to take our drinks order. I left our table and approached a staff member to ask for a drinks menu, which did arrive shortly after, and eventually drinks were served. I had red wine and it came in a rather odd glass, somewhat like a half pint glass, I prefer my red wine in more of a goblet glass, but it seemed that all wines were served in the same style glass red and white. We then waited again for a food menu, this never came either. over came the waitress to ask us what menu we would like to have, and we had to reply "we don't know as we have had no menu" Off she went to get them, and we finally ordered. The food started to appear, and seemed ok until the fish course was served. My husband found a very large bone in his fish, and this put him off finishing the dish. The manager came over, and took the bone over to the kitchen to speak to the team. She was apologetic, and asked us if we would like another drink, which we declined. When we had finished our meal the waitress informed us that she was taking 5% off the fish dish due to the kitchens error. Now this restaurant has 3 rosette's and they certainly try and be something special, but frankly they are not. They had plenty of staff in the restaurant that night, but they seemed inexperienced to say the least, and that is clearly down to lack of training. They are charging on the back of their awards, but not meeting customers expectations in any way. I did contact the Boat to tell them about our experience, and they offered us a glass of wine when we next return, however that would not entice me to return , as several areas let our visit down. I have also found the owner Liam, really very arrogant and rude during our correspondence, and with his attitude I would never set foot in this place again. I urge others to visit Adams in Birmingham if your after a faultless dining and serving experience, they really are the best around, and treat their customers with utter respect,...

This has always been our 'go to' restraunt of choice for dependable gastronomic delight. However, 3 of us booked for Easter Sunday lunch knowing there had been a takeover & change of chef but expecting the same quality as ever. Sad to say we were disappointed. Loss of blackboard menu made it feel like every other pub dining & where as before, there was always a decision as to what we would like to choose, we found choices limited now. The chicken liver pate-always a personal favourite -has been replaced by a goose liver foie gras style and served with 1 small piece of toasted brioche delivered on a separate plate, inelegantly dumped on top of the bread plate & knife used earlier which in past times had always been removed as the starter was served. Also the rhubarb accompaniment was nothing more than 3 tiny circles of jellied fruit & not enough to compliment the dish. We had roast beef for mains. The meat was beautifully cooked but the 3 roast potatoes were both cold & dry. There was a mere drizzle of gravy & we had to ask for more to moisten the meal to our taste but it was provided happily enough. Vegetables were always served in a large bowl & a good mix of cauliflower, broccoli, carrots & suchlike. This time it was a fingerbowl of 6 chantenney carrots with strips of cabbage. Fortunately for the other 2 diners, I dislike cabbage but there really was not enough for 3 in one bowl. For dessert I chose the lemon sponge with a sorbet ice cream. This arrived 'deconstructed'; in other words, ripped into 4 pieces around the ice cream & sprinkled with crunchy nutty type of addition. Lemon was not a strong flavour to the sponge & not as light & fluffy as I'd hoped it would be. The butter for the bread at the start of the meal had been made with chicken stock. Different but I'm sorry to say, not for me. I expect my butter to taste of butter....not chicken. I'm VERY VERY sorry to say we won't be rushing back based on this experience. Change can be good but I felt very let down by the changes made at this previously buzzing eaterie. Ambiance wasn't the same, service was not as good and food was a lot less divine than I had been used to. I am sorry to write a poor review but it was what I felt about the entire experience. Even the waterjugs no longer have lemon slices in to improve the...

”Don’t read a book by its cover”. If you do, look at the fine print and you’ll see a familiar word in foodie circles. “Michelin”, adorns signs before the entrance and on entering its pub front door, in the lobby. A welcoming member of staff attended to my needs as I entered. Well dressed, well spoken and reassuringly professional. She escorted me to the comfy chairs in front of the cozy fire. There I ordered table water and a short while later was snacking on a pig cheek inspired mouche bouche. The Boat Inn emphasises locally procured ingredients, information of which decorated the pedestal the mouche bouche was placed upon. When my table was ready the staff guided me to my pew for the afternoon. There I happily admired my bright and admirable surrounds. A second pre-starter arrived, this time small pieces of Lichfield sourced chicken. The meat was so tender. Each dish in the taster menu used the freshest of ingredients. They were all beautifully presented and ranged from the hearty, the beef roast main, to the delicate, the seafood starter. Let me turn the spotlight away from the fine dining food for a moment. There is more to the detailing in the interior of The Boat Inn than initially meets the eye. The interior is beautiful; it is country modernity. There are stools located beneath each table to perch one’s hand (or man) Bag on. The cutlery, perfectly paired with each dish, originate from locations such as France & the home of steel, Sheffield. Light pours into the open stage of the dining area through huge windows. It is a show, a showcase of beautiful English dishes. The staff were polite, chatty, friendly and accommodating. There was, which can be the case at any restaurant, a range of competency levels. Overall, service quality was smooth and it shined through. It was good to see members of staff enjoying their job. This was definitely the case in the heart of the kitchen, an area open to diners to peer in. The bright, hygienic glean of its metal services amplified the contentment of the kitchen staff. The Boat Inn is a showcase of Midlands food. I’m happy a fellow blogger brought it to my attention. By the mass of people that enjoyed it, it is well known. I can only hope more eateries of this quality appear closer to the shores...