According to villagers, the people behind Butlers Bar and Bistro have performed a minor miracle in ridding the building of undesirables and turning it into a classy bar offering excellent food.
I popped there this week with a friend who came to stay with me and was pretty impressed.
Inside it doesn’t look too dissimilar from any normal pub, and you can just go there for a drink, but most guests seem to go there for the grub, which is both sumptious and healthy.
The unique selling point seems to be its Black Rock Grill, which, according to the blurb, is “a healthy and unique way of cooking that allows you to cook your own food at the table - the volcanic rock cooks steaks and grills in a delicious and healthy way, preserving the flavour of our premium quality, local produce”.
We watched succulent steaks sizzling away on the table next to us, and they looked fabulous and certainly liven up the eating experience.
I almost plumped for this option, but since Codsall-based Allan Bennets award-winning sausages were being served up with mash, I had to go for that instead.
I started with a tuna and mozzerella salad, and rather than the few slices of each arranged on a plate common in some restaurants, I was delighted to find a huge mound of both, tossed in oil, placed before me. I can honestly say it was the tastiest I’ve ever had.
It was made even better by the fact that when I cheekily asked if I could have a few olives, my new vice, I was presented with a little dish full of juicy black and green ones.
My main, although not very adventurous, was delicious.
My friend started with crab pate, which she quickly devoured and said it was lovely.
For her main she tucked into tuna fishcakes, which she thoroughly enjoyed, but they came alone except for some chilli sauce and we thought perhaps a bit of salad would not go amiss.
We shared a plate of chunky chips, and then squeezed in some ice cream for dessert. This was all washed down with a bottle of rosé. The bill came to just over £40.
Our visit to Butlers was a pleasant one, and we’d definitely go back. It has brightened up a once fairly dark corner of the village.
ADDRESSS
Butlers Bar and Bistro, 1 Wood Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton
Tel: 01902 841930
By Becky Sharpe
4 Comments
We found this by mistake one evening not long since its opening and it was an unexpected suprise.
The quality of food and service was excellent and i have just booked a reservation for 9 people and we are looking forward to our second visit…will keep you updated.
And I thought this paper supported pubs in the community. Yet another pub lost in a village which has already lost too many. Being one of these so called undesirables I suppose my opinion compared to that of people outside the area counts for little. By the way, is this the same reporter who wrote a review on the McDonalds in the town?
Been twice now. First time they did a lovely meal but we had a party of 20 and paid the bill and left generous tip. Then they said they had forgotten to put a couple of deserts on and we had to pay for these after we had settled and given the tip. Went again and was extremely disappointed to be served “frozen chips” (but had been cooked) when we should have had fresh home made. The Manager was very uncourteous when I said I was not prepared to pay the price for frozen produce which we could have had at a pub anywhere for half his price. He eventually deducted the chips after a very heated dispute with myself but this practice was against trading standards and we should have been told before we ordered that there was a problem that evening which was a fair comment but was not told about a problem they had encounted and would by choice have ordered something different. DEFINITELY WONT GO AGAIN AT £17 PER HEAD FOR STEAK (WHICH WAS NICE) A PLATE OF FROZEN CHIPS AND A BIT OF SALAD - All with bad attitude.
the place is now closed, not sure the becky sharpe review helped much calling the locals “undesirables” i would stick to reviewing chip shops if i were you.