If you find yourself in the pretty town of Lichfield, reserve a table at The Boat Inn, says James Lawrence. It will confound all your expectations in a manner akin to discovering a Latvian supermodel in your local B&Q store, working in the plumbing section.
Residents of Birmingham certainly have no excuse; Lichfield is less than 35 minutes by car, connected by a blissfully uncrowded toll motorway, no less. You may have heard of the place; arch Boris Johnson loyalist Michael Fabricant is the local MP. He’s notoriously gaffe-prone and is a man of questionable judgement, but we won’t hold that against the restaurant.
The Boat Inn was founded by Liam Dillon, a very affable chap with a Michelin-spangled resume: Copenhagen’s Noma; New York’s Eleven Madison Park, and Sydney’s Quay. Impressed yet? You should be – these iconic destinations are very picky about who they work with. However, it turns out that I’m late to the party; Dillon opened the restaurant five years ago, completing an extensive refurbishment in 2020. The venue we saw is fairly large and expansive, with different sections and a sizable covered garden dining area.
In a nod to the sustainability trend, the chef/owner also oversees an aquaponics project. It involves cultivating plants in water, which are then fed nutrient-rich minerals from a tank filled with fish. The idea is that he’ll be self-sufficient in the fruit, vegetable and herb department. Kudos to him.
Nevertheless, from the outside at least, The Boat Inn looks like a quintessential rural gastropub. You know the type, don’t even pretend, you know what I’m talking about. Filled with harassed families on the weekend, they charge £25 for ‘lightly battered langoustine tail, served with pommes frites avec aioli et ‘nduja d’Oldham.’ Scampi and chips, in other words.
Yet credit where credit is due: Dillon’s inaugural solo venture is nothing of the sort. It’s actually quite a serious (but not pretentious or stuffy) den of high gastronomy. The Boat Inn is a hybrid: relaxed pub service meets sophisticated cooking. We chose to dine at the chef’s table, affording us insights into how the team operates. Some of my friends regard this as off the wall – “hold on, you want to eat in the bloody kitchen?” But if you’re a passionate foodie, there are few experiences like it.
After an exquisite glass of Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs – top English fizz now trounces lesser Champagne – we glance at the choices. The Boat offers a concise tasting menu that finds that ideal midpoint between pleasurable satiation and food coma. So trust me, although the portion sizes are relatively bijou, you won’t leave hungry.
Then it starts. The staff fill your table with unbelievably moreish food: beautifully fresh beer-soaked spelt bread, served with oodles of rich chicken butter, deep-fried cubes of lamb, poached and caramelised Anjou squab breast, with pickled onion ‘relish’ and a side order of yeasted cauliflower. The overall culinary style? I’d say bold and thoughtful, with punchy flavours and enough acid to balance out the gameness of the pigeon, for example. Some chefs allow one key ingredient to do most of the talking. Dillon brings diverse elements together and forces them to get along.
All the dishes were very good – harmonious and balanced – but we did play favourites. My stand-out was the Cotswold lamb which arrived in rump and belly form. I fell hard for the belly cut in particular; so much depth of flavour in every mouthful, only enhanced by an accompanying black garlic and tongue sauce. My dining companion, however, was sold on his piece of cod fillet. Generously seasoned and packed full of enough umami flavour to keep sushi master Jiro Ono happy, it came with a buttery aside of pomme purée.
Pudding was no less excellent. Silky smooth chocolate parfait and malt ice cream are bad for the diet but great for your happiness. My friend had a pungent selection of cheeses and some white port. Incidentally, there’s a good wine list at The Boat Inn, but my advice is to select the very reasonably priced (£40) wine pairing. There isn’t a drop of plonk, just delicious reds and aromatic whites. And the sommelier is very friendly to boot.
An unassuming pub on the A461 to Walsall? Don’t be fooled: this powerhouse of posh nosh is Lichfield’s top foodie destination. If you crave high gastronomy without pretension, give them a call.
What: The Boat Inn
Where: Walsall Road, Muckley Corner, Lichfield WS14 0BU
Web: TheBoatInnLichfield.com
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