THE BOAT in Walsall

Went with too much expectation considering its Michelin star. The service was not upto the mark. Sparkling water bottle was left on our table without the lid. Staff was rude at times. More guests than the number of staff.

Two of us dined here. We had the tasting menu with the additonal cheese board and overall is was a nice experience. The restaurant wasnt overly busy and the staff were friendly.

Have enjoyed lunch at The Boat on several occasions and always found the experience exceptional. However, this time, whilst the food was still amazing, we felt that everything had been pared back. We chose from the a la carte menu but found the portions sizes to be more tasting menu, there was no bread offered and despite three courses left quite hungry.

POOR HYGIENE We chose the boat for our 30 th wedding anniversary , the food was medium nice marred by the fact the chef was constantly on his mobile phone which are notorious for being dirty ! Then using his bare hands to prepare our food this happened a number of times without even washing his hands ( in fact we were on the chefs table and he never washed them once )! I don’t think hygiene was top of the list leaving me coming to the conclusion I don’t want to eat there again !! Even McDonald’s wear gloves and are forbidden to use phones !!! Folks you can make your own mind up but when chefs are playing with your food surely hygiene should be paramount.they did issue an apology but I’ll be going elsewhere.

Our second time here. Menu has changed to Ala Carte for Sunday lunch and it was great for a group of six to have such an interesting choice of dishes for each course. Great cocktails and wines with the meal. Michelin star food but at really great prices. Would recommend going for a special occasion, it’s totallly worth it.

Visited for my husbands birthday the menu hasn’t changed in a long time and for the price of the bill was over £250 for two of us the food was very very disappointing and not worth the money paid. Will not be recommending or returning.

Amazing food with thousands of flavour packed into one memorable dining experience. Definitely plan to return again to try other food on the menu.

Always delicious and great service. One of our favourite restaurants

Fine dining at a good price. The food and service was excellent, at a good price for this quality of food.

The best meal I've ate in a long time, every tasting course was an experience. The matching wines were out of this world. This is definitely one to visit and admire the gardens and home grown produce. Best of luck chefs

As always an exceptional dining experience reaching the high standard we have come to expect of The Boat. An extremely comfortable and relaxed lunch where food, service, atmosphere and value for money are all second to none. We highly recommend and will certainly return.

Very good food.great service all good

We had a fabulous Sunday Lunch at The Boat today. The food, ambience and service was of the highest level. It can't be long until Liam gets his star..... We will definitely be back.

Thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to The Boat. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Quality of food and drink was excellent. Sunday lunch was most enjoyable and my son who is a chef was very impressed. Thankyou. Mike Eustace

The best restaurant I've eaten at, had fine dining a few times now and this was exceptional, great service and the fish courses are something else. Tasting menu was on point, the monk fish was the best of an incredible menu, oysters speak for themselves and the turnip puree on the chicken dish brought it all together, price was expected for the quality of food. Will visit again if im ever this side of the country again. Next time ill leave the car and add the wine pairing to the experience. 5 stars

Booked in for Saturday lunch taster menu. First impression, nice place, staff very welcoming. We were seated at our table and the little welcome card was a lovely touch. Food was superb, well explained by the fab staff. Wine menu had good veriety. Lovely atmosphere. Will certainly come back if in the area again. Thanks Liam and all the team.

To create such joy from such a simple act as eating, is this place's superpower. Each dish was interesting, well presented and with flavours that either surprised you their depth or so balanced that you felt you could eat it everyday remaining on this earth. As a tasting menu it will obviously change if you visit on a different cycle, but the Vegetarian Tortellini was delightful, the lush green sauce and the sharpness of the pickles was excellent. The service from the team was engaged, thoughtful and non-intrusive.

First time going somewhere this fancy for a meal. All the food was amazing, sommelier was brill and all the staff were so friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. Will definitely be back. Thank you for making our wedding anniversary so lovely.

Superb food beautifully presented. Very talented chef team. Excellent wine pairings from a knowledgeable sommelier. Absolutely delighted with our visit.

Had the Sunday ( Choice ) menu today 26/05/24. Excellent food / service / staff and atmosphere. The t bone for two was cooked to perfection as was everything. Will definitely visit again and recommend without hesitation. Steve Pritchard & Family.

Wonderful Sunday lunch at this lovely restaurant. Food was fantastic. So many ‘extra’ surprise courses. The roast beef itself was exquisite. The staff were friendly and super knowledgeable and efficient. We had a six month old in our party so we were a bit apprehensive about how things would go. The staff could not have been more helpful and despite it being a formal dining experience, we were made very welcome even with a small breastfed baby. Many thanks for an enjoyable birthday meal.

We had an amazing experience at The Boat. The food was excellent and some of the best we have had. We enjoyed every course but the standout dish was the Lobster Tortellino. Really liked the chefs themselves serving and explaining their dishes which made it more personal. We found all the staff friendly but our main server Mitchell really made our evening. He was professional, funny and genuinely chatted to us, making us feel like he was actually interested in us and not just following a script like we have found in many other restaurants. Such a shame we don’t live nearby to come here more often.

We had a lovely meal here last night for my husbands birthday. Tasting menu was all stunning, the chefs come to the table for some courses and explain what the dish is in detail etc which was a nice touch. Have posted a pic of menu and some food pictures. The only reason i haven't given five stars is because of some of the slow service by waiting staff. There was plenty of staff around most of them very young but throughout the three hours we were there we had to call someone over three times to order drinks as our glasses had been empty for some time. I expect a better service than that when you are paying £200+ for two people to dine. Was lovely but probably wouldn't return

The food was wonderful & certainly as good as any Michelin starred restaurant we have visited. Sadly the service was no where near the same standard. Our servers were perfectly pleasant but their lack of knowledge relating to the food & particularly wine served was disappointing. When asked about the bottle of red we had ordered, we were met with a ‘I don’t really know much about wine, you probably know more than me”. I’m sure if the standard of service is improved it won’t be long before The Boat gets that coveted star.

An outstanding dining experience in a fantastic setting. Had the full tasting menu with the wine pairing and it really was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

Enjoyed an a La Carte/3 course Saturday lunch. The food was gorgeous, the atmosphere friendly. I’ve eaten here often and it’s always good.

We were kindly invited to join friends for the Taster Menu and enjoyed the complete meal. Unlike some restaurant Taster meals The Boat was free of pretentious over complicated dishes but concentrates on each dish being unique in taste and sufficient food to enjoy the dish without feeling “short changed” by tiny portions. We had the wine flight which the sommelier described at just the right level of information/facts and was very engaging throughout. Beautiful meal, great venue and staff, highly recommend, not low cost but did represent great value, glad it’s not too far for us to travel to.

I love to eat food that I would not reproduce at home

We visited the boat on a Saturday night in March and had the taster menu. The team of chefs did a fantastic job as every meal we had was excellent. The portion sizes were just right and I think it was great value for money. We would definitely recommend the restaurant.

Stunning food! Great Service! Overall very happy with our visit to the boat and will definitely return in the near future!

Perfection! Food and service is fabulous in a welcoming environment. My only regret is that we haven’t been here before, we’ll definitely be visiting regularly from now on. The honey Old Fashioned was a revelation.

What a fabulous place to eat and drink. We were there to celebrate a family get-together and comprised a party of 6 adult, 5 children and a dog. The setting was great and the staff were so helpful in accommodating the children and the dog. The food was excellent and the service could not be faulted. The service was quick and there was hardly any wait between courses. Would highly recommend for large or small parties.

Unbelievable food, friendly, exceptional and attentive service. Great location, everything Liam is doing here with the restaurant and adjoining mini farm is amazing. Well done The Boat. Can't wait to come back!!..

Utterly superb!! Would highly recommend

Absolutely cracking supper here. Had chefs table and tasting menu with wine pairing. Food sublime, wine pairings brilliant and service top quality throughout the evening. Picture is of an aussie Chardonnay whose name amused us! We will be back.

I was disappointed, took 3.5 hours, we didn't get the cheese board. The table next to us did, we were getting everything at the same pace as the other table so we were made to wait for a long time with no food or drink.

Having been to many Michelin star restaurants before, including 2 star establishments, the food here was up there with them. The food was absolutely exceptional and completely faultless. The wine expert (no badge so unsure if he was a sommelier) was great. Extremely knowledgeable, and clearly loved his job, doing everything with a smile. The normal service staff seemed extremely uninterested however, and their demeanour just wasn’t inline with the rest of the experience. Even the female in management attire was rushing and didn’t make us feel looked after. We were given the wrong course, and skipped one. If we hadn’t had the menu up on our phones we wouldn’t have known. This also was brought over without the wine pairing. This was then taken away and given to another table. We then waited a long time for the right course to arrive after telling them we had the wrong course, so ordered a cocktail while we waited. It’s a shame because I had expected them to take these drinks off the bill out of good faith because of their mistake, but they didn’t do so. This is why the review is 4 star and not 5. Total bill for two people was £420.00

We visited The Boat for our friend’s 50th celebrations. She is originally from Litchfield and super proud of it becoming a culinary hot spot! We booked the “Chef’s table” for 8 and from start to finish the experience was wonderful. Having been to Michelin starred restaurants before this place is well on its way to earning its own. I’m terrible with names but our Sommelier was awesome talking us thru the wine pairings, and the different chefs talking us thru their dishes was a nice touch too. Hard to pick a favourite dish, as they were all bangers!

What can I say.......AMAZING! Food was 10/10, service was 10/10, everything was 10/10 We will definitely be visiting again. Loved it!

We’ve been extremely lucky to have eaten at some amazing restaurants over the years. The Boat blew us away last night, the tasting menu and wine pairing was exceptional. We cannot recommend it enough, this venue will get a star (it’s as good as some 2 Michelin star restaurants we’ve eaten in)

Incredible place the food service and staff are next level would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys good food and drink 👌

Lovely Sunday lunch....thank you

Another visit to the Boat and yet again the standard of cooking and service is immaculate. However for the first time in many visits , both myself and my fellow diner had a dish on the short tasting menu that we didn’t like . The Anjou squab was not to our taste , so wasn’t eaten. Nothing wrong with the cooking and beautifully presented . We didn’t complain but without being asked , the management added a second desert and coffee to the meal. Top quality service and we will definitely return soon

First class experience everything was top class. The staff are all very well trained they make you feel very special. A most enjoyable Sunday Lunch.

An absolute joy! Went for a 40th birthday celebration meal and the wife and I were blown away by the food and the service. We did the chefs table and got to experience the full tasting menu. Every single dish was spectacular! A lovely touch that each chef brings over the dish they’ve prepared and talks you through it. Add to this that the staff are extremely polite, friendly and attentive. Couldn’t have asked for more and will definitely be back again!

This was a convenient midway venue to meet up with friends with the excuse of an early birthday get together, a choice based purely on location, menus and reviews. Oh wow, we certainly won the dining lottery at The Boot!! Thanks to chef/owner Liam and his amazing team, we and all of our senses were supremely spoiled from the moment we entered - love the decor too (and the loos have Delia?? talking through a recipe, very on trend!). We were treated to the chef's table in front of the open kitchen, fabulous (and a birthday card from Liam, nice touch). We all went for the £45 menu (I also had the optional melt-in-the-mouth oyster) - everything was of sublime tastebud-tingling quality, including the amuse bouche & petits fours. An excellent drinks offering too with cocktails, non-alcoholic options with a difference (pear & nettle, delish!), and a wine cellar of well chosen wines to compliment the various dishes. The Boot deserves every accolade going - and now we've found it, we'll happily new excuses to return!

A surprising gem! Delicious food served by attentive and personable staff. Loved it!

Honestly what an incredible restaurant!! We came for the full tasting menu with the additional wine pairings and we’re completely blown away! They just didn’t stop bringing out food! Even the coffees came with a little snack, I had to roll myself out of the place 4 hours later. We got pre dinner snacks and a little chat with big Liam who is very buzzed about his bees outside (and the honey was genuinely the most incredible honey I’ve ever tasted) and then the actual courses started, and EVERYTHING was divine. I’m a fairly fussy eater but my partner is a foodie and we were both looking at each other after every course like wtf how can everything be this delicious?? Like the lick the plate after you’re done delicious!! My personal favourite was the scallops course which you have to add on, but do yourself a favour and treat yourself because it’s actually life changing. my partner enjoyed the smoked aubergine purée despite the fact he absolutely hates aubergine so take from that what you will!! The staff were also all wonderful human beings, personable and asking us what we thought of each course. Our main waiter (sorry I didn’t get anyone’s name) was an absolute delight and made us laugh so much, even told me about the humane way they catch and kill the Squabs so I wouldn’t feel bad about eating pigeon. (I still feel bad about eating pigeon but he was truly funny). And Nick. Wonderful wine wizard Nick. This sweet angel picked seven (is it 7? It felt like they kept coming I’ll be honest) of the most incredible wines we’ve ever had. Each one suited the dish so perfectly and were just incredible. My favourite was the one that smells like melted butter (which shouldn’t be good! But it was insane) and my partner is already scouring the internet for wines from Santorini as they were straight up otherworldly. All this to say, we had the best experience in the boat. The staff, the food, the ambiance, you should get yourself in there and treat yourself. We’ll be back sooner rather than later. And everytime the menu changes with the seasons we’ll be there!! Thank you so much for a wonderful night!

Amazing food, service, ambience and attention to detail. A perfect night with friends, all of us enjoyed it, in fact we all agreed it was the best food night we had experienced., already booked to go again.. highly recommended…

What an amazing night! We were lucky enough to book a table on one of the “Verses” nights and what a treat that was.. Liam Dillon V Adam Handling both very high end passionate chefs. The food, service, ambience and attention to detail was the best I’ve had anywhere… 1000% recommend The Boat, I will certainly be going again very soon. All four of us felt the same, incredible..

Stunning food, only let down by service. Having visited a few Michelin star restaurants previously, this place definitely meets the standard required in terms of food, however the service was a bit disappointing. We really enjoyed the food and thought it was good value for the standard offered, however we found that the staff weren’t particularly attentive and we really struggled to get their attention at times, particularly when we just wanted to receive and pay the bill. If they get that bit right in future I think they’d be in line for a star.

Went here to celebrate with my partner but in hindsight think it wasn’t really the ‘vibe’ for us. Did the long tasting menu with additional lobster course and all the food was well presented and great service but just took too long. We were there for 3 hours and were worn out by the time we left. Some of the bits I was really looking forward to, but were anticlimactic in the flesh… e.g. the cod roe doughnut, this was absolutely tiny and gone in one bite. The lobster and cod loin dishes were really tasty, and the white choc and raspberry dessert also really good. The price point seems a little steep in my personal opinion, but I guess if every table takes so long to serve, that’s where the cost must need to be. Would have been happier with a little quicker service and more choice to add in and remove courses to suit. Glad we tried it but likely won’t do a taster menu again. Perhaps we’ll try the lunch menu where you can do 3 courses for £45 instead.

Me and tam were recommended this place for a bit of luxury great service and some magnificent food, they delivered on all counts. Highly recommended thanks for a great evening!

A wonderful wedding anniversary lunch, as always. The Boat Inn has become a firm favourite for the quality of food, service and atmosphere. Our meals were exceptional but my starter, the cured chalk stream trout , was I think the best starter I have ever...

We have been fortunate to be able to dine at The Boat a number of times each year since Liam took over as Chef Patron in early 2017. His menu offerings have evolved significantly over the years and he has developed both his kitchen brigade...

First time eating a higher end restaurant, they didnt disappoint, it's exactly as I imagined, I wished we'd gone earlier in the day is my only complaint, one thing I will mention is the hibiscus and rose sods was too much of the former and not enough rose, very strong tasting

One of the best tasting menus we've ever had. Everything was perfect

What a fantastic restaurant! Only had the pleasure of attending for a private event, but the vegan canapés were amazing. Great customer service, and will certainly be back for a meal in the future.

Highly recommend. We had the taster menu. Expensive but worth the money. Stunning food. Service exceptional. Location out of the way. Plenty of parking.

Fabulous treat- we gathered as a family from all over and enjoyed a great pre Christmas dinner- we chose The Boat as we’ve been previously and it was excellent. We had a wonderful dinner, such flavoursome food, served at a decent pace, beautifully presented Oysters...

Fantastic food served in a loveley quirky restaurant with friendly service. Definitely going back to try all the other menu offerings.

My wife and I went for the full tasting menu for our anniversary and have to say it was the best dining experience at The Boat so far. The food was full of flavour and very well executed. Every course was cooked to perfection and so well balanced. We also love that so many ingredients used are produced on site on the micro farm. The service was exceptional and staff were very knowledgeable about the food. We were also very impressed by the expertise of Nick, the new sommelier, who matched the wine perfectly for us. It was a truly memorable night for us and we can't recommend this place highly enough.

This was one of the best dining experiences we have had. Staff were incredibly polite, friendly and knowledgeable. Menu was varied and each plate of food was delicious. We were incredibly impressed and will be returning.

We had a fabulous lunch, food was amazing and the staff were friendly and attentive. Can't wait to go back! Thankyou Liam and team 🙂

A very smart restaurant. As good as it gets. An excellent experience. Brilliant in every way.

What a fantastic restaurant. We had a wonderful welcome, and the staff are exceptionally attentive and well informed and knowledgeable. We had the boat tasting menu. Every course that was presented was absolutely delicious. Would definitely recommend a visit to this restaurant.

A Star of Staffordshire, the attention to detail in this place is floorless. I love everything about this place from the decor to the music (or recipe narration playing in the restrooms!) the open kitchen, as calm and collected as any with a "Star" above their door. The menu is simple to understand, offers good value and is full of "treats" along the way - Superb ingredients, treated with care and celebrated for their simplicity. Service was exceptional, a young team who know and seem to love what they do.. a really impressive culture Liam has built here. Love the concept of the micro-farm and this restaurant in general - Can't wait to get across in the Spring to sample the goods! 10/10 for me.

Excellent tasting menu Staff and service friendly and informative Will definitely return again

The 3 course lunchtime menu was very good indeed. It features a good variety of choice between meat and fish/seafood and is excellent value for money at only £45 a head. The wine list is well varied in type and price and the sommelier was...

Me and my friend visited the boat last night for a treat .well all I can say is wow ! .absolutely amazing food the flavours and presentation perfect .The staff explained each dish as it was served to us ,the service they gave was second to none .thank you for a really memorable night.would recommend everyone to visit 🙂

Great place. Last min booking. A simple message to check that the taster menu could be adapted for a gluten free diet, we had confirmation back in 10 mins and it was as simple as that. Nice not to make a selection just let the...

Fantastic food, wine & service. Cannot fault it - highly recommended We had a fantastic walk about the gardens and very impressive vegetable & herb garden, pigs and bees too!! Good to see a restaurant investing in good quality produce - knowing exactly where it...

Wonderful welcome and well informed intelligent staff. Fine dining without fuss - absolutely delicious and beautifully presented food. We had Sunday lunch set menu (with choices) for £45 which is incredible value with surprising complimentary dishes thrown in for good measure including a fabulous spelt...

We would like to thank Liam and his team for a fantastic meal last night, the food was utterly delicious and the staff wonderful especially Mitchell who was attentive, funny and made our wonderful experience

The gravy was far too salty. Everything else was perfect.

Wonderful evening from start to finish! Celebration of a friends 60th birthday and lovely touch of a birthday message from Liam too! Every detail of of service and experience was exceptional and would highly recommend. We chose the Tasting Menu and complemented this with the...

My daughters bought me some vouchers to spend at this fabulous restaurant for my birthday I really like the idea of a small holding next to the restaurant so they can utilise the most local of ingredients We were given a very warm welcome and...

Wow wow. What a fabulous meal. Service was excellent! Wines were exceptional but the food was outstanding! Highly recommended. We had the tasting menu best food I’ve had in ages. Worth every penny. Place was really nice inside but location was a surprise. Would definitely...

The greeting was warm and attentive, but a light touch. The place looks lovely. Stylish but relaxed. Outside space is well done too. The food, as expected having eaten here before, was of a very high standard. Layers of cleverness, creating special but uncluttered plates....

An exceptional meal from start to finish. A warm welcome on arrival, really knowledgeable and friendly sommelier and enthusiastic and professional service throughout. The quality of the food and presentation was first rate, all accompanied by some great wines following an enjoyable discussion with the...

Brillant evening. Tasting menu and wine pairing excellent

We’ve been relatively regular clients at the Boat just about since Liam opened the restaurant. We’ve always enjoyed eating there - even with some challenging guests (they memorably produced a vegan tasting menu from scratch when we turned-up with an unexpected guest one night a...

A very good restaurant, the staff were outstanding, delivering a very high standard of customer service coupled with great food. A truly excellent experience.

Our first visit to The Boat for a birthday lunch and we enjoyed the whole experience. We chose the choice menu which although was not extensive gave a reasonable choice of dishes. Everything we had was well presented and prepared. Portion sizes although not large...

The ambience, the food and the staff were fantastic. Staff were attentive and professional at all times. The food was amazing, absolutely perfect. Drinks were fantastic and I recommend the Samuel Jackson cocktail. Best restaurant we’ve been to by far.

Absolutely amazing place. Cant wait to go back.

Chose this restaurant as it was halfway between Manchester and on our way to Oxford. Couldn’t believe how good the food and service was. This is a real farm to table restaurant

Extraordinary experience at the boat. The food is exquisite, several varied and interesting courses, all delicious and unlike anything I've had elsewhere. Impeccable service: prompt but not rushed, discreet but attentive. A very special evening. Thank you to all the staff

Everything is top notch, the food, drinks, service, ambience. Lovely location, easy access and parking space.

Went on the 3rd September for anniversary superb experience & food at the chefs table highly recommend

Very nice little place, staff great food great, couldn’t fault the place, will go back when I’m next on my travels

One of the best meals I've ever eaten. The chef here can only be described as a genius and I'd recommend this place without hesitation for quality of food, presentation and service. Everything was absolutely perfect. We also had the opportunity to have a quick...

My husband and I ate here yesterday for my birthday and we had the most amazing time. We are both vegan and put this on our booking and the restaurant were well prepared. We had the tasting menu and each course was absolutely incredible. The...

Becoming regulars at the Boat , because it’s simply the best restaurant in the area without question. Sunday lunch menu had changed in parts from my last visit , but if anything was at a higher level. Beautifully cooked with attentive staff. Faultless

Absolutely stunning. Fantastic high end restaurant. The four of us opted for the tasting menu. Service was great with engaging and enthusiastic introductions to each course and regular genuine check ins to ensure all was well. The food was amazing. How lucky are we that we've recently moved less than four miles up the road. Not cheap but our table was booked from 18:30 and we left at 10:30. A full and rewarding evening.

Experienced the chef table last night, incredible evening! The team were so attentive from start to finish. We were welcomed on arrival and taken to a lovely table for a drink then when time for a meal, taken to our table situated right in front...

Following recommendations booked Lunch. What a Gem The Boat Inn is. Food exemplary, wines delicious, Staff extremely attentive. Fantastic. Being regular diners, best service in the area and outstanding value too. Highly recommended.

Absolutely fabulous! Food was more than wonderful and the service exemplary! As for value..... fantastic!

Well what a place to visit......my husband treated me for our anniversary and I have to say the flavours of the food were amazing! I am a little fussy with some foods and was recommended by our waiter Mitchell to try the BBQ pigs cheek and at first I was very apprehensive but wow it was tasty- so glad for the recommendation. The cracker, bread, starter, main and dessert were all presented with finesse and almost looked to good to eat! My only slight criticism was that my chicken on my main was cold so it has left me to put 4 stars instead of 5 which I feel bad for however it is justified as for such a high quality establishment this was so unexpected. I did eat it without any complaint as I wanted to eat my food with my husband and not on my own- unfortunately I did not recieve any apology and was just told the kitchen would be informed. I would still recommend and if this happened again I would speak up sooner as we do plan to visit again. All staff were friendly and every time we got served they explained all that was on our plates- what a lovely touch!

So this place is literally on our doorstep and we have found a gem. Delicious food, beautiful decor and excellent staff well trained in the knowledge of food and wine from the Sommelier. Excellent chefs and attention to detail. Fabulous experience if you are a...