The Boat Inn in Solihull

Nice food, reasonable prices and very friendly service.

Busy place with the best steak I have eaten in a long time

Food was delicious, service was poor. Server took food order by memory (didn't write it down or use device) - order incorrect when delivered. Told server it was was wrong, no apology, didn't seem to care. Atmosphere seemed chaotic. Shame as usually enjoy coming here.

Unfortunately the burgers sounded inviting, tasteless, soggy, and like eating bog standard burger, very disappointed. The shared cauliflower and pomme Anna delicious. Which I'd chosen some more starters.

Loved The Boat Great Atmosphere and very friendly and fitted us in. Delicious food and wine Great find close to the NEC and motorway

A busy Saturday evening. Great food and lovely table to enable friends to chat and catch up. The venison was superb.

Nice leisurely brunch .Lovely pancakes 🥞 .

We visited the Boat on a fairly busy Saturday night. Our table for 2 was nice, the restaurant wasn’t too loud, we could easily talk to each other. Our starters were nice, however my wife’s main course didn’t arrive as ordered, the staff member never wrote it down - always a worrying sign in my experience. My main of fish pie was ok, but the topping of mashed potato had blended into the sauce, making it just a like a runny gloop, difficult to actually identify anything in it other than chunks of red salmon. The side of cabbage and greens was like warm and sitting in a cm of water at the bottom of the little dish they were served in. Apologies for the main course mix up were forthcoming and we weren’t charged for the main course she did have, but I wouldn’t rush back to eat there.

While the food was good, we were overcharged on the service charge. I only realised after getting home and checking the receipt, which showed a 10% charge—even though it was listed as optional. I was never asked if I agreed to it! The issue isn’t about paying a service charge but about transparency—if it’s optional, customers should be informed. Beware! Always check before paying.

It is a lovely place, I can only comment on my burger and fries. The fries were massively over Salted, so I asked for some unsalted. The burger was just OK, but I have had better and especially at £17. The service was really good, the staff very friendly and attentive. The pub itself is a very nice place to visit.

This has now been resolved and a full refund eventually recieved Thank you for the feedback, I am sorry that the pizza was mixed up during your visit. On all of our menus we do state that we add a 10% service charge on all of our bills - this is optional and can be removed at your request. We did receive an email from yourself in which I replied the morning after offering an apology , a direct refund or a gift card refund - there was no response to this. Additionally after this review was posted our General Manager has reached out at the end of last week to honour our previous offer and to process the refund to you. Could you please contact us at your earliest convenience so we can process this for you. Kind Regards, Lauren Assistant Manager We had a nice meal over the Christmas break, but they bought the wrong children's pizza to the table, this did get changed but we didn't notice when we paid that they had left the other on the bill. They also add 10% for tips, but its in the small print, the waitress didn't identify this when they gave the bill to my wife. Tried to call but its an automated system, left an email, which they did say they would contact us to resolve and make the refund,now chased several times and still no call !!CHECK YOUR BILL!!!!!!

Food was edible, had lamb ragu which was flavourless and not worth the money at all. Service was really bad, they were busy but the staff were so rude, waitress banged our cutlery on our table, made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome, got our order wrong,didn't smile at all, and was very short with us, bar lady was the same, first time coming here and it was disappointing , I won't be returning.

Busy saturday evening..We decided to go for the burgers, unfortunately they were small sized portions and for London prices, but amazing bacon ketchup!!! Good blackcurrant sorbet for dessert. Beer wasnt too cold..

Food wasn’t that great , overpriced for a tasteless burger. Staff and venue brilliant. Food not worth the price.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Brought mom here for her Birthday tonight… the atmosphere is friendly yet has a sense of occasion. The service was impeccable - we arrived 5 mins after the kitchen closed and were still served the full menu. All of our food was incredible - so colourful, well presented and most importantly, delicious!! To top of the evening, we were given a pudding on the house… with a candle! Oh, and they’re dog friendly! 🐾 Thanks to all at The Boat who have made tonight so special, we will be back soon.

Pretty noisy and hard to have a conversation. Fish and chips looked excellent but Lamb Ragu really disappointing.

The Boat has been a firm favourite with us, since we discovered it a few years ago. The food is always on point and the ambiance is a chilled, no need to rush type of vibe (even during a busy service) But the stand out for me is the service. The waiting staff in particular are amazing. They are friendly, efficient and a real credit to their profession. I believe great food will entice you in, but great staff will keep you coming back time after time!

The place is a absolute ripp off for drinks, glad we didn't stop for food probably need to rob a bank it was a reasonable place before these Rob dogs took over shame they have ruined a lovely pub won't be going there again.

Nice atmosphere and food not overly pricey although a £30 bottle of wine was very average. Had the venison which was lovely, but the potato stack was very greasy. A friend had chips with her meal which she said were also hard and overcooked. Staff were very friendly and kind but the food was overall a little underwhelming.

Two friends meeting for a chat and good. Bonus it was Hapoy hour

Disappointed with menu as told two things were not available,but substitute was available. ( beef pie) just waiting for our meals 15 mins later and guess what no beef pie either. Ask for water twice before it came without lime in it as requested. Our friends had chicken with celery which was stringy. The rib of string was not removed. Cheese board vastly over priced,£12 50 for three tiny tasters with pickles. Mini pudding with coffee was also not available ( lemon meringue) Bitterly disappointed as standard not as last visit.Staff cheerful and helpful.

Just moved into the area , very nice pub and location , food was very nice and well presented . Only a few gripes . The Bar lady attitude could be a bit better as the order was wrong and she made it clear we got it wrong. When actually we felt she did. Also was told no starters with mains , so one of our friends who just wanted a starter and a side ,had to wait 40 minutes for the mains to come out to eat with us . But overall the experience was nice , and we will be coming back .

Walked in no acknowledgement at the bar,lady was aggressive saying we had to order right away for table service and Was really quiet. Not first time staff have been rude either, shame as the venue is really nice

We enjoyed drinks and a meal. The non alcoholic range of drinks was good and my partner had draught beer. We shared monkfish as a starter - freshly cooked and served with homemade tartar sauce. I had fish pie with steamed greens for main course and husband had cod with spidercrab meat and pumpkin - both very tasty. Disappointed with dessert - arctic roll, with ice cream in the middle that tasted like it had been refrozen - lumpy. Toffee sauce was good and apple ice cream on side okay, but the combination didn't work. A nice mint tea at the end of the meal.

good food, good beer, friendly environment

Friendly staff and overall good service. It was a shame that the kitchen had run out of hash browns but more disappointing was that no alternative was offered, or any double up options on other brrakfast items. Coffee was very nice and no additional charge for non dairy milks, thank you!

We all thought the food was good. But all were disappointed about the lack of it. Full meal pictured here

Delicious food, staff were all really lovely and friendly. Great service. Lovely cosy vibes. We look forward to coming back soon!

Fantastic pub, in a brilliant setting. Great features, a log cabin with a log burner, a bbq area, well kept gardens, water features and excellent parking for many cars. Lovely staff, equalled by lovely, friendly staff. I would highly recommend this venue for a special get-together, an impromptu night out, a romantic meal or even a good old fashioned session with friends. Great example of a well run traditional pub!!!!

Lovely roast, hot, fresh, well cooked beef. Delicious puddings. Nice atmosphere, didn't feel rushed.

Although we enjoyed the meal I feel the description on the menu is not as served. Harissa lamb Ragu , pasta, burrata in reality it should read Pasta, burrata, lamb Ragu by volume or weight, and burrata was cold at 4 to 5 degrees C, no olive oil

Went to The Boat with my husband for Valentine Day and it was an amazing experience. The place is stunning, I really loved the decor and the atmosphere. Food was amazing 👏, staff very friendly and attentive. Thank you for such a lovely evening.

Fabulous breakfast. Lovely service.

Fantastic Sunday lunch- warm, inviting with excellent food- will be back!

Not impressed with the meal menu or my meal...very disapointed

Really good service, beautiful environment, good value for money.

Excellent service and food. Nothing too much trouble (not that we were demanding in the slightest) for our table of eight in the private area.

Great pub. Didn't eat,but the food looked lovely. Great service and atmosphere

I booked the private dining area for my mum's 79th birthday and everything was fabulous. The staff could not have done more to make the experience anymore pleasurable. We had mixed platters to start which were perfect for the table of 12 and then we were shared pizzas, large salad and french fries. All washed down with white wine and plenty of water. It was perfect, thank you all very much :-)

Lovely meal for my sisters 40th birthday. Bit slow service to start due to under staffing and being busier than expected due to big show at the NEC but the waitress Lola kept apologising. Meals came out it great time all lovely. Puddings were a little disappointing for the price. Wouldn't give less than 5 stars as we were well looked after by Lola who was called in last minute due to being so busy oh and food was delicious. A

We were a big party of 9 celebrating my Dad's retirement this week. Lola looked after our table and she was absolutely amazing! She was so attentive, checking in if we needed more drinks or more gravy for our roast dinners! She was everything we could've asked for as a waitress and absolutely made it a fantastic experience. The food was delicious...and so were the cocktails!

Amazing staff, very accommodating, compassionate and understanding when addressing my partners concerns and moved us to a quieter area at the back. Thank you

We ate brunch here. Great food at a reasonable price, lovely surroundings and great service

Food staff venue are all quality will be back

Nice pub,but £6 a pint??? Almost cheaper to fly to Barcelona and buy one at source😞

This is one of my favourite pub around the vicinity, especially during the winter next to a nice outdoor fireplace. The food is delicious, the people are friendly.

Very fond memories of this place. I used to be brought here as a child, 50+ years ago

Food was greasy frozen chips from farm foods,steak was small but cooked to our liking but definitely not worth the money, very dissapointed but our servers was lovely polite and a perfect server,but unfortunately very over priced under whelmed food

Popped in for a few drinks, staff were friendly and efficient.

Really good food. Excellent service. Will definitely come again.

I visit this place about once a month, and the food, drinks, and service are consistently excellent. The only downside is that the Sunday roasts are so generous they’re hard to finish! There’s ample parking, including EV charging. Highly recommended.

Lovely visit with my family staff were helpful and the food was lovely

A fantastic family Christmas meal on boxing day. Looked after like royalty. Food was amazing. This place was a definite find for our special occasion.

We never ate but we had drinks. It’s always a lovely atmosphere.

Lovely food, great atmosphere, excellent service which is rare these days! Can’t wait to visit again!

We met here for a family gathering of 17 people and the birthday celebration of a 1 year old. We had pre booked and ordered, although I changed my order for the special of the day special and there was no problem. The food was good quality and there was a pleasant lunchtime ambiance. Dogs are clearly very welcome. Many thanks to Sue and the rest of the staff.

If it's been a while since you've been and remember it as a pub that did nice food, these days it's more of a restaurant with a bar. Nothing wrong with that, just good to know what to expect. The staff were very good as is the food and the place is well cared for.

Pre-booked for Christmas Lunch (at £100 a head) but when we arrived 10 mins before our booked time the place was in chaos. They were running late and the place was packed with people waiting to sit down but also people who had just called in for a drink. There was no space at all for us to wait. We finally got to sit down some 40 mins late but frustrating that our table had been free of diners from soon after we arrived. The meal itself was reasonable but no roast potatoes with my beef wellington. The table waiting staff worked well.

If you have an allergy/ intolerance, I wouldn't bother, they're more accommodating for dogs than they are for dietary requirements. Ate as part of a booking, very poor communication from events organiser, they clearly weren't actually reading my emails, resulting in no food provided for me and my sister on the day. The management were excessively apologetic and suitably embarrassed but it's just a pity that they really had a chance to excell by engaging with me and being accommodating but passed up the chance.

Xmas lunch which was superb 👌 just one small niggle the sweet was late and it was not the one we ordered because they had run out 😌

This place is busy for a reason! Great food and service.

The Boat opens at 9am for Breakfast, good quality food, would be 5* if it was served hotter, but still enjoyable, would revisit. As a family restaurant they should offer a Brunch Kids Menu, which they do not.

The best venue we have found for a family gathering on Boxing Day. Nobody complained about anything :) The service and food was excellent. We will certainly use this venue again.

Lovely meal with family. Tasty food. Friendly, helpful staff. Chrissy was great! Maybe due to Christmas the menu was limited but we still found something we all enjoyed

For our Boxing Day family meal, We all had different dishes, which were excellent. There are a couple of issues regarding the lack of some menu items, but you can't expect them to have everything on Boxing Day. To make up for our slight disappointment, they comped a couple of the desserts without asking. The service was very good throughout.

Popped in on the off chance and thankfully got a table! What an absolute gem of a place the food was fantastic well priced and great attentive staff. We would highly recommend we will definitely go again and that's saying something considering we're from Yorkshire

Fantastic inn, had the most beautiful fish and chips I have ever had, plus Theakstones old peculiar on draught. Service prompt and courteous. Lovely decor. You won't be disappointed. Highly recommended.

Very nice staff very good atmosphere food was good I will go again.

Food and service was fantastic! Actually had a gluten free menu, where I had the most delicious fish pie with big chunks of fish, prawns and mussels, definitely no scrimping!! Staff were very pleasant, very dog friendly, clean tidy atmosphere 😊 Only reason I didn't give it 5* was because the music was too loud but we would still definitely go back 😋

We couldn’t have picked a better place for a night out! The atmosphere was great, the staff was extremely kind and attentive and the food was delicious. Can’t wait to come back!

We had an amazing experience. Food was great and the staff was extremely attentive. We will definitely be back!

Has more of an upmarket vibe than a local pub like it used to. Lovely pub, very well renovated but it can get pretty busy and is a fair bit more expensive than it used to be.

Came here for breakfast yesterday morning. As always, excellent service from the knowledgeable and attentive staff.

The most horrible service I’ve ever received came into today and waited 2 hours for food that was not cooked properly.Had a party of 6 people half weren’t given cutlery and we needed to ask at least three times.Attitude of staff was rude when I asked about the many I was told to shut up as a joke.When told the service was bad the guy refunded three of our meals however refused to refund the rest and didn’t explain why seemed like he only wanted to refund the food he felt like as he had no just reason to exclude others from a refund

Popped in for a little snack , got a seafood platter which was overpriced at £30 and didn’t taste good. Shame as it’s a beautiful pub.

Poor all round. Very pretentious. Food and beer options are poor and over priced. Not many pubs have managers wearing suits..... you guys do..... come down to earth you are NOT a fine dining restaurant NOR a cocktail bar. Maybe your clientele think they are better for drinking and eating in there, but they are just as pretentious as your poorly ran establishment.

Great staff, great food GREAT PLACE!

Great. Atmosphere service was amazing, and the quality of food is 10/10

4 of us went for lunch for a Christmas catch up yesterday and had the lamb Ragu, plant based burger and two of the beef shin burgers. Fantastic they were, the taste of the beef shin burger was something else. Hot crispy fries, couple of beers and a bottle of malbec washed them down. My friend and I shared a 5 cheese cheese board, unfortunately the two cheeses were solid from being in the fridge with hardly any taste at all but the manager only charged us for the 3 cheese cheese board. We then went to the bar for a couple of margaritas each and a mulled wine. Cocktails definitely worth it, the mulled wine definitely not. At £16 for 2 it is extortionate for what you get and after tasting they just turned out to be neat sugar. All in all a fantastic day and as we go whenever I'm in Birmingham we will definitely be back.

A lovely pub and place to eat. Great ambiance and especially Christmasy at this time of year. I wanted a romantic place to spend the evening and this was perfect..

A pleasant dinner with a relative on a lat over at BHX. Nice staff and an excellent christmas set menu.

The Boat Pub in Catherine-de-Barnes is a true gem for food and drinks, offering a delightful experience for all. With ample seating both inside and outside, the pub caters to all preferences, whether you’re seeking a cozy indoor setting or an alfresco vibe. The interiors are stunningly designed, exuding a charm that enhances the overall dining experience. For lunch or special occasions, making a prior booking is highly recommended, as it tends to get busy, especially on key dates. The service here is exceptional—friendly, efficient, and attentive. The menu boasts a fantastic selection of classic British pub fare, complemented by an extensive range of drinks that cater to every palate. The Boat is also family-friendly, with plenty of space to relax, and offers ample parking for added convenience. Whether you’re visiting for a casual meal, a celebratory gathering, or just a refreshing drink, The Boat is a perfect choice. Highly recommended!

We had a lovely meal served by Chrissie . A lovely friendly lady who made our 103 year old mum feel special on her birthday.

Chrisie was a perfect waitress, nothing was too much trouble. Excellent service.

Fantastic experience from start to finish, every member of staff went above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience. Booked in by Emma the friendliness was instant. Our Waitress Fran was extremely friendly and made the dining experience a pleasure. Maisie and Tom were attentive and again very friendly despite being very busy. Highly recommend the Boat!!

The place is friendly and the staff are helpful A1

Great venue. Interesting Pizza choices,

Looking for a place to eat after a Sunday lunchtime shopping visit, Google reviews brought us here. Possibly because we needed to take the dog with us. We hadn't booked and I suspect we were very fortunate to get a seat, many thanks to the lady who squeezed us onto a high seat near the entrance. Nicely presented place with a very friendly atmosphere and more than helpful staff. Looking around dog friendly is an understatement. Roast chicken and a roast beef Sunday lunches were ordered which took around 30 minutes to arrive, not bad considering the place was packed. I actually wanted to try the vegetarian version of a 'beef' Wellington but unfortunately they had sold out. The wife enjoyed her roast chicken but my beef was quite tough, not helped by me having a wisdom tooth extracted 3 days before. The greens weren't particularly exciting and could have done with a few more minutes in the steamer. All else was very good especially the roasted root vegetables. We had to ask for a little more gravy, not a problem but their gravy boats are way too small. Not the cheapest Sunday lunch around so you have to judge accordingly.

Brunch, beautiful food, lovely atmosphere, nice staff. Can't fault it. Will be back.

Three of us called in after an event at the NEC. There is a good selection of food in the menu. The food was very good and well priced for the quality. The staff were all lovely. Really friendly and happy to provide advice regarding the menu. We don't live locally, but would definitely make a return visit when we're next at the NEC.

Brilliant restraunt. Great menu and prices. Service was really good.

We came here for Sunday lunch and we were not disappointed. Just wow. Everything about this place is amazing. The staff are so welcoming and friendly. The place just feels so homely. We didn't call to book until the morning of our lunch and they managed to squeeze us in. We both had a starter which were both DELICIOUS. And as for the main, well, check out the pictures. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish. Thank you for having us, we will be back!

Just had a superb experience at the Boat. Top food, great service and comfortable classy decor. The place just has a great vibe. Can't recommend it highly enough.

We have never been here before today. When we walked in the we were suprised at the decor. It was warm welcoming and nicely spaced out. Some thought was put into the restaurant We had breakfast while waiting for the vets. Full english for my husband pancakes for myself. We had our dog with us. He was given a water bowl, treats and a dog blanket. Staff were friendly and welcoming We would definitely recommend the Boat and we look forward to going again next time we are in the area.

The evening started so well, the decor was good, the ambience excellent and the service attentive. Although there were an unusually high number of items unavailable on the menu (for 7pm on a Wednesday night), the starters were well presented and tasty. Then things went wrong. Firstly, my preferred choice of main course wasn't available, so i went for the "safe choice" of beer battered fish and chips. Unfortunately the fish wasn't cooked properly and was totally undercooked in the middle. To be fair, the server took the first straight back and organised another. Even worse, the replacement was also undercooked. So for the first time ever, I've had to send a main course back twice because of the same issue. Again the wait staff were excellent and apologised profusely. This time though i declined the offer of a replacement. Two undercooked dishes were enough. So onto desserts and after dinner drinks. Apparently there was a "system error" and our order didn't go through to the kitchen (so we were told after about 10 mins of waiting). The after dinner coffees were served and still no sign of desserts. I suspect that the kitchen had closed (as it was dark in there) but we ordered a peach tarte tatin, a chocolate cremeux, a blackberry parfait and 3 (different) scoops of ice cream. This is where i could have a real sense if humour failure.... The three scoops of different ice cream morphed into 2 scoops of one flavour of another (no rum and raisin). The chocolate cremeux (instead of being a luscious thick silky chocolate topped with candied nuts) was frozen solid - I had to give it a few minutes to start to slightly thaw before successfully carving through it. In fact the sorbet that accompanied it was less frozen than the cremeux. The peach tarte tatin was OK. There was no point in complaining about the desserts, by this time we were having a good natured giggle about the evening. Again, to be fair to the serving staff, they did their absolute best. Again in fairness, without any prompting, my main course and all the desserts were comp'ed and a discount applied to the rest of the bill. Despite all of this, I would actually go back - whether or not id be brave enough to order battered fish and chips, I'm not so sure! The serving staff were excellent and I can't believe this was anything more than a one off which won't be repeated. I guess time will tell.

The lamb pizza is the best iv ever had. Lovely staff, nickie was amazing xx

The food was exceptional and there was plenty of it. Would definitely visit again.

We had a a great sunday roast today at the Boat. We've been before a couple of times during the week but never for a roast. The waitress that looked after us (anna I think) was great and very attentive to what we needed. All of the staff were very helpful too. The roast dinner was lovely with plenty of veg to share, could be served with more gravy but we got more as soon as we asked. We will definitely be back again for a roast! All in all a great experience from start to finish.

We love the boat, we've always had great food and the staff are great and nothing is too much trouble for them. I'm sure we will be back soon!

Ordered fish & chips which was fantastic, not what you'd get in a chippy, very delicately battered and superb quality fish. Minted mushy peas were excellent with a nice kick to them, very different but very good. Unfortunately looking at the food some of the others ordered and, well.. pretty dreadful. The kids pizza was shocking, looked like it had come out of the microwave, no firmness to the base whatsoever, and the roast beef dinners had very poor comments. Also the veg for the roast dinners were shared around from a single dish, which I thought was poor form. It's definitely one of those places that is trying too hard to be something it's not. The food itself and the prices were fine, but the menu makes out its some fine dining experience - which it absolutely isn't. Nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade, but nothing worse than pretending to be something you're not. Staff are not the best and take themselves too seriously, which makes it awkward when something is not right as they cant seem to handle criticism - just smile, be pleasant and try to fix anything that customers arent happy with, it's not difficult and we aren't going to fall out with you over something minor. Manager/chef was excellent though so can't fault him. It's a nice pub, and that's all it needs to be, but it's not one of those "does exactly what it says on the tin" type pubs - quite the opposite. Unnecessarily pretentious, but not to the point it's completely unwelcoming. I'd be willing to return, as prices are reasonable.