The Old Wharf Inn, Stourbridge

Much more of a food-led pub than the rather plain exterior might suggest, with quite a light, refurbished, opened-out, staple-shaped interior making up for the limited window areas. Apart from the expected Wye Valley HPA (£4.50, 3.5), I found Weetwood's Cheshire Cat, Elsie Mo from Castle Rock, a single-hop IPA from Acorn using the experimental CF 227 and a relatively young barman with a genuine interest in cask ales.

Facebook page of The Old Wharf Inn - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Old Wharf Inn - oldwharfinn.co.uk

Facebook page of The Old Wharf Inn - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Old Wharf Inn - oldwharfinn.co.uk

It's always good to see a closed pub reopening, and Stourbridge is blessed with so many good real ale pubs that it's perhaps surprising to see this one open again after such a long fallow period. But whereas most of the pubs I have done in Stourbridge are ale drinkers' pubs, this one is filling a niche for people who like to eat. Yes, there is real ale, but it's a bit of an afterthought. The pub has two front doors, but the right hand one was not observed in use while I was there. Most of the pub is set up for dining (low tables, grey painted walls and a bar counter in wedgwood blue, just in case there was any doubt), with just a couple of high tables near the bar for non-eaters. There are three hand pumps, which can easily be missed if entering by the left hand door at a crowded time. Staff are busy and efficient young women dressed in black; at least, that's how it is at lunchtime on a Saturday. My half of Three Tuns was in good nick, but this is not a pub I would hurry back to, though I wish every success to those involved.