The Dartmouth Arms, Wolverhampton

This was my first new pub of the year, following pub re-openings outdoors, signifying the end of Prohibition. Set amongst rolling fields, the garden area to the side of the pub has around 5 tables and they were already beginning to fill up on our Saturday lunchtime visit. There are also tables in front of the pub and further seating to the right-hand side, an area which may well belong to the resident Italian restaurant. Service was a bit slow to begin with. Shropshire Gold is definitely a resident ale here. The other ale was Town Crier, which also looks like it is a staple. Not a bad start to this year's pub ticking and it was certainly good to be back and managing to get into a pub or 10, dispelling the media-led myth that all pubs are booked up for months.

A nice detached extended cottage-styled pub in white render. It has both a patio area and a large beer garden to the side. There is a separate builing which houses 'Little Italy', an Italian restaurant. The interior has a couple of rooms connected at the back by a corridor that also takes you to the restaurant. The room to the right on entry is a lounge, with table and is in cream and green, with cream ceiling and wood floor. It has a fireplace and some plates and old pictures provide interest. The room to the left is a ber room, with a pool table. It is in red and cream, with a red tile floor. It has a large fireplace, with small stove fire. Again, lots of old pictures adorn the walls and there are some pewter jugs. There was no TV that i saw and the music was general and at a decent level. There service was very friedly and there were just a few people in, but of mixed ages. Beer; usual tap stuff with Peroni and Birra Moretti (not really a surprise with the Italian resturant) with Enville, Enville Porter, Holdens Golden Glow, Theakston's Bitter and Old Swan (Ma Pardoes) Original MILD. The Original, Glow, Porter and Enville were all class - God, what a great choice. What can i say? This place was excellent, the kind of place you could spend all day in, indeed, and the following day......

Official site of the Dartmouth Arms, contains menu - www.thedartmouth.co.uk

Now reopened. Real ales and fine italian restaurant in a wonderful traditional pub setting. Hope it succeeds.

Official site of the Dartmouth Arms, contains menu - www.thedartmouth.co.uk