If you have ever dined in one of Marco Pierre White’s restaurants, the decor might be familiar: the huge plants, photos of Marco adorning the walls, and the big black and white armchair inside the entrance which always looks inviting and is extremely comfortable, although I got the impression that it’s really there for Instagram opportunities. This time, I visited the Steakhouse and Grill in Meriden.
Marco Pierre White’s Meriden restaurant at the heart of it all
The last time I visited Meriden, near Solihull, was over 30 years ago to discover the village that is known as the historic centre of England. Not much appeared to have changed on a recent visit: the ancient cross on the village green marking the centre still stood proudly and the local fish and chip takeaway was still doing a good trade.
A little to the east of the centre of the village stands the imposing and impressive Best Western Plus Manor Hotel which incorporates the Marco Pierre White restaurant which certainly wasn’t there all those years ago!
A restaurant with a relaxing atmosphere
The menu concentrates on steaks, grilled burgers and pizzas. The restaurant has a captive market with the hotel guests, although on our visit, many of our fellow diners were not staying as residents.
A good indication of what to expect service-wise is when your waiter offers to take your coat to be hung up and a bottle of water appears on the table upon your arrival. Along with the background music being played softly at conversational level, these two gestures create a good first impression.
For those who like to concentrate on having a good meal with plenty of opportunities to chat, the lack of a strong mobile phone signal in the restaurant will be a plus, meaning that your fellow guests will not be distracted by texting, messaging or talking into their mobile – something else that was not around 30 years ago!
A wholesome, generous menu
The knowledgeable staff will guide you through the menu and offer their favourites. I was tempted by the Governor’s French Onion Soup (£8.95); a thick and wholesome dish which included croutons and just the right amount of Gruyère cheese that rose above the strong taste of the onions.
My Fillet Steak au Poivre, served with mushrooms, confit potatoes, buttered spinach and a thick and creamy peppercorn sauce (£35.00) was cooked to my preference of well done, which might explain why it took quite a while to arrive from the kitchen. All I can say is that it was worth the wait. The price seemed to be in keeping too with what to expect when ordering this meat staple at other establishments.
The Koffmann Chips (£4.50) were added as a side – the crisp crust giving way to a piping hot snowy interior.
The Pudding menu (as it is known at Marco’s) concentrates on traditional choices like classic rice pudding (something you do not see on restaurant menus anymore), sticky toffee pudding and my choice of Apple, Blackberry and Almond Crumble (£7.95).
Why many restaurants think you can eat a pudding, especially more delicate ones, with just a spoon is beyond me. Thankfully at Marco’s a spoon and, most importantly, a fork were provided!
Good value
The restaurant offers a Prix Fixe menu available Monday to Friday from noon to 5pm with two courses for £19.61 with the option to add a pudding for £5.00.
Service was attentive and not obtrusive. By the time I left, the restaurant was almost full. Walking out to my car, the messages started to come through on my mobile as the signal came back on stream. At Marco Pierre White, the signal was clear – if you want to dine in a relaxed atmosphere with good service and food to match, the Meriden restaurant is at the centre of it all.
