Star rating: *** James Shaw and his wife Claire are spoiled for choice.

The Redhouse, Lilleshall

The Redhouse at Lilleshall has been on my “to do” list of pubs to visit with the family for quite some time. Bearing in mind its location, on a busy road into Newport, that is probably a view shared by many who pass by every day.

A rare Saturday afternoon without a football or ice hockey match gave Claire and I the perfect excuse to further increase my list.

And with young Louis now taking his crawling seriously, we thought the “playbarn” next door would be an added bonus.

Unfortunately, this first theory broke down straightaway.

It appeared that the playbarn had been closed for some time, although a stream of visitors clearly thought otherwise.

To be honest, I was secretly relieved – an hour spent sitting among colourful balls and foam was definitely not on my list.

But the quiet and tranquillity of a virtually deserted bar and restaurant certainly is.

The interior is, in fact, deceptively large and certainly gives diners the chance to have their own little space.

We chose an area as far away from the main bar as possible, with little chance of us being disturbed.

Indeed, it all seemed a little too quiet for what should have been a busy Saturday afternoon.

For the sake of the owners, we both hoped this was a rare exception from the usual hustle and bustle.

Of course, we were there to rate the food – not the lack of fellow customers or bouncy castles.

To begin, we found the supposedly simple task of choosing our meals to be a bit of a chore.

Sometimes, I will bemoan the lack of options and can be disappointed at being railroaded by a lack of menu choice.

Not here.

The sheer variety of the menu meant we were spoiled for choice and spent at least 15 minutes making our minds up.

To begin, we both went for main courses straightaway.

I was keen to try the steak and ribs option, and Claire was happy enough with bangers and mash.

As sometimes happens, my first choice was not available, so I chose chicken wings instead of ribs.

The steak was nice enough and, at eight ounces, was just the right size to satisfy my appetite.

That meant the chicken wings were, thankfully, a little bit of a sideline.

Had I depended on them to be an integral part of the meal, I would have been disappointed.

I am aware that chicken wings are supposed to be small, with just a smattering of meat, but they were just too dry to really enjoy.

Claire, on the other hand, appeared to be fully enjoying her bangers and mash.

It consisted of an ominous-looking Cumberland sausage, encased in a chunky Yorkshire pudding.

The accompanying mash and vegetables appeared to be unnecessary alongside this monstrosity.

But perhaps “monstrosity” is the wrong word and there is no suggestion that Claire found any faults.

Quite the opposite – the mash was light and fluffy, while the sausage itself was a worthy focus of attention.

We were, of course, well aware that any joy from Claire’s main course would be spoiled by a disappointing dessert.

I let myself down by choosing, once again, the chocolate fudgecake.

This is my stock choice for meal reviews and is a bit of a “safe” option when I struggle with large menus..

But it was worth it. Again.

The cake melted in my mouth and the chocolate flavour was not too strong or overbearing.

Claire’s ice cream sundae was equally delightful and featured huge chunks of ice cream, alongside plenty of cream and sauce.

And so, to the star rating.

Although The Red House only collects three stars on this occasion, it was close to snatching four.

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Chicken liver paté (£3.25)

Breaded king prawns (£3.25)

Main courses

Steak and stout pie (£7.95)

Mega mixed grill (£11.95)

Desserts

Treacle sponge (£2.95)

Lime cheesecake (£3.25)

ATMOSPHERE

Surprisingly quiet in the main eating area, on what should have been a busy Saturday afternoon

SERVICE

Efficient, with profuse apologies when my main course was not available

DISABLED FACILITIES

There is access for wheelchairs, and there are toilets for the disabled.

Contact: The Redhouse, Wellington Road, Lilleshall, Newport. Tel: 01952 603768.