MONDAY may not be the busiest night to eat out, but even so, a start-of-the-week meal at The Kings Head was a slightly depressing experience.

There were no other diners to be seen and the pub's only other clientele seemed to consist of a table of noisy drinkers with a particular fondness for tequila.

But then, perhaps it was little surprise that no one else was eating, since The Kings Head seems slightly ashamed of its food these days.

Gone is the adventurous specials board that used to pack them in for Sunday lunch beside the canal.

Instead, copies of the short and shabbily printed menu are stashed behind the Christmas tree and handed to you on a clipboard. You don't even get one each.

Which is a shame, because the food deserves better.

A thick, deep orange vegetable soup tasted like it had a whole kitchen garden in it and was pleasingly presented, with a squiggle on top and a modish square plate underneath - although the staff member who brought it seemed surprised a knife was necessary to butter the warm, crusty roll.

A mushroom stroganoff, so often a throwaway dish knocked up as a sop to vegetarians, was rich and creamy, with great big chunks of luscious fresh mushrooms.

And a ravishing ravioli was so red and tomatoey it made your eyes hurt - and your tastebuds purr.

This was proper cooking, not reheated stuff they'd made earlier, and it was served up on proper plates, too, not the strange little oven-proof tubs so much pub grub comes in.

As for desserts at The Kings Head well, there didn't seem to be any.

Perhaps it was the wrong time of night or the wrong day of the week, and maybe there are more takers for its Thursday curry nights and its Christmas meals, but on this evidence The Kings Head needs to sell itself more.

Some attractively printed menus - featuring the odd pudding - in a place where people can actually peruse them when they walk into the pub would be a start.

The bland new decor may lack the cosy atmosphere of old, but when its no smoking back room is buzzing, The Kings Head is a great place for a meal. This night though, there was something lacking.

THE KINGS HEAD, 67 SIDBURY, WORCESTER Tel: 01905 611901

Out of five stars

SERVICE: *** FOOD: **** VALUE: *** AMBIENCE: *