Sticky Walnut, Chester restaurant review

There's no denying that eating out has got a lot more expensive over the last decade or so.

With increases in energy costs, inflation in the price of ingredients, rises in wages, and changes to business rates, there’s a very good reason why a portion of Pasture’s short rib croquettes now cost £8 instead of £5 (like they did in 2020) or why afternoon tea at the Angel Hotel in Abergavenny will set you back £52 instead of £30 (like it did in 2017).

After all, something’s got to give for restaurants to try and remain viable.

So, when Mrs G and I were on a nostalgia-packed trip to Chester a few weeks ago, I did a double take when I saw that Sticky Walnut was offering a three course early doors bistro menu for £23. Available from Monday to Friday at lunchtimes and before 6.30pm, the compact menu of two starters, mains, and desserts, is one hell of a deal.

Located in the Chester suburb of Hoole, Sticky Walnut is the OG of Gary Usher's Elite Bistros restaurant group, which also includes Hispi, Wreck and the White Horse. With its setting amongst a terraced row of shops, it’s a cosy little spot that matches exactly how I’d picture a prototypical neighbourhood bistro.

As well as their ridiculously good value set menu, Sticky Walnut offers a main menu that’s much more in line with high-end bistro pricing. Starters like crispy lamb tongue with sauce vierge range from £10 to £14 whilst mains such as lemon sole with brown butter cost between £25 and £38. As expected, I plumped for the set menu, whilst Mrs G went a la carte.

Throughout our meal, we had superb service from Beth. It’s engaging front of house like this which creates loyal customers.

Glasses of wine included a citrusy and slightly funky biodynamic Vitikultur Gruner Veltliner (£9) whilst a plonky Bacalhoa Tinto Portuguese red (£5.50) worked fine with my main course.

To start, warm house sourdough (£4) was pleasant, but its crust would have benefited from a bit of crunch and accompanying whipped butter would have welcomed a scattering of salt.

My first course was a simple yet delicious combination of toasted sourdough, creamy ricotta, sweet charred edged leeks and a jammy-yolked eggs.

Across the table, a dinky slice of toast was topped with a light textured and creamy mushroom parfait (£10) with a good hit of fungus that was lifted by the fragrance and zip of pickled rhubarb and the crunch of nut. It was very tasty but as the second mushroom parfait we’d eaten in one week, it didn't quite hit the same level as Tom Simmons' epic version.

Both our mains were very good if a little dinky.

A caramelised edged puck of tender shredded pork shoulder was sat on a bed of stock rich lentils and topped with a quenelle of salsa verde with a good hit of green herb and acidity. Rustic yet refined, it was just the kind of dish that suits a set menu.

Mrs G’s main was a crisp skinned meaty red mullet (£29.50) served on top of iron rich cavolo nero and a stonker of a creamy bisque with a good hit of shellfish. At £6 more than my entire three course menu, however, the contrast in price was stark.

On the side, al dente tenderstem broccoli (£6) was bathed in a whopping flavoured dressing of tarragon and mustard.

I was expecting my set menu dessert to be just a bonne bouche, but my chocolate pot turned out to be a chocolate trough. Rich, thick and silky chocolate ganache was topped with a dollop of tangy crème fraiche and the clever crunch of crushed salted almonds. It was a frigging superb dessert that I'd have gladly paid over a tenner for.

Mrs G opted for a well-priced plate of buttery Ashcombe cheese (£7) accompanied by very good homemade rye crackers and fig jelly.

As Mrs G and I were celebrating an anniversary, we were very kindly presented with a couple of bits of beautifully squidgy earl grey and whisky fudge. This was another big tick in the column for Sticky Walnut’s warm hospitality.

With its delicious cooking and superb service, Sticky Walnut is the kind of Neighbourhood bistro which I’d be delighted to live nearby. Whilst their main menu’s pricing makes it a special treat kind of thing, that stonkingly good value set menu would have me going back time and time again. 

The Details:

Address - Sticky Walnut, 11 Charles St, Chester CH2 3AZ

Web - https://stickywalnut-bistro.co.uk/

Telephone - 01244 400400

Covino, Chester wine bar and restaurant review

I'm not sure if I've ever visited a restaurant that feels more geared up for couples than Covino in Chester. 

With counter seating dominating the compact dining room, a handful of tables for two, and a menu of small plates, it’s a restaurant that feels tailormade for twosomes. 

On the night we visited, one couple were browsing holiday destinations on their phone; another pair were getting acquainted over a rump of lamb; whilst one duo had brought along their very well-behaved dog for a quiet night. And Mrs G and I were clearly being very nosy. 

Covino’s compact menu of eclectically influenced small plates reads exceptionally well, with dishes ranging in price between £11 and £29.

With a cellar of over 130 different wines, everything we drank by the glass was very enjoyable - a saline Monte pio Raxeira Albarino (£9.50) and a briochey Domaine du Vieux Pressoir Saumur Brut (£10.50) were the highlights. A slightly whiffy Cuvée Kéké Beaujolais (£13.50) and a punchy Sobrero Nebiolo (£15) were tasty but not quite as good.

Food was an absolute rip roarer from the first mouthful. Impressively it was all knocked up by a single chef and kitchen porter. As a result, and understandably, the same dish was sent out simultaneously to different tables to make things more manageable for the kitchen. 

Light and crusty warm sourdough (£6) was generous in portion and served with a smear of butter with a light honey sweetness and funk of truffle. 

A confit duck special (£16) was the next dish to arrive. Crisp skinned and tender of flesh it was served in a bowl of borlotti beans bathed in a creamy sauce with a compelling hit of orange that cut through the richness of the meat. I think this might be the first time I’ve had duck a l'orange and I can see what all the fuss is about.

Halfway through guzzling our duck, a snack of cheese gougères (£10) showed up. Piping hot, the light choux buns were topped with a flurry of nutty comté cheese. They were one heck of a bar snack, and I’d have preferred them to have been served that way, rather than having to masquerade as a side dish for the duck.

Next up, golden edged meaty scallop pieces (£14) were sat in their shell and drenched with a huge-flavoured peppercorn sauce with a good throat tingling heat. I've seen quite a few places serving fish with peppercorn sauces lately and I can totally see why – in fact, everything should be served with it.

A whopping disc of crisp-edged earthy boudin noir (£11.50), which Covino import from France, was served with a trio of belting accompaniments - a glossy meaty sauce, sweet petit pois and the crunch of caramelised walnuts.

Last but no means least, a bowl of cavatelli pasta (£16.50), which had the dense yet tender texture of a pasta-gnocchi hybrid, were bathed in a super savoury and meaty pork ragu with layers and layers of flavour. 

If we'd left it there it would have been a nigh on perfect meal. But, as I can never say no to dessert, I plumped for a brioche tiramisu (£8.50).

All I can say is there's a reason why brioche isn't normally used for tiramisu. The bread had soaked up all the dessert’s moisture making it dense, watery and claggy. Layers of mascarpone cream and cocoa powder were lovely, but they couldn’t compensate for that brioche. 

Ignoring dessert, we had an excellent meal of interesting and well-priced food at Covino. The front of house team were really friendly and engaging too. Despite being tailored for couples, Covino is so much fun that I’m sure you’d have a whale of a time if you came along as a solo diner or larger group. 

The Details:

Address - Covino, 118 Northgate Street, Chester CH1 2HT
Web - https://www.covino.co.uk/

The Jackdaw, Conwy, North Wales restaurant review

As a keen twitcher, any restaurant that has a bird for its name is already predisposed to be my kind of place.

Such is the Jackdaw in Conwy, or Jac-do in Welsh, which takes its name from the smallest of crows that nest in the town’s walls and the nickname for someone born in the local area.

It's owned by Nick Rudge, who originally hails from Llandudno, and was a former junior sous chef at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck. The Jackdaw has been high on my list of places to visit ever since it opened back in 2021.

Hidden away above a derelict bingo hall and signposted by just a low-key brass plaque on its door frame, the Jackdaw’s narrow staircase opens into a modern and classy dining room. Several design features are familiar from other contemporary fine-dining restaurants, including fur-lined seats, jars of pickles and dried flower hanging wall decorations.

But the Jackdaw still feels distinctly Welsh, with local influences scattered across the menu and distances from Conwy denoted on the drinks list. Unlike some chefs that take pride in flying in the most expensive ingredients from across the world, Nick tries to use as much Welsh produce as possible.

I started off with a Wild Horse Nokota pale ale (£6.50) from just down the road in Llandudno – it’s always a juicy easy drinker at 3.8% ABV. Mrs G sipped a distinctive yet comforting meadowsweet scented gimlet (£13.50). We also had belting glasses of Ancre Hill pinot noir (£9) from Monmouthshire before finishing up with a slightly further flung Chateau Guiraud 1er cru Sauternes (£15) and Patricius Tokaji (£17 - we both agreed the Tokaji was much better).

But, onto the food and I've rarely come across such confident cooking that shows Wales (and the chef's personality) on a plate instead of the usual fine dining by numbers. During evenings there’s a single ten course tasting menu on offer (£125) whilst on Friday and Saturday lunches, six courses are available for £60.

First up, there was a pretty trio of snacks.

Lady Llannover's salt duck was based on a historic recipe from a classic Welsh cookery book that dates back to the 19th century. Kind of like a duck jamon, its fat melted in the mouth and the flesh glistened.

A delicate AF tart case was filled with clean tasting cured gilthead bream and slices of raw asparagus.

Lastly, a crempog Gwanwyn (Spring pancake) had Welsh taco vibes. The soft and airy pancake was filled with the sweetest of langoustines draped with smoky cured pork belly, as well as vibrant leek and intense langoustine emulsions.

Next up was one hell of a good Welsh rarebit. Crisp, fat rich fried bread, a potent Hafod cheese sauce and tangy Conwy brown sauce all made for a killer mouthful.

After all those decadent snacks it was time for a green juice cleanse. A vivid green nettle and apple marigold broth was garnished with slivers of Wye valley asparagus, creamy goat curd and the funk of Welsh truffle.

The Welsh classics were coming thick and fast at this point and I was fully invested. Especially when the Jackdaw's cawl is the best I've ever eaten by some distance. Amongst the depths of an intensely meaty and rosemary scented broth bobbed sweet and tender salt baked swede, carrot and leek and a cuboid of ridiculously tender lamb.

On the side, more fried bread, this time caraway scented, was topped with a fat rich lamb head mince and slices of zippy pickled onion.

Mrs G had an Anton Ego moment with the next course and was transported back to her days at the Welsh seaside as a kid. A gorgeously flavoured-packed sea lettuce dashi was the essence of seaweed in a bowl. In it nestled the meatiest of caramelised scallops and a variety of briny sea vegetables.

Melt in the mouth, buttery confit trout was paired with a creamy smoke-twanged sauce that was split  with dill oil. A variety of richness balancing accompaniments all played their part - sharp salted rhubarb, pickled mustard seeds, and salty trout roe pearls.

Lastly, a guinea fowl dish was the ultimate chicken dinner. The crisp-skinned juicy slice of bird was served with a glossy truffle fragranced gravy, silky wild garlic puree and earthy morels.

The sweet stuff was just as good as the savoury. Finely diced sweet Anglesey rhubarb jelly was accompanied by smooth and sharp rhubarb ice cream. Nostalgic yet modern, it was a belter of a pre-dessert.

Legend has it that the original recipe for Guinness was inspired by a Welsh tavern in nearby Llanfairfechan and our main dessert took inspiration from this folk story. 

A deeply toasty barley and chocolate ganache, yeast caramel, crunchy barley and malted ice cream all gave the effect of a distinctly Guinness-esque dessert. It was superb.

Finally thick, sticky, liquorice twanged treacle toffee with a scattering of sea salt was a dreamy last mouthful.

The Jackdaw’s combination of epic Welsh cooking without a single misstep, warm and friendly service, and a charming, relaxed setting made it one of the best meals we've ever eaten in Wales. I would say it’s surprising that it doesn’t have a Michelin star but then nothing surprises me about the tyre people anymore.

Book a trip to North Wales on holiday, walk the coast path, spot some seals and mountain goats, drink local beer, visit a few castles and most importantly eat dinner at the Jackdaw. You won't be disappointed.

The Details:

Address - The Jackdaw, High Street, Conwy, LL32 8DB

Web - https://www.thejackdawconwy.co.uk/

Telephone - 01492 596922

Joon Persian supper club, Insole Court, Llandaff review

Whilst Leyli Homayoonfar is best known for the epic Mexican barbecue that she serves at her Bab Haus Mex street food stalls across south Wales, my first encounter with her cooking was something entirely different. Back in 2019, at a supper club in Cardiff’s Tramshed, I devoured a vibrant Joon and Co Persian feast inspired by her family’s Iranian heritage.

Earlier this year, in response to the devastating humanitarian crisis in Iran, Leyli decided to revive her Joon supper club as a way to celebrate Persian cuisine and culture as well as to raise money for humanitarian and medical aid.

Hosted over the last few months at Insole Court’s Potting Shed café on Friday and Saturday nights, it’s been one of the hottest tickets going. We finally made it to the last of the currently scheduled dates at the end of March.

The Potting Shed is a cosy and intimate venue which is ideally suited for a supper club. Its homely feel gives off the vibe that you could be sat in Leyli’s dining room. The fact that Leyli’s family also runs the front of house only adds to the intimate atmosphere.

Whilst you’re sat at long communal tables, the food is served for couples to share. So, there’s no bickering with strangers (just with Mrs G) over who gets the last spoonful of each dish.

£65 buys you three very generous courses of Persian cooking. There’s no way you’re going home any way other than stuffed.

To drink there’s a small selection of four wines available. We shared a bottle of fresh and fruity L’Artiste pinot noir (£27) and followed it up with delicious glasses of stone fruit soaked Alvi’s Drift viognier (£7.50).

Whilst we waited for our starters to arrive, we picked at vibrant green olives coated in nutty walnut paste and dotted with cleansing pomegranate pearls.

Mazeh, the first course of the night, was the ultimate selection of picky bits.

Salty and creamy cubes of feta and crunchy walnuts were drizzled in sweet honey and were guzzled down with leaves of fresh parsley and dill. Lightly pickled cucumbers, radishes and baby carrots brought crunch and acidity to the table.

Warm barbari bread had a crackly crust and chewy crumb and was dotted with sesame and nigella seeds. It was essential for scooping up the colourful selection of dips, which were up there with the best I’ve eaten. Each packed in so many layers of flavour and texture.

Warming spiced smoked aubergine was elevated by the sweetness of charred tomato and topped with toasty fried shallots.

The thickest of creamy labneh was fragranced with preserved lemon, mint and za’tar and flecked with fresh cucumber.

Silky black garlic hummus was crowned with a stupidly good Baharat spiced, sweet and fiery date chilli crunch.

Finally, earthy and zingy beetroot borani was pooled with burnt butter and toasted hazelnuts.

Mains were delicious but I think the starters edged it for both of us.

Bronzed skinned bone-in chicken pieces were bathed in a whopper of a sauce with saffron, the sweetness and fragrance of citrus peel, plenty of butter and the tartness of barbery seeds, which were vital in balancing all that richness.

Long cooked hunks of seriously tender Welsh lamb shoulder were hidden in the depths of a big flavoured meaty broth that was seasoned with distinctively fragrant fenugreek, Persian dried lime, and fistfuls of vibrant fresh green herb.

On the side, gorgeously fluffy and buttery saffron rice was topped with compellingly crisp and caramelised rice nuggets.

Thick and tangy wild garlic yoghurt and a finely diced salad of cucumber, tomato and onion brought further balance to all that decadence.

Dessert was a collection sweet and sharp delicious things, the centrepiece of which was a gorgeously thick and smooth slab of white chocolate cremeux. It was hidden beneath piles of candied pistachios, a tangle of Persian candy floss, and thin shards of white chocolate. Crucially, a hefty hit of fresh citrus brought balance to it all – there were slices of blood orange, a cleansing sorbet, and a tart grapefruit gel.

Absolutely stuffed, Leyli had thankfully already boxed up the last bonus course of the night for people to take home. A Persian love cake, heady with rose water, cardamom and citrus, was delightful with a cup of tea the next day.

Generous and homely, massively flavoured yet deftly balanced, I love Leyli Homayoonfar’s cooking and her Joon supper clubs have fully delivered on the aim of celebrating her Iranian heritage. Whilst this is the last date in the series for now, I’ve heard talk that there may be more dates in the offing. Keep an eye out as it’s a supper club that’s not to be missed.

The Details:

Address - The Potting Shed Cafe, Insole Court, Cardiff CF5 2LN

Web - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/joonsupperclub/2040928