The story
Sticky Walnut in Chester grounds its modern British cooking in the Hoole neighbourhood with a reliable kitchen and relaxed service. Gary Usher established his Elite Bistro group at this location, creating a steady foundation for the restaurant. The ground floor reveals an active kitchen where chefs build menus around whatever produce arrives throughout the year. Cold months typically bring braised featherblade of beef simmered in a robust red wine reduction alongside sharp beetroot ketchup.
Recent reviews highlight duck breast cooked pink and rested correctly, paired with shredded confit leg, pickled shallots, gooseberries, and crisp spring onions. The roast cod arrives with smoked lardo Ibérico, hen of the woods mushrooms, smooth puréed onion, and toasted hazelnuts. Guests frequently request the truffled Parmesan chips as a separate course, recognising them as a definitive Gary Usher signature. A honeycomb ice cream drizzled with dark chocolate sauce offers a straightforward conclusion.
Dark walls adorned with bright prints stretch across two levels that welcome local diners. The establishment earned its recent Good Food Guide distinction precisely because the service feels completely unhurried. Staff provide direct wine guidance from a straightforward list where almost every selection pours by the glass starting at six pounds fifty. A twenty pound fixed price menu covers three courses, keeping contemporary UK cooking affordable for casual visits.
Recognition
Details
History
2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Gary Usher's Elite Bistro group began at this fondly regarded neighbourhood joint in the Hoole suburb of Chester. Extending over two levels, the dark walls hung with jolly prints, the kitchen partly on view at ground-level, it's a happy place all round – one that elicits a wistful ‘I wish I lived just around the corner’ from a satisfied reader. Popular dishes at a summer visit for one couple included sweetly glazed streaky bacon with a leafy walnut salad in buttermilk dressing, and a splendid duck breast, the pink meat properly rested, served with a tartlet of the shredded confit leg, pickled shallots, gooseberries and spring onions. Another correspondent was full of praise for roast cod with lardo Ibérico, hen of the woods, puréed onion and toasted hazelnuts. Menus turn with the seasons, arriving at the wintry end of the year with sustaining propositions such as braised featherblade of beef in red wine sauce with beetroot ketchup and the all-important truffled Parmesan chips (a Gary Usher signature). If your main dish doesn't incorporate these, order them on the side. A self-confessed ‘sweetie’ thoroughly enjoyed the honeycomb ice cream that came with dark chocolate sauce and a wedge of whole honeycomb. Look to the top-value fixed-price menu (£20 for three courses) if you're on a tight budget. Helpful wine advice is readily forthcoming, and almost everything on the approachable list is available by the glass (from £6.50).
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