The Stables in Garston serves up a tasty menu

Sep 8 2009 Liverpool Daily Post

Luke Traynor takes a ride into Garston to sample some home-cooked gastro-pub fare at The Stables

THE Stables, in Garston, opened around Christmas if memory serves me right, but word has spread quickly about this classic-style pub and restaurant, on St Mary's Road.

Around the corner from the Under the Bridge estate and on a road better known for more traditional earthy pubs, it's fair to say The Stables is something of a departure for the area.

The interior is full of polished brickwork and photographs of horses and cobbled courtyards that point to the history of the site.

It's more hearty and convivial than intimate and romantic, with a friendly atmosphere.

The wine list is pleasantly long, with bottles starting from £12.50 and moving up to £33. The South African Franschoek Chenin Blanc, at £13.50, sounded good to us, with a trip to Cape Town and its Winelands on the cards for me this October, so a bit of early studying was undertaken.

Turning to the food. There were a choice of six starters, with extras on the special board, ranging from £5-£7.

Chef Stewart St John, formerly of restaurants like Newz and Ziba, says that he tries to source all of their food from within a 50-mile radius. That includes chicken farmed by Reg Johnson in Goosnargh; beef reared in the Ribble Valley from master butcher John Penny; and beer brewed in Rainford by George Wright brewers. It is a commendable aim and, for that reason, the potted Southport shrimps with mace butter took our eye.

In the end, I went for the ham hock terrine with piccalilli and granary toast, at £5.95.

This was a dish I’d never tried before so the chewy wedge of meat and vegetables, coupled with the spicy piccalilli, certainly challenged the tastebuds.

It was an interesting merging of earthy ham with spicy sauce and it did work pretty well on the thick brown crust.

My wife opted for smoked haddock salad with soft poached egg, from the specials board, at £4.95.

She described the fish as lightly smoked so as not to be overpowering, the egg was cooked perfectly, with added croutons giving body to an otherwise light dish.

There was a wide choice of mains, from six or so Home Comforts dishes, priced at around £10, and a long list of steaks and sauces.

Stables Scouse, roast beetroot and farmhouse loaf, at £8.95, looked good, as did the honey roast ham, pickled red cabbage and fried potatoes (£9.95).

The wife got in quickly to claim the lemon, garlic and thyme roast Goosnargh chicken with bubble and squeak.

I looked to the steak menu instead and selected the 12oz rump steak, which came with home made chips, a beef tomato, a Portabello mushroom and rocket for £15.50.