Must-Eat places in Stafford

[Admin]

Hi tink_summer, welcome to Stafford Forum!

I have merged your thread with this one as they are very similar. Have a read from page 1 for some suggestions if no-one comes up with anything new.

 

[halfmanhalfbrisket]

Hi tink_summer The Holly Bush's mixed grill is the stuff of dreams IMHO.. slightly pricy and from what I remember they won't book tables (I tried for a birthday) - trying Chambers tomorrow.. only heard good things about it so far!

 

[Gadget]

Hiya, I've eaten at spice island and had their takeaway's. I must say i found it delicious and the service was great. Essence of the orient is very very nice too, as is The Sun, PandA and The Bear Grill although the bear is posh burgers mainly. Extremly tasty though. Frankie and Benny's is also very very nice although the drinks there are a bit pricey.
Uhm my minds now gone blank i'm afraid as all of a sudden i'm a bit peckish....can't think why lol
G x

 

[tek-monkey]

So where serves after 9 on a Friday? We're hungry!

 

[halfmanhalfbrisket]

I hear there're a couple of fine dining venues on the Newport Road that serve late.. Al Karims?

 

[tek-monkey]

I'm hungry, not desperate! In the sun now, no food but good drinks

 

[scallywag]

Spice Island was delicious when we went

 

[tink_summer]

Thanks for all the response's! We love partying in town, but as we all have work the following day, we are going for the nice meal out instead! What Restaurants are on the Newport Road!? Still havent booked anything, think we will just go for Spice Island...as 2 4 1 (haha...). Will let you all know how it was Wednesday xx

 

[Jimbo]

So where serves after 9 on a Friday? We're hungry!

You know, if there's something that frustrates me about Stafford, its the lack of food later in the evening.

 

[tek-monkey]

We went to Essence of the Orient in the end, great food and good value too. We got the set meal for £15 each, and ended up with a doggy bag

 

[United57]

Like this

 

[Thehooperman]

I would recommend the following:
Indian - Spice Island 2 for 1 Sun - Thurs and always good food, Karma 2 for 1 again Sun - Thurs I think if you ask when you book;
Chinese - Essence of the Orient but we haven't been for a long time;
Steak night - The Swan do a 2 for £25 inc a bottle of wine on a Wednesday;
Pie and Ale - where else but the PandA House;
Italian - Viverre
Good grub - Pastiche (see my earlier post re offer), Chambers, The Sun, Wolseley Arms, The Chetwynd Arms but last two are both out of town.

Avoids - The Vine reasonable menu but had 2 bad meals recently. Second visit was to see if the first was just a one off. It wasn't.

Hope this helps

 

[wizzard]

Anyone know when foster's restaurants are going to be completed, progress seems to be slow as of late.

 

[tek-monkey]

Where is Fosters?

 

[Wormella]

I think Wizzard is referring to The old poste office - i head Mid November bandied about but I'm not sure.

 

[halfmanhalfbrisket]

Tried Vivere the other night.. Was very nice, lads serving seemed (just about) on the ball.. could've done with bigger portions but that's just the Northerner in me.. definitely recommended though

 

[dorsetpotter]

Generalisation warning


Stafford people who have not lived elsewhere do not understand good food

There are no must places to eat in the town because Stafford is a two for fiver town

A typical Stafford meal out is the cheapest thing on the menu and spend twice as much getting hammered

The Hand and Cleaver at Ranton - 9 minutes by van from Doxey - comes closest tosatisfying the brief but even they have had adjust thier varied menu to cater for the blandness of the borough..

The curry house in mill bank is pleasant enough and the bank house cafe has a fair clientel lynchtimes..

The Swan mafia would have u believe they produce good food - they don't

Good food and Staffordshire are not words generally put together unless its a local tourist board promo... there are exceptions of course but a handful in a county of a mulluon people isnt something to brag about

Further afield the hundred house at norton in salop is wirth a trip, on the other end of the scale try the gt western in wolverhampton for grey peas and bathams

It saddens me to read this kind of comment, because sadly this is true, i grew up in Stafford, and now live and work in Dorset, in the catering industry, and i have to say that food down here is totally different, there is a passion for it, people want good locally sourced products, at a reasonable price, yes we have your wetherspoons and various chains doing what they do, there will always be a need fot these types of places. But it does'nt have to be like this, places like Stafford should have, and can have fantastic food places, it is a farming county, sourcing great local produce, and serving good food, is a passion, yes down here in Dorset we are by the sea and very lucky, that we can get great seafood easily, but i know of great fish suppliers in the Midlands, for some reason, people seem to think that good food comes at a premium, it does'nt.
Down here we have the celebrity chef problem, River Cottage, Mark Hix, Matt folas, charging high prices for ok food, and in some cases pretty poor food, because the toursist will pay it, we have a lot of fantastic places that do great food for a third of the price. And Stafford too should have these places, if you go somewhere that is doing two meals for a fiver, then you know exactly what you are getting, but there is know reason, for about ten pounds a meal, you should get good honest locally sourced food.Thankyou

 

[Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt]

(1) What are the must-eat places?

For a lunchtime bite:
The Bank House

For a big meal:
Pie & Ale House
Chambers
The Swan (make sure you take your wallet)
Curry Kuteer

Slightly out of town:
Dog and Doublet at Sandon
Holly Bush in Salt

(2) What are the best bang-for-your-buck places (on a budget)?
Apres was great before they shut it down, sorry that does really help
Probably Pie and Ale
Pizza Express

(3) What is the best if you are not on a budget?
Chambers

(4) Where is nice to just sit and have a coffee and a snack/cake etc?
Bank House
The new Art Gallery Place
Soup Kitchen

(5) Best Take-Away?
Hmmmm, not sure

(6) Places to avoid (I have taken the liberty of adding this one in)
The Yard - crap food, crap service, dark crappy place
Wetherspoons (Its a wetherspoons, what more needs to be said?)
The Bear (Ruddy expensive and lets face it, its still just a burger)

 

[Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt]

Marwood:

Your post which was struggling for credibility really lost it at this point:

"wolverhampton for grey peas and bathams"

To claim that Staffordshire food is rubbish but just over the border into Yam Yam-vile you'll find the delight of grey peas and warm ale? Thank god Staffordshire had the good sense to loose Wolverhampton to the West Midlands back in the '70's which is pretty much where it has remained ever since.

The truth is food is highly subjective and whilst I have no problem with people passing comment on what they like or don't like or where they have eaten and had good or bad experiences it is just a stupid generalisation to claim that an entire area only has really has bad food.
I've eaten in places and Countries all around the World and the truth is you get good and bad everywhere, the same is true for Stafford. I've had some bloomin' excellent meals and I've also had a number of stinkers, that is just the way it goes.

 

[Withnail]

on the other end of the scale try the gt western in wolverhampton for grey peas and bathams