The story
Sticky Walnut, at 11 Charles Street in Chester, is a modern British restaurant that holds 2 AA Rosettes for 2026. The Good Food Guide also rates it Good in 2026, and it began as the first site of Gary Usher's Elite Bistro group in the Hoole suburb.
Menus change with the seasons. In winter, the kitchen serves braised featherblade of beef in red wine sauce with beetroot ketchup, plus truffled Parmesan chips, a Gary Usher signature. Reviewers suggest ordering the chips on the side even if your main does not include them. Roast cod with lardo Ibérico and hen of the woods has also drawn praise.
The restaurant spreads over two levels, with dark walls hung with prints and a kitchen partly visible from the ground floor. A fixed-price menu at £20 for three courses suits tighter budgets. Nearly the whole wine list is available by the glass, from £6.50.
Recognition
Details
History
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).
2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
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