Garden House, North Road, Durham

1:30pm Friday 5th September 2008

I HAVE visited the Garden House pub quite a few times over the years, usually for the leaving-do's of colleagues, reporters on other papers and the press officers of various public bodies.

Usually there has been a buffet to nibble on but the emphasis on these occasions has been on imbibing a pint or two.

It has always struck me as a very pleasant hostelry in a leafy road just down from St Leonard's School and not much further from County Hall.

If you prefer your pubs on the less raucous side, the Garden House is probably for you as it has the benefit of being just out of the city centre and away from its drinking circuit.

But until recently I had never eaten a meal there and when, at fairly short notice, I was volunteered to do a restaurant review, I was pleased that the pub was one of the destinations I could choose from.

So one night after a hectic day at work - we had just moved into new offices on the eastern outskirts of the city - I called in.

For diners, there is a dedicated area in the large conservatory behind the main bar area but being a Billy No-Mates, I decided to keep a low profile and enjoy my solitary dining experience at a table in the bar.

From there, I could keep an eye on the cricket that was being shown on the pub's several TV screens.

I was pleased to see that the Garden House offers traditional English dishes alongside the now obligatory list of more exotic fare.

A homely meat and two veg type dish suited the way I was feeling and I spent some time trying to decide whether to plump for cottage pie, a roast, toad in the hole, Cumberland sausage and mince or dumpling.

In the end, I opted for the mince and dumpling, although I did consider going for something from the grill menu, the 10oz rump steak was a leading contender at one point.

For those considering a visit to the Garden House, starters are available - I decided to skip it on this occasion - and there are overseas dishes such as lasagne, curry and chilli con carne, burgers, pasta dishes, jacket potatoes and baguettes and paninis with various fillings. On Sundays, the pub offers a carvery.

I didn't have to wait long for my meal to arrive and it proved filling and tasty, the mince was delicious and the vegetables - peas, carrot slices and mashed potato - were cooked well.

The surroundings are very pleasant, the wicker furniture giving an informal feel to the place.

There are benches outside too, in case the sun returns. The gents toilet were, however, a bit shabby in comparison to the rest of the pub.

With a pint, the bill came to £9.15 and I would definitely go back and try more from the menu.

One useful thing for people going by car is that the pub boasts quite a large car park, a boon given that parking is at a premium in Durham.

Eating Out