The Pelican

Warminster Road, Stapleford, SP3 4LT

01722 792642

www.thepelicaninn.co.uk

Restaurant and meals served in pub

Beer garden overlooking river

Children welcome

Sunday roasts

LIKE many people, I've driven past The Pelican Inn many times, as it sits beside the A36 on the way to Salisbury. It's always caught my eye as being somewhere to try, so when I needed to stop and eat one night recently, I turned into the car park.

And I'm so glad I did, because behind its fairy-light-strewn walls is a real hidden gem.

It's a long, low, stone-built pub, with a restaurant area at one end, central bar and then a section with tables where you can either enjoy a drink and a chat, as many locals were doing the night I called, or settle down to sample some magnificent food.

The restaurant is clearly popular, and has an unusual jet black polished floor, traditional furniture and tables suitable for family parties.

The menu is extensive, backed up with a specials board. There was lots of seafood, and some interesting savoury suet puddings, but I was in the sort of mood where I wanted familiar, comfort food.

I began with a crab cakes starter with sweet chilli sauce (£4.95) and an 8oz sirloin steak, the addition of a port and Stilton sauce bringing the price up to £16.75.

The starter came speedily and included a generous portion of salad, nicely dressed, along with two chunky crab cakes. They were piping hot and just the thing, being not too spicy in themselves, so you could dip them in and add as much sauce as you wanted to give a bit of heat to each mouthful. I could see why the small boy at the next table, whose parents had clearly brought him out for a treat, was ordering them as his main course, saying they were his favourite.

I had planned on having chips, but when I placed my order and was given the option of dauphinoise potatoes instead, there was no contest. I liked the way the steak was served on a huge (hot) plate, with the sauce in a little boat, the vegetables in one dish and the potatoes in another, so you could serve yourself. Perfect for people who like to keep tastes separate, or who want to enjoy their sauce just with the meat.

The steak was excellent, though it was a shame the meat had not been trimmed more carefully and the first mouthful had a chip of bone in it as a nasty surprise. However after that it was melt-in-the-mouth good, and cooked medium rare as I'd ordered.

The vegetables were great too and the potatoes a triumph, perfectly cooked and creamy with enough garlic to flavour but not overpower.

The portions were so generous I had to wait quite a while before I could contemplate pudding, and then the menu choices seemed quite routine until I spotted a Baked Alaska (£4.95). Under the fluffy, beautifully browned meringue topping was, as expected, vanilla ice cream but sitting on a cheesecake style base, rather than the jam and sponge of my childhood. The base was tasty, but rather hard to cut into so it was difficult to get the full taste of the dessert in one mouthful.

I'd definitly recommend The Pelican for the quality of its food, the warmth of its welcome and the marvellous, retro-meets-kitsch, decor, which was like stepping back into one of the Exmoor pubs I remember from teenage holidays.

My meal, with a half pint of Stowford Press, cost £28.95, excellent value.

Alison Phillips