The portions on offer at this pleasantly positioned pub on the edges of Durham City are enormous.

In fact, the waiter confirmed this when he brought a plate of North Atlantic cod to one table near ours and said: ''Here's your whale.''
Size comes with quality at the Stonebridge and the whole meal was fantastically tasty.

We dined there on a midweek afternoon and the tables were still filling rapidly - a sign of a pub with a good reputation.

For starters, I plumped for chicken liver pate with an onion marmalade and Melba toast at £4.75. The pate was fresh and tasty, the accompanying side salad the same. But the highlight was the onion marmalade which was definitely the best I've had.

My wife Margaret went for the soup of the day which was broccoli and Stilton at £3.25. Creamy, filling and satisfying, she said.

Starter alternatives included fresh prawns in Marie Rose garnished with a tiger prawn (£4.50) and smoked salmon platter (£4.25).

My main course offering was chicken and smoked bacon risotto (£6.50) which was delightfully light and, despite the portion looking quite manageable, still had me struggling to finish it all.

Margaret ordered the duo of pork chops at £8.95 and these were possibly the biggest pork chops ever to have existed.

By the time she tackled the onion rings, chips and mushrooms as well, she planned to avoid eating anything else for the next month.


Even so, the meal was fantastic and worth every penny, she said.
We washed this hearty fare down with an alcopop and large coke and it all came in at less than £30.

Superb value and a great stopping off point for those planning a day in the Durham area.

Oh, and for those wondering how to get there, head for Nevilles Cross follow the signs for Crook, and the imposing stone pub is there on your left hand side.
– CHRIS CORDNER

The Stonebridge Inn, Nevilles Cross, Durham DH1 3RX (0191) 3869591. Open for food from noon.
Atmosphere ***
Service ****
Quality ****
Value for money ****