Locally sourced ingredients are buzzwords that are omnipresent in most restaurant menus these days. However, at the Stable, they take this concept very seriously. There are 13 branches so far but they still aim to source the ingredients locally to each branch where possible; hence you get specials like the chirpy cockney pizza at their Whitechapel branch.
The stable Whitechapel is on the less than glamorous Whitechapel road, but is in close proximity to Brick lane and Aldgate. It is situated in a bright, airy building, which has a strong earthy, rustic feel with its mosaic of warm brickwork. The restaurant is split into 2 parts: the front part is great for casual daytime meetings, whilst the large restaurant at the back has an open kitchen, spacious seating and even a stage for live performances. In fact music is a large part of the Stable experience, with live performances on most Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Their pizzas are handmade from scratch daily using simple, fresh ingredients. They use organic sourdough pizza bases which are 100% animal-free, so ideal for guests with strict dietary requirements. The thin base means it is very easy to digest the pizza without feeling too stodgy.
The king crabber pizza instantly caught our attention from the menu, as it is highly unusual to find crabmeat as a topping on a pizza. They use handpicked crabmeat from the West Country, which is the region where the Stable first started out originally. The meat is lightly flavoured with red chilli, garlic and lemon; whilst the pizza also contained fresh tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, fresh basil leaves, mozzarella and finished with crème fraiche, lemon wedge and parsley. Unlike high street pizza chains, no expenses are spared here in terms of using premium ingredients. The pizza taste light and summery and clearly brings something to the restaurant scene that no other pizza parlours are offering at the moment.
We tried the steak out pie as well and once again you get a sense of their devotion to using the very best ingredients. You get quality chunks of beef rather than the poor minced variety and the taste is well complemented with stout and horseradish. In addition to the pie, you get herb roasted potatoes, pickled onion and tomato chutney. The only item I wouldn’t order unless you are with a large group is their take on the garlic bread. It is a rather large portion of the same pizza base with garlic and parsley butter. Their pizzas are fantastic, but I think most people would struggle with handling two pizzas in the same meal.
With over 80 ciders served at the Stable, it is a must visit for all cider fans. One of the most popular offerings is their tasting board which offers five 1/3 pints for you to sample more varieties. Even if you are not a fan of Whitechapel, there are many reasons now for making a pilgrimage there, especially if you are an admirer of great pizza, pies and cider.
baldwin@townfish.com