Eat Liverpool
Liverpool has every kind of restaurant, from sleek fine dining to independent bistros and high street favourites, and it can tick just about every box in terms of international cuisine, ranging from top Indians to spicy Thais.
Head to 60 Hope Street for classic, gourmet dishes and sample its signature dessert-a deep fried jam sandwich with Carnation milk ice cream. Alternatively visit its two sister restaurants, the superb pan-Asian HOST up the road and The Quarter, on the cobbles of Falkner Street just off Hope Street, for delicious deli produce, fantastic pizzas (even Yoko one has heard of them and popped in for one) plus delicious Italian-inspired dishes.
Also on Hope Street near the Everyman Theatre is The Side Door bistro, a perfect spot for pre or post theatre dining, specialising in fish and great home made desserts, including possibly the best sticky toffee pudding in the Northwest.
You can also enjoy fine dining, delectable Classic Champagne cocktail and breathtaking 360° views across the city and over 50 Wirral Peninsula from Panoramic, on the 34th floor of West Tower (don’t miss out on Herve’s belt-tightening cheese trolley). Or go and feast on modem international food at The London Carnage Works at Hope Street Hotel, popular with the city’s gastronomes.
For the finest, most mouthwatering and authentic Catalan and Spanish dishes, head to Lunya in Liverpool ONE, while Leaf Tea Shop & Bar on Bold Street is a buzzing tea shop and café that also hosts art, music and club nights as well as serving up delicious bar snacks.
Alternatively, check out The Restaurant Bar & Grill, which serves great, simple, eclectic dishes all freshly made and prepared on the premises. For something a little more Oriental, head to Liverpool’s China Town, the oldest Chinese community in Europe, for a wide choice of authentic restaurants. Or try Sapporo and be entertained by their show chefs as they prepare mouth watering Teppanyaki cuisine.
Then there’s the fabulous San Carlo on Castle Street, serving up authentic Italian dishes, and voted one of the top tan Italian restaurants in the UK by The Times and described by Vogue as ‘a must for lovers of fine Italian cuisine’. Marco Pierre White has also added to his presence in the Northwest. The former Michelin stared maverick is adding to Liverpool’s fine dining options by opening up the Steakhouse Bar & Grill restaurant in his name at the boutique Hotel Indigo Hotel on Chapel Street, which opens in the Summer.
Southport is excellent for eating out too. Try the trendy V-Cafe at the Vincent Hotel on Lord Street, which serves tasty soups, freshly blended juices and Asian sushi and sashimi. Great for lunch, but stop evening destination too, with dimmed lights, candies and groovy music. Or go to the Warehouse Kitchen + Bar, which combines national dishes like superb fish and chips with top international dishes such as Moroccan shank of lamb. A former Warehouse chef has also opened Bistrot Vérité, a fabulous family run restaurant in Birkdale, serving up excellent rustic French bistro dishes.
Over on Wirral Peninsula the gourmet offering is centred around fresh, locally sourced produce. The exclusive Yellow Room at the Hillbark Hotel in Frankby has gourmet food in sumptuous mock-Tudor surroundings, while Sheldrakes and Roses Tea Rooms all serve excellent food. Restaurant Fraiche is highlighted in the Good Food Guide 2011 and it brought the first Michelin star to the region with meticulously prepared cuisine, so make sure you book in advance.