British, Modern Restaurants in Ashurst
1. Moor Hall
British, Modern restaurant in Aughton
Prescot Rd - L39
“There is nothing not to love about the experience – from the tour of the kitchen on the way to your table through the ballet of service to the final bites of deliciousness, all done with great charm and humour” – Mark Birchall’s converted manor house a short drive north of Liverpool has captured the imagination of the UK food scene since it first launched in 2014 and – “a candidate for a third Michelin star” – it still regularly tops media Top 100s of UK restaurants. At the heart of the offering is the “outstanding tasting dinner-time menu of 17 small but exceptional courses” for £225 per person, but the gorgeously refurbished medieval setting, cheese room, kitchen garden, and landscaped five acres with long drive and lake all add to its mystique. Just one issue presents itself – the jaw-dropping bills. For most reporters the verdict remains that it’s “worth every penny”, but its high cost means its top rating from our annual diners’ poll is becoming borderline. “It’s wonderful, and I know prices are rising everywhere, but it feels expensive now… even compared to The Ritz!”
2. The London Carriage Works, Hope Street Hotel
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
40 Hope Street - L1
“Superb food… comfortable surroundings, friendly but not obsequious staff, a very decent wine list, reasonable prices…” – this boutique hotel dining room (named after the original 1860 business that occupied the premises) was part of the early wave of culinary reinvention to hit ‘The Pool’ and opened in 2003. It’s often overlooked nowadays, but reports this year suggest unfairly so.
3. Nord
Scandinavian restaurant in Liverpool
The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street - L3
“A strong new opening with great food!” – in a Sixties-tastic building that used to be the HQ for Littlewoods (once home to the football pools), Liverpudlian chef Daniel Heffy (ex-Secret Diners Club & Buyers Club) returned from Stockholm to helm this ambitious newcomer. It opened in April 2023 – rather late in the day to generate feedback in our annual diners’ poll – hence we’ve left it unrated, despite one very upbeat early-days report (and the Liverpool Echo and the Confidentials have both waxed lyrical about it).
4. Restaurant 8 by Andrew Sheridan
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
16 Cook Street - L2
Native Liverpudlian Andrew Sheridan upped sticks from Brum to relocate ‘8’ to a Victorian building in the city centre (next to the original Cavern Club) in April 2023. Seating is at one of two counters for, appropriately, eight diners; the lighting is low; much of the décor is black or slate-grey; and the level of ambition in the cooking is high, with the aim of delivering ‘an immersive sensory experience’. The eight courses (for £110 per head) are of very diverse inspiration and there’s also a wine pairing option (for £80 per head).
5. The Barn at Moor Hall
British, Modern restaurant in Aughton
Prescot Rd - L39
The more casual ‘second’ restaurant at Mark Birchall’s all-conquering project still offers a “sumptuous dining experience”, with the “incredible attention to detail” expected from such a venue. Some reporters even “like its chilled style more than its more prestigious neighbour. Service is genuinely more friendly, and there’s less genuflecting at the stuff on the plate – I’ve come to eat, not worship!”. As for the clientele, it’s “a bit less footballer WAGish” than next door – and there’s “an excellent value lunch menu, considering the elevated nature of the cooking”.
6. So-lo
British, Modern restaurant in Aughton
17 Town Green Lane - L39
“Superb food every time”, say early converts to high-flying chef Tim Allen (ex-Launceston Place, Wild Rabbit, Flitch of Bacon)’s first venture as chef-patron, a “former Seafood Pub Company outpost” that he opened in late 2021 down the road from superstar Moor Hall. “The cuisine is terrific with a few interesting surprises thrown in” – and “with just Tim Allen and one other in the open kitchen – a model of calmness – it’s all the more remarkable how good and refined the cooking is. There’s a very light touch and freshness to it all that’s just delightful”. “The pricing at Moor Hall (while never not worth it) has always put it into a rare treat category… the arrival of this place is approaching an epiphany of more affordable fine dining!”
7. The Vincent Hotel V-Cafe
British, Modern restaurant in Southport
98 Lord Street - PR8
This “buzzy and consistent” brasserie at a stylish modern hotel and wedding venue offers “excellent service and good food”, with an eclectic menu that stretches from “delicious steaks and fish ’n’ chips” to sushi and other Asian delights, then back to comforting domestic desserts including chocolate mousse and fruit crumble.
8. Spire
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
1 Church Road - L15
This “gem of a neighbourhood restaurant” near Penny Lane from brothers Matt & Adam Locke is “still one of the best in Liverpool” – it’s “top-class in every respect”, and the modern European cooking is of a “quality that never varies or disappoints”.
9. The Glazebury
British, Modern restaurant in Glazebury
207 Warrington Road - WA3
2021 Review: South African-born chef Ernst van Zyl and partner Liz Kellett have taken over (and substantially refurbished) this Warrington pub, which opened at the end of 2018. This new place has 60 covers, five rooms and a huge beer garden. Scant survey feedback as yet, but based on his previous gaff – The Lord Clyde in Kerridge – there’s reason to hope for notably accomplished food in this village pub.
10. Belzan
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
371 Smithdown Road - L15
This “lovely modern British neighbourhood restaurant” has made a name for itself with “very good cooking and some standout dishes” from chef Sam Grainger. Co-owners Chris Edwards & Owain WIlliams ensure that “staff are very friendly and attentive and know their stuff” – “it’s great to have a local bistro that’s going places”.
11. Roski
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
16 Rodney Street - L1
This “exquisite” venue from MasterChef: The Professionals winner Anton Piotrowski is “a must-visit if you’re in Liverpool” – and “worth a special visit to the city” if you’re not. In the evening, for £115 per person, they serve a seven-course course tasting menu only. One mightily impressed recent visitor, Daily Telegraph reviewer William Sitwell, reported that ‘the Lancashire haggis toastie was the most scrumptious thing I’ve eaten in ages’.
12. Wreckfish
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
60 Seel Street - L1
“Very good bistro cooking” and “amazing service” are turning Gary Usher’s six-year-old fixture into a “Liverpool institution”; and it’s become one of the best and best-known outlets in his Elite Bistros chain. But apparently he’s toying with the idea of changing the name of this 90-cover venue, because too many people think it just serves fish!
13. Hanover Street Social
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
16-20 Hanover St - L1
2021 Review: “Consistently good food at a competitive price” plus a “useful central location and a great choice of gins” means this modern brasserie from Merseyside’s Red & Blue Restaurants group is “worth a visit”.
14. Queens Wine Bar
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
8 Queen Avenue - L2
“A fantastic find!” – “neatly tucked away” down a smart city alleyway, this understated wine bar/bistro “feels like a secret discovery” that is “perfect for a cozy sojourn”.
15. Barnacle
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
Mezzanine, Duke Street Market, 46 Duke Street - L1
This “lively place” on the mezzanine of the city centre’s Duke Street food market serves “nicely presented dishes”, and benefits from the involvement of Merseyside food heroes Paul Askew (of The Art School) and Harry Marquart (Bone & Block). Aiming to provide an ‘intimate Scouse brasserie’, it launched in late 2021.
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