Irby, International Restaurant Guide

Glasgow chef Nico Simeone’s distinctive concept has grown into a national chain with 11 restaurants (including Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf) in just six years, offering a quick-changing succession of themed six-course menus for under £50 a head. It’s widely seen as “fantastic value” and has a sizeable fanbase amongst reporters (“every six weeks, the menu renews and for me, it is something to look forward to…”; “we simply love it and we’ve yet to miss a menu!” – “the Tokyo menu was so good we went back a second time”). Only a tiny few say, “you can feel you’re on a conveyor belt with lots of upsells”; or that the whole thing is “a dystopia of where restaurants will evolve”.

2022 Review: ‘General Post Office’ now means ‘Global Provisions Outlet’ at this repurposed edifice in the Metquarter – Liverpool's biggest food hall, with 11,000 square feet in which to graze, which opened in summer 2021 and aims to champion independent vendors by offering support and incubation. High-profile initial sign-ups included Nama from Sheffield's JORO – an izakaya-style offering.

2021 Review: “A long-term favourite which has been going for decades” – in recent times now decamped to La Tasca's old digs from its original home in The Rows – it boasts “plush and trendy” décor; “the moules marinières are wonderful and there are nights dedicated to surf and turf or lobster”.

2021 Review: “Small but perfectly formed” – this “tiny place with an open-plan kitchen” tucked away off Northgate Street serves “wonderful food” with “great depth of flavour” and “you’re really well looked after” too.