Liverpool, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Fabulous Maray never disappoints” – whether you head to this “packed” and “buzzing” outpost (est. 2014), or the equally popular offshoots in Allerton and the Royal Albert Dock. Inspired by the kind of food found in the Marais in Paris, it serves “interesting and inspiring” Middle Eastern small plates (“with a focus on vegetarian dishes”), and the end result is “a great experience” according to its army of fans.

This city-centre two-year-old from “incredibly talented chef” Anton Piotrowski, a BBC MasterChef: The Professionals winner, “is really getting it right now – great to see such a risky enterprise doing so well”. “What an unexpected delight – just another bistro from the outside, but inside it’s quickly clear it’s so much more”. “The tasting menu includes some very adventurous offerings” and on all accounts the food is “beautifully plated and tastes gorgeous”.

“Another of Gary Usher’s fabulous bistros” is a typical take on this “great addition to the city-centre”: a stylishly refurbished two-year-old (formerly a derelict workshop), in the city’s merchant quarter, that’s nowadays the city’s most-mentioned eatery. Its gutsy, affordable fare is generally well-rated, but ratings sipped a notch this year on some more middling reports (“good in parts…”, “good but expected more…”, “prices are slightly high even if everything they do, they do well…”)

A “great small spot in resurgent Smithdown Road”, which opened in December 2017, and combines “good-quality small plates, and an excellent list of wines from small independent producers, with a sommelier who knows his stuff”. “Lovely atmosphere”, too – “only issue is that it can be crowded” so you’ll “need to book”.

“The food here is always fascinating”, say fans of this Merseyside two-year-old (which, despite its name, is not a seafood specialist). Critics reckon the standards are “mixed”, to which comes the riposte that “too many people don’t get the concept – it’s designed for sharing plates, not separate orders”. There’s no debating the “good beer selection”.

This well-established (est. 1999) and “ever-reliable” contemporary restaurant, in a Grade II-listed house near the Anglican cathedral, still provides a “wide-ranging” and “interesting” menu of modern brasserie fare delivered by “young and friendly” staff.

“Consistently good cooking and attentive service” has built a loyal local following over 12 years for brothers Matt & Adam Locke’s “great neighbourhood restaurant”, around the corner from Penny Lane. Its modern British food is “up there with the best” and the “good-value deals” ensure that it’s “busy every day with the local ladies who lunch”.