Liverpool, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Still one of my favourite places to eat in Liverpool”; “it never fails to deliver”, say fans, who reckon this Georgian townhouse, near the Anglican cathedral (opened by Gary and Colin Manning in 1999), compares favourably with many of the city’s newer venues: the menu is “interesting” and “standards all-round are high and delivered at an excellent price”.

“A neighbourhood gem” with a modern British menu, around the corner from Penny Lane, where Matt & Adam Locke have provided “delicious cooking that’s beautifully presented and fantastic value” for more than a decade.

The original Delifonseca (re-named to avoid confusion with its spin-off), now with vintage cocktail bar, wins praise for its “really good food and interesting choices” from a daily-changing blackboard menu. Change may be afoot, however, with the owner eyeing a vast, Kickstarter-funded expansion of its dockside spin-off (home to a famed market hall), with plans to eventually operate from one base.

For a “really good breakfast” or “fab afternoon tea”, this boutique hotel dining room does still win recommendations. Feedback is much more limited nowadays, though, compared with the heady days of its opening in 2003, when it was the hottest ticket in town.

A new, all-day cafe for Liverpool, on the corner of Castle Street and Derby Square. Early signs are impressive - not least because the team behind it are responsible for Bacaro, Salt House tapas and Hanover Street Social. Locals will recognise the name (which belongs to the owners' dogs, we are told) from their residency at Baltic Market, which ended in April 2018.