Norton Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: Ex-Manchester House chef, Aiden Byrne’s attractive pub is cutely situated opposite said St Mary’s Church in one of the scenic commuter towns on the Cheshire/Greater Manchester borders. Steaks, burgers, pies and the likes of lobster and chips typify its quality gastrofare; and they also serve pizza and snacks from their garden ‘shack’.

“Truly fine dining without being stuffy” isn’t an easy act to pull off, but Olivier Troalen’s “traditional Gallic” venture (he first worked in England at the French Embassy in London) in the Cheshire suburbs does it with aplomb; by all accounts it “never fails to satisfy”, its “healthy northern portions” pairing with “meticulous presentation and high-quality ingredients” (“you can invite anyone, assured they won’t be disappointed”).

2021 Review: Just a short drive outside Chester, a smartly appointed “bar and bistro in an old family grocers shop retaining much of the original features and fittings of the Georgian building” (The Gunnery). “A straightforward menu is well realised” and weekend brunch is a feature.

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”.

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”.

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.

2022 Review: Liverpool’s first vegan chippy – a plant-based Chinese venture on Lark Lane – opened in November 2019 serving noodles, rice dishes, spring rolls, etc, alongside more traditional dishes like battered sausages and chip butties. For grab-and-go it’s going down a storm in The Pool!

“We had heard the hype and were very pleasantly surprised that it lived up to it!” – Gary Usher’s original venture in his nowadays-famous Elite Bistros group occupies the gentrified suburb of Hoole outside the city centre. “A small menu of reliably tasty food is provided by engaging and knowledgeable staff”, “It’s only small, so it could get a bit awkward if it was quiet, but it always seems to be bustling. I really like it here!”

“An excellent local restaurant with talent in the kitchen (Miarisuz Dobies) and professional front of house” (his wife); regulars are “never disappointed” by the French- and Central European-inflected food (including five- or seven-course tasting menus), with “every detail wonderful and made in-house”.

Feedback is more limited than we would like, but is enthusiastic over this grey-hued boutique hotel dining room, run from afar by game expert Mike Robinson. Chef Dan Regan oversees the preparation of a menu that majors in 40-60 day, dry-aged beef steaks from a selection of sirloin or ribeye cuts.

“Best in Liverpool” is a credible claim made by fans of Paul Askew’s “classy” venue: a bright, contemporary dining room, next to ‘The Phil’ (built in 1888 as a ‘Home for Destitute Children’), which provides “a ‘proper’ fine-dining experience that’s exceptional in every way”; not least “perfect service” and “top-notch” cuisine that makes “excellent use of local produce from the Wirral and Lancashire”. Top Tip – “the prix fixe menu lunchtime and early evening is brilliant value”.

“You feel like you’re in Madrid or Barcelona in these really authentic tapas bars” from Joe & Ben Wright – “the vegetable dishes are especially strong”. The three branches – in Chester, Altrincham and Salford– have proved so popular that the brothers closed down their original Chester bistro, Joseph Benjamin, three years ago to turn it into a larger Porta.

Chef Elliot Hill has big shoes to fill at this well-known dining room, which is one of the North West’s most consistent culinary icons, having held a Michelin star under Simon Radley from 1998-2021 (at a time when such recognition was thin on the ground in this and neighbouring counties). Lacking natural light, this stately chamber sits deep within this unusually grand provincial hotel, which is owned by the Duke of Westminster, and is right next to the city’s emblematic Eastgate Clock on its medieval walls. While acknowledging that it’s “pricey”, all reports are very positive on the start he’s made with a “scrumptious five-course tasting menu”; staff who “make you feel valued and well looked after”; and the “elegant, comfortable and quiet (but not too quiet!)” interior. “An incredible, if expensive, experience” that’s “well set to regain his predecessor’s accolades”.

In the shadow of the Eastgate Clock, this glam pavement-side brasserie (the second restaurant in a fine old hotel in the city centre) makes a luxurious spot to break from retail therapy in this shopping-mad city. There’s a “varied menu”, and although results have been “up and down” over time, locals say that “of late it’s much improved”. Top Menu Tip – “always oysters” (served with a selection of Champagnes).