Heswall Restaurant Guide

You cross the outside terrace (great in summer) to eat at Gary Usher’s welcoming bistro, along from a parade of shops on the Wirral. For fans it’s a “favourite of the Elite Bistros mini chain: the seasonal menus are much the same as at the others but always delicious, with great staff too”.

2022 Review: A fixture of dining on the Wirral through four decades – “it’s been there for years” – the Galantini family’s Italian-inspired venue is as reliable as ever and “Enrico’s interesting food is always worth a try”. Long the head chef, he has now taken over management from his parents, Lino & Barbara, but regulars will be pleased to know that “the particularly good specialities such as Avocado Barbara” (avocado peeled, stuffed with prawns, covered with cream cheese and deep-fried in breadcrumbs) are still on the menu.

This “fun spot in the Albert Dock” – younger sibling of Peter & Elaine Kinsella’s Lunya – offers “a real taste of Spain and good value for money”. “Special mention for the excellent service” (“genuine attention paid to food allergies, above and beyond the routine questions”).

2021 Review: The “lovely Thai food” at these reliable cafés is “impressively authentic given that they are a chain” – “excellent value” and “fast”, if occasionally let down by “iffy service”. Founded in 2008 by Saiphin and Alex Moore, who inherited the name of their first East End site, the group has 18 branches in London and expanded to Liverpool, Manchester, Reading (delivery only) and Leeds following the sale of a majority stake to US investors. The couple also have two spin-offs, Lao Café in Covent Garden and the new Chinese noodle bar Hoh Sek in St Katharine Docks.

2022 Review: In the Albert Dock, this collaboration between Belzan and Breddos Tacos occupies the atmospheric vaulted brick premises that characterise these Grade I listed dockland buildings, and comes with a large outside terrace. It’s hot right now as a place to get boozed up in party mood, but the Latino dishes are worth exploring (and The Guardian's Grace Dent raved in a June 2021 review).

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”.

2021 Review: BBC2’s ‘My Million Pound Menu’ winners Dave Bone (chef) Jamie Duffield (front of house), and Anthony Power opened this new venture in Duke Street Market (a revamped docklands warehouse) in spring 2019. The food offering is based on dishes found along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes in Spain, France and Portugal, and – though we received no survey feedback – it’s receiving a good rep generally (including from Michelin who awarded it a 2020 Bib Gourmand).

2021 Review: “Italian small plates (this time)” “from the Salt House tapas stable” – win solid ratings for this “friendly, buzzy restaurant” from the Red & Blue team. It’s “great for a larger party”, with “seats at the bar good for dates”; “it’s crowded so you do get to hear your neighbours’ conversations – although in Liverpool that can be theatre”.

2022 Review: “Always busy and buzzing with conversation”, this “reliable upmarket resto in the business district of the city centre” – a link in the glitzy national Italian chain – wins solid marks for its “atmosphere, good-quality produce and cooking”.

2021 Review: Sibling to Manchester’s popular Albert’s Schloss, this ‘bohemian bier halle and cook haus’ replaces The Hub Alehouse. It’s unlikely to be a hugely foodie destination, but – if we’re reading the runes correctly – it should be a good laugh with hearty scoff (schnitzel, burgers, raclette) to soak up some fine brews.

“There’s no doubting the quality of the food” at this tapas bar that has flown the flag for Catalan cuisine on Merseyside for 15 years and “never fails to produce a good lunch”. Its “friendly staff” will share in success following founders Peter & Elaine Kinsella’s recent decision to transfer ownership to an employee trust rather than selling up to retire.

“Unbelievable views from this dazzling 34th-floor restaurant” are undeniably the prime attraction at this dramatic (and romantic) eyrie in the city’s ‘West Tower’: the tallest building in the country outside London and Manchester. Over the years, though, the modern British cuisine here has been consistently well rated and although you can push the boat out on a tasting option if you want, the prix-fixe menu is competitively priced. Afternoon tea also gets the thumbs-up.