British, Modern Restaurants in Oxton
1. Restaurant 8 by Andrew Sheridan
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
16 Cook Street - L2
Native Liverpudlian Andrew Sheridan upped sticks from Brum to relocate ‘8’ to a Victorian building in the city centre (next to the original Cavern Club) in April 2023. Seating is at one of two counters for, appropriately, eight diners; the lighting is low; much of the décor is black or slate-grey; and the level of ambition in the cooking is high, with the aim of delivering ‘an immersive sensory experience’. The eight courses (for £110 per head) are of very diverse inspiration and there’s also a wine pairing option (for £80 per head).
2. Lawns Grill, Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa
International restaurant in Thornton Hough
Neston Rd - CH63
2023 Review: A lot of water has passed under the bridge since 2019 when Boris Johnson and former Irish Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, met for crunch post-Brexit talks at this posh hotel & spa out on the Wirral. On limited feedback, ratings for its grill are good all-round, but more plaudits go to the rather dramatically named ‘Great Wirral Afternoon Tea’ – a “well thought-out offering with good choice of sweet or savoury options” that’s “particularly nice on the terrace or lawn”.
3. Nord
Scandinavian restaurant in Liverpool
The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street - L3
“A strong new opening with great food!” – in a Sixties-tastic building that used to be the HQ for Littlewoods (once home to the football pools), Liverpudlian chef Daniel Heffy (ex-Secret Diners Club & Buyers Club) returned from Stockholm to helm this ambitious newcomer. It opened in April 2023 – rather late in the day to generate feedback in our annual diners’ poll – hence we’ve left it unrated, despite one very upbeat early-days report (and the Liverpool Echo and the Confidentials have both waxed lyrical about it).
4. The London Carriage Works, Hope Street Hotel
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
40 Hope Street - L1
“Superb food… comfortable surroundings, friendly but not obsequious staff, a very decent wine list, reasonable prices…” – this boutique hotel dining room (named after the original 1860 business that occupied the premises) was part of the early wave of culinary reinvention to hit ‘The Pool’ and opened in 2003. It’s often overlooked nowadays, but reports this year suggest unfairly so.
5. Hanover Street Social
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
16-20 Hanover St - L1
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”.
6. Wreckfish
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
60 Seel Street - L1
“Very good bistro cooking” and “amazing service” are turning Gary Usher’s six-year-old fixture into a “Liverpool institution”; and it’s become one of the best and best-known outlets in his Elite Bistros chain. But apparently he’s toying with the idea of changing the name of this 90-cover venue, because too many people think it just serves fish!
7. Roski
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
16 Rodney Street - L1
This “exquisite” venue from MasterChef: The Professionals winner Anton Piotrowski is “a must-visit if you’re in Liverpool” – and “worth a special visit to the city” if you’re not. In the evening, for £115 per person, they serve a seven-course course tasting menu only. One mightily impressed recent visitor, Daily Telegraph reviewer William Sitwell, reported that ‘the Lancashire haggis toastie was the most scrumptious thing I’ve eaten in ages’.
8. Burnt Truffle
British, Modern restaurant in Heswall
104-106 Telegraph Road - CH60
“A top Sunday roast” is but one attraction of Gary Usher’s Wirral fixture – the original follow-up to Chester’s Sticky Walnut, which opened in 2015 in this Grade-II sandstone building; and which follows the format of its predecessor. Most reports rate its appealing modern bistro cuisine between “very good” and “outstanding”, but ratings slipped a tad this year on the odd report of an “off night”.
9. Belzan
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
371 Smithdown Road - L15
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”.
10. Spire
British, Modern restaurant in Liverpool
1 Church Road - L15
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”.
11. So-lo
British, Modern restaurant in Aughton
17 Town Green Lane - L39
“Superb food every time”, say early converts to high-flying chef Tim Allen (ex-Launceston Place, Wild Rabbit, Flitch of Bacon)’s first venture as chef-patron, a “former Seafood Pub Company outpost” that he opened in late 2021 down the road from superstar Moor Hall. “The cuisine is terrific with a few interesting surprises thrown in” – and “with just Tim Allen and one other in the open kitchen – a model of calmness – it’s all the more remarkable how good and refined the cooking is. There’s a very light touch and freshness to it all that’s just delightful”. “The pricing at Moor Hall (while never not worth it) has always put it into a rare treat category… the arrival of this place is approaching an epiphany of more affordable fine dining!”
12. Moor Hall
British, Modern restaurant in Aughton
Prescot Rd - L39
“There is nothing not to love about the experience – from the tour of the kitchen on the way to your table through the ballet of service to the final bites of deliciousness, all done with great charm and humour” – Mark Birchall’s converted manor house a short drive north of Liverpool has captured the imagination of the UK food scene since it first launched in 2014 and – “a candidate for a third Michelin star” – it still regularly tops media Top 100s of UK restaurants. At the heart of the offering is the “outstanding tasting dinner-time menu of 17 small but exceptional courses” for £225 per person, but the gorgeously refurbished medieval setting, cheese room, kitchen garden, and landscaped five acres with long drive and lake all add to its mystique. Just one issue presents itself – the jaw-dropping bills. For most reporters the verdict remains that it’s “worth every penny”, but its high cost means its top rating from our annual diners’ poll is becoming borderline. “It’s wonderful, and I know prices are rising everywhere, but it feels expensive now… even compared to The Ritz!”
13. The Barn at Moor Hall
British, Modern restaurant in Aughton
Prescot Rd - L39
The more casual ‘second’ restaurant at Mark Birchall’s all-conquering project still offers a “sumptuous dining experience”, with the “incredible attention to detail” expected from such a venue. Some reporters even “like its chilled style more than its more prestigious neighbour. Service is genuinely more friendly, and there’s less genuflecting at the stuff on the plate – I’ve come to eat, not worship!”. As for the clientele, it’s “a bit less footballer WAGish” than next door – and there’s “an excellent value lunch menu, considering the elevated nature of the cooking”.
14. Sticky Walnut
British, Modern restaurant in Chester
11 Charles St - CH2
“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!”
15. Upstairs at the Grill
British, Modern restaurant in Chester
70 Watergate St - CH1
2022 Review: USDA steaks and other meaty treats – alongside a Manhattan-esque vibe – have won local renown for this swish steakhouse in the city centre. Closed for much of the pandemic, in October 2021 the venue finally announced its return via Instagram and its website: “You may have noticed some building work taking place over the last couple of months…we are beyond excited and thrilled to finally announce that we will be back in the New Year… We have some exciting plans to transform our iconic home in the Olde Custom House Building… Our team of chefs and bartenders are already hard at work behind the scenes developing an exciting new food and drink menu… don’t worry, your old favourites will still feature!”.
16. Architect
British, Modern restaurant in Chester
54 Nicholas Street - CH1
This Georgian pub near the city’s picturesque racecourse, from the Brunning & Price stable, is popular for its “wonderful location and comforting decor”. Reports on the food are more muted, although “if you like fish ’n’ chips you’ll love it – they offer more combinations of batter/fish/sides than most places”. It was built by prominent Chester architect Thomas Harrison as his own home – hence the unusual name.
17. Arkle, The Chester Grosvenor
British, Modern restaurant in Chester
56-58 Eastgate Street - CH1
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”.
18. La Brasserie, Chester Grosvenor
British, Modern restaurant in Chester
Eastgate - CH1
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).
19. The Forge
British, Modern restaurant in Chester
Hotel Indigo, Grosvenor Park Road - CH1
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.
20. The Chef's Table
British, Modern restaurant in Chester
7-15 Pepper Street Row - CH1
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.
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