Poulton, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“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”.

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”.

“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!

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”.

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”.

“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!”

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!”.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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!”

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”.

“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!”