Although it may be relatively far away from the rest of Liverpool’s foodie offerings, the Commercial district is well worth seeking out. Not least because it’s hiding a plethora of secret spaces including the recently opened One Fine Day- the latest instalment from the experts behind favourite Liverpool haunts Leaf and Oh Me Oh My. Housed inside a historic Grade II listed building, One Fine Day is pegged as a ‘versatile space’ and they’re not wrong. The front of the building is the perfect arena for coffee, cocktails and catch-ups whilst the back hides an event space so beautiful they’ve started hosting weddings.
Like its sister venues the interior is annoyingly cool with effortless touches of concrete, white washed pallets and pastel pink leather alongside the magnificent high ceilings and original architecture of the former Cotton Exchange. If you’re after a spot of tranquillity then this is certainly the place- the vibe and the atmosphere so relaxed at brunch-time it’s practically horizontal. The seats by the window overlook the sights of bustling Old Hall Street and are the perfect place for people watching whilst you slurp away on their toasted marshmallow hot chocolates (or something stronger if you’re that way inclined).
Unlike many of Liverpool’s brunch offerings the menu here is innovative, original and exciting- no sign of a mushy avocado toast or a brioche bacon butty in sight. Even the most recognisable Full English dish boasts the delicious sounding addition of a lamb shoulder croquette alongside a spicy merguez sausage.
We kicked off proceedings with the One Fine Day equivalent of the sweet/savoury classic Chicken and Waffles. Theirs involved crunchy Buttermilk Fried Chicken served with dollops of sweet and sticky quince jam and a brioche style doughnut on the side. Just as delicious as it sounds-the only let down to the dish being an unnecessary and unwarranted splodge of chicken liver parfait that tasted almost as unfortunate as it looked.
Despite the admirable range of veggie options on offer we couldn’t resist ordering up another meaty option and went for the US diner classic of Steak and Eggs- served slightly-under medium on top of some smoky, charred spring onions and crispy potatoes. They were served with some cracking poached eggs- so soft they wouldn’t have been out of place on a Venus Gillette advert and runny enough to create a sauce that made the whole dish rich, delicious and incredibly moreish.
For dessert (yes we had brunch dessert) we ordered a mandatory plate of ‘sharing’ pancakes. I’m a strong believer that you can get the measure of a place by their pancakes and these were a solid effort. Sandwiched together with a chocolate sauce and served with a smattering of fresh berries and a smear of smooth peanut butter they were sweet enough to provide a sugar hit without finishing us off completely. An entirely welcome end to a rather indulgent brunch.
The kind folks at One Fine Day will gladly serve you brunch until 3pm but if that’s still too early for your inclinations then you can also come later on for lunch, dinner or evening drinks. In my book it’s definitely worth the trip for small plates that taste as good as they look and a space that will, in their words, see you through from ‘rising, midway to after dark’.
