Delifonseca’s Dockside Restaurant Review

We were over with the wonderful hosts that are Delifonseca this weekend. Set just in front of Brunswick Station in a beautiful venue, they are already a staple favourite in Liverpool owing to their high quality standards and focus on fresh ingredients. Liverpool Noise were on hand to try out their brand new food and wine selection. 

Overlooking the birthplace of Boaty McBoatface (OK, Sir David Attenborough) is Delifonseca’s Dockside Restaurant, where we were warmly welcomed by the restaurant owner Tom. Having been with the company for 13 years, he has followed the journey and evolution of the food and drink menu from the start. Coupled with that, his own wine knowledge and pairing recommendations add another dimension to the whole experience. Upon first impressions the atmosphere was very relaxed with an open dining space overlooked by a well stocked bar, this is somewhere you would feel perfectly at ease in a smart date environment or a group meal. 

The menu changes every 3-4 weeks so there is always something to look forward to, along with the classics that are always available. You’ll be pleased to know that their cumberland sausage and colcannon mash has been unchanged in 13 years. 

Faced with a difficult choice of choosing our meal, we successfully filled the thinking time with sips from an elderflower presse mocktail and their signature Negroni cocktail. Tom was happy to share some of the inspiration behind the dishes which included the chef’s travels to Iran and New Orleans among many others, giving us the likes of Khorest-e-gormeh Sabzi alongside a Spanish stew. It’s this wonderful choice that means they aren’t limiting themselves to a particular cuisine, instead picking out highlights from classic French, Mediterranean & Asian and many more. 

We decided upon the Egg Yolk Confit with Cheshire Smokehouse Ham and a Wild Mushroom and Truffle with Shaved Butternut Squash. This was expertly paired with a natural white wine from Spain, giving a wonderful aroma that is closer to a cider. It’s rare that food makes you smile but that’s exactly what happened. Both starters delivered and amazing mixture of tastes and textures. 

Our next choice we opted for Pan Fried Stone Bass Fillet with King Prawn Linguine and Orange and Vanilla Syrup and Salmon Fillet, Chermoula Crust and Smoked Salmon Croquette. This selection was paired with a slightly fruiter Spanish white wine. The passion for cuisine and creativity is shown in their meals and pairing and they now have over 44 different wines, up from their previous selection of 12 to allow even more choice. The different sauces and combinations of rich flavours again prove to be a hit. 

As the restaurant starts to fill up, it’s difficult not to peek at other choices as they waft past your table, and seeing their same smiles at the beautiful presentation of the dishes.

The usual “I’m too full for dessert” doesn’t cut it here, and you too would understand if you saw the dessert list. We quickly settled on a White Chocolate and Pistachio Parfait and a Passionfruit Crème Brûlée. Both rounded off the evening perfectly, the brûlée being very light and delicate and the pistachio parfait resembling that of a posh lolly ice and a quirky nod and reminder to the creativity behind the kitchen doors. 

Overall, the whole experience was precisely that. An experience. Not stuffy or imposing for a high quality restaurant, but open and welcoming with an amazing selection of well thought-out food from across the world. Assisted by our fantastic host, the entire team worked together to provide us with a wonderful evening. If you’re thinking of heading down make sure to reserve your place ahead of time and prepare for a treat! Bon appétit!

For more information and to book a table at Delifonseca’s Dockside restaurant visit https://www.delifonseca.co.uk/restaurants/ 

Michael Fell