When the Executive Chef has a past that spans the QE2, Sydney Olympics, Chester Grosvenor and the DoubleTree in Chester you can pretty much guarantee that the food is going to be good. And we were not disappointed by the new summer menu at Stanley’s Bar & Grill at the Titanic Hotel.
With everything from Fish and Chips to duck breast, pork chops and scallops there’s something for all tastes. The hotel itself is luxury at its best so you’d be forgiven to thinking that the menu would be full of gourmet dishes that you’ve never heard of. Head into the restaurant however and you’re met with a sleek and modern surrounding that still has a familiar and cosy feel. After all, like Exec Chef Bradley Lean said, ‘people staying in a hotel want to come down and eat the food they know.”
After drooling over the menu for a good 20 minutes and changing our minds more times than we care to remember we finally settled on our starters. We went for the Scallops served with chorizo and paprika and the Scottish Salmon which came on a bed of horseradish and dill. They were both a solid 10/10. Scallops and chorizo would never be a combination I would put together but weirdly it worked and both dishes were the perfect summer starter for those evenings when the heat (in England?! Let’s hope!) means you can’t face anything too heavy.
Once we’d finished waxing lyrical about the starters it was on to the mains. We’d chosen Pork Chop with a basil crust served with linguine and the Rotisserie Chicken with Sage and Garlic. Again pork chop and linguine isn’t your usual combination but the chef knows his stuff and it worked. You’d be mistaken for thinking that both dishes would be heavy but instead they were the perfect light (ish) meal that left you full enough to think you’d never eat again but not quite so full that you couldn’t be tempted by a dessert. (The Sticky Toffee Pudding is the best I’ve ever had FYI).
Overall we loved this place and are already thinking about what celebration will be cause for a return (we’ve both got our eyes firmly on the steak when we make a comeback.) With so many restaurants across Liverpool you’d be mistaken for forgetting all about this place, let’s be honest a hotel probably isn’t your first thought for a fancy meal. Don’t let it stray off your radar though, it’s the perfect occasion restaurant or somewhere for when you fancy something just a little bit special.
For more information and to book a table visit http://www.titanichotelliverpool.com/dining/stanleys-cafe
Lucy Nixon – Find Lucy’s Blog at The Adopted Scouser
