You're homesick. You miss your mummy/daddykins/dog/significant other/catfish/weasel/antfarm. You…read moreneed some of that home cookin' to soothe your lonely soul, something traditional and warming and comforting. And while in this humid heatwave such thoughts might turn your stomach as much as they're turning mine, I'm thinking back to the cold winters of November when I visited Pudding and Pie in a chilly, wind-whipped Southport. It's worse on the coast, you know. Rumour has it that breeze is so sharp it can make your favourite jumper threadbare. True story. Look no further to solve those feelings than the very definition of stodge that is Pudding and Pie, a place where they do a mean fish finger sandwich (whether the fish were mean before they became fingers remains to be seen), a steak and ale pie that views your arteries as a personal challenge, Lancashire hot pot that could rival Betty's in the Rover's, soups designed to put hair on your chest when you're feeling infirm... all 100% home made. And if you've made the leap to the fat-is-flavour side of the river this far, you might as well finish yourself off with an equally cosy pud. Eccles cakes, or fly pies as my mother calls them (thanks, dear parent, for ruining a traditional north westerly baked treat), apple crumble so warm and juicy that Jim from American Pie would want to get a room with it, bread and butter pudding that ain't stingy on the bright yellow sticks of doom... it's all here, waiting to comfort you. The location is pretty delicious too; Wayfarers Arcade happens to be one of my favourite spots in Southport and the ornate architectural delight that it is blankets Pudding and Pie in even more loveliness. Plus it's super central, so once you've had your fill you can either walk off your heavy tummy by hitting the shops with aplomb or head straight to the beach for a lunch-burnin' sand hike. Either way, the staff are lovely and it makes a superb spot for a substantial lunch or naughty treat any time of the day... one I'd highly recommend.

The name of this bistro style café reminds me of that nursery rhyme 'Georgie Porgie pudding and…read morepie, kissed the girls and made them cry'. I always wondered why the girls were crying so much at him kissing them, he must have been quite the hunchback for them to have reacted in that way because in my experience, any attention from boys is usually a good thing as far as girls are concerned. Luckily, Pudding and Pie café in Wayfarers Arcade has no such problems satisfying its customers as it offers hearty home cooked meals at very cheap prices. The food usually changes on a daily or weekly basis as they use local ingredients but the daily specials are definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. They offer a patio seating area in the Arcade itself for you to watch your fellow shoppers as they pass by as well as a decently-sized seating area in the café itself, with interesting Lloyd-loom style chairs for you to sit on. Pudding and Pie also offers a range of scones and cream cakes as well as hot and cold drinks, meaning it is a great place to go if you're in the Arcade and fancy stopping off for a decent meal or a just a small refreshment.

Fantastic food and the choice of menu. Staff are friendly and the surroundings are nice. The…read morerestaurant was a lot bigger than expected as it doesn't show this on the website. Would definitely come again.

This was my first visit to Southport and was taken by my colleague to The Office Bar & Restaurant…read more We arrived just before opening at 11am and were allowed in as it was raining. Although the kitchen didn't open until 1130am, we were able to order drinks. The person I was with frequents the establishment on a regular basis, so knows the staff well. When it came to food, there was a very good menu with a wide range of dishes catering to most people's requirements. Food quality was excellent and service was very good (this was standard to everyone & not just because my colleague knows the staff). I paid the bill and was very pleasantly surprised at the cost. It came out far better than I expected. I'd recommend this establishment to anyone and when next in Liverpool, will be making a special effort to eat here. Well done to all the staff.

Really enjoyed the night I spent here. The people are very friendly and down to earth. The drink…read moreselection is fantastic! I heard they were going to start having live music too which would be great! Thanks for an amazing night!

We went last night, they've a great offer on, table d'hote menu is normally £9.95 for two courses…read more(starter and main or main and pudding) but in November, Monday -Friday it's 2-4-1, that means two of you can eat for under ten quid! I had pate and chicken stronganoff, she had salad and a vegetable burrito, service was impeccable, you should try it! They also do Bar food, really reasonably priced

It was an amazing selection of the most juiciest foods. I was really hungry and devoured the 2…read moresausage chips meal with curry and beans. Restrooms were as clean as ever and the drinks were icy cold so it was all fresh, the chips were not soggy and were delicious as well as the fish being an absolute masterpiece, the curry was sweet and great. Overall I really enjoyed. One more thing, the employees are the most thoughtful and nice people, they are very nice and easy to talk to, they are helpful and always willing to cater to your needs. Overall I had a fantastic time at The Dolphin.

Fish and chips. The staple of any seaside community. They're either moreish, lipsmacking and…read moredelicious, or mediocre. There seems to be no in between. Thankfully in Southport you're spoiled for choice and Dolphin is one of the best chippies in the vicinity. It's not just a chippy though. It's an actual restaurant, which might take away from the takeaway feel (do you see what I did there?) but you can still get your tucker all wrapped up in paper to sit on the promenade with so it shouldn't make a difference. If you do go for the dining in option, you'll be treated to excellent service as well as friendly banter and a choice of cod, haddock, fillet, plaice, scampi or fishcake or perhaps a pie, burger, sausage, egg... anything you'd find in your regular greasy spoon but neither greasy nor cheap-tasting. You can also get traditional dishes like gammon and pineapple, roast beef or chicken, lamb or turkey, boiled ham or a salad for prices between around a fiver and £7.25. At this place prices really are cheap as chips. Puds include apple pie, banana split, gateaux or knickerbocker glory and it's all very quintessentially British. As you can imagine with a menu like this it's a great place to take the elders, and aptly enough there's a special senior citizen's menu. Very Southport, very English and very cute.

Silcock's Funland sits proudly on Southport's seafront, making it one of the prime entertainment…read morelocations for visitors. I used to love amusements and I still do because of the variety of games I could try my luck at (without spending too much of course); easier said than done! This amusement centre is one of the biggest I have been to and hosts a whole array of gambling machines, fun games and features a small cafe. It's not exactly Vegas but for Southport, it shall suffice!

I'm sorry, but to a child this is horribly misleading. Funland? I saw that big lit up sign as a…read morenaive seven year old and went running up to it as fast as my little legs would carry me. There was a FUNland on the edge of PLEASUREland?!? I thought my heart would explode with the joy! What wonders could this amazing indoor Funland offer in addition to the vomit-inducing thrill rides and demonic-looking wooden horses of Pleasureland? What dreams were hiding behind that door? If my seven year old self knew how to swear, I'd have been effing and blinding with disappointment. Behind the garish neon glare of Funland's veneer were coughing old men, indulging in the promises of '80p tea and coffee', gambling their pensions away on fancy fruit machines. Okay, so there are a few family-friendly treats here, but mainly in the form of those mechanical animal rides they always take the mick out of on my favourite American cartoons. I'm thinking of that episode of The Simpsons where Bart's birthday party is held at Wall-E-Weasel's, slogan to which is 'we cram fun down your throat'. It's got a quaintly cheap café which sells the aforementioned inexpensive hot beverages as well as traditional meals and sandwiches, but you come here for a fill-up rather that cordon bleu. If you like arcade games it might just be the place for you, but I can't look past that youthful disappointment I once experienced. Oh well. I guess fun is a very subjective word.

I have a friend who frequently waxes lyrical about the film 'Highlander' starring Sean Connery…read more I'm not totally sure he's actually seen it, but he loves to twitter on about it anyway, throwing references to it into conversations whenever he deems it necessary. The Jolly Highlander is a restaurant that specialises in traditional British cuisine but despite this, it seems somewhat out of place in an English seaside town. If anything, it would seem more at home in a popular Spanish holiday destination like Benidorm, where holiday goers love a little taste of home whilst catching some rays on the beach. The food on offer is quite tasty, home cooking but don't expect anything too sophisticated; the menu features such dishes as fish and chips or steak and kidney pie and chips. Not sure if there's any haggis on the menu though, or deep fried Mars bar (although I'd love to try it). I'm sure they'll have Irn Bru though, if you ask nicely.

Want to hop into a pretty hotel and eat at a very nice restaurant? Perhaps on the seafront, where…read morethe air is fresh and salty and the wind might make your hair inexplicable? Well you've found the very place. You've got the ultimately perfect view here as the restaurant is in a conservatory right at the back of the hotel and outside of it is a very well put together garden with walls and a decked area where you can walk out and enjoy everything a seaside location has to offer. Meanwhile the food, service and ambience is all top notch. Definitely one to try if you fancy being beside the seaside.

The Bay Horse in formby is part of the Toby Carvery chain. Located on Church Road at the back of…read moreWaitrose, it is easy to find and has plenty of free parking. The restaurant is laid out like a country style house, with lots of different areas and cosy corners. It has a warm and cosy atmosphere and is great for families. The staff are very friendly and helpful and service is good. There is a separate bar area where you can just go for a drink, they also have a pub food menu if you just fancy a light bite to eat rather than the full blown carvery. The main restaurant is a carvery restaurant. There are several different meats on offer, served by a chef, you then help yourself to as much vegetables, potatoes etc as you fancy! It's a great idea and the food is delicious. There is plenty of choice and it is all freshly cooked. Great value at about £5 before 7pm and £7.50 after.

Good quality food and a nice family atmosphere. Well worth a visit, especially for the carvery.read more

This has to be the best pub in Lytham st annes. The drinks are reasonably priced with the hidden…read moregem being the food. The pub sell bar snacks all day that are homecooked and excellent quality and value for money. If you are after something more substantial then there is the restaurant to the side which is relaxed well staffed. With fantastic prices such as 3 courses for £9.99 you can't go wrong. The staff are all excellent and the pub landlord runs a very tight ship which is what makes it such a great place to go. This is why when you go in you will find all age ranges from young to old. Oh and beer is pretty good too!

having lived in st annes years ago it was nice to revisit this pub beer and wine was ok food was…read moregood i always remember it being so tho the one drawback wernt over enamoured with the student types who worked behind the bar especially the lad who seemed to take great fun in taking the mickey out of the scottish notes i presented it does grate on you especially when we are trying to encourage tourism to a town however il give it a good rating because i do like this pub.....gj from dundee