The club house is an elegantly styled restaurant with beach vibes. it is situated on the terrace of…read moreLiverpool One. I received a warm welcome and led to my table. Staff were friendly and accommodating making me a mocktail even though mocktails weren't advertised on the menu and it was delicious and presented beautifully in a glass jar. Food was lovely although the pastry was a bit hard and service was a little slow but I would recommend trying this place out.

"We're on Long Island right ?" "Wrong"…read more"But this is the Hamptons, yes?" "Nope" "So were the feck are we?" "Liverpool One mate" So finally, The Club House opens to the public after the celeb' infested first night (last week). This is now my 3rd visit, having done the preview 'foodie' week in Jan and then the opening night with the hordes of Papz, I get to see it in the cold light of a February Monday and me still likey. From the stable which brought us The Botanist & The Oast House comes another good runner. Menu is reflective of the aforementioned locations and they continue on with Craft Draft Ale offerings and Master classes for both Ale & Cocktails. Add to this live music and authentic architecture & interior decor and you have something way above the norm. Attention to detail on the decor is 10/10. Go just to gawp at the Chandelier collection and then nip outside and see what a 'cock on' outdoor BBQ they built. Roll on Spring. Guaranteed after work meeting place and I see an Ale Masterclass coming up for me in the very near future ... "So, just to be sure, we are in the UK right?" "Get a grip will'ya. Look at the bloody weather! Of course we are in the UK!!" #HamptonsItIs

Pod is a tapas style Spanish restaurant along Allerton Road, and doesn't seem to be quite as…read morepopular as it used to be. The usual clientele are students or young professionals as the restaurant is the unique idea of the Liverpool Hope University's graduates. The decor is oretty simple, not plain, but simple which is a nice idea as it creates a really airy and open atmosphere, the only problem is the dodgy seats... you just can't get comfy. The food is pretty good, but not as good as my little La Tasca... similar style tapas but it just doesn't have the romanticism about it. I'd recommend the Lebanese chicken - it's pretty yum.

Pod has been about a lot longer than the other wannabe bistros on Allerton Road, and therefore has…read morea string of die-hard fans. Serving tapas-style food, it is simple and snacky and quite a nice place to relax, if only the damn chairs weren't so uncomfortable! I've not seen it full in a long time, and I can't understand why, as you would struggle to fault the food, bar or service. Perhaps with the clinical squarish wood tables and chairs and open spaces it struggles to lack atmosphere. But then again, it is not dissimilar to many other places on Allerton Road.

Good old Alma, been around for a while and still hasn't gotten any less pretentious. Don't get me…read morewrong, I love the actual place, its just the general clientele on Friday and Saturday nights that puts me off. For example, the last time I was there I was on a cocktail night with a group of girlfriends I hadn't seen for a while, and we were waiting patiently at a crowded bar at around midnight on a Friday. Next thing, this mid-to-late-30s guy cut between me and my friend as if trying to get through the crowd. The people around him attempted to give him some space, at which point he immediately elbowed his way to the front of the bar. He then leaned over the bar and thrust a wrinkled fiver in the hand of the nearest barman and said "I'm being served next". The barman attempted to explain that there were various other groups of people who had been waiting, and continued to serve the group he was with. And then he served this idiot. At this point, everyone around started tutting and I suggested in an undertone that we all tip our multi-coloured cocktails over his pristine white shirt. He is the reason I don't go to Alma on a weekend. Having said that, the decor is amazing, as it is an old church that has retained its altar and structure, but been glammed up with antler chandeliers and candles and dark and glamorous furniture. The cocktails are lovely if not a little pricey (mostly over £5 for the simplest) and the music is eclectic. There is also a restaurant upstairs which serves the standard small-servings-nicely-arranged-on-large-plates type food, and if you get there at the right time there is confetti thrown from the balconies and Cuban dancing girls entertaining everyone. On a weekday it is quieter and nicer and you don't feel so bad for not wearing the latest fashion trends. You can also see the bar from where you are sat. Overall, it's definitely somewhere I would recommend if you have never been, but only if you have the patience of a saint on a weekend!

We visited in the day, I expect it's better during the evening if you've got your beer goggles on!…read moreTables were sticky, outside was minging...enough said

Jamaican cuisine is one of my absolute favourites so when I moved to this area I was delighted to…read morefind Raggas nearby. When you walk in to Raggas it initially appears quite small. Until recently, this was indeed the case... but they've since added extra seating upstairs fixing this problem, so you should have no worries! When you get the menu you'll notice everything you could want from a Jamaican restaurant - Jerk Chicken, Goat Curry (though I think this is mutton now), Ackee and Saltfish, Festivals, Dumplings, Plantain... the list could go on and on. It's got everything you could want! When it arrives it's all very nice indeed and you get some great rice and peas to go along with the meals. I believe that the food is prepared in massive quantities in the morning and then heated up when you order. Some people are fine with this, some are very against it. I would suggest you at least take a chance to try it though. As I live nearby I often get a takeaway from here. My only problem with this is that the place is very popular so they often run out of certain things you might be after. This would be fine, but they don't tell you this until you go to pick it up, giving you no chance to change your order. Despite this it's an fine place to grab a quick bite or a big meal and everybody should check it out. My advice would be to eat in though, at least at first.

First time visit here, had a Jamaican Patty which was lovely, staff were friendly, the cafe was…read moreclean and welcoming

What a fabulous event venue! I attended a wedding reception here recently, and it was a great…read moreexperience all around. The location is top notch. Right downtown Liverpool, near just about everything, and just a few blocks from River Mersey. We walked here after the actual wedding down the street at City Hall, which was perfect. I learned while there that this building is a former bank. It's since been polished with fresh flooring, pendant lights, light paint colors and an overall airy-feel. Even after all of the wedding reception dinner tables were put out, there was still plenty of space to hang out and mingle. Off to the far-side is a full service bar as well, and let me tell ya they make dang good espresso martinis (which I needed for the jet lag)! You'll find bathrooms tucked downstairs and they are oh so cute, with fun and colorful decor. You can tell photo-ops happen there :) But the real treat of it all is the rooftop with stunning view of River Mersey and the city skyline. Sounds like they do afternoon tea (how English of them, lol!) and plenty of other events here too!

Oh Me Oh My - you guys, this place. I'd move to Liverpool just for this place…read more On our last day, only an hour or two before heading to the airport, we figured we had to end our little trip with a typical British Afternoon Tea. Something that had been on my wish list for years, and Oh Me Oh My seemed to be the best spot. With teas from Liverpool-based Leaf and the pretty atmosphere we already experienced when being in the building the day before, this was a definite hit. We payed £ 16 p.p. for afternoon tea, with as much different tea as we wanted and lots of different tasty goods - both sweet and salty. It's also possible to add prosecco for I thought £ 4. What we ate? Sandwiches (with hummus - instead of salmon, egg and cream cheese), toast, scones with jam and clotted cream, brownie, lemon cake and crème brûlée with shortbread. More than enough for a proper lunch - we enjoyed every single bit, but absolutely had enough. Oh Me Oh My - the perfect afternoon tea (or lunch)-place.

Wow. Just wow. Was…read morewandering around Chester with some friends one afternoon. I'm from California & live in Toronto, Canada - you can tell Californians because when we live other places we whine about not getting a good burrito. Yes, but I'm in Chester - I wasn't expecting anything or trying to emulate 'home' - we were just walking by & a bit hungry so we popped in thinking it'd be kitschy & cool. Wow. Srsly. The food is a mixture of cuban, spanish, mexican, brazilian, etc. I had a burrito. I would actually rate the burrito a bit better than most of what passes in Toronto. The service was awesome, even tho I hadnn't quite tuned my 'English' ears yet (was needing translation). However the margarita was world-freakin-class. I was expecting some sort of margarita mix/tequila mixture, but it honestly tasted like fresh lime and tequila - like an authentic margarita. It - was- awesome. I doubt I'll have many chances to visit Chester again, but if I do, I'm totally hunting down this place. For expats who might be in the area: check this out for your burrito fix! Wait, now I want to visit Chester again soon and get all around their menu. nom nom nom

Fiesta Havana is a bar with a lively atmosphere in the centre of Chester. It has a fantastic range…read moreof cocktails from mojitos to daiquiris, a great place to visit on night out. There are also non-alcoholic cocktails like Raspberry Ripple too, I plumped for an interestingly titled cocktail called 'Dave'. They all come in fancy glasses so you can do your best Del-Boy impression with the parasols and cherries! They are not cheap though at £5+ for some, so perhaps a place to visit for one round only. There is also a dance-floor in the centre of a good size, which I'm sure was packed later in the evening. Fiesta Havana also does food too, but although we enquired the wait time was too long, by virtue of its popularity. The dishes that came past us looked tasty and were predominantly tapas.

I am glad I stopped in here for lunch as it's not often that you come across Portuguese cuisine in…read moreLiverpool - as far as I am aware there is only one other restaurant. Cafe Porto has a very homely feel to it because of its basic, rustic wooden chairs and tables, maps of Iberia on the wall next to photos of Liverpool and mementos from Portugal. The only thing that confused me was the Cuban music playing gently in the background. I couldn't wait to tuck into my smoked suasage and tomato tortilla but I will be honest I was expecting a wrap, forgetting that a Spanish/Portuguese tortilla consists of a potato and egg, quiche like slice. I was pleasantly surprised though as it was hot and delicious. The girls behind the counter did not seem dismayed by the quiet period as they kept busy preparing food for the evening menu and as I waited to place my order it was good to see the home made food being prepared in the modest, almost domestic like kitchen.

I am not going to pretend that I am an expert on Portugese cuisine infact before I found Cafe Porto…read moreI had no knowledge of it at all but what I found was a pleasant treat. The Cafe itself is light and friendly and in the summer months has a small outdoor seating area which can be a nice place to watch the world go by whilst you enjoy your meal. The food is also light and refreshing with home made humous, salads paninis and other sandwiches as well as a variety of other foods. All of these are reasonably priced and I would recommend the Greek salad with its' delicious feta cheese priced at £4.95. Everything within Cafe Porto seemed authentic and real, it was as though there was real passion in the food and they made a fan out of me straight away. They also provide a catering service with the executive package having great variety and still only costing £8.95 per person which is fantastic for what you recieve. Visit Cafe Porto whilst you are in Liverpool it is a great little establishment which screams passion, care and above all flavour. So from breakfast to dinner you will not be let down, but my own personal recommendation would be a deliciously light lunch.

I've been meaning to come here for a whole, since it's always been packed every time I'm wandering…read moreup and down bold street. It was ok, the decor and reggae music were very apt, and the shelves covered in empty rum bottles! I only ordered 2 side dishes, the meat parcels and a spinach side and they took 40 minutes to arrive. I wouldn't mind but I was on my lunch break and there were only 3 other tables occupied! The chief clearly forgot my order and came out to apologise and knocked it off the bill, so I was less annoyed at this point! Meat parcels were mainly parcel, and the meat filling was a mystery - I'm going to guess lamb, but who knows! They were all but tasty with just enough spice. Spinach is one of my favourite greens so it's difficult to disappoint me with spinach so that gets a thumbs up. Again with just enough of a spice kick. I'll have to give it another go and sample more dishes I think! I hate rushing food!

Raggas is a pleasant Caribbean restaurant in Liverpool city centre, nicely decorated in bright…read morecolours. It might be a bit garish for some but it's the Caribbean way and gives the place a nice feel. I am awarding Raggas 4 stars, however I would break this down as follows: 5 stars for the food but 3 stars for the service. It was the '3 Queens' day in Liverpool so everywhere was extremely busy. I was greeted on arrival and advised there would be a half hour wait for a table. This I was ok with as it was the same everywhere. We were able to look at the menu during this wait time which in the end turned out to be only 20 minutes. However, once seated it was over 20 minutes more before our order was taken. Not even a drinks order. Once the food order was taken, it was quite promptly brought so no complaint there. I ordered a Toxteth IPA as I was intrigued by this local beer which had found its way onto the menu. However, perhaps the waitress misheard me because she brought a Banks's Caribbean lager. I'd not had that before and I liked the look of it so decided to stick with it. I'm not sorry I did because it was delicious. When the food arrived there was no cutlery and I had to ask twice for some to be brought. I had the West Indian style Chicken Curry with Rice N' Peas and Festivals. My companion had the Brown Stew Chicken with Rice N' Peas and steamed vegetables. It was all absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious. The Brown Stew in particular was a surprise. It contained huge chunks of tender chicken breast which had been marinated well in a sauce which tasted beautifully rich. In addition, I would say that the portion sizes are generous and offer great value for money. I'd definitely head back to Raggas when I'm in Liverpool. Hopefully on a less busy day the service might be a bit more 'together '