Since the decline of lunch behemoth The Italian Kitchen, Left Bank has become the latest restaurant to earn the title 'Formby's number 1 lunchtime venue'. This is not generally due to the quality food it offers and more to the price, with a party of four being able to dine for roughly ten pounds (there's not too much wrong with what they serve, it's what you'd expect for less than three quid).
Whilst I've never been that impressed with the food on offer at lunchtime, I have been fortunate enough to attend Left Bank of an evening and sample its finer cuisine on the menu. On both occasions, I have visited the restaurant for football team end-of-season dos and have found that they can easily accommodate big groups in the upstairs room, which offers a good space as well as separation from the quieter diners downstairs.
The food was delicious and well presented (the steak I had was unrecognisable from the meat in the steak sandwich available on the lunchtime menu) but one point I would make is that the portions were quite small, suggesting that they rely on you ordering the full three courses in order to have your appetite fully satisfied, which I was not (who wants all that food soaking up the alcohol you're consuming?)
The taste more than made up for the size though and on both occasions, the large group of rowdy lads (myself included) left feeling very happy (if a little drunk), certain to return again. read more