1. laurajane07 on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Food Quality
The food we ordered had clearly been frozen or at least re-heated throughout the day. This was especially noticeable in the desserts; the chocolate fudge cake was dry and something you may expect from a low-budget cafe, rather than a mid-range priced bar such as this.
The carbonara which we ordered was served in a cold bowl and was exceptionally greasy (granted, it was described as 'dressed in olive oil' but there wasn't a need for THAT much olive oil) and the chicken fillet burger's main ingredient was barbeque sauce rather than actual chicken, and Nando's would have cried their eyes out at its quality...as well as McDonald's.
Everything which was meant to be warm was at least tepid, granted. However, the 'side salad' consisted of a few straggly bits of lettuce which looked like they'd been pilchered at last minute from the Sainsbury's up the road.
Menu Choice
The menu sounded great. Pizza, pasta, burgers - everything you could want for a HUGE meal out, when you're treating yourself or entertaining a guest. The choices were varied so maybe you have to know what to pick in this place; as detailed in the food review above.
However, there wasn't anything on the menu which really distinguished it or made it stand out - no signature dish, nothing quirky. This wouldn't be a place to go to broaden your horizons.
Service
The staff were friendly and their interpersonal manner couldn't have been faulted. However, the service was slow, disorganised (to the point where you could have simply walked out without paying which I'm pretty sure some people did) and at the end of the meal we found someone else's drinks' order had been placed onto our bill. There wasn't a card machine behind the main till, so we were ushered into some sort of cubby hole to pay the bill, which the woman tending to us (who we hadn't yet seen) had no idea how to use.
Facilities
Toilets and a bar. Pretty standard for a place like this. ALthough the toilets were so low they gave the impression of weeing onto the floor.
I would definitely recommend this place for a quiet drink in the evening as the booze selection was phenomenon, but whatever you do, don't eat here and make sure you check your bill! The atmosphere was relaxed and the decor was lovely and minimalist, and the location was good for exploring for the rest of the day/evening/night. Take guests, but don't let them eat there - McDonald's would be a safer bet and it's only a 2 minute walk away.
The only thing we really felt was good, was that we'd contributed to the local economy of Liverpool rather than use a mass fast-food/restaurant chain; then again, we wished we hadn't by the end of it.