Dinner At Marco Pierre White Steakhouse | Just Add Ginger

For the past couple of years, Ryan's birthday has been slightly overlooked. First it was because we were on the cusp of getting married and then I was ready to drop. So when it came to thinking about his birthday this year, I knew I wanted to make it extra special for him. And after looking at the menu online several times, I knew that a trip to the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse in Liverpool city centre would be the perfect place to kick start the celebrations. 

Image: c/o Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill

Image: c/o Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill

The restaurant is located in Hotel Indigo on Chapel Street, just a hop skip and jump away from Moorfields station so if - like us - you live outside of the city centre it's relatively easy to get to. The restaurant and bar isn't the biggest, but with contemporary decor, elements of the industrial, atmospheric lighting and a bar and dining area that have been really well thought out, the dining area evokes the perfect balance of space and intimacy. We had an early reservation but the restaurant was still busy. However we still managed to maintain a high level of privacy and not worry that Eric was disturbing other diners (he's at the 'I know if I drop toys someone will pick them up' stage). 

Right from the start the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. From helping Ryan down the stairs with the pushchair to bringing him a complimentary glass of prosecco to including Eric in the dining experience they really went above and beyond to add to our visit. 

In typical me fashion I had already taken a look at the menu beforehand so I had a pretty good idea what I wanted to eat. But imagine my delight when investigating the drinks menu I realised they sold Veuve Cliquot (my favourite fizz) by the glass. So naturally I ordered myself one to slowly sip during my meal.

And as for food? To start I went for the 'properly garnished' smoked salmon (the description did tickle me a bit) and Ryan chose the calamari and shrimp tempura. We did also ask for the warm baked sourdough to share but Eric demolished most of that on his own (he was so hungry that day). My salmon was just beautiful and the garnish went so wonderfully with it. The calamari and shrimp also went down a treat. Both dishes came accompanied with half a lemon wrapped in muslin which I thought was a genius idea - there's nothing worse then getting a rogue lemon pip on your food! Even though the food was just too good to share between us we did offer Eric some to try and he seemed to enjoy everything too. He may only have one tooth but as parents we always like him to sample everything we have in the hope that he starts to develop a sophisticated palate and isn't afraid to try new things.

For mains both Ryan and I went for steak, with him choosing the T-Bone and me the fillet. Since investing in a sous-vide wand Ryan has become a bit of a meat snob but he thought his steak was cooked perfectly, pink edge to edge and really well seasoned. My knife glided through the fillet with ease and the pieces melted away in my mouth like butter. The steaks were both so tender that even Mr One Tooth could manage eating small pieces that we handed him in between munching on the cheese omelette we'd ordered him from the childrens' menu. The only negative thing I would say about the dish is that the chips were a little too salty. Other than that everything was perfect.

Something that was highly appreciated by us was the fact that we did not have to wait long in between courses. It's really tricky dining with a toddler (especially one in a bad mood) and having only a short wait before our orders came out meant that Eric was entertained for just the right amount of time without hunger or boredom paying a visit.  

As this was an extra special meal we had every intention of treating Eric to a pudding but by that time came he was starting to get quite upset. So Ryan and I took it in turns to eat our desserts, with one of us eating whilst the other pushed the buggy round the bar area and vice versa. This meant that both our sweets were a little rushed, however both my choice of the Classic Dark Chocolate Mousse and Ryan's Cambridge Burnt Cream with a side drink of a Marc Me White went down a treat. 

With our child getting more and more irate and us being aware that a huge meltdown could be on the cards Ryan and I decided to make a swift getaway. We bundled E up in blankets and they both headed outside whilst I settled up the bill. I explained to our server about the swift exit and he was really apologetic for our wait which was lovely but completely unnecessary. Every one of the staff members who had waited on us had been attentive and offered brilliant customer service, looking after us and making sure we had everything we needed. 

I am so glad we waited for a special reason to go to Marco Pierre White Steakhouse. The food was brilliant, the ambiance warm and welcoming and the staff were excellent. I was initially slightly worried that we would feel out of place or awkward to have a baby with us but my fears were instantly put to rest. Having said that I would really like to go back as just a couple so that Ryan and I can enjoy everything at a more leisurely pace (there are also a few drinks on the wine and cocktail list  that I'm desperate to try). 

Whether you have a special occasion coming up or not, if you're a big steak lover or fan of fine dining you need to head to Marco Pierre White Steakhouse and experience it for yourselves. And with both a lunch and lounge menu on offer as well as the evening, it's the perfect little spot to pop into for cocktails, nibbles, or even for a cheeky post-shopping tipple.

Taste buds tingling? Head over to the Steakhouse Bar & Grill website to peruse the menus or make a booking.

Ginger's Jollies: The Monro, Liverpool

On Saturday, I am going on holiday to France with my parents for two weeks (God BLESS the Summer Holidays!) Although I'm super excited to be going away, it also means that I will not be seeing Boyfriend for two weeks. (BOO!) With the prospect of my approaching departure from Liverpool, Boyfriend suggested that we go to The Monro as a special treat! 

The Monro is a place I drive past all the time heading back home from town, but somewhere that I have never tried, although, I have always heard some amazing things about it. And with me being the Ultimate Foodie that I am, I knew I just had to give it a try. 

They do say great things come in small packages, and The Monro is no exception. The exterior is lovely and sleek, and what greets you as a beautifully understated exterior hits you with one hell of a gigantic punch of sophistication on the inside. 

We arrived with about ten minutes to spare before our reservation, so, naturally, decided to get ourselves acquainted with the bar. Whilst we were waiting for our drinks, I got the chance to have a look around the restaurant and was amazed at how pretty everything looked. The restaurant isn't exceptionally big compared to some of the others in the city centre, but what they have done with the space works really well. The décor really made you feel at home, and reminded me of the homely, comforting feeling I get when I go in to the country pubs where I grew up....Everything in there made me feel really warm and relaxed.

When it was time, were taken over to our table, and had a chance to peruse the menu. I had looked at the selection earlier in the day, but, as usual with me, was drawn in by everything when I looked at the menu again. Everything sounded just too delicious that it came to a point where I had to make a decision then hide my menu from view. I chose the Fylde Coast Quail & Chorizo Ballontine. Boyfriend had the Cumbrian Sourced Rabbit Terrine. 

Quail & Chorizo Ballontine

OH. MY. GOODNESS. 

I had bever had quail before up until this moment, so had no idea what to expect, but whatever I had pictured in my mind, I was surpassed. I mean, just look at the presentation of my starter. Stunning. That was enough for my mouth to instantly start watering. But then I tucked in to one of the portions of quail and my heart skipped a beat. The meat was so succulent and juicy, and complemented the chorizo to perfection, and the accompaniments added a fresh note to the dish. Boyfriend wanted to try some, and it was one of those moments where I was half tempted to stuff every morsel into my mouth and say:

 "Ginger doesn't share food!" 

But I didn't, because with Foodies such as we, amazing food needs to be experienced together (and I wanted to try some of the terrine!) 

The terrine was probably the best experience of rabbit I have had. The meat was tender and went perfectly with the cranberry marmalade, adding a subtle accompanying sweetness to the bacon.

Both Boyfriend and I took a risk and ordered dishes that neither of us had tried before, and our adventurousness paid off.

Both starters were a good portion size too, and definitely whetted my appetite for the rest of the meal. Absolutely beautiful start to the night! 

British Fillet Steak

Goosenargh Duck Breast


After we had finished our starters, and our plates had been collected, we did not have to wait long at all for our main course to arrive. The service was absolutely brilliant. Sometimes in restaurants  you can be waiting for ages in between courses, especially if you go during busy periods, but not tonight. Oh no. I'd say we only were plate-less for about 2 minutes. It was absolutely incredible! I decided to go for the Goosenargh Duck Breast, and Boyfriend went for the British Fillet Steak. We also decided to order a bottle of wine to go with our mains, and our lovely waitress was really prompt in bringing it over and pouring some for us. 

If I had been happy with the starters, by the main course I was floating on a cloud in Foodie Heaven! The dishes were beautiful. I had to sit in awe for a few seconds at how pretty the arrangement on my plate was. But then I caught a whiff of the duck and had to dive in.

Now, I'm a girl who gets excited about the simplest of things, so when I discovered that my duck was already in bite-sized chunks that did not need to be cut, you can imagine my delight. I did not need my knife at all. The duck was tender as anything, and my fork glided through the breast with no difficulty. The plum-chilli sauce packed a bit of a punch (there was definitely chilli in it) but the plum immediately appeared to soften the blow. And the parma ham crisp! I'm a lover of crispy things at the best of times (particularly bacon) and this just tipped me over the edge!

The stuffed tomato

Of course I had to sample the steak as well! 
Now, the waitress had chuckled at me as I gaped at Boyfriend when he asked for his steak to be blue, but when it arrived, my reservations disappeared. It wasn't actually still moo-ing, and there was no visible signs of blood on the plate. His steak was cooked beautifully, and his knife glided through the meat like it was butter. But what we couldn't get over was the tomato. 
It was delicious!

With every bite there was a new flavour to be found. All the ingredients had infused together inside the tomato and it had the most beautiful succulent favour you could imagine! We must have spent at least five minutes discussing what we could taste, and Boyfriend even asked for the menu back so that we could see if it gave us any clues. I've never had anything like it, and I only wish I knew how it was cooked so that I can try and recreate it myself!

White Chocolate Marscapone Cheesecake

Cheeseboard

Now, by this point I had had two very yummy courses, and, you might think that I was full, but when those deliciously naughty words "Would you like to see the dessert menu?" were uttered to me, I just could not resist! 

Boyfriend and I decided to order a pudding each and then share the two between us, because we had both been drawn to different things on the menu. I went for the cheesecake, and he for the cheeseboard. 
The selection of cheese that came with the cheeseboard were lovely. There was a smoked cheddar, a Wensleydale, and a cheese with what we think was onion in (there's no dessert menu online for me to double check.) The cheese was served with crackers, celery, butter and apple. It was like a wooden platter of cheesey deliciousness. The wedges were perfect to share between the both of us, and again. the food was displayed beautifully on the board! Just looking at it was enough to make my mouth water. 
After the cheese it was on to the cheesecake. And this is going to probably sound like the biggest statement of the century, but that cheesecake was within no doubt the creamiest, most yummy-scrummy-in-my-tummy cheesecake I have ever had! I don't know whether it was the marscapone, or the chocolate, or the layer of fruit on top, or everything all together, but it was stunning! And not too heavy either. It melted in my mouth and made me feel giddy.

We were the last people to leave the restaurant area, but there were still a lot of people seated in the bar, and the atmosphere was buzzing. You could tell everyone there was having a really good time, and there was a relaxed, jovial atmosphere as we left the restaurant. 
So. Final Thoughts.....If you're a Foodie looking for a place to eat in Liverpool, then I'd definitely recommend The Monro. It's a beautiful restaurant with beautiful, atmospheric decor. The food is absolutely stunningly presented, and tastes phenomenal, and the staff are really friendly. I left feeling really sated, happy, and already planning my next visit!