Elude Bar & Restaurant

Average Joe (7 February 2009)

From the moment you enter this secluded boutique restaurant, you forget that the venue used to be a potato warehouse, and are transported to a world of elegance and sophistication, which suggests that you are in for a treat. Sadly, you will most probably be greatly disappointed by the remainder of your dining experience. During the evening, we strongly suspected that we were part of some Game for a Laugh type wind-up; such was the ineptitude of the friendly, but entirely clueless, staff. Our evening began with a needless 25 minute wait to be shown a menu and served drinks; half of my drink was spilt on the table when it was slammed down, whilst my partner's drink bizarrely took another 5 minutes to arrive. We were then shown to our table and our coats were put on the backs of our chairs, presumably because the cloakroom was out of order.

The starters soon arrived and were respectable, but sadly this proved a false dawn. As the meal progressed, the one paper napkin we had to pass between the two of us proved sufficient as all of the dishes and side orders arrived at staggered stages throughout the night. The main courses again did not quite live up to their overpriced billing. I have had some exceptional £20 steaks in the past, ordinarily when a steak knife is available and cooked as requested, but this was not one of them. Of the other four tables of diners in the restaurant during our visit, one had resorted to wandering to the bar to collect their own drinks, whilst two of the other three tables had aborted their waits to be served and simply left. This is comfortably the most shambolic dining experience we have ever had and we would strongly urge anyone looking for a fine dining experience in Liverpool to avoid this place at all costs.