In the surging city of Liverpool The London Carriage Works restaurant, part of the boutique Hope Street Hotel, is pleasantly near the top of the pile, witness the Remy Restaurant Award for the Region in 2004. Amongst its other accolades have been inclusion in the top ten restaurants outside London in the 2005 Hardens Guide, top scorer for Liverpool's cooking in The Good Food Guide 2006, Best Restaurant in the Northern Hospitality Awards 2008 and 2AA Rosettes for 2010.

The doors open at 7am on weekdays, and breakfast makes a welcome appearance, with Continental breakfast, Spanish Iberico ham and home cured meats with cheeses, cereal, fresh fruit, multigrain toast, pastries and preserves, served with tea or coffee and fresh juice. A different Liverpool breakfast is a sort of healthy take on their more lethal type, with two eggs cooked as you like, served with dry bacon, and lots of other commendable things.

At noon the day menu kicks in, the seasonal restaurant menu demonstrates its leaning but discretionary approach towards local sourcing and starters on show could be king scallop with braised pork cheek and morcilla, char-grilled breast of chicken with lemon and rosemary, served with chestnut mushrooms, courgettes, salad leaves and shoots, croutons, wholegrain mustard and honey dressing, or a fresh and smoked fillet of Loch Duart salmon and avruga caviar. A pair of vegetarian friends could share a platter that includes artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, Kidderton Ash goats' cheese, Cropwell Bishop Blue stilton, vine tomato salad and seasonal crudities.

On then to a prime sirloin or 'pave' carved rump of dry aged fell bred beef, or fresh linguine of 'Perl Las' blue cheese, or breast of Gressingham duck served with caramelised chicory tarte tatin, peas, lettuce, Southport bacon and pommes mousseline.

For many, however, the highlight could be loin of English Rose veal "blanquette" with chestnut mushrooms, pearl onions, new season carrots, tarragon cream with ratte potatoes. Recommended accompaniment is a glass of Macon Charnay. Amongst seafood, natural smoked haddock risotto combines with leeks, spring cabbage, parsley, mascarpone, lemon and parmesan. Truly this is the menu of somebody who has a feeling for food that is precise and sensitive.

Popular wines by the glass do not exactly dim the prospects of a good evening either, with a Chilean sauvignon from Central Valley well on the way towards the same quality as some of the better New Zealand whites.

Make sure some space is reserved for a helping of the Cheshire duck egg custard tart with summer pudding sorbet, or glazed chocolate bread and butter terrine served with marmalade ice cream. However, for sheer magnificence in such matters, let me commend to you the hot chocolate fondant with salted caramel ice-cream.

The London Carriage Works restaurant has, after a long time, realised its dream of being included in the Michelin Guide for 2011. If you want to know about the restaurant - and the Hope Street Hotel - then have a look at their Website.