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hand picked restaurants

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.

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre.

Malmaison Liverpool is located in the trendy Princes Dock area and follows a New York Gothic inspired theme with an impressive Manhattan type building - something that relates well to the exciting architecture that results from a mingling of modern with more traditional in this European City of Culture.

The rooms are all that one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing. In the hometown of the Beatles expect to find close attention paid to the musical background in your room, whilst all the customary luxuries that associate with Malmaison are there to hand, the naughty nibbles, the serious wine, drench showers and that oh so completely embracing bed.

Amidst elegant surroundings, with spotless gleaming glassware and shining cutlery, an essentially brasserie menu is offered. At the brasserie lovers of seafood will be delighted to note at once that their particular needs are well heeded, starting with a delightful pan-fried mackerel or new season British asparagus, poached duck egg and shaved Parmesan.

Other starters that seldom fail to please include Cumbrian white chicken roulade with sautéed red kale and lardons with pea puree, and spinach and baked ricotta filo.

Head Chef Adam Townsley and his team brings to the table  inspired choices for the main course such as Brixham crab ravioli with lemon hollandaise and char-grilled asparagus,  or the pan-fried duck breast with petit pois 'la mode francoise' for those seeking by this time a slightly more carnivorous approach. Salads, sausages and vegetarian dishes like duck egg cocotte are other lovely creations. Which leads us neatly to the - wait for it - Mal burger, a 250 gram burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and gruyere, served with homemade relish and some fries.

Over the years the number of outriders surrounding a good honest steak has grown to unacceptable dimensions. At Malmaison the thought and care is centred on the dry-aged on the bone rump and that's it - except for the chips. If you want all the rest go for the side dishes such as cumin carrots, buttered Savoy cabbage and tomato and onion salad.

Heading the puddings is the House crème brûlée, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find fondant au chocolate, chilled rice pudding or a splendid gateau a la crème fraîche. Their homemade ice creams and sorbets are dreamy.

The wine list is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them.

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in Liverpool. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations Online on their Website.

San Carlo in Liverpool demonstrates exemplary commitment to fine Italian food, good service, luxurious and comfortable surroundings, and value for money.

San Carlo Liverpool is appropriately enough located in Castle Street, a sophisticated setting in the heart of the city's business district, where the unique experience offered is appreciated to the full. A wide, open and airy dining room provides the hub, with all-white space and red and black furnishings, whilst the impressive bar and lounge area is open plan with stools strategically scattered.

A menu that follows the traditional Italian format exhibits some of the best in Italian cooking. Whoever it was said that San Carlo was the best restaurant Liverpool had ever seen made a good point which few would contradict. The deeply satisfying antipasti, that wonderful prelude to an Italian meal, contributes hugely to setting the scene for what is to come.

Mixed Italian salami and Parma ham served with artichoke and fried pecorino cheese establishes some traditional flavours of the country. For simplicity the smoked salmon with thinly chopped white shallots and capers is devastatingly effective, and by contrast the avocado diverso, avocado served with crabmeat, Marie Rose sauce, smoked trout, horseradish and sunblushed tomatoes provides a more complicated alternative.

Whatever the origin of pasta, Italy seems to have the contemporary ownership of this attractive food form and its appearance of any self-respecting Italian menu marks the transition from introduction to getting down to business. From a menu of seven options pay serious heed to the pasta alla Norma which involves aubergines, tomatoes, basil, garlic and the ever present pecorino cheese.

It's arguable whether Italian cuisine favours meat or fish; those who prefer the former point to such wonderful dishes as vitello Signor Sassi, escalopes of veal cooked in mustard seeds, cream, brandy and mushrooms, closely followed by fillet of beef medallions wrapped in Parma ham in a creamy truffle sauce, or lamb cutlets in Madeira sauce with rosemary and sun dried potatoes, all of course on the menu at San Carlo.

With a coastline of 4,712 miles, and that doesn't include Sicily it's hardly surprising that Italy also has a love affair with seafood and fish. Try the mixed shellfish Royale for sheer indulgence, or the mixed grill of fish formed from 5 different fish and shellfish. A tagliolini lobster is a special pasta dish with lobster, brandy, tomato, cream and peas and it is superb.

When you consider that we English reckon on 3 courses to a meal it is refreshing to find a cuisine where you can get away with 6 without being considered over indulgent, which brings us to the pizza, an Italian achievement which some people go through life thinking is about the only food Italians eat. It would be more accurate to say that this is probably more true of the English. A choice of 7 at San Carlo leaves plenty of room for experiment.

With a truly Italian flourish of desserts this is the setting for a memorable meal that surprisingly will not leave deep dents in your wallet. Do click on their Website for further information on this admirable pathway to authentic Italian food.

Radisson Hotels can be found the world over, and whilst the degree of universal quality that they offer is reassuring, there is always that frisson of pleasure that comes with discovering their diversity in ways both great and small. As with any quality hotel, the happiness of the inner man is a prime concern, and the award winning Filini restaurant at the Radisson Blu Liverpool offers Italian cuisine of a high order, blending together both Italian and local produce to create a greatly enjoyed and respected dining experience.

The Radisson Blu Liverpool enjoys the advantage of its location in an established maritime city of great charm and distinction in its people, its very individual culture, and its structure. The River Mersey has lent its name to a great deal more than just The Beatles.

The restaurant has undergone a complete refit, with red vintage leather seating comfortably alongside draping red curtains and chandeliers that reflect the sparkle of the conversation beneath.

The hotel is ultra modern, the décor hosting colours that though assertive are not strident, and has 194 bedrooms including Business Class, Junior Suites and the sensational River suite. Guestrooms, which are individually designed in two unique styles, Ocean and Urban, provide more than enough choices to keep everybody happy. Free Broadband, including wireless Internet access is available in all guestrooms and public areas.

The menu opens with a convivium collection of sharing platters, amongst which the cured meats and cheese antipasti is invariably popular. More individual antipasti dishes include prosciutto di Parma with Tuscan garlic bread, or shrimp salad with baby gem, rocket, lemon and oregano dressing.

Risotto can be ordered as a starter or main dish, and many a good night here has revolved round the wonderful blend of flavours that are drummed up by tagliatelle with pesto. Roast chicken breast is served with mushrooms and basil, whilst the grilled sea bass with spinach and pine kernels is another classic that seafood lovers will applaud.

No Italian menu would be complete without a range of pizzas. As befits a restaurant of quality these are the thin crust variety, and include tomato, mozzarella, pecorino, prosciutto and rocket. Italians are so adept at making the best out of vegetables, and here we have garlic mashed potatoes with Parmesan cheese, green vegetables with lemon, as well as the traditional tomato and red onion salad.

Desserts of toasted almond semifreddo compete alongside chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream, the inevitably wonderful gelato selection of any good Italian restaurant, and a selection of ripe Neapolitan cheese.

It is not until one sees an exclusively Italian wine list that the full splendour of Italian wine really manifests itself. In possibly more than any other country, careful selection through their, shall we say, simpler wines produces real gems, with a notable example being the Vin Santo del Chianti Serelle dessert wine from Tuscany. Their well set out Website will tell you more about the menus and other events that constantly grace the Radisson Blu.

The Monro, arguably Liverpool's most notable gastropub, flies in the face of fashion to produce surroundings which have more than a flavour of home about them, unless of course you happen to inhabit a stately home in which case you'll feel entirely at ease. The question is asked "are you really comfortable eating or drinking under the glare of halogen spotlights?" Which when you come to think about it not infrequently evinces the answer "no".

So at The Monro there is subdued lighting, no beech or laminates and a replacement of chic with comfortable and reassuring décor that does not shout for attention. Lunch is served from 12 until 3pm, with the evening meal starting at 5 until 10pm.

Unlike some gastropubs - and others - where reliance is placed upon pre-packed ingredients, The Monro depends very much upon fresh supplies, some of them organic in origin, and their names read like a roll-call of honour with smoked salmon with asparagus and poached duck egg and hollandaise sauce, caramelized pear and celery tartlet with creamed goats? cheese, served with fresh salad leaves and balsamic dressing, crisp belly pork with Lyonnaise potatoes, red snapper with jersey royals, and butterflied lemon sole stuffed with prawn.

The net, truly, is widely cast. The result of all this is that people have an implicit faith in what is presented on the table, chefs take increased pride in their work and everybody is happy.

For the evening meal starters will include a fresh soup, changed every day, and creamed leek and artichoke tartlet with watercress salad and tomato dressing. Mushroom madness represents a new angle on the humble fungus, with a unique combination of it with pan-fried duck livers in bacon, and cooked in a red wine jus.

10oz rib-eye steak comes with wild mushrooms and peppercorn sauce and homemade chunky chips whilst Cajun spiced monkfish tail comes with beetroot salsa, braised rice and a rocket and parmesan salad. The fish range from red snapper to halibut, again dependent upon the market, and include what is breezily listed as "posh fish and chips" which is essentially cod and chips in beer batter, or, if you really insist, they will batter and deep-fry whatever other fish is on the menu. The tartare sauce is, of course, home made, the chips are chunky.

From all of which you will deduce that there is no possibility of perishing from gastronomic boredom at The Monro. The wine list is short and punchy and designed for honest drinking. Do not look for the great clarets here, but do be prepared for house champagne at less than £23 a cork and a range of very drinkable wines under the £20 mark. It is places like The Monro that give gastropubs a good name. However, their Website would give you an even better idea of the place, so do visit that.

The Gulshan is a sophisticated Indian restaurant situated on Aigburth Road in the leafy suburbs of South Liverpool, about 3 - 4 miles from both the city centre and Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Since it's humble beginnings in 1986, the Gulshan has built up a reputation on the back of the finest quality food having garnered much public and critical acclaim including two consecutive awards as the 'Best in the North' from Pat Chapman's authoritative Good Curry Guide, a prestigious Michelin listing, and recognition as one of the 'fifty best restaurants' by The Independent.

On offer is a mouth watering selection of traditionally cooked, authentic Indian dishes, with the emphasis on flavour. One speciality being the green balti masalla unique to the Gulshan, this dish features chicken, lamb or prawns prepared with freshly puréed coriander, mint, green chillies, tamarind and balti spices.

If you are a lover of fish, the Gulshan offers a fine selection of fish dishes, both as starters and main course, while for a vegetarian, there's plenty to choose from with all the vegetables fresh from the market daily, and there is even a vegetarian set menu. For the health conscious, tandoori and tikka is a surprisingly healthy option, with only the finest, leanest cuts of meat in all their dishes.

Amongst the main courses you will find a variety of delicious masala, biriyani and other speciality dishes to suit every taste - each a perfect blend of herbs and spices. Choose from the very mild korma dishes, or the very unusual fruity dishes with banana, mango and lychees. If you prefer your curry very hot, you can choose from madras, vindaloo or bhuna, and most main course dishes can be prepared with extra chilli.

A range of delicious breads are available to complement your meal, or you could try one of the many varieties of pilau rice. And there is the perfect selection of vegetable side dishes to make your meal complete. If it all seems a bit overwhelming, you could always choose from the special set menus, or ask the friendly staff for a recommendation.

The dessert menu also features some authentic Indian dishes such as gulab jamoon - milk dumplings served with cardamom flavoured sugar syrup, or kulfi - Indian ice cream flavoured with cardamom, topped with pistachio nuts. Alternatively you could choose from sorbet, ice cream or fruit.

Upstairs, the Gulshan lounge is a perfect space for guests to relax before or after a meal. A lighter selection of Indian tapas dishes are also available to graze on from Sunday to Thursday as well as an excellent selection of wines, champagnes, speciality beers and spirits. At the gleaming bar, martinis and cocktails are composed of pressed-to-order juices, fresh herbs and creative infusions to go along with a carefully matched, award winning wine list to complement your meal.

They also cater for all occasions whether private or business, special celebrations, a romantic meal for two or a sociable night out with a group of friends. If you prefer a night in, there is always the option of a take away. Perhaps you are looking for a venue for a Christmas meal with friends or colleagues.

The Gulshan really is a special experience and whilst it caters for everyone's taste, lovers of Indian food will be deeply impressed. It will provide you with an unrivalled eating experience and then have you coming back for more. The restaurant and take away is open from 5pm every night. It can get quite busy, especially at weekends, so booking is recommended. For more detail and a glimpse of the menu, visit the Website.

Café Rouge has over one hundred branches throughout Britain all offering a wide range of dishes drawn from the French cuisine. Slightly less than half their branches are in or close to London. Almost inevitably the décor and design of each restaurant differs from the others, but there is a general curtsy towards La France.

Many restaurants do an excellent breakfast, or shall we say petit dejeuner, at which such delights as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toasted brioche, croque Madame, croissants and pain au chocolat make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of small dishes takes in pulled pork pâté with French bread, and spicy beef and lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise. Salads and pasta feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. No French menu would be complete without the poulet jaune grille, pan-roasted breast of corn-fed chicken served on a warm taboulé of bulgar wheat and a medley of roasted vegetables with minted crème fraîche, or a steak frites before moving on to the crème brûlée, or the tart tatin. Almost invariably the coffee tastes like coffee should, something that sadly can all too often still not be said of our English restaurants, who depend too much upon technology and too little on the acquisition of a certain flair for this important conclusion to a meal.

By now we all know that the French, despite their distinctive habits when it comes to matters of satisfying the inner man, maintain a miraculous longevity of life. This is generally attributed to a number of causes, of which a measured consumption of decent wine is foremost. Café Rouge, you may be pleased to hear, encourages this with a well-chosen selection of French wines. Their prix fixe lunch and meals for children, both at a very reasonable figure, also offer excellent value.

Their Website will keep you updated on menu changes, news and other competitions and offers from the Café Society.

Bella Italia is a restaurant that pulsates with Italian style and fashion, where the day starts with breakfast, not least the Inglese, the familiar bacon, sausage, mushroom, tomato and fried or scrambled eggs and sauté potatoes with ciabatta toast so beloved of hearty eaters seeking a good start to the day, particularly when they don't have to prepare it. A vegetarian option is available, along with the bambini of sausages, tomato and scrambled egg, or a strapazzata, scrambled eggs on ciabatta toast. A cappuccino or hot chocolate offers a more gentle awakening and croissant or pastries are welcome at almost any time.

It is always worth remembering that eating Italian is a great opportunity to work away through something rather more liberating than the conventional 3 course English meal. Little and often seems to be the motto but move on to the antipasti and it's immediately obvious this is no easy task, confronted with well over a dozen dishes, not one of which you really have the heart to turn down. The selezione classica assembles a few of the favourite starters; oven baked lemon and rosemary chicken wings, spiced meatballs, calamari, mini garlic butter-filled calzoni and lightly battered courgettes served with flamed pepper and lemon herb dips.

A speck e rucola pizza, added to a traditional margherita brings together two traditions with Italian speck ham providing the second, but it is within the pasta and risotto dishes that you can adapt almost any main ingredient, as well enjoy some of Italy's most traditional treats. Who can deny a well formed spaghetti Bolognese or penne Marco Polo? And not for nothing is a nicely prepared spaghetti carbonara the preferred dish of many.

From a selection of five choices amongst the secondi many will head unerringly for controfiletto ai ferri, a 7oz sirloin steak char-grilled to preference and served with garlic butter, roast field mushrooms, fries and rocket, or the fritto misto, lightly battered prawns, cod fillet, calamari and courgette with fries and a herb lemon and caper dip.

Could anything be more appropriate than The Godfather, for 1 or 2 naturally, with nutty chocolate fudge brownies, vanilla and toffee ice cream with chocolate sauce, fresh cream and wafer curls, and rest assured the coffee will do justice to the meal.

With a wine list that makes few concessions to other countries - and why should it - good Italian food can receive an equally national baptism by wine. For further enlightenment, news about their on-line shop and special deals, a click on their lively Website will reveal all.

Café Rouge has over one hundred branches throughout Britain all offering a wide range of dishes drawn from the French cuisine. Slightly less than half their branches are in or close to London. Almost inevitably the décor and design of each restaurant differs from the others, but there is a general curtsy towards La France.

Many restaurants do an excellent breakfast, or shall we say petit dejeuner, at which such delights as scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toasted brioche, croque Madame, croissants and pain au chocolat make welcome appearances, and to their credit the English traditional gets top billing.

An array of small dishes takes in pulled pork pâté with French bread, and spicy beef and lamb sausage with harissa mayonnaise. Salads and pasta feature largely, as do baguettes and croques. Quick dishes, ideal for lunch, include slices of saucisson and cured pork loin with French bread.

Moving on to more serious stuff we find steaks, an 8oz bavette and thin cut rib eye, with a choice of béarnaise or peppercorn sauce. No French menu would be complete without the poulet jaune grille, pan-roasted breast of corn-fed chicken served on a warm taboulé of bulgar wheat and a medley of roasted vegetables with minted crème fraîche, or a steak frites before moving on to the crème brûlée, or the tart tatin. Almost invariably the coffee tastes like coffee should, something that sadly can all too often still not be said of our English restaurants, who depend too much upon technology and too little on the acquisition of a certain flair for this important conclusion to a meal.

By now we all know that the French, despite their distinctive habits when it comes to matters of satisfying the inner man, maintain a miraculous longevity of life. This is generally attributed to a number of causes, of which a measured consumption of decent wine is foremost. Café Rouge, you may be pleased to hear, encourages this with a well-chosen selection of French wines. Their prix fixe lunch and meals for children, both at a very reasonable figure, also offer excellent value.

Their Website will keep you updated on menu changes, news and other competitions and offers from the Café Society.

With quality food, friendly staff, quick service and excellent value for money, Nando's is a great place to eat. Don't expect identikit, pre-fab restaurant interiors which are usually a staple of the larger chains; each restaurant is tailored to its local surroundings and customers, offering up a unique restaurant experience to go with the equally unique taste of legendary, Portuguese, Peri-Peri chicken.

Your peri-peri chicken, when the chips are down so to speak, is a fresh A grade chicken that has never seen the inside of a freezer, but having made the supreme sacrifice is butterfly-cut, marinated for 24 hours in a secret brew called - you've guessed - peri-peri, and is then cooked to your choice over an open flame.

There are, of course, many variations on this broad theme, numerous plays on words such as Nando's experi-perience, peri-peri good reasons why you should eat at a Nando's' and all one hopes is that for their sake chicken never goes out of fashion. New Nando's are opening all the time, peri-peri quickly in fact, the spicy bastes become hotter and more daring, and the full platter offers a whole chicken, large chips or spicy rice and Nando's salad or coleslaw.

Since chickens are vegetarian it seems logical you can order veggie or bean burgers and patties, and still feel the heat from the peppers. All in all, Nando's is hotly recommended for those occasions when you have a large following of permanently hungry children, or adults even, to keep happy - the only thing taken really seriously is the quality of those peri-peri good chickens.

Nando's is a place for bright people who love to laugh and love to eat, and is guaranteed to spice up your taste buds. Their fun approach to life means that when you visit Nando's you can fully relax without the airs and graces associated with more starchy dining out.

For the location of your nearest Nando's restaurant and a host of details about menus, parties and drinks, a click on their Website will reveal a Pandora's box of information.