Everyman Bistro, Liverpool

I was a little sad when the Everyman Theatre on Hope Street temporarily shut a couple of years back as I never got round to trying the highly rated bistro. However it reopened earlier this year after undergoing major refurbishment bringing it into the 21st century and it was time to make amends. The décor inside and out has been modernised with the exterior logo in simple letters huge letters in striking red. The spacious bistro is in the basement and is welcoming with a bar area and plenty of tables.

The menu is full of British classics with harissa and pomegranate yoghurt the only components of one dish which were inspired from elsewhere that we could see. Being a party of five this give us a chance to try as many dishes as possible. Most of the dishes came in a choice of small or big plates but we were advised the small plates would be adequate. Along with the normal menu there is a daily specials board which details the fish of the day.  The lemon sole with broccoli and fat chips and butter sauce sounded tempting at £10.50. The fish was deboned and well prepared, ideal with the butter sauce. The thick chips were certainly proper chips and fluffy in the middle, this wasn’t just the catch of the day but the steal of the day; I’ve not had fish this good at this price point anywhere else in Liverpool.

We had to try the Scouse with beetroot, cabbage and crusty bread. This seems to be a perennial on the specials and so it should be, it certainly hit the spot. Butternut squash, sage and walnut risotto was a really light vegetarian dish. 

A spin on an English classic; sausages and cheesy mash in red onion gravy. This dish went down a treat and the buttery mash was ideal foil to soak up the gravy.  It wouldn’t be complete without a Yorkshire pudding on top.  Beef shin chilli with chocolate was very flavourful and moreish, the quickest of the dishes to get mopped up with the crusty bread.

To complete the feast we ordered a fisherman’s board to share amongst us, smoked salmon, mussels with a spicy herb crust, fish fingers, potted shrimp and ciabatta and mussels & chorizo in a white wine sauce. Whilst the board did not hit the heights of the other dishes the mussels were big and plump.

All of the dishes bar the sharing board and lemon sole were small plates so I dread to think how big the large portions were. At an average of £5 for each small plate it certainly was value and quality for money. You will not leave the Everyman feeling hungry that’s for sure.