• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Liverpool
• Category: Restaurants

Liverpool L17 8UW

mikej said
Nice Indian
Red Fort Indian Restaurant is on Lark Lane, the ever more prolific foodie destination in South Liverpool, so there is lots of competition around.
The Red Fort holds its own and seems to have a loyal customer base, but is never terribly busy.

Our favourites to start are Garlic mushrooms on puree bread and onion bhajies, all served with fresh salads and good dips.
Our main course choices are Chicken Makhonwalla, a mild dish with cream, almonds and cheese, and the Vegetarian Dansak, a nice slightly hot sauce with lentils, lemon juice and pineapple.
Staff is friendly and service is speedy.

Nothing terribly special but good quality and reliable. If you want Indian with a twist try the Maharaja on London Road instead.

Also offers a Take Away service.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Liverpool
• Category: Restaurants

Liverpool L1 9DF

mikej said
Unusual noodle bar and Take Away
Cheap and cheerful but great quality!
Serves freshly cooked Pacific Rim food, mainly noodle based. Choose from Rame, Vermicelli, Hofun, Udon or Yaki-soba noodles (my favourite: the thick Udon noodles, used in Japan and Korea).
The restaurant itself is small, so if you can't get a seat go for the Take Away service or better still, let them deliver to your for free and get free prawn crackers, a bottle of water and/or a bottle of coke, depending on how much you spend.
The wok fried dishes are excellent, no gloopy ready made sauce with lots of E-numbers in site.
Main courses are £4 to £5, the special set meals from £6.50 are particularly good value.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Liverpool
• Category: Restaurants

Liverpool L17 8US

mikej said
nice Thai
Chilli Banana replaced the very popular French Restaurant L'Allouette on Lark Lane, and therefore had to live up to high expectations. And it managed!
Chilli Banana Lark Lane is part of a small chain (also in Wilmslow and Macclesfield) but does not feel themed or over styled.
Food here is great - it was nominated for 'Newcomer of the Year' at the Cheshire & Lancashire Life Food & Wine Awards 2007-8. I was very impressed y both the Seafood and Vegetarian selections. Desserts are a bit of a let-down though.

Service is very friendly and they can accommodate larger groups.
Also offers a take away service (no delivery though).

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Liverpool
• Category: Restaurants

Liverpool L1 2TR
0151 709 0190

mikej said

Zorbas is a friendly Greek restaurant on the corner of Hardman Street and Renshaw Street, just up from Bold Street, which means it's perfectly located for a quick bite before going out or a night at Fact cinema.
Service is quick and efficient, and they'll manage to squeeze you in even if everywhere else is fully booked on a busy Saturday night.
Food is quite standard Greek fayre, and portions are very generous. Meze (available as meat or veggie option) is particularly good and great value for money.
This is great when you are out in town anyway, but if you plan ahead I'd prefer the food (if not the atmosphere) at Eureka (Myrtle Parade) instead.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Hotels and Travel

Brighton BN1 1AF
01273 718588

mikej said
great hotel
I stayed at the Hotel Du Vin recently on a business trip. It is situated just off the seafront by Brighton Pier, very central location.
The interior is lovely, in a refurbished old building, done up to very high standards. The theme of wine runs through the hotel (e.g. room names). The rooms themselves are spacious; the bathrooms are well equipped with a huge walk-in shower and separate bath.
Very friendly and accommodating staff.
Breakfast was nice, too. Chose from a wide variety of food from full English to different breads, fruit, cereal etc.
The bar is really cosy with a friendly atmosphere, with a wide selection of drinks available.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Brighton
• Category: Restaurants

Brighton BN1 1AD

mikej said
very nice
Highly recommended!
I was fortunate enough to stay in the Hotel Du Vin last week when in Brighton on business, and the restaurant was great.
The service was very good and speedy, and more importantly the food was excellent.
Particular favourites: chicken liver parfait with red onion comfit on toasted brioche as a starter and main course of really tasty roast belly pork. The cheese board was amazing; choose from vast selection, well worth a try.
Lots of fish and seafood on the menu, and everybody in our party really enjoyed their meals.
Pricey but worth it - about £45 per head for 3 courses including drinks.
Very popular and requires booking.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Liverpool
• Category: Food and Drink

Liverpool L7 5LZ
0845 600 0200

mikej said

Cheap but not cheerful...
Netto is a no frills supermarket, with a limited range of fresh produce but quite a load of tinned goods. It is certainly cheap and for some staple items beats any of the other supermarkets. However, I am not convinced by the quality of their goods - the veg selection in particular is dire, they only stock absolute basics and they don't look very appetising. Their bread range is equally limited.

Sells an interesting mix of special offers though, from toiletries to home ware to toys. Some good bargains to be had here, e.g. nappies can be really cheap when on offer

My advice: go to Aldi or Lidl instead if you want to save money.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Liverpool
• Category: Food and Drink

Liverpool L3 5NF
0870 444 1234

mikej said
very cheap and good selection of fruit and veg
I've only been to this German supermarket once - I've got an Asda, Aldi and Netto much closer, so no need to travel - but was very impressed by what's on offer.
Lidl doesn’t sell any branded items, everything on the shelves is their own brand products, and it takes some getting used to that (or you might just want to stock up on your favourites elsewhere). But the absolute selling point for me was their fruit and veg selection. On the day I went I'd bought one aubergine at our local greengrocer's, for £1.40, in the morning, and then stocked up with more aubergine for £0.29 a go at Lidl! Also had a good selection of more unusual veg and fruit, not just the most basic items like Netto.

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Liverpool
• Category: Restaurants

Liverpool L5 9TZ

mikej said
a taste experience
The Tai Pan is a huge restaurant (seating about 400) on the first floor of a purpose built building in a rather drab industrial area with similarly drab interior decor. It's certainly worth a visit for the food though!
The ground floor houses a large Chinese supermarket and wholesaler, have a wander around to spot the weirdest ingredient on offer (our top spot is frozen curled up pig's penis...) or get some bargain spices or kitchen implements.
The Tai Pan food is mainly Cantonese and the choice is vast, and that's just the English menu - there is also a separate Chinese menu with far more adventurous dishes, ask for it if you dare. Great veggie selection and lots of different banquets. Personal favourites: the Chilli Beef is great, as is the braised aubergine.
Business lunch is particularly good value, £5.50 for 2 courses or £8.50 for 3.
If you want to savour the full experience you have to come on a Sunday though, for traditional Dim Sum, very popular with Chinese families. Get here early, people start cuing before the restaurant opens and there is never a spare table to be had. NB you cannot reserve a table for Sunday lunchtime.
Staff comes around with a huge array of food on trolleys and you pick from the trolley or put in a specific order. Delicious!

• Added: 3rd of September 2008
• Area: Liverpool
• Category: Restaurants

Liverpool L3 5SD
0151 709 2355

mikej said
Great Middle Eastern & Mediterranean food
Kimos on Mount Pleasant moved to new premises a couple of years ago, but still remains an institution. Very popular with students during term time, but not too busy on a Saturday lunchtime when everything else in town is packed.
The restaurant is large, with a sizeable capacity, but manages to maintain a friendly atmosphere with some original touches. Everything is very informal, you order at the bar and pay upfront (beware - doesn't take credit nor debit cards).
The menu ranges from breakfasts to Panini to pizzas to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean main courses, and should really offer something for everybody.
We went recently with our 2 children who shared a pizza, while the adults had a full English and a Mediterranean breakfast (highly recommended - falafel, tomato and feta salad, pita bread and a fried egg). All this including drinks came to under £14.
Go and try it out!