Food: The Florist, Liverpool

Food: The Florist, Liverpool

Monday, 14 May 2018

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Everything these days, concerning bars and restaurants, has the added task, on top of serving fantastic food and drinks, of being ‘instagram friendly.’ I’ll admit it myself- as a blogger, whether a place will provide excellent social media content or not does have an influence on whether I choose to go there or not, as sad as that might seem. It’s no longer enough to just have good food and drinks- the vibe has to be right to attract the crowds and there has to be a certain je ne sais quoi about the place to ensure that the crowds return.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to the opening night of The Florist, a brand new restaurant and bar opening in the heart of Liverpool City Centre, on Hanover Street. Hanover Street already has a plethora of stylish bars in its midst, and occupying the Old Blind School, The Florist certainly sits in with these – it arguably even stands out as being a cut above the rest.

The event was spread across the weekend, with an emphasis on cocktails and nibbles on the Saturday evening and then a taster of the Sunday lunch menu on the Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, due to my intensive schedule and some serious time constraints, I was only able to attend the Saturday night part of the weekend but that by no means was a complete negative. With my friend Emily in tow, glammed up to the maximum, we arrived at the beautiful venue ready to explore and see what The Florist has to offer.

It has a LOT to offer.

The entire venue is beautifully decorated- every single detail has been thought through with the most intricate of designs presented. The drinks menu has been crafted with their vision completely in mind and nothing is out of place. Walking around the inside of the building was a treat in itself – beautifully crafted flower arrangements adorn every possible area and it is, to be frank, a blogger’s haven. It honestly felt as though I’d walked into a showroom – I and everyone around me was completely blown away by what we had before us. Terrace areas outside allow for the fun to be extended to beautifully sunny days. We walked in to the event to be greeted by charming, excited staff members and the most incredible tasting Elderflower and Lychee Daiquiri that I’ve ever had the fortune of drinking. It was incredibly light tasting and adorned with a beautiful sprig of flowers – really adding that glamour to a classic drink. Over the course of the evening, I tried a number of different cocktails, including one called Rhubarb in Bloom (10/10 would drink again) and another that was a refreshing mixture of Prosecco and peach liquor stylishly named Peaches and Prosecco. The Florist offered a number of workshops on the night, ranging from flower arranging to gin tasting, all courses which are available to book in your own time if you so wish.

Of course, me being me, the highlight of my evening was, of course, the food and the nibbles that were on offer went above and beyond the call of duty. Emily and I filled our plates with a combination of different nibbles, including Crispy Mussel Popcorn, Baked Kale Crisps, Potatoes, Sweet Potato Fries and, my absolute favourite, Lavender, honey and Sunflower seed bread dipped in whipped goats cheese butter. I would return to The Florist JUST for that bread, no word of a lie. It was divine. To say that I was gutted not to have a taste of the roast dinner on Sunday is a complete and utter understatement but it just gives me reason to return in the future (as if I needed any convincing on this!)

In fact, I’ve already booked Richard and I in to return at the end of June to have a proper taste of the menu for a lovely romantic date night. I’m excited to try out their mains and see if they’re as delicious as everyone I know has said that they are!

Long story short? Go. It’s worth every single penny.

Food: A Vietnamese Treat at Pho Café, Bold Street, Liverpool*

Food: A Vietnamese Treat at Pho Café, Bold Street, Liverpool*

Sunday, 28 May 2017

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If you know anything about me at all, you’ll know that I really, really like going out for dinner and trying new foods. When I was given the opportunity to check out the menu at a new joint – Pho Café on Bold Street – I absolutely jumped at the opportunity and invited my best friend along for the ride. We booked in for a Wednesday afternoon and arrived ready and waiting to eat some amazing dishes.

Pho café is in an absolutely prime location, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the Bold Street shops and restaurants. The interiors are spectacular and I found myself spending a significant amount of time before looking at the menu just checking out all the artwork and the layout of the place. For a Wednesday night, it was quite busy, with one large table occupied by a family party. Very good first impressions.

We were greeted immediately by a waiter, who ensured that not only were we comfortable and given the help we needed, but ensured that our table was moved once a better one (with much better lighting for pictures…) became available. He told us all about the company and talked us through the menu, explaining different aspects and ensuring that we knew exactly what we were ordering!

Catrin and I decided that we weren’t actually THAT hungry (for us) so we decided to share a starter between the two of us, then grab a main and dessert each. One of the lovely ladies in the restaurant brought over a platter of prawn crackers and sweet chilli dip for us to nibble on, we ordered drinks (homemade lemonade) and finally set about deciding what we were going to eat. We umm-ed and ahh-ed over which starter to go for as they all just sounded SO delicious, but eventually decided on Cánh gà, which were crispy chicken wings with a spicy (!!) sriracha dip. The wings were salty and delicious and while I wasn’t brave enough to try the dip, Catrin was and whilst she used it sparingly, she quite liked it – I, on the other hand, dipped mine in the Sweet Chilli dip.

Mains were much easier to decide between – I’d actually decided what I was going to eat at lunch whilst at work earlier in the day and Catrin was very quick to decide what she was going to have as well. I went for Beef Phở Xào, which were wok fried noodles, with a generous serving of beef, lemongrass, beansprouts and peanuts. I’m always a little bit apprehensive getting foods with peanuts in them, not for my own safety but for other peoples’, but this dish was more than worth that. The portion sizes were fantastic, there was more than enough of everything. The entire dish was full of flavour, filling and very moreish. I’ll more than likely be returning and ordering this dish again. Catrin ordered the traditional Vietnamese dish, the Phở chín. This dish was an interesting one, as you were given the broth aspect of the dish, and then a side plate with herbs and sauces to make it exactly to your own taste: there’s absolutely no room for disappointment here. Again, the dish was plentiful in both quantity and flavour. This is another dish that I’d really like to go back and have a taste of, as I had some serious food envy watching Catrin eat it. Stomachs full, our thoughts turned straight back to the menu and what was to come next!

At this point in the meal, the lovely lady who had been so attentive towards us all evening suggested we try a few of the restaurant’s signature cocktails. I only had to see the word “Prosecco” on the menu before I pounced on the Rose Apple Bellini, whilst Catrin opted for the Phojito: a Vietnamese twist on the classic mojito. These drinks were interesting, simply because of the inclusion of rice spirit, something I’d never tasted before. The Bellini wasn’t really to my taste, as it was quite strong, but as a treat it was definitely something I was glad to have tried. On the other hand, the Phojito was absolutely delicious.

Of course, we couldn’t go to a restaurant and not get dessert. I avoid dairy, for health issues, so I decided to get the Kem sorbet, so I wouldn’t miss out. I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn at all when I say that it was probably the best sorbet I’ve eaten outside of Italy: it was absolutely delicious, sweet but not overbearing and was a fantastic, light end to a delicious meal. Catrin chose the Bánh sô-cô-la truffle, a delicious looking chocolate truffle slab served with a generous helping of green tea ice cream.

All in all, the food and service at Pho was incredible. The staff were attentive to our (and more importantly, to other customers) needs and I can see myself returning time and time again. I’m always looking for good and consistent places to eat so I can see this place becoming a staple in my life.

(Food and drinks were complimentary, thoughts and opinions remain my own)