An evening at Maray Liverpool

What an amazing time I was lucky enough to have on Saturday. A cold and dreary winter's evening, was brightened up by the dinner invitation I had received from Thom, Dom and the rest of the talented team at Maray on Bold Street in Liverpool. I have heard nothing but praise for this place for months, so I was more than eager to try it for myself!
Maray specialises in a wide array of small plates, such as Falafel, Kofta, Hummus and Halloumi. The emphasis here is on sharing; reaching over to sample a bite of this or a mouthful of that from your companions. I think that this approach to dining is fun and sociable and fun is exactly what going out to eat should be about.

As the sun set, I threw on a long black dress and heels and slipped out into the night, ready to experience the flavours of Le Marais district of Paris in cold and windy Liverpool. Nestled at the top of Bold Street in an area which is now bursting at the seams with great restaurants, Maray is inspired by the cocktail bars and Falafel restaurants of Le Marais, aiming to bring that same lively but laid back Parisian vibe to the Liverpool scene. I can safely say that they have achieved their aim. The restaurant threw open its doors in Summer 2014 and it is already attracting rave reviews. I hopped into a taxi to the top end of town to meet my plus one, and I was delighted to see the welcoming maroon facade of the restaurant awaiting me, as I vaulted from the cab under a cloud of hailstones!
Maray would not look out of place on a Parisian street and I soon discovered that the atmosphere inside was delightfully warm. It was bustling with contented customers, many of whom were seated at the long table which dominates the room. There was soft candlelight flickering from the tea lights and I immediately felt at home. There was a relaxed but busy feel to the place, and not only is the long table a focal point of the restaurant, but it also encourages a sociable style of dining. Thom beckoned us over straight to two seats at the bar, and after a warm welcome he quickly whipped up two Cynar Gin Fizz cocktails topped off with a healthy dose of Prosecco and garnished with ribbons of cucumber. These were delicious in every way and certainly got the night off to a great start. There is a good selection of cocktails on offer, as well as wines and beers too. There were also glass bottles of water provided, which I thought was a lovely touch, as many places do not provide water until you ask. 

I have to start off this post with a picture of the amazing food!

Thom puts his mixology to work!

Cynar Gin Fizz 

It was lovely to chat to Thom about the Parisian inspiration behind the restaurant , and how Maray has been a real labour of love for himself and Dom. Before long though, the conversation was halted as the amazing food began to arrive. The first dish was a special of slow roasted Lamb shoulder with crispy onions and Harissa hummus. I do not eat Lamb, but my plus one said it was delicious and cooked to tender perfection. I sampled the crispy onions and hummus, which were amazing all on their own. 

Slow roasted Lamb Shoulder served with delicious crispy onions and Harissa hummus. 

Whilst I was still glorying in the flavour of those onions and Harissa hummus, my heart skipped a beat as a Halloumi dish was presented to us. This was not just any Halloumi however, but rather a genius marriage of flavours as it was served on a bed of roasted vegetables and garnished with Pomegranate seeds and a Balsamic glaze.
What an amazing combination this was, and my tastebuds took flight as I savoured the best of the Mediterranean and the Maghreb combined on one plate. The mild and creamy flavour of the Halloumi was perfectly complimented by the crispy and sweet roasted vegetables and the tangy pomegranate seeds which danced around the edge of the dish adding a subtle tang.

 

 Halloumi with roasted peppers, red onion and pomegranate.

 As I began to eagerly devour the Halloumi, Maray's signature Falafel arrived, served with an amazingly refreshing Bulgar Wheat salad and Hummus. 

This was already a feast fit for a queen  and I was literally in my element tucking into so many incredible dishes The Falafel were crispy and delicious and the Bulgar wheat salad was light as air with a refreshing hint of mint.All around us, laughter and conversation filled the air, reminding me of the 4th arrondissement. Some restaurants just feel cold, especially when you have not visited them before, but Maray has such a warm and welcoming feel to it which makes even the shyest souls feel at ease. 

Falafel with hummus and Bulgar wheat salad. 

The plates were jostling for space already when another wonderful dish arrived. This was a fried egg served with the perfect slightly runny yolk, flat bread and a Harissa and tomato sauce. This dish made me think of a glamorous version of egg and soldiers for grown-ups. The flat bread was just begging to be torn up and dipped into the egg yolk and the tomato sauce. Yes everybody, I was overcome by enthusiasm for this dish to the point where I abandoned my decorum (and my cutlery!) and tucked straight in. Intense and delightful flavours tap-danced around my mouth. The spicy and sweet sauce had a delightful zing, which was complimented by the perfectly fried egg and the flat bread. It was a dreamy dish which tasted as good as it looked. Now I just want somebody to come to my house and make this for me every morning for breakfast. Did I mention that Maray also serve a range of delicious flat bread sandwiches from 12-5pm? Hmmm, maybe I should just camp outside until they open every day. I am just kidding, sort of!

These dishes were almost too pretty to eat. I said almost!

 Egg with flat bread and a spicy tomato and Harissa sauce. 

 After savouring the last bites of the egg and flat bread, a colourful dish of homemade slaw garnished with sesame seeds arrived. This was fiery, crunchy and sweet in equal measure and both the flavours and the presentation were show stopping. Alongside it appeared grilled Salmon with Quinoa, I must say I was enchanted by this dish. So healthy and perfect for anybody following a 'clean' style of eating, but lacking nothing in terms of flavour and heartiness. My plus one then happily devoured a plate of Lamb Kofta and we decided to order a Latte and an Agent Cooper to round off the evening. Had you guessed that the cocktail was for me?! Well I would hate to be predictable, but a good Espresso Martini is one of my favourite drinks, and the Agent Cooper was one of the best I have ever tasted. Rich coffee flavour with a decadent alcoholic kick, it was the perfect way to end the feast. Or so I thought, as little did I know that we were also about to be treated to two excellent desserts!

 Homemade slaw with sesame seeds, red cabbage, carrots and onions. 

Grilled Salmon with Quinoa.

 Lamb Kofta with Pine Nuts and Tahini.

The Agent Cooper cocktail:

Vodka, Kahlua, Frangelico, Espresso and Chocolate Bitters. 

The icing on the cake (so to speak!) of this excellent meal was the appearance of a wonderful pair of desserts. Firstly, there was a chocolate, peanut butter and salted caramel tart garnished with handmade nut brittle. My goodness, what a slice of heaven! The crumbly pastry crust and the gooey chocolate and peanut butter filling was made all the more delightful by the crunchy brittle. This is a dessert which I will be remembering for a long time to come! The Rhubarb jelly with meringue was light, sweet and sharp. It was a pot full of fresh and summery flavour, everything you could want to contrast with the rich decadence of the peanut butter tart.

 The desserts!

An excellent chocolate and peanut butter tart with homemade peanut brittle and a Rhubarb jelly with meringue.

 This was heaven on a plate! 

 The long table provides a lovely focal point to the restaurant and lends a convivial feel to the whole dining experience. Dom explained to me how much people really embrace being seated at the main table and I can see why. 

 Even the water bottles have the Maray logo, which I thought perfectly illustrated the attention to detail which runs throughout the whole restaurant.  The coffee was excellent, deep and rich with a definite caffeine kick! 

 Agent Cooper I presume?! Pleased to meet you.

 The chic bar area, I love the exposed brickwork and the Anglepoise lamps.

 A delicious Agent Cooper cocktail being prepared. 

 Here I am with the lovely co-founder of Maray, Thom. Thank you for the lovely evening of food, drink and conversation. It was such a pleasure to meet you all!

 The chefs hard at work. 

I always think that an open kitchen is the hallmark of an excellent restaurant, and this is certainly true of Maray. 

 The welcoming facade of the restaurant. 

 Clipboard style menus, again an excellent eye for detail! 

Not a morsel left in sight, always the sign of a good meal! 

As we enjoyed the food, Thom explained that the experience he and Dom had gathered in the bar and restaurant scene stood them in good stead for founding their own restaurant. After inspiration hit, Maray was born and you can truly feel their passion for the restaurant in every little detail from the eclectic interior and excellent cocktails to the exquisite food.
Maray has a uniqueness which sets it apart from the crowd, merging Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food with a hearty sprinkling of Parisian je ne sais quoi which results in a charming combination. 

It is a true pleasure to see a place like this emerge on to the Liverpool scene, where so many chain restaurants seem to dominate. As restaurants go, this new kid on the block has captured everyone's attention for all the right reasons and I feel that this will be only the beginning of a beautiful relationship between Liverpool and Maray. It is the perfect choice for lunch with friends, a romantic dinner for two or a family meal. In fact, every occasion you could think of would be made more pleasurable by all that Maray has to offer, it is bohemian and fun and the food is just divine.

After a wonderful meal, it was finally time to bid everyone at Maray a fond farewell. I felt like it was the perfect ending to a fairy tale evening, when soft flakes of snow began to fall as we wandered back through the city full of good food and happy Parisian vibes!

Good luck guys, you deserve every success and thank you for an amazing evening!

Maray. 

91 Bold Street, Liverpool. 

L14HF

Email: info@maray.co.uk

Telephone: 0151 709 5820

www.maray.co.uk

Instagram: MarayLiverpool

Twitter: @marayliverpool

Facebook: www.facebook.com/marayliverpool

*Disclosure:

We were kindly invited to try the delicious food and drinks at Maray as a guest of Thom, Dom and the team, the meal was therefore complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are nevertheless my own and honest, we had a wonderful time and I highly recommend the restaurant to everybody.