Dinner at The Club House...

In the summer most of us would probably like to be on a beach, and I have just the place which captures that beach side feeling in the centre of Liverpool.  The Club House* in Liverpool One is a place which conjures up the Hamptons with beach house architecture featuring wood panelling an outdoor rotisserie kitchen, nautical ephemera and deckchairs. I went along recently to dine there and we were whisked upstairs beneath the light of a sparkling chandelier, to be seated at a table overlooking the outdoor terrace below. 

There is plenty of choice on the menu at The Club House and many of the dishes are suited to spring and summer, a starter of smoked haddock and sweetcorn chowder with crackers sounded appealing, as did superfood salad and their signature Club House sandwiches. We ordered an excellent bottle of chilled Chenin Blanc, Hazy View from the Western Cape of South Africa which was a fruity and fragrant wine ideal for such a sunny day. 

I started the meal with homemade houmous board with crudités and flatbread, which was well presented topped with toasted seeds. The generous portion of houmous was easily enough to share and it had a great slightly earthy taste and texture which sat well with the vegetables and flatbread.

My dining companion indulged in the baked camembert with smoked bacon and crispy onion crust, served with granary bread, apple and celery. This was a melting treat and the twist of adding smoked bacon and onion crust really complemented this classic dish.

It was time for our main courses, and my dining companion went for the chargrilled chicken burger topped with lettuce, gherkin and tomato served with seasoned chips. You can customise your burger toppings, so he added bacon, Stilton and fried onions, creating a towering burger. The chicken was tender and the brioche style bun added to the enjoyment as did the extra toppings and seasoned chips which were served in a large portion presented in a box alongside the burger, which is a fun way of plating this dish. 

For the main course I was tempted by the award winning sweet potato and spiced lentil pie with curry sauce and seasoned chips, this dish was a good choice as the pie had a filling which had a perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavour and the pastry was golden and flaky. The accompaniment of seasoned chips drizzled with curry sauce made this dish a hearty choice which delivered on satisfaction, raising the bar on the traditional pie and chips combination. I would also recommend the whole or half rotisserie chicken at The Club House served with hot piri piri or barbecue sauce and the hanging kebabs are always satisfying. 

Next it was on to dessert and I will not even attempt to tell you we resisted, instead we instantly chose lemon posset tart with summer fruit coulis and the rocky road kebab with strawberry, hazelnut brownie, marshmallow, biscuit sauce and chocolate crumb. 

The lemon posset tart was one of the best lemon tarts I have ever tasted (and I practically lived on tarte au citron when I lived in France for a year, so that is saying something) the pastry was buttery and the filling was creamy with just the right amount of lemon flavour. The simple summer fruit coulis was a good companion to this dessert which was zesty and refreshing in the heat of the afternoon.

The rocky road kebab was a treat not for the faint hearted in the best possible way, moist squares of hazelnut brownie interspersed with marshmallow and fruit then drizzled with dreamy biscuit flavour sauce. Combined with the ice cream and chocolate crumb, this was delicious and surely the strawberries made it healthy….! 

We had a relaxed evening dining at The Club House and a little taste of the Hamptons without leaving home. The food was tasty and abundant and service was friendly and helpful, the location and aesthetic make this restaurant appealing all year round and it really comes into its own in summer when you can pull up a chair on the outdoor terraces, grab a bite to eat or just sip a cocktail and watch the world go by. 

The Club House 

Chavasse Park,

Lord St,

Liverpool

L2 9SQ 

0151 709 5366

http://theclubhouse.uk.com/

What do you all think, do you like the idea of dining in a restaurant inspired by a beach house and which of these dishes would you choose? As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post.

Until next time,

Camille

xo

*I was invited to dine at The Club House, this meal was complimentary. Opinions stated herein in are my own and honest.