Spring menu tasting at Gusto Liverpool...

There are some places I gravitate towards again and again; for me the formula for a great restaurant is simple and if I find good food, service and ambience in one place then I love to return. One place which I find gets it right consistently is Gusto and I am lucky enough to live close to both Gusto Liverpool and Gusto Heswall, decisions, decisions!
I have several happy memories at Gusto and I have whiled away many fun afternoons and evenings there over the years; way back before I was a food writer Gusto was a favourite restaurant of mine for ‘date night’ and I still love the warm and welcoming atmosphere.
We went along to Gusto Liverpool recently, to enjoy a preview of the spring menu which incorporates some new seasonal dishes alongside the usual Gusto favourites.
Garlic pizza bread with mozzarella is something I always order; the thin and crispy base topped with stringy cheese is comfort food at its finest.

We also enjoyed a portion of fragrant rosemary focaccia, which was perfect with olive oil and balsamic.

Continuing the cheese theme, my dining companion selected the fondue board of truffled Toma with celery, carrot and artisan bread as his starter. I like fondue, this fun retro dish is long overdue for a comeback and I thought it was a welcome addition to the menu which is ideal to share. 

I went for the deep fried Toma cheese with spiced tomato coulis for my starter and the tangy coulis worked well with the melted cheese encased in golden crumb. 

My main course choice of baked aubergine Milanese was rustic and filling and the peppery rocket salad was tasty with the generous portion of aubergine. 

My dining companion was drawn to the slow cooked pork belly with fried gnocchi, pork crackling, apple sauce and red wine jus. This dish was so well presented and the slight sharpness of the apple sauce complemented the succulent pork while the crackling added texture.

When it comes to side orders, the thick cut polenta chips at Gusto are unmissable and they always put a smile on my face, we also went for tasty courgette fries and truffled fries with Grana Padano to test the capacity of our (already groaning) table!

On to dessert and my dining companion went for a selection of ice cream topped with toasted almonds while I chose panna cotta with strawberries and balsamic, a perfect dessert for this time of year which brought together light and creamy flavours. 

Gusto
Edward Pavillion
Albert Dock
 Liverpool
L3 4AF

http://gustorestaurants.uk.com/

It was another enjoyable evening at Gusto which reaffirmed why I love this classy restaurant which combines style and substance in to one package. What do you all think, do you have a restaurant which you visit regularly and have you ever dined at Gusto? As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post.

Until next time,

Camille 

xo