Reviews in Liverpool and Merseyside

never had a problem at magic spices the food is always great and service is warm a restaurant faultless finally

Lovely, great value for money, large portions, well cooked and tasty.Haven`t been for 20 years but will go back regularly from now on.Recommended.

Fantastic authentic Italian food (and wine !!) at reasonable prices

MASTERCHEF Restaurant is the Best in Liverpool.I really love the food,when food gets out on the table its nice and sizzling hot, whilst eating i love it when i can taste the food texture in my mouth. staff are easy to get on with and polite. service is good. At the end of the meal you even get to try Vimto lollypop.dessert ice creams are yummy

Three generations of landlords began when Tess Riley (nee Makin) discovered her business brain while working on her mother Elizabeth’s second hand clothes stall at St John’s and Paddy’s markets. On non-market days Tess would travel over to the Wirral to collect her stock. She bartered with the affluent homeowners for the best price for their unwanted goods before selling them on at a handsome profit. Tess, born and raised in Scotland Road, took over the reigns and it was this experience that gave her the skills which made history in the Liverpool licensee industry. In 1947 Tess married Joe Riley. They had four children together – Joan, Billy, Frank and David. After raising her family, Tess retrained and in 1970 her new life in the pub and bar industry began. That same year she started working at The Pig and Whistle, followed by the Old Mona. She was manager at The Jester for five years before moving to The Beehive in Mount Pleasant, where she bought the free hold in 1978. This was the first of many of the family's pubs to be transformed from a quiet drinking hole to one of the best pubs in Liverpool. They installed a free juke box and played only 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s music. They introduced live bands at quiet times and on Sundays, which consequently became one of their busiest days. An organist called Mick Masters was a regular act. He always brought in crowds and when other pubs were quiet, The Beehive was bursting at the seams. People lined up outside to get in the door, in the days before people queued to get into pubs. Tess would often be seen getting up for a song or two of an evening, accompanied by the resident organist. Her voice was as well known as her pub. Always dressed in the most glamorous of outfits, which would later set her up for her retirement on board cruise ships sailing the world, Tess always looked the part. Tess passed on her publican skills to her children, who helped with the running of this pub and Riley’s, which they opened, on the same street, after Joe died. Eventually she would also help her eldest daughter Joan manage her very own pub. Joan Fay (nee Riley) met Denis Fay at the Locarno Ballroom and they married in 1968, having three children, Joseph, Vincent and Deniece. And so when the other Beehive across town became available in 1983, Tess helped her Joan to secure it. With her husband she became the landlord of the pub, in Paradise Street. They refurbished the tired building and it too became a favourite choice. They used Tess’s business template of a free juke box and live music to make it a success, a method still practised in the family pubs today. And like his father-in-law, Denis carried out the behind the scenes work, leaving his wife to do what she, like her mother before her, did best and entertain the punters. When the lease ran out, the family moved to The Stanley Arms, in Aughton. Joan’s touch made it another hot spot with the locals, but they missed city life. So in 1996 Joan and Denis bought a unit in the former Blacklers building in Great Charlotte Street, and opened, Tess Riley’s in memory of Tess, who had died a short time after her beloved husband. Today the pub is owned by Joan’s children following her death in 1998. Daughter Deniece said: “These two women were such an inspiration and their memory will live on in our pubs for years to come.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As an artiste who performs at TESS RILEYS on a regular basis, I have to say city centre bars "generally" are frequented by some less desirable members of the general public, whereas TESS RILEYS, I am glad to say seem to have the same regulars who keep coming back again and again. I believe this is due to the great atmosphere, it is more like a club than a bar. A very strict No Drugs policy which keeps the less desirables out, thankfully.

after a long day of shopping , tess rileys was fantastic, food was gorgeous , staff so welcoming, service was great, after a long day shopping ,so relaxing .i recommend this pub .

This place gives a taste of the best Liverpool has to offer. Home made food, which is delicious and very reasonable, welcoming friendly staff and the entertainment is the icing on the cake. Ideal for days or night for all ages. I'll be going again and again!

visited la casa vieja today and had tapas for lunch,superb quality freshly cooked food,looking forward to visiting mano again,no more la tasca for us, this place is a gem.

Having read so many rave reviews i suggested this restaurant for a night out with my Spanish parents last night ( Tuesday ) and spent the majority of the way home apologising for what was quite frankly an expensive venture into the food equivalent of a placebo. There was nothing good to say about any of the tapas we ate, the only notable factor being the overly sized portions ( which i guess is their justification for the prices ). We were served muscles that were closed over, what looked like a large heap of calamares until we discovered that the majority of the heap was salad, prawns that had their taste cooked out of them, and a couple of meat offerings which were doused in spice to the point where i wondered if we had in fact booked an Indian in error. The only saving grace was the deserts which were well received all round. Expensive, bland, give it a miss!

Excellent afternoon teas. Better than Betty's!

Frankly awful, service was slow, I was served full sugar cola when requested diet and had a rather sullen and annoyed response when I asked it to be changed. The baked potato I had was lukewarm at best, the pitiful salad I could have that wasn't covered in olive oil, was warmer than the potato. Waste of money.

food and service were excellent but have to agree with some of the other comments the tables are far too close to each other.

Me and my partner recently went to Bistrot Verite for our anniversary and enjoyed a fantastic meal. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly and were attentive to our needs. As this was a special occasion we wanted a special wine and the waiter was only too happy to help us choose. With regards to the food, there is an obvious French theme to the menu, the chef here has been able to bring classic French food into an English village, furthermore he has done it extremely well. My partner and I shared a Chateaubriand which was cooked to perfection. The desserts were also to die for, the crème brulee being my favourite. Overall I would rate this as high as any other restaurant in the area. The food, service and the general ambience was perfect for our anniversary and both my partner and I would recommend this to anyone. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

Been meaning to post this for a while, went to etsu at the end of May and had one of the best dining experiences I've ever had! I have lived in japan for 2 years, came back in August 2009. I had literally no experience of Japanese cuisine before I moved there, and since moving back I have tried Japanese restaurants in a fair few British cities - in terms of authenticity this restaurant is right on the money. The staff couldn't be friendlier, and the owner Dave is a thoroughly charming chap with a real passion for what he does. Atmosphere first class, and for the true Japanese dining experience I can heartily recommend ordering edamame (soy beans) and Asahi beer on tap. The House Sake is from Akita prefecture, an excellent region for Sake more suited to foreign palettes. Onto the food! Me and my girlfriend shared a fair few starters each - the gyoza and karage were perfect, but the highlight was the tempura, done in an exquisitely light, melt in the mouth batter. I opted for a sea bass main, my girlfriend went for fish of the day, marlin. Absolutely perfect, the waiter was also able to give us a good guide to which of the japanese sauces on offer would go best with which fish, excellent knowledge. As is acknowledged on the menu, japanese cuisine is not known for its desserts, however the Baileys Cheesecake to finish was absolutely sublime. I've just moved back to Liverpool, and will be frequenting etsu as much as my budget allows!

Had to provide some balance, looking at the reviews. Three years ago this restaurant was OK (used to be called "The Curzon"). Wife and I stopped going because the food became awful and frighteningly overpriced. Re-tried it a couple of months ago, in its "Salvatores" guise. Calamari was soggy. TBone was gristly/poor cut. Stroganoff was dry. Terribly overpriced. Ripped off. Never again.

meal good but staff are so rude,i went for meal there,they don't know how to speak to a customer,

Sadly not a recommendation. Not aware when we that it had only been open 5 days (impulsive night out). I expect new places to have teething troubles but this was much more. Waited ages for drinks (not many of the waiting staff appear to understand much english). Waited ages again for the food. Disappointed what arrived. I had the combo starter. Sweet potato in tempura batter, even normal batter would have been better that waht we got...nothing like tempura. Won Tons were really limp and soggy. It appeared to me that most of the items were bought frozen then cooked, however that is not reflected in the prices which are expensive considering the poor quality. Towards the end of the night a small blonde lasy appeared and things speeded up. May she was manager, or owner. If only she had been there earlier, things might have gone more efficiently. Menu talks about how authentic the food is. Cannot agree, it was like a chinese with more spices added. The only good thing I can say about the place is, nice decor. Shame about the food.