I remember from my youth that this site used to be home to a little Chinese restaurant that always…read morelooked quite dark and dingy, even when it was open, as if there was something going on inside that they didn't want you to know about (maybe some Yakuza bosses were having a meeting inside, who knows). Thankfully, the Chinese there has now been replaced by a lovely little French restaurant called Bistrot Verite (who'd have thought bistro in French was bistrot, hey?) Named after it's owner (a highly reputable chef in the area, I'm told), this cosy little restaurant is placed not far from Birkdale station, making it perfect to hop off a train and venture in for a good meal and a bottle of wine or two before hopping on the last train back home. Their reliance on fresh local produce means the dishes change from time to time depending on what is in season but this makes for an excellent variety of food ranging from lamb to tuna steak and salmon and asparagus pasta. The staff there are friendly and engaging, contributing to the warm and pleasant atmosphere making for a great dining experience. C'est bon (GCSE French in practice, there).

Quite what the difference between a 'bistrot' and a bistro is I have no idea, but if anyone out…read morethere is far more cultured than me, answers on a postcard please. What we do know it does is successfully bring a taste of France to the wealthy suburbs of Birkdale, and what better to put these affluent types in the mood for their next jaunt to gay Paree? (I did phonetics there, I'm sorry. Oh, I mean... ferneticks.) With a reputable chef at the helm and a flair for innovation stamped all over the menu, you can't go wrong with this place, and its location in such a well-to-do area between Southport and Liverpool means that going wrong in the land of Birkdale isn't really an option, and the restaurants follow suit. The mussels are absolutely staggering; the French do throw them together very well and I was most impressed with the almost slurp-worthy white wine sauce. The seasonal dishes are cooked to perfection and presented very prettily, and the accompanying wine list is most impressive too. The service can't be faulted either, and for staff who must be starstruck on a daily basis by sporting heroes and actors, they're extremely down to earth and most of all, friendly, accommodating and helpfully informative with the menu, and to be honest, the prices aren't all that bad for the generous portions you get given Salut, as they say on the continent.

Visited here for Father's day in a group of four. We had booked and we're seated immediately. The…read morerestaurant was very busy. Russ the owner for the past 23 years was also working and greeted us all warmly . We all picked three courses for £14 each Excellent value for the quality of food served. The cuisine is English with a Mediterranean twist . All fresh and appetising to look at. You can also choose a Sunday roast . Definitely worth a visit if your in Southport as very reasonable for the ambiance and food quality.

Ah, Auberge. This is one of those places I've visited every now and again when I've been in the…read morebrunette's hometown of Southport, and the standard does shift frequently. Sometimes this French style place is somewhere you want to shout about, other times it's somewhere you want to shout AT. What keeps me coming back is the fact that when it's good, it's really good. The atmosphere is great, very ambient, and the menu always looks very classy but doesn't always live up to its description. The one quality that's never varied however is that of the moules marinier, mussels which are surely to die for. Or at least, make a special journey for. Sometimes accompaniments can be a little undercooked, and depending on your mood the jovial, jokey and bantering staff can either be the perfect tonic or your worst enemy. It's not the most efficient of service but most of the times I've stopped by I've felt well looked after. Despite its troubled past (problems with chefs scarpering with a great deal of moolah), Auberge does come up trumps when it wants to. A frequently changing menu keeps things really fresh, and the staff do have a lot of advice to offer about the menu. While the wine list can be a little pricey you can often get special offers if you look in the right places, so you might be able to get your money's worth. All in all a bit of a Gemini of a restaurant, but can be worth the risk...

Excellent spot for a genuine French meal. It has a bistro feel. We had the mussels (main course),…read morelamb shank, and side salad. All three were excellent. The mussels came stacked in a veritable mountain along with a side of chips -- the only issue is that you'll struggle to eat the mussels before they start to cool. The lamb shank came with garlic mashed potatoes and was tender, flavorful, and delicious. The side salad had a simple mustard-accented dressing that worked well. The owner -- Fred -- is very nice and widely travelled. All in all, a delightful experience.

French cuisine on a shoestring!!! Bistro Jacques is in the perfect area for both students and…read morethespians, and caters accordingly, with a budget menu and a theatre menu. The special lunch offer is 3 courses for £7.95, which seems amazing, but unfortunately the food always seems as though it's heated-up, mass-produced and bland. The presentation is good, but it doesn't cover up the quality of the food. Then again, you can't really expect a prime steak of £7.95! The service can be a bit absent-minded at times, but the staff are pleasant and friendly. It is a favourite place for Sunday lunch for my dad, as he always appreciates spending less than £10 for what he terms 'decent food', and loves the fact that you can get a French lesson either by reading the messages on the walls or spending long enough in the loo, where an education-style tape is played teaching you various sayings. A pleasant enough place for a cheap meal, but nothing outstanding about the food.

Like it's sister restaurants on the other side of Liverpool 1 and Matthew St, Bistro Jacques does a…read moregood impression of being an authentic French restaurant while not resorting to Parisien prices. Anyone who has been to Paris will know that it can cost you an arm and a leg for a meal and couple of beers - although I'm not sure why there is still the idea that the French are still great cooks, they're massive for cheese on toast over there, you get laughed at over here for suggesting it's called Welsh Rarebit but Croque Monsieur is somehow much more acceptable! Anyway a 3 course lunch for £8 quid is a bargain and when you can get an early doors - sorry pre theatre - meal deal for £11 its good value and handy for the local Everyman and Philharmonic. They don't rest on their laurels either as the menu seems to change regularly.

The Left Bank Brasserie is tucked away behind the main streets in Ormskirk. It is a lovely little…read moreplace which appears tiny from the outside but is spacious inside. As soon as I walked in with my parents they were greeted warmly by the owner as they regularly go to the Left Bank for lunch. The owner then introduced himself to me and he was charming and very welcoming. We were there on a Sunday and we had a 2 course meal for £6.95. I had Dip Fried Goats cheese and then Lamb Rump Steak with mint mash and veg for my main course. Every mouthful of the food I had was heavenly and cooked perfectly. The service was impeccable and I can't wait to go there again.

We take my in-laws to Simply French whenever they come to town. The prices are reasonable, the…read morefood is excellent and it's a nice walk along the quay to get there. This would be a nice place for a date, actually! It's cozy and intimate inside and quiet enough to chat. The staff is really friendly and the owner, Rob, always has a big smile for us when we cross paths (in the restaurant or just around town!) If you're going for a lunch date, try Quite Simply Food instead. It's a little cafe by the same owner and it's excellent also.

We used to love eating here but it is no longer open.read more

Is this... wrong? Or is it tongue-in-cheek? Ah, of course, it's very tongue-in-cheek. Le Frog…read morefocuses on British food and gives it a French twist. First of all, the place is decorated spiffingly. Literally. Spiffingly. It's astonishingly gorgeous, just my kind of quirky decor - a ceiling plastered in newspaper, lovely quaint wooden features, neutral and pastel colours... the whole thing looks like it could have come out of a Hans Christian Anderson story. There are plenty of French favourites on offer like starters of a twice baked cheese soufflé, French onion soup gratin, tartlet with spring vegetables like asparagus, mushrooms and spinach, and more unusual options such as black pudding with chicken roulade, Thai fishcakes, potted shrimp with warm brown toast and hot smoked salmon or tempura veg. I'd call it a more Modern European affair to be honest with its additional pastas and risottos (the spaghetti with salmon and lobster is just heavenly indulgence) and you can have these in small or large portions. The sharing platters are excellent value and mains like lamb shank, duck breast, baked chicken, pork trio, a filo parcel of sun-blushed tomato, goat's cheese and spinach, all of which occupy the fusion cuisine spectrum Le Frog seems to operate within. Oh and there's steaks for the super carnivorous. The side orders aren't just supporting actors here, they're stars. Veg are cooked perfectly al dente, the broccoli hollandaise is delicious, I'd highly recommend the breads with dips and you can get potatoes in many forms - French fries, Cajun fries, garlic and chive mash and even the garlic bread comes in three varieties. All of these are stonkingly good value at under £3 each! Sorry about the dreadful pun, but I'm hopping crazy for Le Frog. See if you agree.

I hate frogs, but I like this place. Never really been a fan of French cuisine, more weird than…read morewonderful I'm afraid. However I was told the menu also carries a Mediterranean twist which worked in its favour!! I was unable to find my peace with the decor of the place, yes the decor is quirky but is it cool?? I wasn't so sure.....you'll have to decide yourself. The food, well again I must say if I'm honest I have had better. It lacked substance I thought. Perhaps the French have over the years had so much red wine with their food that their taste buds have been filed down. My marinated breast of chicken lacked a bit of umph!! The lemon, thymed and garlic chicken was served on roast vegetable cous cous with chive creme fraiche. I'm not sorry at all that my taste buds are absolute whores!!!!! Yes they are , they have been around the block and indulged in every fit cuisine around and had their way ever which way. This meal didn't quite do it for me. Having said that I did only try one of the mains and I'd like to try some of the other ones. Perhaps an update is needed. I'm sorry froggy it takes more than a decent decor to impress me son!!! We'll meet again and we 'll see if seconds are any better!!

Much like the language used in alot of my reviews the menu here is a Anglo-French fusion. True fine…read moredining options are actually not as common as you think. Majority of restaurants that claim to be fine dining are anythjing but. While I have never been a big fan of "fine dining" in the first place I have dined at enough decent fine dining restaurants to know the difference. I like the fact that they are spreading their wings and pushing the boundries a little bit by having a gourmet night with different cuisines once a month every month. French gourmet evening in August, Thai is spetember, British in October and Indian in November. Good stuff Trufflets. I purposefully skipped past majority of the options on the menu and went for the home-made char-grilled beef burger, cheddar, salad and gherkin in ciabatta, with string fries and coleslaw. To test the menu in my opinion you have to try out something from the menu that you know best and have tried in copious amounts in other restaurants. This way you start to build a portfolio of dishes in your mind. I am here to report then that their Beef burger was not bad indeed. The gherkins was a surprisingly nice touch.

High quality food that won't disappoint. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. The only downfall is…read morethe expensive price.

During our pampering session at the Quay hotel.. This gent…read morein the sauna recommended his restaurant down the road. Having had an acceptable bite to eat at the hotel the seed had been sown.. I really had the urge to try this French restaurant..technically we had to go this way anyway as it was located opposite the train station... Unfortunately it was not open until 7pm so we killed an hour at a local pub. Wandering back we walked into a very cosy place, adorned with collective French art. Luckily there were a couple of tables left ( I would book to save disappointmemt). The head of house gestured to the empty tables and invited us to sit anywhere. His enthusiasm was contagious, and he looked every bit the part in this starch white shirt and black apparel. For £22 You can select three courses from a designated menu or choose freely from the other...average starter costings were £6 varying from snails, soups, meats and seafood.. I love snails but had never tried a decent boulibasse..my mum looked over at another table and spied a woman dig into a large portion of crayfish. However she asked for the potted shrimp which turned out to be a completely different dish!! My soup was stunning, laced with herbs and spices elevating the generous chunks of fish...my mum's potted shrimp did look tiny in comparison and lots of fennel..tasty but I preferred mine. Torn between veal, duck and numerous other things for main I safely ordered the sea bass in butter and parsley sauce..when I say safe I mean..i was really full as I had not long eaten before coming here so fish seemed the lightest option..my mum followed suit and had the plaice cooked in the same manner. Both cost around £16.99 and it was refreshing to find accompiants included. A large potato gratin, sesame seeds carrots, broccoli and pickled cabbage landed along with a sizzling piece of fish. This was cooked perfectly..and I enjoyed every bite. We had pre ordered a glass of house wine to accompany our mains..this was served in two cute claret jugs..nice.touch. Despite our stomachs aching with so much food we could not resist the dessert menu..i had the cafe Garland which introduced a bit of fun on a plate. A fresh shot of berry jelly, espresso, macaroon and a mini creme brulee.. My mum had the ovaltine and whiskey icecream laced with meringue giving it a comforting texture.. With time running out to get our train we asked for the bill. My mum unknowingly had selected items from the £22.00 menu so everything turned out very reasonable. Overall a lovely experience and the entire room was mainly served by the one gent..if you stay at the Quay ditch their restaurant and come here for a more intimate experience

I've only been here once for the office Christmas party. I should point out that I am a francophobe…read moreso a French restaurant was always going to have it's work cut out with me. To be fair the food was decent enough if a bit expensive (although I wasn't paying!) and the waiter was a bit of a character - camp as a row of tents - which added to the occasion. Wouldn't pay to go there myself but it was OK.