Jade Wright and friends try House, Bold Street’s newest restaurant and venue
THERE’S something special about restaurants that are attached to artistic venues. From the wonderful and dearly departed Everyman Bistro to the bohemian delights of Leaf and the Baroque grandeur of the Bluecoat cafe, there’s a buzz about eateries that live inside creative ventures.
So when I heard about House, Liverpool’s newest restaurant, bar and performance venue, I had to give it a try.
Eager to sample its night-time restaurant menu (it’s more of a cafe in the day), my friends Lisa and Michelle joined me for dinner and drinks.
While we looked through the menu we ordered a couple of gin and tonics (£4) and a vodka and tonic (£3.80) and a bowl of tortilla crisps with chilli lime sour cream (£2) to share.
Rather than the traditional three courses, the menu is divided into sections – small bites, sharing plates, soups and sandwiches, plates and bowls, sharing pots for two, desserts and patisserie.
Prices are reasonable, with most dishes coming in at under £10.
On the recommendation of our friendly waitress, we decided on a sharing platter as our starter, in order to leave space for mains and puddings later.
We chose bread and dips selection (£5.95). For my main course I was tempted by the wild mushroom tagliatelle (£7.75), but was eventually swayed by the sweet potato and wild mushroom tortilla salad (£6.70), which came with a rocket and spiced mixed bean salad.
Lisa chose the Malaysian chicken curry with rice (£8.75), while Michelle ordered seafood moolie (£8.50), a South East Asian dish of flaked white fish and tiger prawns in a spiced fish curry sauce.
We ordered a bottle of rose (£12.95) and took a look around. House’s style is eclectic, with a hotchpotch of reclaimed tables, Chesterfield chairs, comfy leather sofas and pretty chandeliers.
Downstairs there are more chairs and sofas tucked in intimate corners, plus a multi-use performance space, which hosts bands and regular open mic nights.
On the evening we visited there was a performance poet downstairs and a female jazz singer upstairs, alternating their sets so it was easy to enjoy both.
Like the hugely successful Leaf down the road, it’s a venue that fits just about every bill.
