CALL me old-fashioned, but it's hard to remember a world without pay & display. Everywhere you drive nowadays, you need a mound of coins at the ready so that you can park safely away from the reach of the clamper or parking attendant.

So when we ventured to Liverpool's Albert Dock for an evening meal, we thought our three £1 coins would see us through but discovered it would only allow us to park for two hours. We had two options, go in search of more change or attempt to beat the clock.

We'd booked in to the Pan American Club for a meal to round off the working week and decided to opt for the latter. It was a drizzly, blustery Friday evening on the dock and, the sooner we were safely ensconced in the warm and dry, the better.

Pan Am was an integral part of the Albert Dock's transformation into a trendy nightspot. When it opened in August, 2001, it offered guests speakeasy glamour and an American-themed menu.

Five years on, and it's under new ownership, having been sold last September.

While the glamour is still there, the menu has changed. Gone is the Americas theme, replaced with global eclectic cuisine by chef John Edwards.

There seems to be a choice to suit all tastes - Asian, Mediterranean, French and even American with a range of pot roast dishes that serve two.

There is the simple steak and chips (starting at £16.95 for a 10oz sirloin and ranging to £38.95 for a 20oz Chateaubriand for two) for those who like the simple things in life through to roasted guinea fowl served with risotto (£13.95). If you are indecisive, you may be in trouble.

To start, I opted for the Japanese seared beef with pickled ginger (£5.95) - flash fried, extremely rare strips of beef served on a bed of salad, drizzled with soy sauce reduction and topped with a mound of ginger. The beef was light and delicious and the ginger fragrant but not overpowering.

My husband chose the lamb meatloaf (£5.95) and, while I enjoyed my starter, I must confess I enjoyed my sample of his more. The minted meatloaf was laced with Benedictine and served with an apricot chutney. In short, it was fruity, wholesome and moreish with just a slight kick.