Emma Johnson discovers the original celebrity hang-out has lost none of its charm
CAN you believe that it is almost eight years since Liverpool’s Living Room restaurant opened its doors to a city in desperate need of some swanky dining establishments?
Situated on Victoria Street, its arrival leant a fashionable focus to the edges of the city’s traditional business district, and immediately became a favourite hang-out for the city’s well-heeled and celebrity crowd.
From mid-week to weekend, the place and its associated members’ clubs of Mosquito and Vampire below are buzzing with the beautiful people sharing meals, cocktails and more than the odd bottle of Champagne. Footballers, captains of industry, showbiz types and soap stars all love to relax within its walls.
Despite the proliferation of what are now often termed “It” bars around Liverpool, in the years since its opening, the Living Room has held its own, known as much for its consistently excellent food as it is for a cool ambience, something almost universally achieved across the restaurant chain.
But, like any living room, after eight years the place was looking in need of a little spruce-up and so it was that, at the end of November, the bar and restaurant shut its grand doors briefly for a minor refurbishment.
The team were at pains to say at the time this was not to be some overhaul of the venue – after all, why fix what ain’t broke? – more of a touch-up. And having dropped by the Living Room shortly before Christmas, I can verify that is exactly what they have done.
In the restaurant area, the South American saloon-style cream and dark wood interior, big plants and blinds which became the signature for the Living Room brand have gone, to be replaced by richer brown, red and taupe tones, with the painting of Venus – originally tucked away behind the bar – now given pride of place.
Over in the bar area, meanwhile, the white drapes that surrounded the much in-demand booths have been ditched for dim lighting and mirrors. But the layout remains the same and the customers keep on coming.
On my recent post-refurb visit, the day before Christmas Eve, there were no celebrities to be seen, but lots of Christmas shoppers enjoying a spot of lunch and contemplating how much wrapping they had yet to get through.
One of the best things about the Living Room for me has always been that, while the menu may alter slightly, it is always full of reliable dishes.
Generally falling under the heading of international food, being a mix of Pan-Asian, traditional English and Mediterranean, dishes are split into starters, salads, lunch club, home comforts, mains and of course, specials not to mention desserts.
In my experience, regular diners at the establishments – and there are many – each have their own tried and tested favourites. I know I do.
For many moons, I was hooked on The Living Room’s chicken Caesar salad (£8.95) with bacon and thankfully no anchovies (stuff what the puritans say). Then I became addicted to the slow roasted shoulder of lamb (£14.95) which was the most exquisitely cooked meat and came served with delicious rosemary potatoes.
My latest addiction is the starter of Teriyaki chicken skewers with satay sauce (£5.95) which is what I opted for on this occasion. They came as three mouth-wateringly moist portions of warm breast chicken on skewers, accompanied with a salad finished with bean sprouts, and were perfect. My husband, meanwhile, can’t resist the Living Room’s beer battered tiger prawns (£6.95) and I can see why. Served in a bamboo basket, they were huge, really tasty and there were plenty of them.
This being mid-afternoon and with a family engagement scheduled for later that evening, both of us decided to stay light when it came to the main courses. Although I steered clear of the old Caesar salad, I decided to stay within the lunch club menu limits (it is available daily until 7pm).
Among the delights on offer there, for those looking for a light bite, are the Living Room cheese and ham toastie (£6.95), moules, frites with lemon aioli (£6.95) and poached egg florentine (£5.95 or £7.95 if you want to add smoked salmon).
I decided to try the classic club sandwich (£7.95) which was quite possibly the best club sandwich I have had (barring the one at Pikes hotel, in Ibiza). It is a pet hate of mine when chefs get creative and slip in odd ingredients to club sandwiches like carrot or radishes but there was none of that here, just your traditional chicken, bacon, egg, salad and lashings of mayonnaise to make the three toasted bread rounds deliciously soggy.
Across the table, my husband ordered the shredded crispy duck salad (£9.25).
The bowl came brimming with meat and rocket and the orange and sweet chilli dressing went down a treat with a bottle of Peroni. With no time for desserts, we paid the bill and headed off safe in the knowledge that they might have touched up the wallpaper but, by not messing with the menu, the Living Room is still a home from home when it comes to good food.
* ENJOY 50% off at the Living Room in January 2008. Click here to log onto Carolyn Hughes's, By Invitation Only, blog to find out more.
