ON a sunny spring evening it’s hard to beat a bit of alfresco dining. Sitting out in the dwindling sunshine is a rare treat, and as we bowled up to Left Bank, my friend and I requested a sunny little table for two overlooking the square.

It was all beginning to feel rather continental. This is the life, I mused, sitting back and perusing the menu.

Well, that was until my friend confessed: "I’m cold, can we go inside?"

While this week has been at times bright, it hasn’t exactly been warm, and the weather had got the better of us.

Shamefacedly, we skulked through the large French doors and admitted defeat, much to the waiter’s amusement.

He said we were the third party to do the same thing in under an hour, and gave us a fantastic table in their modern, cosy dining room. Overlooking the splendour of St George’s Hall and St John’s Gardens we could easily have been in Paris or Madrid.

Going back to the menu, a mixture of French and Italian dishes, we realised we were just in time to order from the pre-theatre menu, which offers two courses for £9.95 every day from 12pm-7pm.

I chose the homemade soup of the day, which turned out to be pea, followed by a pizza rustica, while my friend decided on Thai fishcakes, followed by sirloin steak (for a £2 supplement).

After initially requesting, and then cancelling, a beer, we decided on a bottle of house white (£11.50) and enjoyed a good old chat while we waited for the appetisers which, like all the food, came quickly.

They were accompanied by the wine, and a beer, which we thought we’d cancelled.

"Never mind," laughed our jolly waiter. "You can have it on me."

Service with a smile and a free pint. That’s what I call a good restaurant.

Thai fishcakes were a play-it-safe success, arriving with a ramekin of garlic mayonnaise and a good salad.

My soup was delicious. Served with a lovely crusty roll and topped with creme fraiche and sprigs of parsley, it was a real highlight.

Our starters were quickly cleared away and the main course arrived promptly.

The steak was apparently excellent, a generous portion, perfectly cooked and seasoned.

My pizza rustica was delicious, and enormous, topped with mountains of cheese and peppery rocket.

Both main courses were so big we had to admit defeat in favour of trying a pudding from the tempting menu.

After much deliberation, I went for lemon tartlet, while my friend chose hot chocolate pudding. Both arrived quickly, and looked delicious.

But the tartlet (£3.95) wasn’t the treat it should have been, with a runny, gloopy texture and a disappointingly synthetic flavour. It’s normally one of my favourite puddings, but I only touched a few mouthfuls before giving it up as a bad job.

The hot chocolate pudding (£3.95) by contrast, was heavenly. A big, sticky, rich creation, it was flanked by vanilla ice cream and a gooey chocolate sauce. Each spoonful melted in the mouth, and unlike the tartlet, it was the perfect end to a really good meal.

But given the quality of everything else, and the excellent value, it seems a bit churlish to split hairs too much.

And it was a small detail when compared with the Left Bank’s superb service – attentive but never clingy – and otherwise excellent menu.

As we paid our bill and strolled out into the night air, we buttoned up our coats against the evening chill. Despite the bright day, it seems summer is not here just yet.

But while the weather may not have warmed us, the welcome at Left Bank certainly did. I’m already planning my next visit.

Foodie facts

Location: Left Bank, St John’s House, 2 Queen Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1RH

Tel: 0151 709 0922

Disabled access: Yes

Credit cards: Yes

Value for money: Excellent

Service: Friendly and fun