Jade Wright samples a recession busting menu at Puschka in the Georgian quarter

JANUARY is a wonderful time for diners, if not always for restaurateurs. Even top-end establishments offer tempting deals to entice customers in.

I like to think I’ve done my bit for the economy this month by eating my way out of the recession, but this week there was a deal that took me by surprise.

Puschka is my favourite restaurant in the city centre. I’ve eaten there countless times over the years, but always after 8pm.

But this week, on my way to a concert, I’d popped in at 6.20pm for an early dinner, and our friendly waitress offered us the choice of the a la carte or the early evening menu, which ends at 6.30pm.

Given that the early evening menu offers three courses and a glass of house wine for £19.90 we were tempted – but we hadn’t planned to take advantage of it, and felt more than a little cheeky, given it only had 10 minutes left on the clock. We needn’t have worried, as the waitress insisted that we could choose whichever we liked, so we decided to give it a try.

There were four starters to choose from, with two vegetarian options: baked goats' cheese, almonds, thyme and roasted shallots or white onion soup with Stilton soda bread. I chose the soup. I love a good onion soup – normally the French type. This was something slightly different, creamier than its French cousin, and with small pieces of soft Stilton in the broth itself. On the top was a swirl of ruby port and a sprig of dill, which worked well, bringing out the other flavours.

It was one of the best – and most filling – soups I've had in a long time. But the star turn – as it always is in Puschka, I'm learning – was the little tin of freshly baked bread that accompanied it. Warm, chewy and deliciously packed with Stilton, it was naughty but so nice. Everything about the dish worked.

Across the table, my boyfriend had opted for smoked mackerel and smoked salmon pâté, pickled cucumber and dill. It came inside what could best be described as a balloon of smoked salmon, with a side of crostini and rocket and another bunch of dill.

His house wine was a real success, a light sauvignon blanc, bursting with tropical fruit and citrus tones.

The pâté was smooth, bursting with flavour and was surprisingly light. All the flavours, from the subtle salmon and mackerel to the spicy rocket, complemented each other perfectly.

Like the soup, it would be sufficient for a lunch in its own right. We were left sated, but with room for the main event.

I'd chosen celeriac, courgette and beetroot gateau, with hazelnut and basil pesto and butternut squash veloute and greens. It was an object of beauty – an exquisite tower of layered vegetables with a lovely crispy top, sitting on a bed of greens, cemented together with a full-bodied pesto, and a smear of butternut squash sauce. At times the gateau threatened to overwhelm the rest with its intensity of complex flavours, but there was a welcome surprise – a whole roasted tomato – which cleansed the palate and lightened the darker flavours.

My boyfriend chose pork chop, with salsa verde, white beans and fines herbes. The chop was substantial, resting on the white beans in a sauce with a subtle hint of white wine behind it. A caper mash, gave a tangy aftershock to the otherwise subtle meat and beans. He was impressed.

By this point, there was little room left for dessert, but there was no way he would accept defeat. He ordered apple, raspberry and ginger crumble with custard, and as he'd finished his wine, a glass of Muscat Beaume de Venise (£4.50) to go with it.

The crumble, was superb. The apple and berries were soft and the crumble golden and caramelised.

I struggled to choose from the four options, but sometimes only chocolate will do. This was one such occasion, so I chose the dark chocolate truffle-mousse, sea-salted caramel, and orange ice cream.

The mousse was packed with intense flavour, with shards of salted caramel so hard I feared they'd break my teeth, heart shaped ice-cream and a pretty heart shaped shortbread biscuit, decorated with redcurrants, icing sugar and cocoa powder. It fitted the bill perfectly, but was so large I couldn't finish it.

To match its chocolatiness I'd ordered a glass of Donato degli Antinori (£4.50), which had a pleasantly sweet oaky flavour. But when I tried a sip of the Muscat it paled in comparison and I insisted we swapped glasses, despite protests from across the table.

But he couldn’t really complain. We’d enjoyed a fantastic meal with wine at half the price we’d expected. That’s what I call a January sale.

Details

Puschka

16 Rodney Street, Liverpool, L1 2TE, 0151 708 8698, www.puschka.co.uk

Children: Welcome, but no special menus

Disabled access: No access to toilets

Service: Friendly, relaxed and well informed

The bill: £48.80 for two – excellent value

Rating: HHHHH