BISTRO PIERRE LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

So having enjoyed the £12.95 pre theatre menu at Bistro Franc in my previous post and being lucky enough to have tickets to go and see Sheridan Smith star in Funny Girl at the Liverpool Empire last week, we decided to give their sister restaurant, Bistro Pierre a whirl. Their pre theatre menu offered a different selection of starters and mains so it's practically like visiting a completely different venue isn't it? Could Bistro Pierre offer a tasty trio of courses similar to that of Bistro Franc? We headed off to go find out.

Bistro Pierre was a lot busier than Bistro Franc when we arrival on a pleasant Thursday evening. Maybe it was because it was a nicer evening or maybe it's down to Bistro Pierre's more central location on Button Street that makes it more in demand but either way I was glad we had pre booked a table. The decor is again similar to Bistro Franc's with the dark wooden fittings and posters of traditional French artwork lining the walls. Bistro Pierre is a lot smaller than Bistro Franc which when you combine with the amount of people in the dining area does make for a rather intimate affair but I liked that as it felt like there was a bit more of an atmosphere.

So with our white wine ordered and the pre meal bread tucked into we ordered our courses. The £12.95 menu was once again too bargaintastic to resist and as mentioned above, the option's do vary between Bistro Pierre and Bistro Franc and so this time I ordered the Bleu D'Auvergne cheese croquettes. They do arrive at the table looking rather uninspiring sat on top of a bed of random rocket leaves but looks can be deceiving as they are rather delicious. So soft and cheesy with a nice crisp crunch they are further elevated with a dip in the apple compote on the side. I just wanted more!

Our other starter was the lemon and garlic hummus. This was a great little start to the meal. The hummus had just the right amount of garlic and lemon to work together perfectly so that there wasn't one flavor overriding everything. The marinated peppers on top added a nice sweet touch giving a further dimension to the dish. The flatbread was good but there was the age old problem (one similar to when you order pate at a restaurant!) of there not being enough meaning we were using everything we could to polish off the rest of the hummus. Make sure you save some of that bread you are given at the table! 

The mains were like two sides of a coin. I'll be honest and say that we couldn't help but be a bit disappointed with the tofu on our first main. It was incredibly salty due to the amount of soy sauce it had been marinated in. This was slightly offset by the rainbow slaw which offered a lightly tangy, sweet respite from the tofu. It was delightful as was the avocado salsa hidden underneath which was refreshingly palette cleansing. Add a bit of the tofu, slaw and salsa together with a piece of the flatbread and you were fine. It's a shame the tofu was just a tad too overpowering; hopefully this was just a one off!

The second main on the other hand was absolutely spot on. A gorgeously cook piece of salmon with the most scrumptious crispy skin, I would of been quite happy just to have that as my meal. Add to it the fresh burst of flavor offered up by the roasted vine tomatoes and you take it up a notch. Add to that a creamy mushroom veloute that worked in complete harmony with the salmon and for me you have a perfectly delightful little plate of food. I devoured the lot alongside the sides of broccoli, yummy red cabbage and heavenly potatoes that were served between the two of us. Couldn't fault it!

Onto the desserts now and this is the only part of the menu at Bistro Pierre that was identical to the one we had in Bistro Franc so we decided to chose different puds to give them a whirl in case we missed something good the last time round. First up was the mulled winter berry mousse. It was huge but this is a good thing as it was delicious. The light and fluffy mousse on top hid a layer of sweet berry compote underneath and the combination of the two together danced on your taste buds. It's simple but ever so effective and the perfect fruity palette cleanser to finish off a three course meal with.

For those who are still a bit peckish you could go for our final dish of the evening which was the apple and pear crumble with custard and when I say custard I mean an absolute shed load! Not that I'm complaining as I love custard and I'm always annoyed when you get served up stingy portions in restaurants. The crumble itself was delish! The apples and pears were cooked perfectly so they were tender enough to be soft but still have a bit of bite to them whilst the crumble was super sweet and crunchy adding a different level of texture to the dish. To me, this was a proper little bowl of comfort food and it made me finish the meal with a smile.

So with our three courses polished off it was time to head off to the theatre. Bistro Pierre may had a wobble when it comes to that tofu but again for the £12.95 price tag, you couldn't really fault it. You might initially think that the portion sizes are stingy but I left feeling full and that is right, you don't want to roll out the door feeling bloated and sick. Pick yourself the right starter, main and dessert and you can have yourself a proper nice meal at a great price and who could ask for anything more? Would I come back to Bistro Pierre? On balance, Oui s'il vous plaît!

Fancy giving them a go? Head on over to Bistro Pierre to check out their menu or for details on how to book yourself a table by clicking here!