A theatre wouldn't be my first point of call when looking for somewhere to eat but when looking for somewhere to eat after going to see a matinee performance of the Everyman Theatre's Company production of Fiddler On The Roof (which was stunning btw!) we saw that they had their very own Everyman Bistro offering up food prior to evening performances. Somewhere to eat right where we were spending the afternoon? Made perfect sense to give them a try and so we made a table reservation and after enjoying the show we headed down into the Everyman's basement to take our seat.
The Everyman Theatre has recently under gone a big refurbishment and so the whole venue is looking as good as new. Modern, fresh and very nice looking, this standard of excellence carries right through into the Everyman Bistro's fixtures and fittings too. I loved the hanging lights populating the ceiling in particular. Seating is quite limited for the number of people who can fill the theatre so I would recommend booking a table if you are coming on a performance day.
The menu is a selection of small plates which you can size up to a main meal if you want too, the company board based on the show of the moment (unfortunately not available when we came. Sad face!) and burgers (which are massive!). We went for a selection of small plates starting with the fattoush. A bowl of deliciously fresh vegetables including celery, tomato, courgette and peppers tossed in a zingy lemon and sumac dressing and topped with some crunchy sourdough croutons for a little bit of bite, its a brilliant little dish for any vegetarians at your table
Roasted cauliflowers are very much on trend at the moment, whether that's as cauliflower "steaks" or roasted whole. It great to see this classic vegetable being used in a new and exciting way and the Everyman Bistro have continued this trend with it's very own version. They have roasted the cauliflower to perfection and dressed it with a cumin and prune based curry like sauce mixed together with crushed walnuts. It's a great combination that I have never tried before but it works really well. It's another victory for the vegetarians and one that I would love to try and recreate at home.
Next up was this plate of crispy whitebait. I spied these little fishes on the Everyman Bistro's Instagram page before we came for our visit and they looked great with lots of crispy batter surrounding each piece of whitebait. I was slightly disappointed when mine arrived at the table with only the littlest slither of a batter but it still meant for a crispy coating. Make sure you squeeze a bit of lime of over the whitebait before you dip them into the accompanying chipotle mayo as the zing of the lime and the heat of the mayo really compliments that fishy flavor of the whitebait. Seafood lovers will love this!
Every one loves baked beans! Well, I know I do anyway so when this chorizo and belly pork cassoulet was placed it front of me I knew I was in for a treat. The beans were like some of the best baked beans I've ever eaten with the most flavorsome tomato sauce. The belly pork was perfectly cooked with all those yummy layers of fat hiding underneath a layer of crispy skin (just as belly pork should be!). The star of the show though was the chorizo sausage which sat on top like a king! It was so plump, juicy and packed with all those delicious paprika flavors you would associate with this Spanish treat. A bowl of perfection!
The final selection from the menu we went for was the bowl of sticky plum and chili jam chipolatas. This bowl basically does what it says on the tin. Following on from the amazing chorizo sausage on the cassoulet, these little bangers were also juicy and moist and most definitely sticky with that sweet chili jam coating every inch of the meat. The nigella seeds that cling to the sausages add a little bit of textural crunch to keep things exciting in the mouth. I could of quite happily of eaten a whole bowl more of them if they were placed in front of me. So simple, yet ever so effective.
Even though we had stuffed ourselves with our small plates, there was still just enough room to try some of the seasonal desserts. Our first dessert was the dark chocolate shot brownie. If you love chocolate then this dessert is like dying and going to heaven. The brownie was moist and gooey and then when you dip it into the little shot of dark chocolate on the side it's elevated to heavenly like status. Cleanse the palette with a smidge of the vanilla ice cream on the side before tucking into another spoon full of the chocolate brownie. It's rich, decedent and slightly naughty but most importantly it's delicious!
I've saved the best until last however with the Bara Brith bread and butter pudding. This traditional Welsh loaf is something I have baked myself in the past and is very much in season with the recent passing of St David's Day. It was amazing! The Bara Brith was a little cube of baked amazingness, peppered with little juicy raisins and a delightfully sugary crispy top layer which gives the cube a satisfying crunch to contrast with the soft body of the bread. Bread and butter pudding can sometimes be a soggy mess but by putting the cream to the side and allowing you to self pour yourself removes this potential disaster altogether. I couldn't fault it!
With dinner finished with and having enjoyed an amazing show we left to enjoy the rest of our evening. The Everyman Bistro is a little hidden gem right in the city centre of Liverpool. If you are going to see a show at the theatre or you are just looking for a great place to eat around Hope Street then get yourself down here and try some of those delightful small plate. Get there fast for that Bara Brith pudding as well, it won't be around much longer. My verdict on the Everyman Bistro? It's a standing ovation from me!
To find our more about the Everyman Bistro, the theatre or for information on how to book a table click here to head over to their website!
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