Pod Bar Restaurant

137-139 Allerton Road, Liverpool, L18.
Tel: 0151 724 2255

October 2002

Situated close by a number of other new establishments on Allerton Road, such as Fusion and The Other Place, Pod has made an impact on the Liverpool dining scene with its unique presentation of world cuisines in a collection of small, Tapas-style dishes. The business is the brainchild of Katie Webb and other graduates of Liverpool Hope University's Owner-Manager training course, and quickly received one accolade at least when it took first place in the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative 2000. That's great, but the proof of the pudding (or in this case, the tapas) is in the eating. So what's it like?

Pod is a combined bar and restaurant, and although when we arrived the bar was fairly quiet, it gets very busy and consequently very noisy - even midweek. The decor is pretty simple - pale yellow roughly finished walls and plain wooden floor. The tables seem to be old school desks - I tried opening one or two of the drawers to see if there was any homework inside, but sensibly they have all been permanently sealed. Although they are fairly tightly packed in, the dining area didn't seem cramped or overcrowded.

The wine list was first to come under my scrutiny, and what's clear is that yet again I have found another local restaurant where nobody can be bothered to update the wine list. In truth I am afraid that although they are certainly skilled businesspeople, and maybe even restaurateurs, the owners may have no knowledge of wine at all. The list was fairly uninspiring, proudly displaying the Oddbins Corporate Wholesale logo, and boasting a number of widely available and inexpensive bottles marked up 200-300%. For the wine I ordered something from D'Arenberg. What arrived at the table was two vintages out of synch with the wine on the list:

D'Arenberg White Ochre (South Australia) 2001: Predominantly Riesling but with a good dollop of interest from other white grapes. A fresh and vibrant nose, full of pears, stone fruit and a touch of pineapple. Rounded palate, fresh flavours, good acidity. 16/20 (October 2002)

The food, however, is more of a success story. The menu consists of a choice of tapas, about thirty altogether, featuring a variety of meats, fish, vegetables and salads. I was expecting a selection of Spanish dishes, but I was surprised (pleasantly, as it turned out) to find they originated from all cultures and countries of the world. Ah, the penny drops....so that's why I couldn't find any Sherry on the wine list! I sampled the Moorish marinated lamb (with garlic, paprika, chilli, saffron, cumin and lemon) which was good - mildly spiced but a good char grilled flavour. Similarly good flavour from a thin cut of rump steak, although the advertised lime and chilli butter didn't seem to materialise on the palate. Some accompanying onion rings were great - crisp, dry and flavoursome. Lebanese chicken (with almonds, mint, lime and pomegranate molasses and bulgar wheat tabbouleh) was also very good, the meat having a super, soft texture. Fresh mussels (à la Marinière) was a brave addition to the list, but didn't work too well - the sauce lacked flavour, and the mussels didn't have a great texture. The Thai fish cakes were firm, meaty and pleasing, although the accompanying sweet chilli dipping sauce looked decidedly familiar - the Blue Dragon brand most likely. A slice of aubergine, baked with onion, mozzarella, basil, pine kernels capers, parmesan and breadcrumbs was delightful - a firm texture to this vegetable that always needs careful preparation and cooking. The Pod salad was quite satisfactory, and a platter of dips (including a delightful guacamole lifted with plenty of coriander leaves) was also very good.

We sampled just one dessert, a white chocolate cheesecake which was pleasing, although it had a dry texture. Some accompanying ice cream was bland. It was followed by some good coffee. Throughout service was friendly and, for the most part, proficient. The staff seemed less capable, however, as the bar became really busy towards the end of the evening - our coffee took a long time to appear, and only after a prompt. This was annoying, as sitting only ten yards from the coffee pot we could have got up and helped ourselves.

Prices: Good value here, at under £20 per head for four tapas each. All the usual sides (olives, bread, etc) are extra, so order if you desire. Wine typically £10 - £15 per bottle (I must admit in despair I didn't spend too long perusing the wine list), mark-up as described above. A couple of wines are available by the glass. (11/10/02)