The Lower Place

Philharmonic Hall, Hope Street, Liverpool, L1.
Tel: 0151 210 1955

April 2004

A return visit to The Lower Place revealed that things have changed for the better since my last meal here. Overseeing things at this eatery, to be found in the basement of the Philharmonic Theatre, is Paul Askew, who has recently seen great success with his new venture just across the road, the London Carriage Works. Superficially little has changed - the decor remains the same, the beautifully polished parquet floor still shines, the same art adorns the walls, but in the kitchen - obviously the most important - there's greatly improved quality.

Stylistically the menu remains similar, offering a small selection of starters and main courses of modern cuisine. A goat's cheese tart was soft, warm, melting and simply delightful. It came on a bed of salad leaves, roasted red peppers and olives. Sliced duck with five spice and salad was equally good. A main course of roast rump of lamb on a chorizo mash - mashed potato with little chunks of chorizo sausage - provided plenty of flavour, from both of the main elements of the dish, although I couldn't help feeling I wanted just a little more - in quantity if nothing else. On the other hand, braised leg and breast of pheasant with roast potatoes was marvellous; very rich in flavour, and plentiful. I followed on with a selection of British cheeses which were present on the menu on my last visit. Very good they were too. A white chocolate brûlée was also delicious.

Overall this was a very pleasant dining experience. The service was fairly quick, but I didn't feel rushed. The staff are obviously quite used to getting everything out prior to the commencement of the show upstairs. The wine list contains a few serviceable bottles, very much in the bistro style, but could do with a little more detail. I plumped for something from the Rhone:

Jaboulet Crozes Hermitage Les Jalets 2000: Deep purple hue. A nice nose, of black fruits with a twist of meat, pepper and oak. Full bodied, showy, textured on the palate. Fairly low acidity and a lick of tannin for structure. Nice wine for current drinking. 15.5/20 (March 2004)

Prices: £26 per head for three courses plus coffee. The Crozes Hermitages was just less than £20. (14/4/04)

November 2002

This smart little restaurant is situated in the basement of the Philharmonic Hall, home to the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. It's real purpose is to provide a convenient eating place for those attending concerts in the hall upstairs, but a string of awards, topped off by the accolade of Cheshire Life Restaurant of the Year 2002-2003, suggests that convenience of location is not the only quality to be found here.

Inside the walls are boldly coloured, and adorned with some modern artwork. The lighting is stark and bright. This all contrasts with the expanse of highly polished, ageing, slightly uneven hardwood parquet flooring. The tables are tightly packed in around the edges, although those in the centre have more room. Our particular table had an impressive wobble!

The wine list is fairly depressing for a wine lover. Négociant wines from France and bottlings from big producers of the New World are the mainstay of this list. Delivered on a laminated card, no vintages are listed, which saves the restaurateur from the obviously odious task of updating the wine list. The most interesting bottle I could find was from Italy:

Masi Campofiorin Ripasso (Veneto, Italy) 1999: A deeply coloured wine, dark red-purple. Rich with tarry fruits on the nose. Full bodied on the palate, with a big, mouth filling texture. Sufficient acidity. Although quite powerful, it also seemed fairly simple and lacked great character. Not at all a profound wine, but not difficult to drink. 14.5/20 (November 2002)

The menu is short and, unlike the wine list comes on a plain A4 sheet - perhaps this changes a little more often? The cuisine is modern, with no particular focus, and the dishes in general seem appetising. I tried the smoked salmon, spring onion and haddock fish cake which was fluffy yet moist, and quite tasty. The pan-fried Cypriote Halloumi cheese had an overpowering smoky flavour and a very firm texture, but was good for what it was. An accompanying Balsamic syrup was also good.

From the main courses a griddled rump of beef with garlic and cracked pepper was cut extremely thin, but correctly cooked. Like the Halloumi cheese, however, it had an overpowering smoky flavour, and the chef had been far too heavy-handed with the seasoning. A similar story with the roast breast of French duckling in a cranberry and pink peppercorn jus, the seasoning again overdone, although the meat itself was cooked to perfection. A tasty accompanying portion of Colcannon potatoes was worthy of a mention.

A custard and almond tar was very well received, although I felt the selection of British cheeses the most interesting way to round off the meal. The Sharpham's Brie and Gubbeen were both good, but the Cashel Blue was very good indeed, creamy and well-flavoured.

To sum up, this is a very convenient place to eat prior to attending a concert at the Philharmonic. The menu is interesting, the dishes well thought out, although the final execution is somewhat lacking. The design is attractive although the lighting and layout is stark, but the service is impeccable - the staff are a credit to their employers. The question is, does it all add up to make this 'Liverpool Restaurant of the Year'? Not at all close, in my opinion. Just where else did the Cheshire Life critics eat?

Prices: Reasonably priced, at less than £20 per head for three courses. There is a fair range of wines, most sitting between £10 and £20. (1/11/02)