Liverpool

Housed in a beautifully restored 19th-century building on Hope Street, The London Carriage Works offers contemporary fine dining with a strong sense of place. Championing seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, the restaurant blends modern British cuisine with international influences in a stylish, understated setting. Sophisticated yet welcoming – it’s a destination for thoughtful food and polished hospitality.

Set inside a stunning Victorian building on Sugnall Street — once a home for destitute children, now one of Liverpool's finest dining rooms — The Art School is Chef Patron Paul Askew's love letter to the city he has championed for over four decades. Since opening in 2014, Askew has drawn on a career that took him from New York to Singapore and Dubai, channelling those global influences into menus built around the finest seasonal produce from within 35 miles: Claremont Farm asparagus, Liverpool Bay sea bass, Southport potted shrimp, Oldfield Farm Galloway beef. The result is ambitious, colourful fine dining — Michelin recommended since day one, two AA Rosettes, and winner of the Taste of England Award — served in an elegant room of red chairs and crisp white linen.

Sitting at the heart of the Royal Albert Dock, Gusto has been one of Liverpool's most beloved Italian restaurants for over fifteen years — and the setting alone makes it worth the visit. Exposed brick walls, olive trees, expansive windows and a waterside terrace all set a mood that's somewhere between a sun-drenched trattoria and a UNESCO World Heritage landmark. The menu stays true to Italian tradition: hand-pulled pizzas, house-made pasta, and a specials menu shaped by regular sourcing trips to Italy, all backed by a carefully chosen wine list. Across two floors of dining with dock views at every turn, Gusto is the kind of place that makes a long, unhurried lunch feel like a mini escape to the Mediterranean.

Set within a grand, Grade II-listed building in Liverpool's Georgian Quarter, Barnacle is a sophisticated celebration of the city's maritime food history. Helmed by acclaimed Chef Patron Paul Askew and his son Harry, this modern brasserie bridges historic elegance with contemporary flair, paying homage to the global flavours that once arrived at Liverpool's ports.

The seasonal, field-to-fork menu highlights exceptional local ingredients from Merseyside’s finest artisans and foragers. With beautifully executed, sustainable British dishes, an inventive cocktail selection, and an undeniably welcoming Scouse soul, Barnacle transforms a meal into an elegant journey through Liverpool’s gastronomic heritage.

Tucked inside a two-century-old brick warehouse next to the Beatles Story at the Royal Albert Dock, Lunyalita is the younger sibling of Liverpool's much-loved Lunya — and it's carved out a personality all of its own. Original flagstone floors, vaulted arched ceilings and a sun terrace spilling out onto the dock set the scene for some of the North West's best Catalan tapas: grilled sobrasada with whipped goat's cheese and orange-blossom honey, dirty patatas bravas, cracking paellas and pan-fried sea bass on squid-ink pasta with allioli. The Good Food Guide calls it a Local Gem, and it's easy to see why. Intimate, characterful and deeply Spanish in spirit, Lunyalita is one of Liverpool's most charming spots.

Born on Bold Street in 2014, Maray has been the darling of Liverpool's dining scene for over a decade. Inspired by the cultural melting pot of Le Marais in Paris, the menu roams freely across the Middle East and Mediterranean: the legendary Disco Cauliflower with harissa, pomegranate and chermoula; roasted aubergine, tahini, pomegranate, puffed rice; braised lamb; and an orange & polenta cake worth every last bite. At the Royal Albert Dock, huge glass windows frame views across the water, the wine list leans into the adventurous and unusual, and the welcome is warm every time. Maray proudly holds a maximum of 3 stars in the Sustainable Restaurant Association guide.