Liverpool Marina Bar and Grill

Although the location can seem like a beautiful foreign rivera on a sunny day, it may be better to stop just for drinks unless you’re happy with below par pub food and less than perfect service. We went on a not so sunny day but had heard ok things about the food so thought we’d take a drive down anyway. Not free parking btw.
I attended with a friend who wanted to take me for a birthday treat… sadly only the company of my friend and the less than happy fish in the aquarium (but more about them later) helped the drive out serve as a treat and not a complete damp squib.
I ordered a burger after seeing a fellow diners plate, theirs looked very good. Didnt really match the price. There are so many fantastic burgers on offer in Liverpool, (nolita cantina are my fave) this offering was far from fantastic. Just a thin slab on a soggy bun with plain over dry chips. I had to ask for the coleslaw which was on the menu but didn’t arrive, it needn’t have bothered showing up. Meh.
My dining partner had asked for pouring cream for her coffee, and after a five minute wait was told ‘we don’t have any’… fair enough… but later, during our desserts, which were way over priced, fiver for an eton mess laid out in clumps without the berries listed on the menu but with whipped cream… and fiver for cheesecake with raspberry compote (comNOT more like) and without whipped cream, also listed on the menu… we were both becoming disappointed with our choice of location. When we asked for the whipped cream for the cheesecake… because it was on the menu… we were first of all looked at like we’d asked for something impossible… and we found it baffling when we were brought out POURING cream! That they had said tgey didn’t have. Hmph.
All in all, we left the place disappointed and feeling a little out of pocket for what we’d eaten. Much like the fish who seemed so hungry and sad they were left to chew on the plastic foliage.
Just go for drinks on a sunny day.

This was our second visit to the Marina. Last summer we asked to see the Function room on behalf of our daughter who was recently engaged, but were somewhat underwhelmed by the attitude of the staff and the frankly mediocre food, which we decided to try, (again as a guide to the standard for the wedding breakfast). Nevertheless, six months on, we agreed to visit again with our daughter and fiancé. We arrived at 11 o’clock prompt as decided during our phone call. We stood for several minutes waiting to be spoken to while the barstaff cheerily ignored us in favour of what must have been ‘regulars’ until eventually someone asked if they could help us. We were then referred to another of the barstaff who it appeared was ‘in charge of weddings.’ The person in question was ‘brusque’ in the extreme, obviously under the illusion that the venue was so exquisite it sold itself (it didn’t), and that the view outside was incomparably beautiful (it isn’t). Afterwards, we all sat back in the car and agreed ‘How Rude!’ There is such wasted potential in the Marina, but their customer service, along with their wedding planning needs an overhaul PDQ.

Liverpool Marina is a hidden gem just past the docks area and the Liverpool Echo arena. The marina holds all sorts of vessels, from tiny 1970’s Westerly Centaurs up to million pound super yachts.
A stroll along the docks down to the marina bar offers you great pub food and service with a fantastic view over dozens of fantastic boats. They serve all the traditional pub dish favourites and their fish and chips are exceptional and generous in size.
The food and drink are average pub prices, but given the breathtaking view overlooking the boatyard, you get more than you pay for. The latest live football is always being shown inside the marina bar, and they have a separate function room which seems to run christenings and weddings etc.
They have several beers on draught and I would personally recommend the Coors light as it’s the best pint of Coors that I’ve had in Liverpool!