Malmaison Brasserie

Staying in the hotel we were eating here the first night. Had we read the other reviews first this would have put us off. The food was great, especially the black pudding starter! Three courses for £25 or included on a DBB deal (breakfast also fab if staying). A little cool to start with but as filled up with people then just the right temperature. In the very welcoming adjoining bar it was half price drinks on a Friday evening and we also had live music when we were here. Recommended, especially if can get on a deal.

This was my first visit to the Brasserie Malmaison Liverpool, having booked it via the Open Table app. The restaurant is located inside the Malmaison Hotel, on Princes Dock, Liverpool.
I arrived about twenty minutes ahead of schedule (I’d planned to walk from my hotel, but given the appalling weather, I got a taxi), but was warmly greeted and swiftly seated. My host escorted me to my table and handed me the menu. I had read that there was a set menu on offer, but was not permitted to have this as it was meant for hotel guests only.
The menu I was given covered all bases and wasn’t exorbitantly priced. My meal was as follows:
Starter
Fritto Mistro
A selection of seafood in a light batter, with courgette slices, also in batter. Served with garlic mayonnaise and a sweet chilli dipping sauces.
Main Course
Calves Liver, Bacon and Mashed Potato
Liver was served well done or pink (I chose the latter), with bacon and mashed potato. I opted for a side dish of wilted spinach.
Desert
Lemon sponge with winter fruit and served with whipped cream
Drinks
Diet coke
A carafe of water was served at the table. My meal was very pleasant indeed.
The starter was fresh, tasty and very well presented. The batter was light and did not overpower the dish. The two dipping sauces were an excellent accompaniment.
The main course was very tasty and cooked to perfection, with a very pleasant ju. The mashed potato was light and fluffy (exactly as I like it) and my wilted spinach (a very decent sized portion) rounded off the dish very nicely indeed.
My desert was lovely, light and very pleasant indeed. Some may say it was a little too sweet, but for me it was perfect. We all like different things.
The ambience of the restaurant was pleasant enough. I’m not a fan of open ceilings that show air conditioning ducts, but each to their own. It certainly didn’t detract from the meal.
There was a decent amount of background music, which was enjoyable. As I dined alone, I brought a magazine to read and didn’t feel out of place.
Service was decent enough from a range of people. Nick was my main server. Whilst pleasant enough, wasn’t really communicative, but that was possibly as he was busy.
My final bill came to £38.50 as it included 10% service. I’m personally not a fan of having this included, but as it happens, the service I received overall deserved the charge.
I’d recommend this place as food is decent enough, but prices are on the high side.
Would I return again? Whilst it wouldn’t be on my «must go to list», I’d return if I was in the area.
Many congratulations to the kitchen staff who made my meal very enjoyable. A special mention to James, who I’d spoken to earlier in the evening on the phone. A very friendly, professional member of the team.

Malmaison is a chain, a hotel, a restaurant with a nice waterfront view, and a little isolated from other restaurants, all of which bodes ill for the food; the restaurant met expectations on this score. Remember the last time you felt ripped off at a restaurant? Add £2 or £3 to that and you’ve got Malmaison.
We each ordered a burger with chips, I had two pints of pale ale, and we shared a dessert cocktail. We ordered our burgers medium rare; they came well done (the girlfriend’s was especially overcooked) and bland, though the chips were something of a saving grace. These average-​at-​best burgers would have been poor value for £10 apiece; £16 is highway robbery. Likewise for the «pints,» which I ordered without seeing a price on the menu, and which came in at £4 each for two ²⁄₃ pints. The cocktail wasn’t cheap by any means, but left a much better impression; their excellent mixed drinks menu is the only thing worth revisiting.
Our servers were friendly but not terribly helpful. The host seemed new and took a long time to take our drink order, and the server was unapologetic when my partner gave her the lowdown on her dry, overcooked food. Regardless of how happy you are with the food or service, however, a 10% service fee is added to your bill at the end. In retrospect I see this is written in fine print at the bottom of the menu, but it seemed insulting at the time. Evidently they do not expect repeat customers.
While this is far from the worst dinner we’ve had, it is certainly our worst meal at this price point. By this reckoning Malmaison Brasserie deserves a «1,» except that Malbar next door offers a pleasant, relaxing ambiance to pair well with their cocktails, and perhaps make the overpriced, mediocre food go down a little easier (along with memories thereof). When city centre venues have long degenerated into their weekly drunken, ear-​splitting, chaotic mess, Malbar is a solid choice for a late beverage at a conversational volume. If you absolutely must eat nearby, even hotel patrons would do well to walk seven minutes north to Bacchus Taverna or fifteen minutes east to Delifonseca if they want a nice dinner and have the time to spare; but a nightcap or two at the hotel afterward would suit.