Duke Street Food & Drink Market — Restaurant in Liverpool

Just Mid.

I went in off-peak on a weekday round noon, slowie, stuff was pretty average tbh. I got steak frites for from Bone and Block and shared a plate of nachos from big Lola's with my mum.

I thought it was a bit weird that the stall that specialises exclusively with steak and red meats only gives you two options; palid, grey edible leather (well-done), or what I went for as a normal (albeit apprehensive to what doneness it would come back as) person, named rather indistinctively as just """""pink"""". Thing was still mooing and grazing on the dressed-watercress garnish when it arrived. Although I can't say I'm very partial to really chunky steak tartare, it was quite delicious aside from the vague doneness and cook. Should probably sort that on the mobile site though, considering some people are completely intolerant to blue-rare/rare meat and/or too much pink. Don't want the punters to ruin those lovely, and they really are gorgeous, bathroom tiles upstairs.

The nachos were kind of under-dressed and the corn chips were EXTREEEMELY similar to the blue bag brand I used to handle when I worked in a food stall in another food market, they are stupid-cheap, and while ours were absolutely piled with all kinds (all done in-house, the only thing pre-made were the nachos) they were like 5 quid cheaper than big lola's adjusted for inflation, and we were in town as well.

The whole lot was really overpriced tbh. The skimpy nachos were 12 quid; while the steak and the frites were lovely, those two ingredients costed 24. The steak was not massive and the quality of the meat was... alright. Chips were excellent though, seasoned well. they also did that thing where restaurants do the STEEPEST bias cut possible on the protein to make the cuts look thicker, and henceforth the steak look bigger, kind of a pet-peeve of mine, also makes the steak cool way too fast, if that were peak times that steak's coming back Steve-Austin.

The real deal-breaker had to be the fact I paid like nearly a fiver for a 330ml old Jamaica ginger beer can in a glass with ice and a skinny wedge of lime. That was taking the piss, come on, the stuff's like 79p in the offies.

One thing to add, the whole market just reeked of tacky, "qUiRkY" middle-class-corporate-millennial "just a couple guys with a crazy idea" places you get all over the gaff in central LA or London: The uncomfortable steel stools, the dangly lights far too close to the table so you kept banging your fod everytime you got up for something, the "qUiRkY" exposed brick and chalkboard menus that all these types of places have. If I wanna spend 20 quid on a grotty smash burger and super-original-recipe-never-done-before side of parmesan truffle fries, I'll go to california and get ripped off the right way. Took one step in and We Will Never Die by Kyle Gordon started blairing in the back of my head. Bit of originality goes a long way fellas. And why does every server in these types of places always wear new balance runners or doc lows and just an offensive amount of second-hand carhartt??? swear it's not just me picking up on this.

Rant over, service was good tho, thanks you lot.

Don't go here if you earn less than 40k paying for...

I like these market hall type food places. This one is a bit like the one up at the old Caines Brewery, but better, as you don’t have to queue up to get your food!

The concept is straightforward, seven small kitchens have gathered, like animals seeking warmth at the fireside, to share a common dining hall and pool their overheads. This is an excellent idea and, here, they’ve gone one better in that you can order from all of the different kitchens at once, in a single order, via the QR code on your table. No more trying to coordinate your orders so as not to lose your table, no more angst if you fancy chips and somebody else wants a pizza. Here, all can sup from the keg of their choice and all can order together.

The dining hall itself is deceptively large, with a downstairs and a mezzanine. Beware the downstairs as it does have those bench tables that you might have to share with someone else. Smaller tables, benches and perching points exist also. The aesthetic is retro-industrial, with lots of exposed wood and metal.

The choice of food is excellent, almost overwhelmingly so – the indecisive will be paralysed with choice. There is Mexican, pizza, meat, Asian etc. And remember, you can have it all and that’s ok.

For myself, I began with hoisin duck bao buns from Barnacle – these were juicy and full of flavour. The richness of the sauce was beyond pleasing. I would eat these again. Following that, I opted for the Birria Quesadilla, for Birria must be ordered wherever it occurs, and a side of the pulled lamb shawarma loaded chips from Barnacle. The quesadilla was perfect – beautifully flavoured and rich. The Birria itself was bursting with meaty flavour. I always want more Birria but I fear too much of a good thing. The loaded chips were, well, loaded – piles of pulled lamb upon fat and tasty hot chips. This meal was a definite hit. There was, alas, no room for pudding.

The beer selection was limited, but there was a house lager – this came quickly and was as it should be, cold and refreshing. Drinks ae ordered in the same way as food, via the QR code on the table.

Overall, a very positive experience and a place I would recommend – visit here if you love good food. Particularly good if you have an indecisive group who can’t decide what to eat or are out with the sort of people that only want to pay the exact cost of their own food, down to the last penny (for they can just order separately…).

A point to note – this place doesn’t open on Mondays. I know it says this online, but it still surprised me – it’s such a big endeavour that I overlooked that these are small businesses, they’re just cohabiting under one roof, so they do...

I visited Duke Street Market on Wednesday with a group of five friends – a place we used to enjoy some years ago for its variety and relaxed vibe. Unfortunately, this visit, particularly the experience at Dealers Pizza, was deeply disappointing.

I ordered a pizza which arrived with the crust entirely burnt – not lightly charred, but completely blackened and carbonised. It was visibly inedible. I politely raised the issue with a member of staff, who was very courteous and immediately took the pizza back to the stand to report the problem.

However, moments later, the manager approached me – visibly annoyed – asking what the problem was. I found this odd, as the burnt crust was glaringly obvious. When I explained that the pizza was burnt, he responded, rather smugly, that “it’s just the crust” and the rest of the pizza was cooked properly.

Now, I’m Italian – and we do eat the crust. When the crust is burnt, the pizza is burnt. It’s not an optional shell to be discarded. Serving something like that and defending it with such arrogance is, frankly, unacceptable. It’s not about cultural differences – it’s about basic standards.

To make matters worse, I was never even asked if I wanted the pizza remade. One of the staff later acknowledged this oversight, which made the situation even more frustrating. My answer would’ve been no, given the manager’s attitude, but the fact I wasn’t even asked reflects poor service.

I was offered a refund, which I accepted, and I sincerely hope it arrives promptly. But the damage was done – what should’ve been a relaxed, enjoyable evening with friends turned into an encounter marked by condescension and a total lack of accountability.

This used to be one of my favourite spots in Liverpool, but after this experience, I won’t be returning – at least not to Dealers Pizza. Poor food can be forgiven. Poor attitude cannot.

UPDATE 05/07/2025

After more than 1 month, I have still not received my refund back. Emailed the management and not even a reply. Just to reiterate how poor the...