Pho Liverpool Bold street — Restaurant in Liverpool

I had been in Liverpool for three days already, having arrived for the annual Beatles weekend. I had tried the traditional local dish of Scouse ( similar to Irish stew ) Italian, and curry. I was heading to a Greek restaurant on Bold St for some moussaka, then saw Pho. Haven not eaten there for a good five or six years, time was right for another visit. Last time was in Cambridge and it was great for a restaurant chain.

This restaurant is small in comparison but was still similar in decor. It’s rustic shabby chic walls, wicker styled lampshades and chairs like you used to sit on in school. It was well lit, not ultra bright like some places. I was seated at the front of the restaurant. I had the pleasure of being waited on by four different servers, how lucky was I?

Dulcie and her team were outstanding in hospitality and nothing was too much trouble. She meandered through the restaurant coordinating everything effortlessly and had a glorious smile. Staff were very attentive, engaging and professional. Makes such a significant difference when eating out.

Onto the meal itself, I had chicken wings to start. They came with a spicy tangy dip, sriracha, garnished with coriander and fresh chili. Then I had the beef brisket soup which came with glass noodles. Tender brisket slow cooked in broth. There were small pots of chili you could also add for extra spice. The soup was flavoured to perfection and having travelled through Vietnam, I was delighted with its...

Really quite poor dining experience at Pho in Bold Street. A shame, as I usually go to Pho in Castle Street and that’s great. This one was a real let down.

Arrived and the place was essentially empty, ordered - beer and starter turned up really quickly. Decent.

Something obviously went wrong at that point and, an hour later, no main course. I noticed that a number of others, who had arrived after, had been getting their food. The fact I didn’t have any food in front of me all that time was clearly noted, but as the guy who took my order seemed to have vanished, nobody else checked.

Politely waiting apparently gets you nowhere, so eventually had to ask - and food appeared shortly after. No explanation. Didn’t seem to have been sitting around for an hour so probably wasn’t put through till correctly or something. Who knows. I certainly wasn’t told what had happened. Guy who brought it was polite, but couldn’t really explain and won’t have been his fault anyway.

There was another table who seemed to have same issue. Most places, the manager might come over to apologise if that happens, but not here. Nothing offered off bill etc for the long wait. Apathy seemed to be the order of the day.

So no, not impressed with this one. Can’t recommend and almost certainly won’t be...

Headed out Sunday to Liverpool aiming for a lunch Carvery, hit Bold Street as there are so many choices to be intrigued by. I magnated towards something alternative, mainly due to everyone wining and dining on a Sunday afternoon, great start. Stepped into Pho, Vietnamese street food restaurant, busy which is definitely a positive. Easily found a nice booth, comfortable and staff so easy going I needed to explore. Crispy Spring rolls to start, crunchy (just the way I like them) with peanut sauce unique to the house with a Saigon beer, went so well together, spicy heat was just right for my beer companion. Ordered the Steak Garlic Noodle bowl, and Wow what a dish, so fresh, noodles piquant, love the green herbs that are added on personal taste with a wedge of lime. Vino Malbec just settled the dish perfectly. Rice bowls on another table according to them were delicious and my Noodle bowl matched discussions. Enjoyed every moment and stayed much longer as this is really my kinda explorative place. Ya see you can add as much heat as you want, Sriracha sauce, devil chilly condiments and more if you want to explore. Loved every moment. Been to Pho before in Wimbledon and I was impressed, however Liverpool has done itself proud. Got your 5 stars from...