The Art School Restaurant — Restaurant in Liverpool

Update: 23/08/2022 (Lunch) My wife was gifted a voucher and wanted to give TAS another go, this time we opted for lunchtime menu. I have to say, ' I'm still not impressed with this place. Starter of Thai prwans and mango salsa was average, I do a similar dish at home regularly and it's far tastier affair. Main course of local reared pork fillet was dry and some what tough however, the rest of the dish (black pudding, veg and gravy) was tasty. Yet again the dessert let the hole thing down again, lacking any real contrast of flavour, texture and imagination. Even with a voucher the meal cost over us over £200 for lunch. TAS will never achieve its longed for star, if it doesn't reach the consistency needed for such an accolade.

Visited: 03/08/2021 (PM) Michelin Star prices for okay food. The Art School seems to sell itself as Michelin stared restaurant, it is not. Its a Michelin Plate and the difference shows. £365 for two taster menus and wine flights, was just not worth it. The only saving grace was the Salt Marsh Lamb, which was excellent. However, the cockles is the sauce had not been cleaned properly, and we're still gritty and sandy to the bite. Overall the food lacks imagination, depth of flavour and seasoning. The wine flight was not much better too. All the wines were overly acidic for most of the dishes, and lacking individual character glass after glass. The wine flight is meant to be the supporting act to your food, but more of a wooden cart down a dusty lane, than the elegant sweeps and turns to your experience. The sommelier was clearly reading off a script, and when challenged on geographical location of one of the wines said, I just go off what they tell me to say (case closed) . Not once did any of the floor staff observe the etiquette of not reaching across the table, or serve and clear from the correct sides either. The floor staff seemed to lack direction too, on occasion gathering in groups and hovering around waiting on waiters to serve. The kicker for me was the dessert, the pre dessert was much better. This is meant to be the star burst at the end of your meal, and nothing was further from the truth. Flat boring one dimensiomal none descriptive doughnut shape with some crunchy bits added, the ice cream was the only decent item on the plate.

Don't waste your money, Wrekfish or Burnt Truffle are far tastier affairs, and they won't leave you feeling under valued. Dare I say that even the Carriage Works delivers a better quality food and service. If you want a true Michelin Star experience for a lot less, book a table at Fraiche,...

To start with, I have dined in variety of fine dining restaurants around the world and many of them were 1,2 and 3 Michelin star venues. The Art School to my standards and experience is nothing close to be classified as a Michelin star OR fine dining restaurant.

We dined at the restaurant last night. We went for an £85 3 course menu. 1 of us was vegan, 1 vegetarian and 2 meat and fish eaters. The staff did not even ask us if this was our first time dining with them. Did not explain the concept, perhaps introduce the place to us. They kept on pouring the water until our glasses were overflown with it and finished 2 bottles of waters before we even ordered. I then asked the waiter to stop serving water as it was so annoying her pouring it non stop disturbing our peace.

I asked for suggestions for my order. The waiter suggested to order a famous halibut to start with and beef and short rib for the main. The bread was super nice. The seaweed butter was ok, the smoky butter wasn't so nice.

Chefs compliments was ok’ish.

I sent my starter back, as the fish was overcooked literally burnt and dry. The squash sauce wasnt nice. They replaced it with tartine of foie gras, which was ok. Really nothing special- i’d say the one from Waitrose would taste as good.

The main course was a disaster too. The potato was sooo salty and the sauce too, so was short ribs. I only finished a piece of beef that was ok, not super tender and a bit of potatoes without the sauce cause everything was already impossibly salty. Left everything else on the plate. The manager who picked up my plate asked if everything was ok… clearly seeing that i barely touched the food. I hesitantly said its ok. He didn't seem to be interested in my feedback and it felt like he wanted to avoid my feedback. We were celebrating my mother in law’s birthday hence i didn't want to create any drama.

The desert menu didnt look great so i just asked if i can have a sorbet. He said they have pear sorbet. I said ill have that instead of the dessert. The taste of the sorbet was very nice, but it was soo sweet that i could only finish half of the scoop. My husband (who has a super sweet tooth) finished the rest.

Overall the whole experience is not worth your time and money, trust me. Maybe for locals who do not have many fine dining restaurant options in the city this is good, but for people who understand food and who dine in high end venues around the world, this would be of a massive...

The Art School offers a great venue, no doubt—there’s a certain charm to the historic building, with a relaxed yet stylish atmosphere. But don’t let the ambiance fool you into thinking it’s all top-tier. The space feels like it’s trying to be something it’s not. Sure, it looks the part, but it just doesn’t have the consistency in food quality to make it a regular spot.

Venue The setting? It’s a beauty. A sleek, modern yet vintage venue in a historic building that screams “Instagram-worthy.” But honestly, you get the sense it’s trying a bit too hard. The grand design, while undeniably stunning, doesn’t fully make up for the missed mark on food and service.

Atmosphere It’s got a vibe, I’ll give it that. There’s an energy here that’s perfect for a special night out or even a casual dinner, but don’t expect it to knock your socks off. It’s a mixed crowd—some clearly impressed by the aesthetics, others quietly disappointed by what’s on their plates. It’s lively enough, but not the buzzy vibe you’d hope for from such a "hyped" venue.

Service Service is, frankly, hit or miss. While the staff are polite, there's a sense of disorganization that takes away from the experience. If you’re expecting a seamless dining experience, you might feel a bit let down by the pace. It’s not terrible, just a bit lackluster for a venue that’s charging premium prices.

Drinks & Food I’m all for a high-end restaurant, but the food at The Art School doesn’t always justify the price tag. Some dishes hit the mark—others not so much. The flavors don’t always pop like you expect from a fine dining experience. Honestly, it feels like it’s playing the ‘fancy’ game without fully understanding the importance of balance and consistency.

If you’re after a visually impressive evening, this place delivers. But if it’s quality you’re after, don’t be fooled by the shiny exterior. There’s potential here, but it hasn’t...