Bistrot Verite — Restaurant in Sefton

I have been fortunate enough to dine in some of the finest restaurants in the UK and in Europe. But I have discovered a restaurant that can stand amongst those culinary giants, and it’s right here in Southport. Bistrot Verite of Birkdale is the place to experience excellent cuisine without the extortionate price tag. My wife & I had dinner there last Friday and the food was exceptional, beautifully cooked and presented, combining mind-blowing flavours with different textures throughout. The staff are welcoming and friendly and the atmosphere is vibrant and warm. And most importantly, this restaurant offers consistency of service and quality ingredients, which is where many other restaurants fall short. Bistrot Verite is a classic French Bistro in every sense of the word and pays homage to Chef Patron Mark Verite’s late father, Claude who was a legend in the world of fine French patisserie in the same town. And congratulations must go to Head Chef, Jacques Verite, for taking up his father’s mantle and maintaining the truly gastronomic standards that Bistrot Verite has set. A family business that makes every guest feel at home. ...

There’s a reputation to Verité that has interested me for years as a local. I’ve always wanted to try it, but didn’t realise they offered vegan options until recently.

I appreciate that asking a French restaurant to cook vegan is a challenge, but they do promote a menu that caters for it. The starter of garlic mushrooms was disappointing — it felt like a bowl of boiled mushrooms with a dash of garlic oil. Watery and basic.

The Malaysian vegetable curry, however, was much better. It stood out as a well-executed dish, especially for a French bistrot, and I couldn’t really fault it.

My partner had the £50 steak, which she described as “just okay” — not particularly memorable and similar in taste to steaks at a third of the price.

It’s also worth noting that you’re given a strict 90-minute slot for your meal. It felt like the staff were very aware of that time limit throughout, which added a sense of being rushed.

The overall quality of food is good, but some of the pricing feels hard to justify. With a bill well into triple figures, I left feeling quite underwhelmed. It didn’t quite live up to the...

Fantastic restaurant. Went here last night due to seeing the great reviews. The restaurant is not big inside, it has a bar joined on to it where you can have a pre meal drink. Had garlic bread with cheese, snails and olives for entrees. The garlic bread was fantastic, very strong garlic but not overpowering. The snails were decent, could have had more garlic and the olives were very tangy and delicious. The chicken vol au vent was outstanding. Great camambert middle filling inside it. The rump lamb was good, I thought the waiter said lamb shank so was my fault I ordered it instead of the breem with scallops. The apple pie with custard was a sensation, no overpowering cinnamon, just the right amount. The Creme brulee too was light and flavoursome. Would recommend this place. We will be...