The Monro
92-94 Duke Street
Liverpool
L1 5AG
http://www.themonro.com/
This little pub is one of the new breed of gastropubs, sweeping across the country. On the menu you can expect anything from traditional roast lamb to the more unusual ostrich and venison.
Location and interior: 2/5
For those who don’t know Liverpool particularly well this pub may be a little hard to find. The layout is decent enough with a bar area in front and the restaurant area to the rear. The decor is in need of some attention, as they seem to have had some damp damage in the main resturant area. However the room that can be rented out for parties is in good condition.
Some of the chairs in the restaurant have padded seats and other don’t, which lead to a brief game of musical chairs until we found a set of all padded chairs.
The toilets are pretty much normal pub toilets and are clean enough.
Atmosphere and Service: 4/5
I could not fault the service, the waitresses are polite and helpful, and most importantly what you get here is service with a smile, which really does make a difference. The staff were quite content to engage in some friendly banter, and also recommend various things on the menu.
The one thing that bothered me while in there was the doorbell sound they used to alert the waitresses that food was ready to serve. I imagine that on a busy night that would get extremely annoying for the customers.
Menu and Food: 4/5
The menu here is advertised as changing constantly, depending upon what fresh produce they have in the kitchen. I went to the Monro for Sunday lunch, and I was not disappointed with the food at all. I must admit when they first brought out the starters the main thought in my head was, “Where’s the rest of it?”. Yes, the portions are small, but once you get through a three course meal you do feel very satisfied. The food was full of flavour, and a personal favourite for me was the apple pie dessert. It was lovely and tangy, and the custard ice cream really complimented it. The food here is fresh and not a frozen ready meal, which is a selling point for me.
Value for money: 4/5
Depending on what time you go to The Monro, you can get a really good deal. Sunday lunch is set at two courses for £12.50 and three for £15.00, which is nothing to sneer at. From Mon to Thurs two courses are £9.95, and before 7pm on Fri and Sat two courses are £12.50. For more prices please visit their website.
Website: 3/5
The website is well designed. However, at several moments there have been problems with downloading the menus. At the time of writing, all the downloadable menu links seem to lead to the office lunch menu, which is hardly ideal if what you’re craving is a hearty Sunday lunch. Also certain areas of the site aren’t updated frequently.
Special offers: 4/5
See their website for any special offers, other special offers are to be found on www.sugarvine.com under The Monro.
Once a month The Monro do a pudding banquet, once main course and a choice of three desserts. I haven’t been to one of these but I intend to in the near future.
Total Score: 4/5
Well worth trying, although at busy times it is recommended that you book a table in advance.
