Where the Chefs Eat: Nisha Katona's favourite restaurants in and around Liverpool

Nisha Katona jokingly tells me when we speak that she has been “doing her homework” ahead of our interview. And, once we start chatting, this comes as no surprise. Katona’s CV could cover the achievements of a handful of people – not just one woman – and her knowledge, enthusiasm and attention to detail throughout is unrivalled. It’s clear she does nothing by halves, so deep is her passion for all things food-related, but she has done extraordinary things, her strong personality reflecting the subject matter of her latest book, Bold, released this March. “Serendipitously,” she tells me, “My first restaurant was called Bold, and it was on Bold Street in Liverpool. It was built from real audacity on my part. I was a full-time protection barrister for children at the time, and I had a secure life and salary and prospects, but I had a deep love of food, and I think that has been at the core of everything I’ve done with food.”

Before transforming her work life, Nisha worked for two decades as a barrister and, in 2008, she was appointed a trustee of National Museums Liverpool by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. As if not busy enough, she also took on the role a year after that as Ambassador for Diversity in Public Office. And, yet, it was food that ended up pulling her away from life in the legal lane to one in the hospitality lane, and she opened up the Mowgli Street Food restaurant chain (she also runs the Mowgli Trust, a charitable trust which has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds a year). The experience was “really something that was frowned upon by everyone around me, and yet, I just believed in building something and feeding people. I just think it’s the most marvellous thing you can do and that was the genesis of the restaurant.”

Bold isn’t her first book, and she is a regular on our television screens as a judge on Great British Menu, but “the inspiration for the new book actually came through lockdown. I did Instagram videos every day. I cooked with the detritus and all the stuff at the back of the store cupboard. In fact, I don’t think I cooked the same recipe twice in 90 days, but that’s the essence of Bold. It’s about being brave enough to put ingredients together, looking at where they come from in the world and showing the dishes that I cook at home.” Bold showcases, unsurprisingly, some recipes that “might be a bit Maverick, like chicken and banana korma, which is delicious. Why are we afraid of putting things like that together when it really works so well?” Bold is her new book and bold Nisha certainly is. Lancashire born and a very happy resident of the Wirrall, she is a champion of the northwest and, as such, gives us her five favourite restaurants in the area.

Restaurant 8 by Andrew Sheridan

“I love Andrew’s inventiveness and his combination of ingredients. I guess that is the boldness of Restaurant 8. I’m a judge on Great British Menu, and I get the most extraordinary dishes and, still, when I went here to eat, there were combinations of flavours that were so elegantly put together and crafted that I’d just never tasted them before. The fact that he brought that food to the north, to Liverpool, is really brave, and the combination produces pure synergy.”

Who comes here?

“It’s a basement restaurant buried away in Liverpool, and it’s relatively new, so it tends to bring in locals and those from North Wales, Chester, Manchester, and Lancashire. However, it’s the foodies in that area who love it. People who would like places like Moor Hall will love this.”

Best table in the restaurant

“This is all based around the chef’s table experience, so you’re sitting opposite the chef anyway. It’s quite dark in there with lots of low lighting and golden colouring, so your senses are really paired down, forcing you to focus on what’s happening with the food. It’s real theatre, and your interaction is primarily always with a chef; it’s a spotlight on food.”

Best time to come

“Given the dark interior, this is a perfect place for dinner; it’s definitely an evening place. It's a calm, tranquil environment, but the darkness makes your senses very heightened. I’d never go somewhere where I have to dress up – I don’t believe in it – so you can very much go as you are.”

Dish to order

“He changes the menu a lot, but one dish he does that I have to mention is wagyu beef and caviar with a beef reduction: it’s like a fine-dining version of a roast beef dinner. He also did a Bolognese with truffle, which really stuck out for me.”

Chef’s Table in Chester

“This is a bright and airy restaurant with extremely elegant food. They have fantastic dishes, and the menu is always changing; it’s beautiful food, and I’m not generally one for beautiful food. I like delicious food but this is beautiful and also gives you that fantastic punch of flavour, a bold hit, and everything they do is just fantastic.”

Who comes here?

“This draws a foodie crowd, but it also has a fun lounge area for happy hour cocktails from Wednesdays to Fridays, so it buzzes with people out for an evening, not just those going in to eat.”

Best table in the restaurant

“I sat near the pass, and what I love about sitting there is that you get the warmth from the glow of the pass and light coming from both directions. Generally, I’ll sit by windows, but here, I would definitely go by the pass because it’s really cosy, so try and get one of those seats if you can.”

Best time to come

“This is a great spot for lunch when it’s a little emptier, but when you’ve got the daylight coming into that lovely, airy space, it’s got a slightly airy New York elegance about it. If you can, go for a nice fine dining lunch.”

Dish to order

“They serve things like haggis fritters, so it’s not sparkling fare, but it’s very well done. I also think it’s really nice to showcase Chester, which is a very beautiful city. I had miso honey and sesame cod when I went. I had the cod at Nobu years ago – the infamous black cod – and this was equally fantastic. Speaking of the haggis fritters, they were wonderful, but even their bread is incredible. Everything I had there was truly wonderful.”

Burnt Truffle, Heswall

“This is absolute mastery of meat cooking. It’s a very small restaurant but, again, you get that warmth from the pass and intimacy from the staff that makes it so welcoming. It can be quite informal so you can just go and share dishes there.”

Who comes here?

“Again, this place appeals to food lovers across The Wirral and Liverpool, but it’s had amazing reviews from the likes of Jay Rayner, so it draws in people from all over the country.”

Best table in the restaurant

“If you want something quiet and intimate, then upstairs is lovely, but if you want to be in the buzz of it all, then I’d get a table right by the kitchen: then you’re in the thick of all the action.”

Best time to come

“This is where I would want to be on a cold wintery evening when I want to go and eat the heartiest fare. It’s a hefty, hearty kind of food, which is so important, especially in winter months.”

Dish to order

“They do phenomenal steak. and their truffle parmesan chips are just incredible. The chicken liver pate is done really well, which is something often overlooked, but theirs is sensational, as are the ribeye steaks with parmesan chips. There are many ways they do beef, but they do skirt to the point of falling apart. It’s very hard to get that right. I go around the world searching for the best steak. I did a program about it in San Sebastian, but you can get it here on the Wirral. They also do roasted carrots with smoked garlic and honey with the perfect sweetness.”

Mr Zhang’s, Liverpool

“I almost mentioned Mei Mei in Liverpool here, which is the best dim sum I think I’ve ever had and I’ve been to Singapore and Hong Kong. But I decided to mention Mr Zhangs, a Sichuan restaurant, also in Liverpool, as it’s my happy place.”

Who comes here?

“Zhang’s is rough and ready in every sense, and half of it is in a basement, and it’s a real hodge-podge of a restaurant. They are unwavering in their authentic food and that authenticity is what I really value. Liverpool has the oldest Chinese committee in Britain, which a lot of people don’t know, and what I appreciate about the Chinese community is they are completely true to their roots. It’s in the heart of the city, on Myrtle Street. I don’t think they even really notice you when you go in, and they don’t have a clue who I am, but places like that – where the heart and soul is poured into creating something which is authentic and delicious – is what draws me in.”

Best table in the restaurant

It’s a busy cluttery cantina of a place downstairs, so where you want to eat if you can is where the chefs are about to have their dinner upstairs; that way you’ll get the chef’s own food so try and eat upstairs. I just love how the chefs get together on their own table with these big bowls of food. That tells me it’s the right place to be eating.

Best time to come

“In the evenings, it’s very busy and full of Chinese, and I like that. I find it a really wonderful thing because you’re looking and learning all the time. They have massive banquets and platters of food coming back-to-back and, sometimes, you don’t even know what it is, but you can just get the waiter or server to bring whatever they’re eating, so aim to get there for early dinner, and you’ll eat at the same time as the chefs.”

Dish to order

“I go for pork cooked with Chinese dates and choy in a deep, red, sweet and salty sauce that comes out in a clay pot. And when a chicken gives its life to your food, make sure it’s Zhang’s chicken gizzards with Sichuan peppers, green peppers and onions. This is playful, and it’s delicious. And the wood eared fungus salad with garlic and coriander is the most exhilarating, refreshing thing I think you could ever eat. I think that’s the best way to eat: sometimes you’re not even given the name of the dish, but whatever it is, it is tempting, and it’ll take your mind, pallet and soul for another nation.”

Claremont Farm in The Wirral

“This is a farm restaurant, so they grow everything themselves – the kale, the potatoes for the chips, everything is fresh off the farm. They’ve got pigs and sheep, and it’s a real family-run place. When you walk in, they’ll have The Doors and Leonard Cohen on the playlist; it’s my kind of place. You’re also overlooking the farm shop, and the smell of that, combined with the restaurant, is just amazing.”

Who comes here?

“This has a real local draw, but there are often queues out the door to get in. You can just tell how well-loved all the ingredients and the food are. You’ll also find the proprietors there every day, as it’s where they have their own lunch.”

Best table in the restaurant

“Any table is a good table but try and get one that looks out across the farm. It’s a beautiful sight to behold.”

Best time to come

“This is very much a daytime spot so go for brunch or lunch.”

Dish to order

“Get their Eggs Benedict. The eggs are laid literally around the corner from the farm, and they’ve got delicious smokehouse ham. It’s the place to eat with a view that overlooks the Wirral; I’m talking local sweet bacon and ingredients just to die for.”

Big Flavour Twists to Classic Dishes by Nisha Katona is published by Nourish Books. Photography by Martin Poole.