John Clare’s observations on taking a summer walk:

Dark overhead their many-mingling leaves…
The hidden beauties of the shade to find 
That in the negligence of summer lives; 
Each herb, leaf, noting of peculiar kind, 
And many a flower and many a nameless weed, 
Where eye scarce marks ’em ere they’re run to seed…

Justino’s is one of our favourite haunts, to be found in the leafy city suburbs. Aigburth takes in Otterspool Promenade, the Festival Gardens, Lark Lane, Sefton Park and the Palm House. A great place to visit, this area is part of a vibrant social and cultural hub.

WORDS: Jean Hill

Justino’s is very much a part of what draws people to this area. There is 30% off food from the à la carte menu on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday just at the moment. That is quite an incentive to order something special: Chateaubriand steak to share possibly, or scallops, or Linguine Gamberoni Piccante. Justino’s has a wide-ranging menu: plenty to choose from.

We arrived as the sun was sinking, quite spectacularly in the early evening, burnished sky. We chose outdoor seating, with parasols. Inside is spacious, and designed for romantic evenings and for family eating too. This is an elegant space, where the staff are really friendly and welcoming, and we relaxed into fun mode straight away.

Our editor chose Cannelloni Zucca: pasta with butternut squash, goat’s cheese with spinach and Parmesan. This proved to be delicious, and inspired ingredients that work so well in combination. I chose Gamberoni Piccante: a medley of king prawns, lemon and white wine with garlic and chilli and cherry tomatoes. The food is wonderfully fresh; the pasta tastes the way you would expect when an Italian family works its magic. The lemon gives a zing to the prawns, and balances the flavours in the sauce. There is a Mediterranean medley of vegetables pizza that sounds like an invitation to come back soon.

There should not have been room for dessert, but there it was: Crème Brûlée. And ‘I can resist anything except temptation’ as Oscar Wilde had it. This is a classic version, and it is that wonderful combination of crackling crisp, creamy and smooth. The staff are friendly, efficient, attentive, check to make sure you are enjoying the food, and we so enjoyed the opportunity to relax and celebrate the good things in life.

Tel. 0151 4271155

Takeaways via Deliveroo

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