Pan Am Restaurant has long been regarded as one of the places to go in Liverpool for a delicious meal or cocktails, so I was excited to find out for myself if it lived up to expectations as we made our way there on a chilly night with crystal clear starry skies above. The Albert Dock had never looked more beautiful as we meandered along, stopping to take so many photographs that we almost made ourselves late for the reservation! Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed and ushered to a table by the window which offered an expansive vista over the Albert Dock. We were struck by the warm ambiance of the restaurant, with exposed brickwork and pretty fairy lights giving a stylish air to the space. There was a great view down into the contemporary bar area beneath, too, tempting us to consider one or two after dinner cocktails!
As we perused the menu, we ordered the house white wine which was perfectly dry and citrusy, with plenty of fruit. We mulled over tempting starters such as garden vegetable risotto and goat’s cheese and butternut squash tart, before deciding to share the warm focaccia, which was served with salad, plump olives and an irresistible pesto-infused olive oil. For my main course, I was torn between the healthy option of a salad and the temptations of the beer battered haddock with chunky chips! In the end virtue won out and I ordered a chicken Caesar salad which was heaped with crispy romaine lettuce and topped with two chargrilled chicken breasts and wonderfully nutty parmesan shavings.
My dining companion had the 8oz Ribeye steak served with hand-cut chips, buttered green beans, roasted tomato, flamed red pepper butter and blue cheese sauce. He was delighted by how beautifully presented the dish was, with the juicy steak piled neatly atop the stack of chunky chips. I was subtly eyeing the chips as he waxed lyrical about the steak being cooked perfectly to his preference of medium rare.
The restaurant was busy for a Wednesday night and the hubbub of happy chatter in the air, along with the music playing in the background, made for a pleasant atmosphere. After those delicious mains, we claimed to be too full for dessert until our friendly waiter Tom recommended the sticky toffee pudding, which persuaded us to reconsider! I am glad we did because the sponge was light and fluffy and the rich toffee sauce, vanilla ice cream and fresh berries complemented the dish excellently. It was the perfect curtain call to such a fine performance, and after a lovely chat with the general manager, we wandered off into the night feeling full of the joys of spring.
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