Restaurant Review
Delifonseca Dockside
Brunswick Way, Liverpool, L3 4BN
By Tom Beattie | ££ |
Located just off Liverpool’s bustling dockside, Delifonseca is an intriguing eatery that has gained a dedicated following amongst locals in recent years. In what seems an almost criminal oversight on my part, this was my first time dining at this wildly popular haunt.
The reputation of head chef Martin Cooper has travelled by word of mouth throughout the region and so my eagerness to sample his tenderly-crafted culinary creations had been brimming for quite a while.
It was not lost on my guest and I for the evening that the prospect of enjoying the delights of a chef of such growing renown felt all the more stirring following the peculiarity of lockdown, something we both remarked upon on our approach to the venue located a stone’s throw from the bustling Baltic Triangle.
Within minutes of our arrival, it was clear that Delifonseca had found the right balance between the humility of its hospitable staff and extraordinary food.
Settled in and feeling very much at home, the moment had arrived for us to sample our first taste of the restaurant’s esteemed ever-changing menu. Our first course arrived in quick time and, frankly, left my guest and I stunned. Both engrossed in conversation prior to this, we were quite simply stopped in our tracks.
For a moment, I found myself forgetting the hardship that had befallen us all since March; in one fell swoop the course, in many ways, a reawakening. In every bite, the starter was a triumph of measured excellence; an extraordinary collage of flavour.
My starter, the grilled tandoori prawn shish with saag aloo (£8) was nothing short of special; the array of different flavours, an exquisite composite of the richness of the tandoori prawns with the refreshing delights of the saag aloo, complementing expertly.
Beautifully presented, my guest was quick to confirm that his dish, the chicken, mushroom and leek terrine with piccalilli and crostini (£7) tasted as good as it looked. With conversation now otherwise restored, we agreed that it felt light enough for one to enjoy the fusion of its deftly forged flavours but, importantly, left enough room for us both to be agonising to experience what the main course had in store.
Those main courses would carry on where the first course left off. The slow-roasted pork belly with garlic & fennel served with lentejas, a traditional Spanish stew with lentils, chorizo, ham and morcilla (£17) again struck a perfect balance between indulgent richness and meticulous perfection.
The pork belly, which was ravishingly charred on the outside but incredibly tender and succulent, dovetailed skillfully by Cooper with the flavoursome stew. Again, if the starter had not already landed me there, I was floored.
Typically, my guest, who ordered the 10oz rare breed sirloin steak served with hand cut chips, sautéed mushrooms and peppercorn sauce (£29), was again on hand to wax lyrical about his own dish – ‘one of the best steaks I’ve ever had’.
After a much needed 20 minute break in proceedings we felt that we had enough left in us to round off the evening with a dessert. An indulgent sticky toffee pudding for my guest and a vanilla crème brûlée with strawberries for myself (both £6.50).
My guest and I were left in little doubt that the greatest quality of this eatery is to be found in the fact that, for everyone from the front of house staff to those in the kitchen, delivering an exceptional dining experience is very much a labour of love.
This is what makes Delifonseca such an essential dining experience. Its burgeoning reputation is very much deserved.
