Jam Restaurant & Tea Bar

Sir Thomas Street, L1

Review by Matthew Smith

With its contemporary décor and extensive menu, the new Jam Restaurant and Tea Bar offers an eclectic mix of brunch, afternoon tea and evening meals.

As my date and I entered we were warmly welcomed by the waitress Eve, who showed us to our table.

Immediately we were impressed with the potential and contrast, as the combination of a modern, monochrome interior and a wide range of background music enhanced the overall ambience of the restaurant.

Pleased with the extensive drinks menu, my date and I ordered refreshing Mojitos (£5.90), served with conventional limes and mint leaves. The bartender who served us, Andy, was knowledgeable, innovative and attentive, and his enthusiasm was infused into the presentation of the drinks.

Onto the food and to start my date ordered the unique Edible Garden Salad (£4.50), whilst I ordered the Ethical Fishcakes (£5.50) served with avocado puree and chilli jam. The avocado puree complemented the refreshing bed of salad, and the chilli jam added spice and sweetness to the fishcakes. My date noted the Edible Garden Salad was pleasantly unusual, and the speed of service was second to none.

We were then served a sorbet to cleanse our pallets which included raspberries, blueberries and strawberries, all garnished with small edible flower petals – an appropriate mix for the advent of summer.

Following this, my date ordered the medium cooked Hand Cut Rare Breed Succulent Sirloin Steak (£20.90), served with confit tomatoes, large hand cut game crisps and a garlic compound butter, giving the dish a remarkably robust flavour.

L to R: Edible Garden Salad; Cod on Crushed Jersey Royals; Chocolate Brownie served with edible flowers and vanilla ice cream (special)

I ordered the Cod on Crushed Jersey Royals (£12.50), served with chive butter sauce and poached hen’s egg. As expected, the cod was soft and white and was complemented by the chive butter sauce.

As I cut into the poached hen’s egg the yolk trickled over the cod which, when combined with the sauce, enhanced its flavour.

Following the main course, an off-menu Chocolate Brownie served with edible flowers and vanilla ice cream was recommended to my date. I ordered the Lemon and Coconut Sponge (£6), served with honeycomb ice cream, macaroons and edible flowers, the latter of which were a consistent feature of the dishes throughout this meal.

As we began discussing our feast, we were encouraged to try one of 26 teas, all sourced from Scotland. A large selection ranging from vanilla to strawberry and kiwi were available.

Eve recommended the Japanese Cherry (£3) and my date was impressed with how the flavour of green tea balanced well with the delicate hint of cherry.

For me, the passionfruit and orange tea (£3) sounded particularly attractive, blending particularly well with Keemun China Leaf tea.

After the meal we met the manager, Joe, who told us about his aim to invest in tablet devices so customers can view important information relating to the contents of the free-from food before purchase.

My date and I both agreed Jam could become a perennially popular restaurant within Liverpool’s wide range of premium offerings, especially with staff like Andy, Eve and Joe.

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