Harley Young enjoys an early evening meal at the neighbourhood bistro and wine bar
Slap bang in the middle of Smithdown Road, a street full of character and endearing little bars and restaurants, is Belzan. With its Parisian blue façade and warm and inviting interior this place sums up the buzz of Smithdown Road.
It’s little things like this that make dining at bistros like Belzan feel more like you’re coming home for the evening
Inside, bottles from artisan winemakers are neatly lined on a shelf around the edge of the room, showcasing drinks past and present to give diners a feel for what might be on the menu.
Belzan is quaint, probably no more than 30 covers, and intimate but not claustrophobic or forced, only further adding to the appeal. In the bathroom, a scented candle was lit and a storybook of Paddington Bear played over the speakers. It’s little things like this that make dining at bistros like Belzan feel more like you’re coming home for the evening.
Service had just started (5pm) and we were seated in one of the navy blue booths at the front of the venue, with a full view of the restaurant and its sweet little bar that heads up the middle section.
Our smiling server wasted no time in popping back to take a drinks order; a Gin Lau for Lowri (which we were told was aptly named after the takeaway across the road, Lau’s Fish & Chips and Chinese) and a 0% wine-style grape juice by Traubensaft for myself.
The gin cocktail was beautifully presented, tart yet sweet thanks to the lemon juice, with the syrup atop the foam delicately manipulated with a toothpick to form a flower. For £10, it was a classy drink.
My grape juice ‘wine’ was also very pleasant, far sweeter than most non-alcoholic wines that can usually be a little too dry and acidic with not a lot of flavour. Despite being a soft drink, the intense sweetness and flavour of this ‘tipple’ from Traubensaft meant that I drank much slower and savoured it, allowing me to match the pace of my dining partner for the full experience.
We were in time for the Prix Fixe menu; two courses for £24 or three courses and a glass of wine for £32 - all very reasonable. We opted for the two course option, Lowri choosing a starter and a main whilst I chose a main and dessert.
Lowri’s starter arrived. Honeymoon melon with cucumber and feta; a beautifully presented dish with swirls of cucumber puree creating playful patterns in the whipped feta base. Both fresh and refreshing, this dish awakened the taste buds and cleansed the palate ready for another delectable course.
Our mains arrived together. Lowri had the crispy lamb belly with caesar salad, which arrived with plenty of parmesan and two anchovies perched atop at either side (as all good caesars should). Dressed to the nines with caesar sauce, the lettuce wasn’t about to lie down without a fight.
The lamb belly was beautifully cooked, the rind of fat on the top side crispy and brimming with juices, almost turning into crackling where it had been scored throughout. Sublime.
I chose the steamed sea trout with smoked gazpacho, grapes and parsley aioli, purely because it sounded like a flavour explosion, which it was. The unmistakably fishy trout was cut through by the parsley aioli and the tartness of the gazpacho, balancing out the often overpowering flavours.
The grapes, though provided a nice burst of sweetness, looked and felt a little out of place underneath the trout, propping it up like a piece of scaffolding. Perhaps arranged neatly around the edge they could have been more inviting?
The portion sizes at Belzan are generous and, when it came to dessert, we decided sharing was the only way to get through the substantial amount of malted milk ice cream that came with the chocolate mousse I ordered.
Topped with a malt crumb, this was just the ticket I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth without going overboard. Almost like a deconstructed Malteser, the textures in this dessert provided enough excitement to peak my interest from start to finish.
Belzan is a thoroughly enjoyable, friendly and welcoming little spot that I’d highly recommend for date nights, catch-ups, or simply just because. The service is superb and the concise yet constantly rotating menu means there’s always something to come back for. You could say it has all the Belzan whistles.
Belzan, 371 Smithdown Rd, Liverpool L15 3JJ
Follow Harley Young on X @Harley__Young
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The scores
All scored reviews are unannounced, impartial, and ALWAYS paid for by Confidentials.comand completely independent of any commercial relationship. They are a first-person account of one visit by one, knowledgeable restaurant reviewer and don't represent the company as a whole.
If you want to see the receipt as proof this magazine paid for the meal then a copy will be available upon request. Or maybe ask the restaurant.
Venues are rated against the best examples of their type. What we mean by this is a restaurant which aspires to be fine dining is measured against other fine dining restaurants, a mid-range restaurant against other mid-range restaurants, a pizzeria against other pizzerias, a teashop against other teashops, a KFC against the contents of your bin. You get the message.
Given the above, this is how we score: 1-5: saw your leg off and eat it, 6-9: sigh and shake your head, 10-11: if you’re passing, 12-13: good, 14-15: very good, 16-17: excellent, 18-19: pure class, 20: nothing's that good is it?
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Food
Honeymoon melon 7, crispy lamb belly 7, steamed sea trout 6, chocolate mousse 7
- Ambience
- Service
