Six local restaurants feature in the latest series of the TV show

There was a lorra, lorra lobster on the latest episode of Come Dine With Me: The Professionals, as three of Liverpool’s top restaurants battled it out on the hit Channel 4 cooking competition.

We went into the competition to showcase Liverpool as a brilliant place for visitors.

For the first time in the history of Come Dine With Me, it’s professional chefs who are getting hot and bothered in the kitchen - and the dining room. The new series celebrates the variety of restaurants and the characters who work in them across the UK, with this series heading to Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, London and Manchester.

Come Dine With Me Professionals Liverpool Lu Ban Lobster
Lu Ban's lobster was a big hit Image: Lu Ban / Allen Markey

In each episode, three local restaurant duos go head to head as they take it in turns to host the others for a three course dinner and prove they’ve got what it takes to win the £1,000 prize. At the end of each meal, the visiting restaurant pairs will score their host’s dinner out of 20, with the highest scorers overall scooping the prize.

Liverpool got its first professional appearance on the TV show this week as episode seven featured Lu Ban Restaurant in Cains Brewery Village, Italian Club Fish on Bold Street, and Crosby’s Seafood Kitchen.

Come Dine With Me Professionals Liverpool Lu Ban Dave Critchley Dimitri
Dave and Dimitri, Lu Ban Image: Multi Story Media / CH4

Italian Club Fish kicked off the competition with married couple Rosaria and Maurizio providing their guests with a proper Italian night out and a menu of pan-fried Scottish scallops and burrata, home-made spaghetti with lobster, and warm chocolate cake.

Next up was Crosby Seafood Kitchen’s Vicky and Ashleigh, who wowed with yet more scallops, a seafood platter “fruits de mer” main course, and chocolate fondant. In what was probably our favourite scene of the whole show, Lu Ban’s front of house guru Dimitri revealed that he had never tried salmon before. What now?

Come Dine With Me Professionals Liverpool Italian Club Fish
Rosaria and Maurizio, Italian Club Fish Image: Multi Story Media / CH4
Come Dine With Me Professionals Liverpool Seafood Kitchen Crosby
Vicky and Ashleigh, The Seafood Kitchen Image: Multi Story Media / CH4

Day three was the turn of Lu Ban’s executive head chef Dave Critchley. Cooking up a storm at the Chef’s Table, Dave (aka Slim Davy) served a menu of Tianjin-inspired dishes, starting with a traditional Chinese Yin and Yang hot and sour soup, a main of Szechuan grilled lobster, followed by the signature cherry blossom dessert. 

While the group were enthralled by Dave’s tales of China and the hot and sour soup blew Rosaria’s mind, it was also the third night of lobster. As the Chinese lion dance brought the evening and the competition to a close, the winners of the £1,000 cash prize were announced. No spoilers here, thank you. You can watch the full episode on All 4.

Come Dine With Me Professionals Liverpool Lu Ban Italian Kitchen Seafood
Who cracked it with the lobster? Image: Multi Story Media / CH4

Dave Critchley said, “We went into the competition to showcase Liverpool as a brilliant place for visitors, to highlight independent restaurants and our stunning restaurant.

“Congratulations to Italian Club Fish and Seafood Kitchen, they did themselves and the city proud. We're very happy that we got to showcase great Chinese food and entertainment, plus we managed to have a lot of fun along the way”.

Mr Paella Esto Es Espana Hope Street Liverpool Andres Vma
Andres from Esto es Espana is in the next Liverpool round Image: Confidentials

The next Liverpool episode of Come Dine With Me: The Professionals on Friday 15 July will see James and Lisa from tapas restaurant Harrington’s kick off the competition. Andres and Dave from Esto Es Espana on Hope Street are second to host and finally it’s the turn of Jisha and Sabuji from Kerala Kitchen in Upton

Lu Ban Cdwm Cherry Blossom 2
Lu Ban's signature cherry blossom dessert Image: Lu Ban / Allen Markey

To give guests a chance to be part of the TV experience, Lu Ban has launched its Come Dine With Me menu at the restaurant which is available for pre-booking on Thursdays and Fridays at £49.50 per person at Lu Ban Restaurant.


Read next: Liverpool's tallest hotel is now open in Paddington Village

Read again: Liverpool's top dining deals: July 2022


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