Bookings are now being taken for the new Royal Albert Dock restaurant
Lerpwl will open its doors on Saturday 12th September, making it the latest in the line up of top restaurants surrounding the Royal Albert Dock. Located on the Britannia Pavillion on the UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront, their neighbours include Maray, Lunyalita and Rosa’s Thai Cafe. Lerpwl’s vision keys into the links Liverpool has as a port and its connectivity with the rest of the British Isles and North Wales.
The ingredients are the stars of the show here
Lerpwl is the new venue from Liverpool-born Ellis and Liam Barrie, founders of the much acclaimed Marram Grass in Anglesey. Ellis Barrie shot to fame on BBC two’s Great British Menu and you might have seen him more recently on BBC one’s reboot of Ready Steady Cook.
The 80 capacity restaurant is split across two levels. The main space downstairs wraps around an open kitchen and to the back of the unit is Margot’s, a cocktail bar named after Liam’s daughter. Cocktails include ‘Paloma’, a version of the Mexican favourite made from Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Creme De Peche and fresh grapefruit juice, and the ‘Old Tobacco Dock’, a smoky twist on a class Old-Fashioned made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Perique Tabac and demerara sugar.
Food wise, there will be two menus; an a la carte tasting menu and a second more relaxed menu depending on what experience the diner is looking for. Diners will also have the option to sit kitchen side on seating at the Oyster Bar. Lerpwl’s menus have been designed to be fluid, to change with the seasons, meaning dishes will always be fresh and at their best.
Ellis says, “Liam and I jumped at the chance to open our new restaurant concept at Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock, it feels like a real homecoming. Lerpwl’s style of cooking will feel both accessible and modern, whether it’s the finest sustainably-sourced seafood from Cornish day boats, mussels and oysters from the Menai Straits of Anglesey, or home-grown pork and vegetables from The Fat Pig Farm.
"We will bring you the finest ingredients from around the British Isles, their provenance and seasonality is key, the ingredients are the stars of the show here.”
Sample starters include Anglesey crab with celery root and tops, sea purslane and chive, or the heartier ox cheek with potato, onion and beef fat carrot. For mains, you might try BBQ lobster tail with Jerusalem artichoke and ravioli, or 40 day aged Red poll beef with foraged mushrooms and truffle terrine.
Lerpwl will also offer dishes to share such as whole roast fish with Menai mussels, home grown spuds and fresh vegetables or a whole roast dry aged Anglesey duck with honey.
“The A55 is my ‘Silk Road’ as it connects Anglesey and North Wales to Merseyside,” says Ellis. “I want to bring the freshest produce to our Albert Dock restaurant.”
A spiral staircase takes diners to a private dining space named Albert’s, named after Ellis’s son. Albert’s can seat up to 30 guests and has its own private bar - perfect for a socially distanced wedding breakfast or family celebration. At the top of the stairs is a DJ booth, to add a soundtrack to Liverpool’s dockside on weekends.
“We’re so excited to build on the success of Marram Grass,” adds Liam. “A lot of thought has gone into the interior decor which features a black marble bar, bespoke Lerpwl crockery with Liverpool landmarks and furniture made on Anglesey. With Ellis’s stamp on the menu, his relationships with the best suppliers from across the UK and style of cooking, we’re going to take Liverpool and the UK by storm with Lerpwl.”
Chef Kevin Lynn will be the Lerpwl kitchen. Lynn formerly worked at Machine House in Wrexham, which was named Wales Restaurant of the Year in 2018-19 at the AA Hospitality Awards. He has also worked for Aiden Byrne at Manchester’s Restaurant MCR.
