Bistro Noir

Bistro Noir is a fairly regular haunt for me, either for socialising or for informal business meetings and I must say it scores well for both…
With its extremely good value 3 courses for £9.99 deal Sunday to Tuesday then their still pretty appealing 2 courses for £12.95 Weds to Saturday you can have a good old feed here and not break the bank (although you might need to wear your elasticated waist trousers… the last time I went with a friend on a Tuesday night she insisted on me ordering a dessert even though I was full. «But I can’t eat it!» I said. «Never mind, she replied, «I’ll eat it for you. But you HAVE to order it because it’s part of the deal!!!» I had to practically roll her home…
The menu is actually rather an odd mix of styles in my opinion with a mix of British (roasts), American (burgers), classic French (pates and steaks), Mediterranean (feta salads and calamari) Jamaican and Asian (plus last time I was in they were playing Spanish or Mexican music — go figure) but to be honest you don’t go to Bistro Noir for continuity of culinary style. The starters are always tasty and a decent size and the main courses rarely a disappointment. I always really enjoy the Jamaican goat curry and there is a beautiful Sri Lankan chicken curry that I thoroughly recommend. And keep your eyes open for the specials… I once had a fillet steak with Stroganoff sauce and creamy mash potatoes. I still drool now thinking about it.
I rarely eat a dessert when out for an evening meal so I tend to sample the B. N puds and cakes when in there for a coffee sometimes of an afternoon. They do a gluten free chocolate torte which is a little piece of heaven on a plate. And as a woman who is extremely fussy about how I like my coffee, I have to say their lattes are second to none.
All in all a big thumbs up from me. Fine dining it ain’t but tasty food in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere it is. And you’ll have money left over for drinks on Lark Lane afterwards…

My girlfriend and I were craving a Sunday roast. For some reason, these aren’t advertised as extensively as they are in London, and reviews are surprisingly hard to come by. We decided on a rare trip outside Liverpool central to the lovely Lark Lane neighborhood, and took a leap of faith when we saw a sign outside Bistro Noir advertising just what we wanted. We’re glad we did.
The roasts came with a starter; both of us chose the pâté, which came with a relish and some salad greens. The combination of the sweet relish and the subtly salty pâté made for an appetizing and promising first impression. Both of us also chose the beef roast, which was colorful and well-​presented, though the gravy was missing something and table salt did not fill the void. I had a large, excellent glass of merlot.
Where this place decidedly shone was in the desserts department. We’ve both had apple strudel in Austria, so I was cynical when the ladyfriend ordered the apple pie, but it came with what seemed like a kind of caramel layer that was positively delightful; my amazing Bailey’s cheesecake was almost as good. I’m not even a dessert fan normally, but the after-​dinner sweets here alone warrant a return visit.
The service was friendly but seemed overwhelmed by the early dinner traffic. We waited a long time for the bill, and after noticing an error waited even longer for a replacement. Thankfully we were not in a particular hurry, and the memory of those fabulous desserts negated whatever other disappointments we might have had. We will certainly return for these — and soon, I hope.

I had an enjoyable late lunch here last Saturday. Although the décor is up to standard for a bistro, the preponderance of families with tots ensured the atmosphere didn’t get too rarified! But this wasn’t a problem for me, and the ambience is probably more sophisticated during the evening.
The cake and dessert selection is a big thing here with everything being made from scratch. Vegetarian options on the menu were enough — a soup of the day, panninis (?) and a couple of mains.
I enjoyed my choice of baked red pepper stuffed with couscous, sundried tomatoes, olives and with a pesto over the top. I specifically asked, and the chips are definitely handcut on the premises. Everything on the plate was as it should be. Chips, albeit handcut, seems to be a bit of a fallback to fill out the vegetarian option in British ‘bistros’. For me, the couscous stuffing here was more enjoyable and healthful than the chips.
The service was friendly and attentive, although I did feel that one waitress was haring around the tables a bit much — a wee bit more serenity does wonders for the digestion, I find!
Price is definitely right — I don’t have the receipt to hand, but £6.99 is my recollection. I would have no problems with eating here again.
If you like the ambience of West Didsbury in Manchester you might like to checkout Lark Lane, which has similar options for comparing the menus of a tight concentration of ‘foodie’ restaurants and pubs before making your choice. And with Sefton Park, the regenerated Festival Gardens and Riverside Walk (basically, a new promenade along the side of the River Mersey) nearby, this part of the world is definitely worth a visit.

we went here on a Friday evening for our monthly girls night out. i picked it purely on the fact it did a reasonably priced set menu and the food was quite varied as we all have different tastes. it was wet and wild on lark lane so the warm inviting interior was very welcome! this bistro has an eclectic feel which fits well into its location.
we had a bottle of prosecco between us and each had the two course menu.
i had the chicken liver pâté to start which was lovely and was presented well, though there was loads of pâté in the pot! for main i had surf and turf cooked medium rare which it was to perfection :) always a plus, i cant eat a steak unless its mooing!
the menu was varied and there was no set theme to it. my friend tried the goat curry which cam with rice and peas AND chips! she said it was lovely. all in all a good meal with friendly staff, only down side was the portions were huge and i couldnt finish it all or find room for the yummy looking deserts!!!

I’ll be taking it a step at a time with reviewing this Bistro.
To begin: they open at 10am, which leaves me short of a spot to enjoy coffee from 9am. I’m self-​employed and often would like a pick me up before 10am.
I am not completely sure what category to place the bistro, it isn’t strictly mediterranean, I would rather call it fusion of all kinds of good origins. For the first weeks they ran a saturday paella night which is now replaced with other tasty dishes.
Bistro Noire has a generous and changing selection of cakes often offered with optional cream or ice cream at no extra charge. I like this opening period in which things still keep changing, while the business finds the best mix for it’s menu and desserts.
The coffee is good, this is a major deal-​maker.
Bistro Noire offers wifi! However don’t bank on finding space to check your e-​mails after 6.30 pm, especially on weekends, as the place gets very busy. It’s nice to see a business look to vibrant so early on.
Food: I have only had cake so far and a lot of the menue seems to have a variety of non-​vegetarian options, I haven’t explored further just yet as I am lately on a tight budget and am eating at home.
But if the crowds are anything to go by the food must be good.
The service: The staff are still settling in but there is great promise here. I have had a very good portion of the staff be very attentive and friendly, and I don’t really spend much here. It’s a place where they are currently placing clear emphasis on making the customer feel welcome and comfortable.
I have a lot of hopes for this place staying as good as it already is, while a few tiny occasional clumsinesses are ironed out. If Bistro Noire keeps it up then they will need to find new premises soon, because they are guaranteed to become many people’s favourite place.
One of my favorite things is that Bistro Noire offers toast for £1. And yoghurt with muesli for £2.90. This is a major draw for the self-​employed artist who needs a snack and would like it to be within budget and not cake.
I recommend you visit this place and write a review about Bistro Noire’s food. As I may not get a chance to sample it too soon.
Well done Bistro Noire, keep it up.
P. S. I have no relationship nor shares in Bistro Noire, I’m just delighted to find wifi & coffee & service under one roof and on Lark Lane.
P. P. S. set back: a little too loud for working on one’s thoughts /​reading /​or working on the laptop. This won’t bother too many people, though.