Flashback ten years and my idea of a sophisticated dining experience was swapping my chips for sweet potato mash at Nando’s. Meet me back in 2018 now my taste buds have gone through adolescence and my food & drink blog has been up and running for a good year and it’s safe to say my palate has definitely refined somewhat. So much so in fact, sometimes I find myself guilty of… restaurant snobbery!
[Pause for dramatic gasp]
Now sometimes, this restaurant snobbery which I’m by no means proud of is like a sixth sense that serves me well but other times, I end up eating my words (and some unexpectedly fabulous food) and it serves me right. There have definitely been a few times when the old don’t just a book by its cover – or rather, its reputation – rings true and Revolution St. Peter’s Square in Liverpool transpired to be one of them.
Right, let me start at the very top… Revolution is one of the most popular bars in Liverpool (and in many other cities across the UK) that is renowned for it’s novelty cocktails, extensive shots repertoire and lively nightlife. As someone who tends to gravitate towards smaller, independent bars and eateries normally, my limited experience of Revolution had been drinking way too many Jagerbombs and dodging the flailing elbows being pumped in the air along to the rhythm of Sex on Fire – the ultimate night out anthem of our generation it seems.
So, when I went along to check out the Revolution food menu, I can’t deny that I was a tad sceptical. Probably heightened by the fact I’d eaten three courses of delicious French food and sampled the new Pampelle Spritz cocktail at Côte Brasserie in Chester the day before… However, it turns out that beer goggles work in reverse for Revolution as the modern décor and chilled out vibe were a million times more appealing on arrival than I had recalled from my hazy, Jager-fuelled memory.
No matter which way you look at it, Revolution is predominantly celebrated for it’s vibrant drinks offering so we dived head first into the spirit of things – literally – with a couple of cocktails from the extensive drinks menu. We were like a couple of kids in a candy shop making our selections from the visual list which wouldn’t look at all out of place on Willy Wonka’s mantelpiece.
After much um-ing and ah-ing over the array of technicolour cocktails and mocktails, we went for the Frothy Biscoffi (vodka, salted caramel liqueur, soy milk and black forest syrup) and the Cherry Boulevardier – Bulleit Bourbon, Martini Rosso, Aperol and Angostura Bitters – inspired by the 1920’s prohibition era. Anybody who follows me on Instagram will know that I’m a self-confessed Lotus Biscoff addict so my Lotus-laced alco-shake went down a treat and I was very pleased to see that it was mixed using a dairy-free alternative. Big thumbs up from me.
After our meal (which I’ll come to next) we swapped dessert for another two cocktails after feeling so spoilt for choice. Round two consisted of the Bourbon Badboy (pictured above) which was a mixture of Bulleit Bourbon, Frangelico, chocolate liqueur, coffee and cream, then the Ice Dream which was a mix of Revolution Handcrafted Melted Ice Cream Flavour, passionfruit, pineapple juice and a whole ‘exotic vanilla ice cream’ on top. Fabulous! The cocktails at Revolution couldn’t be described as cheap but the presentation and flavour combinations are definitely a whole load of fun.
The fun didn’t stop at the cocktail menu or the impressive gin list either – it continued on through the edible offering and we were more than happy to indulge in a little lighthearted lunching. I must stress that there is absolutely no emphasis on the word light there… A majority of the Revolution food menu is made up of button-poppin’, belly-bustin’ dishes that will leave you with one helluva food baby but hey, life’s too short for counting calories so let’s get stuck in!
We went for some Popcorn Halloumi (£4.95) and the Calamari (£4.25) from the Bar Snacks/Small Plates menu to start. The little bitesize chunks of squeaky cheese coated in golden breadcrumbs and served with a flavoursome tomato & roasted red pepper salsa were absolutely delicious – a firm favourite. My partner in dine was responsible for the deep fried squid which came with fresh lemon and aioli for dipping and she said it was nice but perhaps a bit too oily. After the ones she has enjoyed so much recently at Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse and Hanover Street Social, she has become quite the calamari connoisseur!
For mains, we both decided to go for a big ol’ burger. There were plenty of other less predictable dishes to choose from such a Sri Lankan Chicken Curry with Sticky Jasmine Rice (£9.50) or the Superfood Salad with Pulled Chicken (£9.95) which both sounded delicious and are next on my hit list. However, I think the humble burger is a great way to really put bar food through its paces and Liverpool is bursting with great burger joints (I’m looking at you, Almost Famous) so we just kept it classic this time round.
We decided to go halfy-halfies (not the official Oxford Dictionary term but you know what I mean) on the Smokin’ Bacon (£9.95) and the Brooklyn Chicken (£9.95). The Brooklyn Chicken comprised a stack of buttermilk fried chicken, smoked cheddar, streaky bacon and chipotle BBQ sauce – the chicken was tender, the batter was crunchy and the chipotle sauce was divine. Perfectly complimented by a generous pile of crisp sweet potato fries too.
It was the Smokin’ Bacon burger that stole the show for us though with its tender beef patty, smoked cheddar, chorizo ketchup, streaky bacon, smokinnaise, crispy onions and Wotsits. Yes, Wotsits. I’m a complete sucker for a novelty burger piled high with everything but the kitchen sink but I was pleased as punch to find that Revolution’s offering was as well cooked and seasoned as it was frivolous and fun.
So, that’s my restaurant snobbery well and truly put back in it’s place. Next time I’m around that neck of the woods, I’ll most definitely be knocking on Revolution St Peter’s Square’s door for some top quality pub grub that promises to put a big fat smile on your face.
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I was very kindly invited to review Revolution St. Peter’s Square but all words, photographs, opinions, teeth, hair, boobs and nails are my very own.
You’d think I’d have learned by now not to read your posts on an empty stomach! I’m practically drooling! It all looks delicious, and it’s nice to know that they put as much thought into their food menu as their liquid lunches.