Bistrot Verite

I remember from my youth that this site used to be home to a little Chinese restaurant that always looked quite dark and dingy, even when it was open, as if there was something going on inside that they didn’t want you to know about (maybe some Yakuza bosses were having a meeting inside, who knows).
Thankfully, the Chinese there has now been replaced by a lovely little French restaurant called Bistrot Verite (who’d have thought bistro in French was bistrot, hey?)
Named after it’s owner (a highly reputable chef in the area, I’m told), this cosy little restaurant is placed not far from Birkdale station, making it perfect to hop off a train and venture in for a good meal and a bottle of wine or two before hopping on the last train back home.
Their reliance on fresh local produce means the dishes change from time to time depending on what is in season but this makes for an excellent variety of food ranging from lamb to tuna steak and salmon and asparagus pasta. The staff there are friendly and engaging, contributing to the warm and pleasant atmosphere making for a great dining experience.
C’est bon (GCSE French in practice, there).

I am learning french at the minute and had my french dictionary to hand! I think I am right in saying that Bistrot is very similar or the same as Bistro/​café. Verite means truth, lifelikeness, truthfulness or sincerity. So we have a bistro of sincerity in our midst and own by none other than Marc Verite, the chef who put Southport on the Michelin fine dining map. It seems to be a family run affair. Modelled on a rustic French bistro with simple and laid-​back style. The menu changes regularly, so it’s slightly harder to tell you what might be on the menu. Starters could include Mussels Marniere or Baked Camembert with caramelised apples and pistachio nuts; typical mains include classic dishes such as Chateaubriand for two with Bearnaise sauce and grilled venison haunch steak rubbed with juniper berries and garlic. Bistrot Vérite is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday.
I found the service excellent and couldn’t fault the place in the slightest!

Quite what the difference between a ‘bistrot’ and a bistro is I have no idea, but if anyone out there is far more cultured than me, answers on a postcard please. What we do know it does is successfully bring a taste of France to the wealthy suburbs of Birkdale, and what better to put these affluent types in the mood for their next jaunt to gay Paree? (I did phonetics there, I’m sorry. Oh, I mean… ferneticks.)
With a reputable chef at the helm and a flair for innovation stamped all over the menu, you can’t go wrong with this place, and its location in such a well-​to-​do area between Southport and Liverpool means that going wrong in the land of Birkdale isn’t really an option, and the restaurants follow suit. The mussels are absolutely staggering; the French do throw them together very well and I was most impressed with the almost slurp-​worthy white wine sauce. The seasonal dishes are cooked to perfection and presented very prettily, and the accompanying wine list is most impressive too.
The service can’t be faulted either, and for staff who must be starstruck on a daily basis by sporting heroes and actors, they’re extremely down to earth and most of all, friendly, accommodating and helpfully informative with the menu, and to be honest, the prices aren’t all that bad for the generous portions you get given Salut, as they say on the continent.