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The Art School
Review
About
Travellers' Choice
2024
MICHELIN
View more on MICHELIN Guide
The Art School Restaurant is completely unique. We have tried to embrace the features of the original building and have blended in modern facilities. With warm lighting, a viewing window through to the kitchen, a relaxing bar and a fabulous dining area. Situated across the street from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and a short distance from both of Liverpool's cathedrals, the restaurant is the first of its kind in Liverpool City Centre. We will offer innovative, seasonal menus developed from the finest local produce our region has to offer, including an exclusive range of organic spirits, superb 200 bin wine list and a world class Champagne selection. Delivered by an international team of experienced chefs, waiters and sommeliers, the restaurant has a focus on mentoring young, local talent and apprentices. Starting from £39.00 for 3 courses, our menus are aspirational, modern and contemporary. We aim to be affordable and inviting for all to enjoy.
MICHELIN Guide: Good cooking
Having celebrated 10 years in business, Paul Askew's restaurant continues to nourish the good diners of Liverpool. The spacious, elegant dining room has a stylish streak with its bright red chairs and crisp white tablecloths, while the formality of the décor is matched by the service team. The cooking is ambitious and full of colour, while a serious wine list adds to the appeal, with a particularly strong selection of reds. Do check out the array of special events they run, including guest chef dinners and live music nights.
Read more on MICHELIN Guide
Features
CUISINES
European, British, Contemporary
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
American Express
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Gift Cards Available
Highchairs Available
Live Music
Mastercard
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Visa
Wheelchair Accessible
Wine and Beer
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 12:00 PM
Sunday
Closed
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
12:00 - 14:1517:00 - 21:15
Wednesday
12:00 - 14:1517:00 - 21:15
Thursday
12:00 - 14:1517:00 - 21:15
Friday
12:00 - 14:1517:00 - 21:15
Saturday
12:00 - 14:1517:00 - 21:15
Contribute
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4.7
2,038 reviews
Excellent
1,703
Very good
200
Average
80
Poor
42
Terrible
13
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John Mackay
18 contributions
Nov 2024 • friends
Dining out doesn’t get much better than this! A friend and I had a sparkling lunch here last week - literally, as a glass of English sparkling wine with chunky tasty gordal olives is a delightful opener. Service is friendly but slick, food beautifully presented and perfectly cooked, from the two-cheese soufflé starter through the pinky venison loin to the trio of pretty and tasty desserts. The wine list has a wide and varied range at every price point; at £32, the Barbera d’Asti was excellent value with significant depth of flavour. I’m planning to go again next month!
Written 3 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
roberto p
Gallarate2433 contributions
Apr 2024 • solo
Six years had passed since the previous experience in this restaurant and I really wanted to go back, taking advantage of my presence in Liverpool for the Grand National meeting.
Unfortunately prices have changed, inflation is also biting in the UK, but fortunately the "Prix Fixe" proposal remains which allows - at a reasonable price - a more popular menu but also a brief overview of their cuisine.
Amuse bouche a green bean soup with mint served with their bread and focaccia and butter combo.
To start we chose a souffle of "wild garlic" (wild garlic in Italian), spinach leaves, blue cheese, leeks and Dijon sauce: exceptional.
Just as excellent is the quality of the North Sea black cod with miso, rice and prawns, green beans, onions and red chicory.
Dessert, a trio of delights including macarons, chocolate cake and blueberry cheesecake.
Great wine list, we chose by the glass, starting with the Italian Prosecco, continuing with the great curiosity of the English bubbles, namely a Brut reserve Henners, coming from East Sussex vineyards.
From California the (red) wine for dessert.
Finally, at the end of the meal we also treated ourselves to the Espresso Martini.
Attentive and important service, for a lunch to remember
Written 15 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael H
Liverpool185 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
The Art School remains a fabulous dining experience in Liverpool. We enjoyed the prix fixe menu - 3 courses preceded by a welcome drink with olives and amuse bouche. My souffle and guinea fowl main were excellent and trio of desserts capped a lovely meal. Service very good, not stuffy but attentive and friendly. The venue is magnificent. All together a great experience.
Written 25 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
maxinecfreeman
Liverpool1 contribution
Feb 2025 • family
I went to the Art School, Liverpool for lunch on Saturday, 15th February, 25. Table booked for midday. We were seated given bits of bread and drink. Half an hour passed no starters had arrived, other people were being served their food. So we waited and waited with no explanation from staff. Time got to 1 pm. Still no starters. My husband went up to find out what was going on. Still no communication it was the most awful service we have ever experienced. The restaurant manager didn't communication with us at all. We were the forgotten three. Eventually after an hour our starters arrived. My sons tomato pasta he said was cold, I said said to him if he sent this back it would take forever!!. TBH he was over it and was fed up. My twice baked souffle', the sauce was far too thick. b The main course my son and I had chicken my husband had beef-ox-cheek. My husband said, an d i quite agree, that the dishes were the same veg and potato. we had a leek across the plate that all of us couldn't cut properly. The meals weren't enjoyable at all. Desert was trio of same little deserts was ok. By this stage our lunch experience was ruined. We all had a horrible time because you go out to enjoy yourself not to complain, we had no choice but to as we would have still been waiting for our food to arrive.
When we were ready to leave, only then did the restaurant manager says to us sorry about that!! Wow why couldn't he have communicated to us while we were waiting an hour for our starters to arrive?? We paid £174 for this!!! Rang restaurant to complain, offered voucher for £75, I said we paid £174, not that I didn't want this, but thought a little more seeing lunch, for what we experienced, we paid a lot of money. He withdrew voucher. Service, manner, communication was horrible. Not treated with respect at all.
Written 25 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rob Hilton
There is an old African saying “Until the lion learns how to write every story will glorify the hunter”.
We, at The Art School, are proud of our reputation in providing the highest possible service levels to all guests under any circumstance. Our staff will go the extra mile to ensure that we don't just meet expectations but that we exceed them. Thankfully the majority of our guests are delighted by their dining experience, the service that they receive and we hope our reviews speak for themselves.
There are very occasional times, however, that we fall short. On those occasions we are the first to hold our hands up, admit that mistakes occur and we work with our guests to put things right. Part of that honesty must also come from transparency and a willingness to fully portray the facts. Fortunately, like many establishments, we have cameras covering our premises.
We have always valued our regular returning guests. Having visited on a number occasions you have always been aware that we publish our menus online but that they can change subject to market availability. You are also aware that we will do our utmost to cater to dietary requirements. It has been omitted from your review that you were called by the restaurant, on two occasions ahead of your visit, for you to dictate exactly what you and your son would like to eat, as we do on each of your visits. Not from our menu, but at your choice. Amuse bouche? The one that you prefer, prepared only for your table. The starters and mains? Chosen by you, ordered and cooked freshly during your visit and incorporating the vegetables that you have chosen from across our menus. Gluten-free bread? Ofcourse. We know that you do not have an allergy or intolerance, it is your preference and it is prepared and served warm.
At this point, yes, your starters were running a bit behind but were ready to come out but it was at this point that your husband left the table for the toilet. He mentioned in passing that you were waiting for your starters but, as he was leaving the table, they were kept on the pass, until he returned. At which point, you also called across a member of the team, complained about the wait but also felt it appropriate to insult your waiter and the appearance of the rest of the team. You were advised that the starters were ready, your husband returned and the restaurant manager approached your table to place the plates down. This was delayed by you wishing to further voice your unhappiness meaning the food was getting cold. Our manager requested that you show our staff respect and not call them names. The plates were placed down, subsequently cleared and the mains served.
The exact main course that you had requested over the phone for yourself and your son plus the 'little roast potatoes that my husband loves' alongside the vegetables that you had chosen from all of the vegetables that were available.
The dessert trio was the one that was explained to you over the phone. You weren't keen so it was amended to the rice pudding from a different menu because you 'like ginger'. Change of mind and another phone call ensues to change it back to the trio.
Our restaurant manager served every dish to you graciously during your meal. At no point did you mention that you were unhappy with your mains, again, sourced, ordered and cooked specifically for you and your family.
As explained to you during your follow up phone call we were sorry that your starters were slow and a monetary voucher would be issued. You seemed happy during the call and agreed. The voucher was emailed to you at 14.18. At 15.06 you emailed as you felt it insufficient compensation for a delayed starter. At 16.05 we emailed to explain that the voucher would be cancelled and that we felt to fully refund the lunch was inappropriate. At 16.25 we received your email to say that you would accept the voucher and would book your return luncheon for July.
The decision was taken to not reinstate the voucher. Of this you were unhappy and, although you assured us that you never take to the internet to air your grievances, you are - after all - a nice person, here we are.
We never set out to lose a valuable guest, especially when the hospitality industry in is turmoil and when we genuinely love what we do. Some people will say we are stupid for going so far to please you. We disagree as that is the essence of hospitality but maybe we should learn a lesson.
This is our review of your visit.
Written 28 February 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
John L
Liverpool85 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
I have dined at the Art School twice before this visit, my first experience was excellent, the second let down by the quality of the service, our third visit was to settle the tie and sadly we won't be coming back. In short the food was a mix of highs and lows but the price was simply high. For the cost save up a bit more and go to Moor Hall or save alot of money and go anywhere else, the price point is Michelin star level but the experience is far from it.
We had the paired tasting menu which gave us the overwhelming positve of the meal which was an interesting and well curated selection of wines served by an engaging sommelier. The tasting menu varied in quality widly from a bland confit potato, followed by a delicate scallop dish, to a grossly over salted duck dish, back to a excellent beef / lobster main. The pre-dessert was heavy with chocolate which did nothing to cleanse the palate before another chocolate dessert that was almost indistinguishable from the pre-dessert in flavour profile and uninspired.
The issue is simply one of food quality for the price and at this price point the expectation should be high which the food failed to deliver.
Written 8 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
peter J
Bebington139 contributions
Sept 2024 • couples
This was our second visit, the first time was for dinner and this was for lunch. We arrived by taxi was was meet by a young gentleman in a bowler hat who gave u a nice welcome walked us 5 yards and handed us over to the receptionist, then she confirmed our booking and took us into the bar another 5 yards. Where we were sat but had to wait ten to 15 minutes to be asked if we would like a drink despite three male members of staff being behind the bar. Maybe the person who takes you in could offer you a drink? or redeploy one of the two who greeted us.
Whilst we were having a drink the very polite American lady brought the menu and some olives(I hate olives to be honest). You have to decided on which tasting menu you are going on when you book. It was a hot day outside and better air -con is needed. Lovely bread but the two butters were nearly melted. The mushroom veloute was very tasty but cold. The Canadian waiter knew his job and wines.
We started with the hogget, I expected it to be juicy as it said slow roasted but it was crispy like it had been grilled and so was overcooked and the other starter of twice baked souffle was to die for. I was going to have the venison which was on the website but no sign of it on the menu when we arrived so had the pork, everything on the plate was fabulous expect for the meat again, overcooked and dry. The other main course of chicken was spot on. We finished with the signature desserts which were very sweet but need a sauce or something cold with them. No sign of Paul Askew maybe that why there was faults which at that price there should not be.
Written 8 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ellpett
Ampthill190 contributions
Sept 2024 • friends
We came for dinner early on a Saturday evening and dined from the Prix Fixe menu, which we thought was excellent value.
The service throughout the meal was spot-on. We felt exceptionally well looked after and the whole experience was timed and managed perfectly. The whole evening was seamless and the staff are a real highlight here.
Whilst we enjoyed our starters, we felt the main courses and pudding was a little lacking in imagination. The chicken felt a little bit like wedding food - whilst it was executed well, it wasn’t memorable in the sense of bringing anything new to the table. The trio of desserts felt a little underwhelming and - dare I say it - a little bit like the taster sized desserts you might expect to find in a Vegas buffet. Some restaurants and chefs are just not “dessert” people, which is fine, but in that case maybe have the option on the menu to take just 2 courses rather than the full three. We wondered if the main a la carte menu might have been more exciting?
The wine list was interesting with lots of variety and various price points, particularly so by-the-glass.
Overall, would defintely recommend based on the service and the excellent value.
Written 8 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deborah W
91 contributions
Dec 2023 • friends
Our first visit to this lovely restaurant and we couldn’t have been happier. We had a fixed price menu which was great value and the choice of starters and mains was very good. Everything was beautifully cooked and presented. Staff are very friendly and attentive. Paul, the owner and Head chef came and spoke to us and answered some questions about the dishes - He’s really keen to ensure you are enjoying your meal. We’ve already booked to go again.
Written 2 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GrahamNorthants
241 contributions
Sept 2024 • couples
My wife and I visited the Art School in September for my birthday meal, and we both opted for the tasting menu. I had the full tasting menu, while my wife chose the vegetarian tasting menu. A nice touch was the "Happy Birthday" message at the top of the menu when we were seated.
Prior to our meal, we enjoyed a drink along with a selection of delicious snacks in the bar area. Both the bar and the restaurant had a lovely ambiance, with the kitchen visible to patrons.
The waiting staff were excellent, especially the waiter from the USA, who had great wine knowledge. We decided to try wines we had never tasted before, including a Riesling and an English wine. Both were delicious and worthy of a second try. (That's my excuse).
I’ve attached photos to showcase the superb quality of the food. I wholeheartedly recommend the restaurant, and if I find myself back in Liverpool, I will definitely book to eat here again.
Written 21 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chrischi1981
8 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
We stayed overnight for our wedding anniversary and were just absolutely amazed by the whole experience. Lovely staff, every single one, from being made to feel so welcome on arrival to chatting along with them all. Every one was so helpful and friendly. Beautiful room with everything we needed for our stay. The grounds are gorgeous to have a walk around and it was really interesting to see the kitchen garden where they grow all their own vegetables and herbs. As for the dining experience, there are no words to describe just how totally fabulous this was. We were invited to a light afternoon tea in the early afternoon, then another invite for pre-dinner snacks and drinks before the main meal. The level of expertise every single staff member has is just incredible. The variety and quality of every one of the many courses is amazing. A totally wonderful culinary experience, followed the next morning at breakfast which again was fabulous. Altogether, a truly wonderful stay and we’re already looking forward to a return visit.
Written 15 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
andybaird
Rainford45 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
Beautiful building, very small reception area. Asked if we could have a drink in the cellar bar, told it was full.
Drinks at the bar were good, chefs snacks brought (very good) but we were not offered champagne as per the menu. Thought it might come to the table when we sat down, it didn’t.
Food was excellent, although I feel that the beef main with a £5 supplement was very small.
My wife had the fish of the day, very good.
Cheese course disappointing, the slivers of cheese were tiny and one of them included the rind and a very very small amount of cheese.
Dessert course good.
Atmosphere very ‘clinical’, no ambient music until very late on. Left us listening to everyone else’s conversations for most of the time we were there.
Waiting staff okay, I was left with the tablet for the drinks on the side of the table for the entire evening.
This place could be very good, but there were a few details which let it down.
Don’t let 10 years on the Liverpool restaurant scene lead to complacency.
Not sure I’d hurry back, we were potentially interested in a private dining booking for 20+ but I think we could do better.
Good luck for the next 10 years, some attention to detail would work wonders!
Written 21 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OtistheBlackCat
Wirral238 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
One of life's great mysteries is why Chef Patron Paul Askew has not been awarded a Michelin star, because he's been creating divine food for years. The Art School is a true "fine dining" restaurant but, unlike many others in this category, you won't come away hungry because of the stingy portions (it's often a case of "the more you pay, the less you get" - but not here). The food is exquisite both in presentation and taste. Service is at another level as well (many thanks to Sarah). The "Prix Fixe" menu is truly remarkable value and we highly recommend it. If you're a real foodie, it's well worth a visit.
Written 4 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam
15 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
We visited the Art School and opted for the prix fixe menu. To start we had a glass of sparkling wine and some delicious olives. The amuse bouche was exceptional, a mushroom ‘soup’ with a variety of breads and flavoured butters. First course of hogget had some really nice flavours going on, however the meat was quite fatty and had a very strong haggis-like taste. The second course of pork was quite disappointing. The pork was dry, fatty and tasteless and was accompanied by a sickly sweet fruit jam that just did not work. The potato mille feuille was good though, as was the pork mince in cabbage. Dessert was fantastic, a refreshing trio of fruity cakes and meringue. We felt that the pricing of the prix fix menu was very reasonable and perhaps if we’d made different choices we would have had a better experience
Written 3 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rob Hilton
Dear Snew927,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a balanced and descriptive review of your dining experience at The Art School.
Our new amuse bouche of girolles mushroom veloute with cep oil and chives has been incredibly well received by guests with many mopping up every drop with their bread!
Aged between one to two years old, The meat used in our hogget starter have had the time to mature at pasture giving the meat a slightly higher fat content and, thus, a greater depth of flavour. Locally sourced from one of the North West's top butchers (Edge & Sons), we are opting for this over lamb (its younger counterpart), as it's a more sustainable option whilst retaining it's tenderness and punchy flavour. Slow-roasted each day and dressed on the plate with its own natural reduced jus does increase the depth of flavour however our chefs have been asked to be a little more careful with the balance and dressing of the dish to ensure that the flavours and textures are not compromised.
We are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your pork main course. It is a paradoxical problem for any pork lover to strike the perfect balance between cutting away too much fat and not having enough to ensure a perfectly cooked juicy cutlet! Thankfully we have received many complimentary comments for our dish and its balance of sweet and sharp elements but I have been assured by our chefs that they will look to reassess the dish and make any necessary amendments to ensure that it gratifies as many palates as possible.
We certainly hope that you will visit us again in the future so that we may have the opportunity to showcase some alternative seasonal dishes. We will be introducing our autumn menus towards the end of the month and into September.
Kindest regards
Written 6 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
10rogerandmargaret
Knutsford13 contributions
Jun 2024 • family
Our second visit to this amazing restaurant to celebrate a family milestone. From the moment we arrived the service was top notch, pre dinner drinks were sumptuous and the tasting menu absolutely sublime. Michelin stars surely just a matter of time, so go whilst you still can . Put your glad rags on and have a fabulous night out ! I could try and explain how good the food is, the depth of the wine list, the brilliance of the staff, but really there are far more eloquent people than me doing that. Just go and enjoy !
Written 15 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darren L
London145 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
The ambiance of the place resembled that of a gathering for spiritual communication. The quality of service provided was satisfactory, and the dishes served in the seven-course vegetarian meal were, to put it mildly, lacking in flavor.
I am unable to identify any commendable aspects to mention.
Written 13 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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