Dubbed as West Kirby’s seafood destination, West 34 is a charming restaurant where smart and courteous black-aproned waiters whisk about in the airy, under the sea themed dining room, creating an eye-catching start to a memorable meal.
The decor is stylish, as you’d expect given the setting; polished wooden floors with luxurious turquoise velvet seating and a lovely calm ambience. Seated in a booth by restaurant manager Stuart, we were presented with the extensive wine list and offered complimentary homemade breads, which are produced daily in house by Head Chef Terry. The mix of freshly baked sourdough and focaccia breads were delicious, accompanied with a fabulous smoked cod roe butter. Divine.
For starters, we opted for Skagen Prawns, Rhubarb & Scallop crumble, Fishy hors d’oeuvre and Bang Bang Chicken. The Skagen prawns, a perfect dish for a summer’s day, was served with a dill mayonnaise which complimented the prawns perfectly. The scallops were excellent and deceivingly filling. The hors d’oeuvre, which change on a daily basis, consisted of Tempura Seabass, Mini Crab tarts, Mini Tuna salad, avocado, radish and Anchovies coated in sesame seeds – truly delicious and excellent value priced at only £8 for the entire dish! The Bang Bang Chicken was cleverly seasoned with a chilli, peanut and lime sauce and on a bed of crunchy Asian salad – great depth to a great dish.
From the wine list, we paired our starters with an Italian 2015 Pinot Grigio Rosato – summery, light and full of flavours. Followed by a French 2015 Picpoul de Pinet Coteaux du Languedoc – a wine you could drink at any time. This was crisp, clean and a great all -rounder!
As we were celebrating a birthday, we pushed the boat out (pardon the pun) and ordered a Grande Fruits de Mer to share and a bottle of English sparkling wine – MV Rose. Served on an ice platter, the show stopping dish came with lobster, crab, razor clams, oysters, langoustines and mussels. Every element was perfectly cooked, juicy lobster cooked in garlic, crab with tarragon the freshest oysters served with a gorgeous raspberry vinaigrette oil – it was outstanding – Seafood heaven on ice.
Feeling incredibly spoilt by our hosts with the excellent food and wine, mains would not disappoint. We opted for the Lemon Sole, Tuna Puttanessca and Red Mullet. The Lemon Sole was served on a bed of minted new potatoes and asparagus – it was fresh, perfectly cooked and full of flavour. The Tuna Puttanessca, was a generously proportioned seared tuna steak accompanied in a rich tomato and caper sauce. Just delicious. The Red Mullet presented beautifully was served with crispy kale, coconut rice and a rum butter – just perfect!
For dessert, we ordered the baked plum in Marsala – wow! The juicy pear was perfectly cooked and served with cinnamon cream and a pistachio crumb – an amazing taste combination.
To finish our afternoon, we ordered two cocktails: the Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake and the Los Mojados Recompensa. The cheesecake tasted like cheesecake! It was sweet, light and creamy – perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth! The Los Mojados Recompensa came served with a hand rolled cigarette with a lovely Cuban origin story (smoking optional).
Overall, we had an exceptional experience at West 34 and would most definitely recommend. A delightful environment, warm and friendly team and outstanding food (and all very reasonably priced) – you can’t go wrong. It is ideal for any occasion!
Five Stars.
Booking is advised but not compulsory.
Phone: 0151 625 7579
Menu: west34.co.uk
