Ginger Bistro

These two ginger brothers, Russel and Craig McParlan, are ginger nuts about food. British-English food to be precise, and it’s because of them that Ginger Bistro is bringing peerless seasonal menus to Liverpool’s Waterloo. Being a proper bistro, sittings at their South Road premises are fairly restricted – Wednesday to Saturday 6pm to 10pm and Sunday 1pm to 4pm – so if you’re eager for a rather refined dinner or late lunch, be sure to book ahead.

It’s Russel McParlan’s couple of decades plus experience in the global hospitality industry, hopping from London to Australia and a few places in between, that gives him the chops to be able to curate a fine bistro menu taking its cues from British and English cuisines. The menus at Waterloo’s Ginger Bistro are highly seasonal, changing monthly at the very least, and subject to change depending on the whims of the weather and local suppliers’ stocks. At the time of writing, Ginger Bistro’s kitchen down South Road were offering a May menu to their Liverpool guests.

It’s gratifying as well that brother number two (in no particular order of importance), Craig, is the guy who brings all these lovely British-English dishes to table. It makes for a very local, personable dining experience at Ginger Bistro’s Waterloo premises. Start with a vegetarian ricotta and spinach soup, plus perhaps some local Formby asparagus with Hollandaise. Or go for something a little more substantial with the homemade chicken parfait plus Russel’s own onion marmalade, a dressed leaf garnish and crusty fresh baked bread. Mains run the gamut from pork belly to sea breem to vegetarian cannellini and a hearty lamb rump with a redcurrant and rosemary glace with mash. Sides of fresh vegetables are de rigeur and any first time diners are recommended the chef’s sticky toffee pudding to round off a meal at this lovely Liverpool local.