Spire, Wavertree, Liverpool

[Harters]

I really wanted to like Spire, not least for it’s Good Food Guide summary of “beguilling contemporary food”. However, it wasn’t and I didn’t.

It’s a small and crowded room with just about enough space between the tables for you not to feel the staff have their arses in your face when serving the next table. But only just. Menu offers seven or eight choices at each course.

A small loaf of foccacia was quickly brought, with the drinks. And some butter and olive oil for dipping.

I started with tempura squid and Moroccan noodles. Moroccan noodles? Yes, Moroccan noodles. That’s Morcoccan noodles as in noodles with a sweet chilli sauce. They were OK in themselves but as close to North African cuisine as a pork chop. Squid was fine – nice batter; good bit of frying.

My wife had parsnip and honey soup. This was pretty good – the parsnip showing through and, in spite of the honey, not overly sweet. Her veggie theme carried through to her main – celeriac and rosemary gratin. She declared it “very nice” – I thought it looked (and tasted) as though it would be improved by having the aforementioned pork chop on the side. It just seemed to be vegetarian cooking of the nut roast school.

Not often I order steak these days, but nothing else was really working for me. A decent sized piece of indifferently flavoured sirloin – but it had been accurately cooked. Classic accompaniments of tomato & mushroom. And a few fat chips. I've had worse at a Beefeater - but I've had as good.

Best dish of the evening was my dessert – a lemon pannacotta, with lime ice-cream and excellent homemade shortcake.

Bill, including a couple of glasses of wine, bottle of water and an espresso, was just under £59. If I lived nearby, I’d probably be a fairly regular visitor but it’s not worth the 45 minute drive. And it was one those places that you just wonder how on earth the Good Food Guide gives this a 4.