Oktopus

Tucked away in Hardman Yard, where the old Picket used to be off the top of Hardman Street, Oktopus delivers clean and simple cooking, using the very best seasonal and sustainable local ingredients that are at the peak of their tastiness. With the very best of the local Black Lodge brewery’s beers to pair with the dishes on offer, Oktopus is a tantalising glimpse into what all good food could be like in Liverpool.

The Vibe

Coming from the team behind Black Lodge Brewery, this wonderful restaurant isn’t the easiest to find if you didn’t know where to look. The little courtyard that is hidden off Hardman Street has a wonderful selection of establishments alongside Oktopus, including both the Wild Loaf Bakery and The Buyer’s Club. The décor is simple and elegant, and the focus all round is definitely on quality and not quantity, with a full restaurant buzzing with excitement, but never feeling like there are too many people packed in. The exposed brick and soft lighting lend that relaxed atmosphere to the place and you are generally bursting with anticipation as you sit down and wait for your food to arrive.

The Food

The popcorn mussels are the big snacks that seem to wow most people who visit Oktopus, and with good reason, they are lightly battered and just pop in your mouth. If you are looking for a snack to offer the perfect experience alongside a fine beer, the popcorn mussels are hard to beat. The simplicity of all the dishes, whether a small plate or one of the larger dishes, is astounding. There is no place to hide, and no reason to, with clean cooking of the highest quality. TiL writers in the past have had the confit duck, the hake, the ox cheek, the lamb shank, and the ham hock, and on every single occasion have come away dribbling and booking to go again before they’ve even left.

The Price

Snacks and starters are priced around the £5 and £6 mark, a little bit higher again if you choose the oysters. The plates come in a range of prices, depending on size and ingredient, but you can expect to pay £8 or £9 for the vast majority of plates, with some of the larger plates priced a fair bit higher at around the £15+ mark. Desserts and cheese for after your meal are all just under a tenner. The beer on offer from the Black Lodge range in price from around £3.50 up to £4.50, and the suggestions for pairing are excellent.