The Ivy’s Christmas menu is priced at £55pp for three courses
Stepping in from a fresh winter evening to the warm glow of Liverpool’s new Ivy restaurant is a treat. I have walked passed the old empty bank on Castle Street that the Ivy now calls home every day for 10 years.
It was exciting and satisfying to finally see what lies behind those huge doors, to see how The Ivy had transformed a stunning building that had lain bare and unloved for so long. And it is everything I imagined.
Beautiful stained glass, soft, intimate lighting, wonderful tall plants, everywhere gleaming with accents of gold. It is vintage and timeless all at once.
After checking our coats we were quickly shown to our table and offered water. The staff are all professional, well trained and attentive.
We were to taste The Ivy’s Christmas menu which has some twists on classic Ivy menu regulars (like the cottage pie) and some inviting festive goodies. Priced at £50pp for two courses and £55pp for three courses, I felt this was reasonable, although you can meals for cheaper.
While we ordered, we sipped on the Christmas cocktails. I had the highball spritz, which was crisp, refreshing, and had just the right amount of sweetness. My sister opted for the After Eight Julep, which packs a boozy punch, ready to warm you up this December.
For starters I had the robata grilled chicken skewers in a bang bang peanut sauce. It was delicious, sweet and sticky with a good kick of heat. The crunch from the peanuts and the zing of the pickled veg was a mouthwatering moreish mix of flavours.
My sister had a creamy, twice-baked stilton and walnut cheese soufflé which was light and airy but deliciously cheesy. It was hard to choose a main, but I finally settled on the turkey ballotine with a side of garden peas with broad beans and baby shoots while my sister had the pan-fried fillet of sea bass on a bed of creamed potato with samphire, tomato concasse and saffron sauce.
Both dishes looked stunning, and we wasted no time diving in. My sister said the bass had a wonderfully crisp skin but was still melt-in-the-mouth flakey and the potato was creamy and indulgent.
My main was simply Christmas on a plate. There’s no need to mess with a classic; the Ivy has just elevated it. Creamy mashed potato, sprouts, a comforting truffle gravy packed with flavour that I wished I could box up and take home and the pop of a fresh pea, I could eat it all again now.
I will say, my turkey was a tiny bit dry, but with the apricot and pork stuffing, jammy sweetness from the cranberries and the rich sauce it was a small issue. The portion sizes are perfect, leaving you room for dessert, or so I thought.
My sister had her eye on The Ive Snowman (you have to pay £3.95 supplement for this dessert), and when he came out I was so jealous because he was adorable. That was until I realised my Ivy chocolate bombe had arrived, but the waiter wasn’t finished.
As if the chocolate dome filled with ice cream, honeycomb and sprinkles of popping candy wasn’t enough, the waiter brought over a tiny copper pan filled to the brim with pipping hot caramel sauce to pour over the dome, melting it into a luxurious, gooey bowl of sweetness.
The caramel was dark and sticky, but it started to set quite quickly, so my advice is to get your spoon ready. If you do go for the snowman, a light vanilla parfait fills the centre, as the snowman sits on top of an intense brownie surrounded by milk foam and an airy, fresh pandan sponge.
If you have been to an Ivy restaurant before, you have an idea of what you are going to experience: the opulent decor, the attentive service, and the delicious menu. If you are looking to book in to try their Christmas menu, you won’t be disappointed.
To book The Ivy visit their website here.