maray, liverpool.

Maray on Bold Street, Liverpool, is a cool and contemporary restaurant which celebrates small seasonal plates to share. With an emphasis on the social element of food, you can pick and choose from vegetarian, seafood, meat, vegan, gluten free, snacks and sides to create your own feast. 

With quirky surroundings, upcycled furniture, old Singer sewing machines and abstract art adorning the walls, Maray has a laid back and friendly vibe which reflects the style of menu. The dishes themselves are beautifully thought out with stunning presentation to boot. We went along for lunch and ordered four dishes and a couple of drinks - only coming to a total bill of £22 we were rather impressed at the quality.

The plates we went for were; Whipped Goat's Cheese with Crostini (£3.50), Marais Fries with Houmous & Green Chilli Sauce (£4), Beetroot & Gin Cured Trout with Pickled Cucumber, Crème Fraîche & Crostini (£6.50) and Deep Fried Ham Hock with Curried Mayo and Pickled Carrots (£6.50). You only have to glance at the menu to see the imagination gone into each dish - making it very hard to narrow it down to just a few. We were out for dinner that night too (more on that later) so just wanted a light lunch. Maray was perfect for just that.

It was so hard to pick a favourite too. Chips with houmous - why hadn't I thought of that before? And they were delightfully crisp too. The cured trout dish was beautifully colourful and fresh, whilst the whipped goat's cheese was plate-lickingly good. As for the deep fried ham hock, that didn't even get a picture before it was gobbled down.

This review is rather short and sweet but so was our visit to this little Bold Street gem. A lovely light lunch - I'd certainly return!

Have you ever been to Maray? What are your favourite restaurants on Bold Street?

Note: I paid for my meal in full and the restaurant did not know I was reviewing my experience.