WEST 34
by Nicky Rigby-Smith & Si Hall
Dubbed as West Kirby’s seafood destination, West 34 is
a charming restaurant where smart and courteous black-
aproned waiters whisk about in the airy, under the sea
themed dining room, creating an eye-catching start to a
memorable meal. an ice platter, the show stopping dish came with lobster, crab,
razor clams, oysters, langoustines and mussels. Every element
was perfectly cooked, juicy lobster cooked in garlic, crab with
tarragon the freshest oysters served with a gorgeous raspberry
vinaigrette oil – it was outstanding - Seafood heaven on ice.
The decor is stylish, as you’d expect given the setting; polished
wooden floors with luxurious turquoise velvet seating and a
lovely calm ambience. Seated in a booth by restaurant manager
Stuart, we were presented with the extensive wine list and
offered complimentary homemade breads, which are produced
daily in house by Head Chef Terry. The mix of freshly baked
sourdough and focaccia breads were delicious, accompanied
with a fabulous smoked cod roe butter. Divine. Feeling incredibly spoilt by our hosts with the excellent food
and wine, mains would not disappoint. We opted for the Lemon
Sole, Tuna Puttanessca and Red Mullet. The Lemon Sole was
served on a bed of minted new potatoes and asparagus – it
was fresh, perfectly cooked and full of flavour. The Tuna
Puttanessca, was a generously proportioned seared tuna steak
accompanied in a rich tomato and caper sauce. Just delicious.
The Red Mullet presented beautifully was served with crispy
kale, coconut rice and a rum butter – just perfect!
For starters, we opted for Skagen Prawns, Rhubarb & Scallop
crumble, Fishy hors d’oeuvre and Bang Bang Chicken. The
Skagen prawns, a perfect dish for a summer’s day, was served
with a dill mayonnaise which complimented the prawns
perfectly. The scallops were excellent and deceivingly filling.
The hors d’oeuvre, which change on a daily basis, consisted of
Tempura Seabass, Mini Crab tarts, Mini Tuna salad, avocado,
radish and Anchovies coated in sesame seeds – truly delicious
and excellent value priced at only £8 for the entire dish! The
Bang Bang Chicken was cleverly seasoned with a chilli, peanut
and lime sauce and on a bed of crunchy Asian salad – great
depth to a great dish.
For dessert, we ordered the baked plum in Marsala – wow! The
juicy pear was perfectly cooked and served with cinnamon
cream and a pistachio crumb – an amazing taste combination.
To finish our afternoon, we ordered two cocktails: the
Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake and the Los
Mojados Recompensa. The cheesecake tasted like cheesecake!
It was sweet, light and creamy – perfect for anyone with a sweet
tooth! The Los Mojados Recompensa came served with a hand
rolled cigarette with a lovely Cuban origin story (smoking
optional).
From the wine list, we paired our starters with an Italian 2015
Pinot Grigio Rosato – summery, light and full of flavours.
Followed by a French 2015 Picpoul de Pinet Coteaux du
Languedoc – a wine you could drink at any time. This was
crisp, clean and a great all -rounder! Overall, we had an exceptional experience at West 34 and would
most definitely recommend. A delightful environment, warm
and friendly team and outstanding food (and all very reasonably
priced) - you can’t go wrong. It is ideal for any occasion!
Five Stars.
As we were celebrating a birthday, we pushed the boat out
(pardon the pun) and ordered a Grande Fruits de Mer to share
and a bottle of English sparkling wine - MV Rose. Served on Booking is advised but not compulsory.
Phone: 0151 625 7579
Menu: west34.co.uk
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