THYME, OXTON
by Si Hall & Nicky Rigby-Smith
The newest restaurant to launch on the Wirral from the team behind
the hugely successful Panoramic 34 in Liverpool, brings a bistro style
French inspired restaurant serving the highest quality and freshly
prepared cuisine, fabulous wines all in a relaxed and ambient setting
in the heart of beautiful Oxton Village. The restaurant is headed by
Cathy and Eleanor Frost.
To begin we sampled Cheek of Lancashire Black Pig. Cooked in
Beaujolais wine with smoked bacon, mushrooms and baby onions.
Beautiful texture, buttery with subtle smoky undertones and
complimented perfectly with the seared baby onions. Priced at £7.50.
We paired with a Pinot Noir from the Sharpham Estate in South Devon.
£39 a bottle or £10.30 for a 175ml glass.
Next was Charapaudine Beetroot Salad. Served with watercress, goat
cheese, orange, walnut and onion seed. A fabulous refreshing and
yet indulgent starter which showcased the beetroot wonderfully and
married perfectly with all the ingredients. Fabulous and we wanted
more! Priced at £6. Paired with a Rioja Ecologico. This 100% temparnillo
red is produced from the Bodegas Ontanon. £27.50 a bottle or £6.95 for
a 175ml glass. Also a great pairing with Lamb!
Seabass Fillet with shaved fennel, samphire, capers, grapes and
calamansi dressing. Delicate, buttery and packed full of wonderful fresh
local ingredients with superb flavour. Priced at £7. Paired with Picpoul
de Pinet. This is a fantastic match with any white fish. £23.50 a bottle or
£5.80 for a 175ml glass.
Fresh Macaroni Pasta with courgette, aubergine, pepper, garlic, sun
blushed tomato and virgin olive oil. A pasta lover’s dream. Great textures
and depth of flavour. Very tasty. £6. Paired with Crémant de Limoux. A
Chardonnay dominated wine, which has all that you want from France’s
more well-known champagne region, but at only a fraction of the cost.
£6.90 a glass or £35 for the bottle.
For our mains we ordered Pan Roasted Line Caught Scottish Cod. The
dish was served with Pancetta, toasted seed crust, crushed butternut
squash and Alsace bacon sauce. Freshly caught and prepared Cod with
wonderful seasoning and ingredients. Melt in the mouth fish - heaven.
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Priced at £15.50. Perfectly paired with a Riesling from Alsace. Cave de
Turkhiem’s certified organic vineyards, the largest in Alsace. One of the
finest whites on the wine list, at £33 a bottle, it is real value for money.
Have a bottle with the seabass starter and cod main, you will not be
disappointed.
The showstopper - Short Rib of Black Angus Beef with toasted hazelnuts,
roasted Roscoff onion, salsify, red wine and bone marrow sauce. Fall off
the bone super tender rib of beef packed with an umami taste sensation.
Winner! £16.00. Getting away from pairing food with just wine, the
Beef Rib main goes hand in hand with Peerless Breweries oatmeal stout.
£4.95 a bottle. Local heroes.
And then for desserts…
Salted Chocolate Pot de Creme with Caramelized palmiers, fresh berries
– Gorgeous, tangy and very moreish. £5.50. Paired with Mouvedre from
the renowned Cline Cellars in California. £7.50 a class or £44 for the
bottle.
Apple Tart Fine with Calvados cream, thyme caramel. Melt in the
mouth textures. The perfect apple tart. £5.50. Paired with Chateau de
Cerons. This wonderful dessert wine goes brilliantly not just with the
apple tart but also a chilled rice pudding or crème brulee. £5.50 a glass
or £34 a bottle.
We finished off with a French Cheese Selection with crackers, chutney,
and walnut. A very carefully selected and interesting choice of fine
cheeses and an assortments of crackers, all served with chutney and
walnuts. Delicious. £7.
Overall our experience at Thyme was excellent. The staff were welcoming
and charming, Beautifully presented and fabulous tasting food. A very
carefully considered wine selection, perfectly paired for each dish.
Highly recommended.
For bookings: call 0151 601 8669 or email: info@thymeoxton.com