I went to award-winning Liverpool hotel for the first time and the restaurant really surprised me

One of just five Merseyside hotels with coveted Michelin approval, it is no secret that the Titanic Hotel on Stanley Dock is among Liverpool’s most premier venues.

The Grade II listed hotel is steeped in history and boasts a whole host of accolades, from featuring in the Michelin Hotel Guide to being crowned Hotel of the Year at the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards.

A former warehouse, the Titanic Hotel has played a key role in the redevelopment of Stanley Dock and boasts 153 rooms, a wellness spa and a restaurant and bar.

While I have sadly never stayed in the hotel overnight, I recently visited the venue’s restaurant - Stanley’s Bar and Grill - and it really surprised me.

My first time visiting the site on Friday (January 23), I was immediately impressed by the hotel’s grand architecture and luxurious feel. Passing the check-in desks to get to the restaurant entrance, I was in awe of the dozens of people in suits and dresses and immediately felt a little under dressed for my meal (though this didn’t matter).

Upon entering the restaurant, my friend and I were asked where we would like to sit and handed our menus, and impressed with just how luxurious the space felt. The exposed brick and high ceilings, as well as the beautiful light fixtures and nautical nods were truly fantastic.

We were there to try out the vegan options - it is Veganuary after all - but I have to say the Titanic Hotel had never sprung to mind when trying to find a tasty plant based meal.

I was surprised to see that the menu offered a whole section of fully vegetarian and plant based dishes, ranging from sausages and mash, and a burger to pasta and meatballs, or a kofta. I was actually so shocked at how many decent options they had that I double checked with the waiter that they were in fact vegan friendly.

There was a whole host of vegan starters too, and I chose the Baba Ganoush with flatbread, while my friend chose the soup of the day with bread. We both opted for a Pepsi Max for one of our drinks, and I also decided to try the alcohol-free Bramble cocktail as it’s Dry January.

The mocktail was absolutely delicious and there was a decent range of alcohol-free drinks, making Stanley Bar and Grill somewhere I would 100% visit again as someone who isn’t a big drinker.

After enjoying our drinks and our incredibly tasty starters, our mains arrived promptly. I chose the sausage and mash with onion gravy, while my friend opted for the penne pasta with meatballs.

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Now neither of us have eaten meat for quite a long time but we’d confidently say that a meat-eater would have no idea that we were served was vegan. The sausages were incredible, and the mash was the best I have ever had. I’m not usually an onion gravy fan, but the gravy was so good I don’t think there was a drop left on my plate.

My friend absolutely loved her meatballs and pasta, and we were both so satisfied that we had no room left for dessert.

The meals were beautifully presented and I loved that there was an open kitchen, so you could watch the chefs at work if you fancied. The staff were fantastic too and the restaurant was lovely and warm, despite it being absolutely freezing outside.

I was genuinely so surprised at just how brilliant our meals were and though I had never considered Stanley’s Bar and Grill as a must-visit spot for Veganuary or Dry January, I definitely do now. To make it even better, this fantastic range of plant based meals is always on the menu too, not just for January.