Respected food critic Jay Rayner praises top Liverpool restaurant in glowing review

A joint venture by GSG Hospitality and chef Daniel Heffy, Nord opened in Liverpool city centre in 2023, serving dishes inspired by Heffy's time in Stockholm.

Impressing big names in the foodie world, such as Angela Harnett and Andi Oliver, the restaurant has now received top praise from respected critic, Jay Rayner.

During Rayner’s visit, the restaurant was “completely empty” thanks to the final Merseyside derby at Everton’s Goodison Park stadium. “This has nothing to do with Nord and everything to do with football,” he noted, adding: “The emptiness provides a serious opportunity to perv over the design of the restaurant.”

Deciding that the decor was a mix of “Austin Powers shag palace” and “Mos Eisley Cantina from Star Wars”, Rayner said: “It really is groovy, baby.”

Located in The Plaza, Nord offers relaxed dining with a focus on ingredients from regional producers and a menu that celebrates Northern heritage. Rayner praised Heffy for championing the North “without being annoyingly doctrinaire or earnest”, adding: “The imperative to feed clearly trumps geography every time.”

Noting that the restaurant “manages to be ambitious without being overbearing”, the Guardian food expert said: “Ambition, of course, is risky because it may not always be realised. That’s the case here. But I’d much prefer Heffy’s slight misses than the unambitious hits of safer cooks. Because when he gets it right, my heart simply beats faster.”

While Rayner pointed out that one dish was “over salted” and another was “completely overshadowed by a plate of chicken”, he said Nord “is very much a win” adding: “ If chefs were footballers, Nord’s Daniel Heffy would be in a league of his own.”