Home > Wine & Dine > Simply Heathcotes

Simply Heathcotes

Beetham Plaza, 25 The Strand, Liverpool, L2.
Tel: 0151 236 3536

Simply Heathcotes is clearly a successful business. Paul Heathcote, once of Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, now has five restaurants, three in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, and two in his home town of Preston. His name also is attached to a newly established cookery school, and he has been on the receiving end of numerous accolades.

Heathcote arrived on the Liverpool dining scene in April 2001, opening what seems to have become a popular restaurant very near to the waterfront. In the kitchen, however, it is not Paul Heathcote, who is more likely to be globetrotting in search of a new house wine, but rather Andy McGuinness. This is the inevitable consequence of running numerous outlets. And I think it shows.

From the exterior the restaurant looks impressive, with a sweeping wall of glass all that separates the diners from the rain falling onto Beetham Plaza outside. The interior has a similar feel, although nice integration of some traditional materials helps the décor to avoid a stark appearance. From the outset the service was considerate, good-natured and attentive, and it remained so all evening. Full marks for that.

Before moving onto the food I must comment on the wine list. Although many bottles bore a considerable mark-up, such as Coudoulet de Beaucastel 1998 at £35.50 (a typical price at retail would be £8 - £11, depending on whether it was purchase of a case or a single bottle), others seemed more reasonably priced. It was a classic ‘hunt the bargain’ list, which contained numerous bottles of interest. Producers included Poliziano, Planeta, Rustenberg, Croix du Casse, Domaine de l’Arlot, Drouhin, Jaboulet and more. I selected a wine from Allegrini:

Allegrini La Grola IGT (Veneto) 1998: A youthful, red-purple hue. Plenty of dark fruit on the nose, together with a tarry, dark chocolate edge. Wonderful palate! Plentiful fruit, quite an elegant texture, and good acidity. There are some ripe tannins which provide structure, and everything seems well balanced. A delicious wine. Excellent on a 'value-for-money' basis. 16.5+/20 (August 2002)

The menu is short but seems nicely put together. One appealing aspect of its design is the absence of effusive, flowery descriptions. The dishes are clearly and succinctly described, and there’s even a “simply served” section for those who want their food as plain as the descriptions. A kids menu is a plus-point, but the menu is a failure for vegetarians – a few suitable choices amongst the starters, but a paltry single dish for a main course.

From the starters menu I sampled two dishes. Firstly, I found the salad of charred artichokes, aubergine and parmesan a pleasant start to the evening. Soup of the day was my other choice, which happened to be mushroom. This had a good flavour, fairly rich texture, although it was neither awe-inspiring nor in need of extensive criticism.

Although the list of main courses is quite short, there is a good selection and it’s not difficult to make a choice. I tried a roast breast of Goosnargh chicken, served with herb tagliatelle and roasted red pepper pesto. The chicken had an intensely rich, buttery, corn-fed flavour, which had immediate appeal. I thought the texture, however, was completely wrong. I could not sense the meat in the mouth, as it fell apart in a wet, almost crumbly fashion, as if it were compacted mycoprotein. Although some might find this appealing, perhaps describing it as ‘melt in the mouth’, I felt it had gone too far. Meat should have more texture than this. Unfortunately, I faired no better in trying the roasted chump of lamb with a warm Mediterranean vegetable salad. The lamb was clearly the focus of this dish, lying unadorned, save for a tiny pile of chopped herbs, on top of the vegetables. The meat, however, although it at least had some texture, could not deliver, flavourless as it was. Some small roasted potatoes were dry, with a leathery texture and muddy taste. The other vegetables also lacked flavour, and one aubergine slice was quite burnt on the underside. If there were one single outstanding fault I would have sent the dish back, but this was instead a sequence of disappointments. I simply left most on the plate.

Things improved somewhat with dessert. A terrine of chocolate and hazelnut, served with a chocolate chip ice cream, went down a treat. Not outstanding, but very good. To reiterate the quality of offerings on the wine list, I finished the evening with a Maury, which is one of two dessert wines available by the glass. This served to lift my spirits, at least, after a disappointing experience.

Mas Amiel Maury 1998: This style of Maury is aimed at younger drinkers who may not enjoy the rancio style for which the appellation is well known. A deep, red-black wine. A great nose - full of chocolate, macerated fruits and pickling spice. The palate has a lovely combination of alcohol, acidity, powerful fruit-dominated flavours and tannins. Full bodied with a rich, glycerin-edged mouthfeel, although making a rustic rather than elegant impression. Nevertheless, immensely enjoyable. 16.5/20 (August 2002)

Prices: A typical three course meal may come to around £24 per head. House wines range from £2.85 per glass to £13.50 per bottle. Most of the interesting bottles on the wine list lie between £20 and £40, although you can spend more, up to £110 for Lascombes 1995. The Champagnes include the usual suspects, including Dom Pérignon 1993 (£115) and Cristal 1995 (£155). The Mas Amiel Maury (which I recommend) was £4.75. (9/8/02)