The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
Liverpool is a thriving and youthful city with countless options for dining and entertainment. This is after all the home of the Beatles and that focus on arts and entertainment seems to be part of this city-by-the-sea’s DNA. In the center of the city are walking streets brimming with bars, restaurants, and retail outlets. No matter what the season, you will find street performers belting out cover tunes as if they were auditioning for Simon Cowell himself and for their shot at the big time on Britain’s Got Talent. Well, there’s a new kid on the foodie block that takes its inspiration from the cuisine and the music scene of the Far East. Along the city’s cobble-stoned walking streets is where you’ll find Mamasan Bar and Brasserie, the happens to be the newest hot spot to dine in Livepool.
Mamasan is a Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant set a stone’s throw away from the waterfront district and the city’s largest mall and entertainment complex, Liverpool One. Once inside, guests indulge in their first appetizing experience with the tastefully over-the-top decor. One would envision brasserie chic with a side of rainforest ornamentation complete with a jungle of plants that dangle from the ceiling, bamboo basket lampshades, a golden-rod staircase and, a pair of vine covered rattan swinging chairs for good measure. The three-story venue offers open and airy spaces set around an atrium. The main dining area is set on the ground floor with tables and banquet booths as well as window-side seats to take in the parade of sights passing along the busy walking street. A mezzanine offers more dining space while the top floor features a lounge space with low tables and cozy sitting areas as well as a sun-filled outdoor garden terrace for al fresco cocktails.
This is one of those it-spot eateries with dressed-up beauties and beaus on hot dates or gatherings of friends connecting before a night out on the town. The vibe is perfectly matched with a dance party meets old school disco beats to set the mood. Mamasan is where the in-crowd goes to find a dinner and party versus just a meal.
Mamasan is truly something new where guests experience an import from Southeast Asia – on a few levels. For decades in Japan, small houses equipped with top-notch sound systems would host Tokyo’s hipsters for drinks while vibing to new releases, unique recordings, or niche genre music. The concept of these Listening Parties is the inspiration for Mamasan which brought this experiential dining concept to the UK in their locations in Glasgow and now with their latest outpost that opened in Liverpool in 2021. The hybrid restaurant, bar, and club is something hot and fresh on the dining meets nightlife scene with top DJs adding their dance club beats to the dining experience.
To add to the allure, the cocktails alone are enough to bring in a legion of fans. They’ve got the expected spirits, wines, and craft brews but it’s their signature drinks that are cause for celebration. Their mixologists meet mad scientists create elaborate drinks, with their own syrups, foams and, infusions made in-house. These elixirs are as exciting to watch being made as they are to drink. Must have cocktails include the Bubbly Pornstar which is vanilla vodka, cocchi americano, and passionfruit topped with a bubbly foam, or the Babaru which is bubblegum infused vodka with cocchi rosa, rhubarb and, topped with a large bubble filled with smoke, courtesy of some molecular magic.
Although the setting is funky and playful, the food is a totally serious affair. The menu is as exotic as the setting with an extensive menu of Southeast Asian fusion dishes made with produce from Great Britain’s farms, fields, and the sea. The starters are fun and feisty small plates, a kind of Asian tapas, that focus more on tasteful surprises vs. filling meals. The Dressed Dorset White Crab with yuzu and cucumber caviar is a must-have as is the Lobster Tail and King Prawn Toast with sweet chili jam. Each dish is delightfully unusual with a creative flair and elaborate presentations. What’s even more fascinating is that all of their pastes and many key ingredients are made from scratch by their talented kitchen team.
The mains are memorable as well with a long list of options from their take on Surf and Turf with coal grilled sirloin steak and tempura black tiger prawn, as well as other stands outs including the Coconut Smoked Beef Short Rib or the Pad Thai of King Prawn and Crispy Soft-Shell Crab. The must-have-before-you-die dish is definitely the Miso Black Cod with sesame eggplant and shitake mushroom pickle. This tangy dish is full of flavor and, with the light flaky fish, make it an unmissable meal.
We select our restaurants based on the mood of our palate and the overall experience we’re after. Sometimes it’s a fancy Michelin star restaurant and other times it may be a homestyle barbeque at the neighborhood greasy spoon. For visitors to Liverpool out for top-notch cocktail culture, flavor-rich nuevo Asian cuisine as well as a fun and hip vibe, the Mamasan Liverpool will not disappoint.
