The Pan American Bar, or Pan Am as it's known, has long been established at The Albert Dock as an elegant destination for diners and late night revellers wishing to prop up the bar until the small hours.
Having previously sampled the excellent late night revells we had neglected to dine in the retaurant, so Click Liverpool decided to sample Pan Am's quality cuisine in a classy business lunch.
We arrived during a busy spell with crowds drawn from nearby BT Convention Centre which was hosting the Royal College of Nursing Conference. With over 500 diners booked in for the evening, our courteous waiter explained, the four of us would be seated in a downstairs booth to peruse the menu.
The furniture adorning Pan Am's ground floor has seen better days, finding our table to be considerably wonky we moved to an adjacent booth, unfortunately situated next to a loud speaker playing music which somewhat marred the ease of conversation. Given Pan Am Bar's attraction as a vibrant night time destination, had we visited at another time it certainly would have provided an entirely different experience, but it must be said this was a far from relaxing setting for lunch time guests.
Our attention turned to the array of British and European dishes on offer in the Lunch Menu. Eyeing the beautifully presented and generous portions served up to fellow diners, we opted to start by sharing two Hot Nacho Bowls. Priced at £5.25, the Chilli seasoned nachos, melted mozzarella, tomato salsa, crème fraiche were slightly burnt but ultimately delicious, although be aware that the addition of Chilli con carne and Cajun chicken toppings came at a supplementary charge of £2.50 per bowl.
Although limited waiting staff were clearly working hard to keep service as prompt as possible, a further 30 minutes passed until our mains arrived. But our hungry bellies were soon forgotten as we beheld our chosen gastric treats.
A healthy Tuna Nicoise Salad; Grilled tuna, green beans, new potatoes, tomatoes, lemon oil, soft boiled egg (£8.95), Fish & chips with Minted mushy peas, tartare sauce (£10.95), Seafood Tagliatelle; Pan fried black tiger prawns, mussels, clams, sugar snap peas, garlic & chilli oil (£9.95) and the Peppered 6oz Rump Steak 6oz with green beans, roast tomato (£10.95) along with a side dish of chunky chips (£2.95).
Each dish was beautifully presented with the only complaint being a lack of expected chilli flavour coming through in the Seafood Tagliatelle. My choice of Fish and Chips was superb. Light, crispy batter married perfectly with tartare sauce and the minted peas perfectly balanced against the soft chunky chips.
Despite the ample portions, two in our party could not resist sampling the unusual Milk Chocolate & Cointreau Tart, White chocolate ice cream, orange & vanilla glaze (£5.75) and a more traditional Baked Apple Pie with Cinnamon custard and blackberry compote (£5.50). Plates were emptied in seconds with nods of approval as the sweet morsels were demolished. Washed down with four delicious frothy Cappuchinos it was with bulging stomachs we left our comfy red booth and returned to the day's work.
The Albert Dock is by no means a budget busting destination, its establishments offer diners a touch of class. At Pan Am therefore it is easy to rack up a pricey bill despite the slightly discounted lunch time menu. If you wish to push the boat out for a special occasion Pan Am is without doubt one of the classiest destinations in Liverpool for your party, but do make sure you are to be seated upstairs.
Bargain hunters would be well recommended to keep eyes peeled for pre-concert and discount offers if visiting the Echo Arena in the near future.
Reservations: 0151 702 5831.
Opening times: 11:00am - 3:00am
http://www.panambarliverpool.co.uk
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