Panoramic

10 Reviews on “Panoramic”

• N

  The service was appalling, a table of 8 was ignored, the table cloth was dirty. We waited over 40 minutes for our first round of drinks. They ran out of duck. The bill was overpriced at 400.

  July 28, 2015, 4:21 pm

  Log in to Reply
• Charlotteharling

  Panoramic 34 is wonderfully positioned at the top of the West Tower in the centre of the city of Liverpool. Upon entering the slightly bland foyer of the high rise building, we were greeted by the out of hours receptionist who kindly escorted us to the lift and ensured we were destined for the correct floor, with no prizes for guessing that on this occasion it would be number 34.Stepping out of the lift, I could hear the familiar hum of lunch conversations and clinking of glasses. We made it! Despite the gale force winds outside, and the less than clear day, the views really are fantastic and can be seen from any position in the restaurant. I was escorted to the waiting group who had taken up two large round tables in the middle of the seating area. The lunch reservation was made for ten but unfortunately we were to split in to two as the restaurant could not accommodate our large group. Clean white linen, crockery and modern shiny cutlery was set out on the spacious table, which immediately increased my excitement for tasting some of the delights I could see surrounding diners already enjoying.Our table was now complete and the polite waitress was soon at the table ready to take our order for drinks. Most of the table were happy with a medium house rose, which was a Cabernet Rosado from Catalunya. I probably could have joined them had it been a Saturday afternoon in the pub, but this was lunch so I settled for a large glass of the only Sauvignon Blanc they served by the glass; standard Chilean which I was confident I would enjoy. The others were already humming with the satisfaction the first sip of cold wine always delivers when the same waitress returned to take our food order. I was still waiting for my glass leaving me feeling a little left out of the birthday cheers; the iced water I had poured just wasnt the same. My wine arrived in a gorgeous, shining glass but didnt taste fresh and wasnt as cold as Id have liked. On this occasion, mainly because I didnt know some of my co-diners, I decided to push my fussiness somewhere I couldnt hear it and drink it anyway. Cold and fresh, it would have been just the ticket to accompany the starter I had already chosen from the online menu that morning.We unanimously decided on the three course lunch menu priced at 25. The menu items were described in a minimal fashion, which I dont think was helpful for some of my group but the helpful, knowledgeable waitress was able to deal with all questions and our order was placed. I had already chosen the smoked mackerel pate with pickled vegetables and toast and ordered spiced hake for my main course which the menu briefly told me was accompanied by aubergine ragu, almond and aubergine.Before the starters were due to arrive, we were offered some warm, freshly baked bread which was simply gorgeous with the creamy butter in the centre of our table. The slightly sweet but nutty bread was buttered and scoffed in no time and we were all ready for our starters to come!All but one of the starters arrived within ten minutes or so and went down very well with everyone on the table. The smoked mackerel pate was rough in texture, meaning the fish held its form. The dish was well seasoned and sharp with citrus, matched extremely well with the pickled vegetables stacked attractively on the plate. The toast was unremarkable. One of the other girls had opted for a spicy cod dish with tomato which she polished off and really enjoyed. Our clear plates were whizzed from under us by the waiting staff who also topped up the wine glasses and checked everything was well.Main courses arrived, and were placed in front of us by the waitress who had remembered everyones order. That was a nice touch. I was slightly disappointed that the once crispy hake skin had softened, perhaps under the hood of the kitchen lights, but the fish underneath was flaky and beautiful. The aubergine puree was a little sparse and I would have liked quite a bit more as it was silky and tasty, matching nicely to the clean taste of the fresh hake and the slightly spiced coating round the outside of the small(ish) piece of fish. The aubergine ragu was pleasant but was slightly tart with undercooked tomatoes and other than the sight and texture of aubergine, I may not have known they were there. Despite being featured on the minimal menu, I didnt see or taste an almond leading me to question if they really had a place on the dish to start with. Nonetheless, an omission I was tempted to query. Hopeful from the lovely bread and starter, my expectations for the main event were not met.The choice of dessert was varied and all sounded delicious! Notable choices were a Nutella parfait with crme caramel and orange biscotti, a dark chocolate tart, bread and butter pudding, and a classic mille feuille with raspberries. Nutella parfait was the winner mostly due to novelty value. The parfait itself could have done with a few more minutes out of the freezer however the crme caramel was just luxurious. The biscotti biscuit was fragrant with orange and very pleasant but didnt have the familiar tooth wobbling crunch which would have complemented the smooth parfait perfectly. Perhaps the biscotti would have been best crushed and spooned alongside the parfait, or maybe a chocolate cup to enclose the parfait could have been equally well matched. The birthday girl seemed the happiest with her choice of croissant bread and butter pudding with coconut ice cream and a raspberry sauce (queue food envy from the rest of the table).To celebrate the special occasion, the birthday girl also received a beautiful hand piped birthday plate with a selection of delicious truffles which she kindly (if reluctantly) shared with the rest of table.I would return to Panoramic 34 to try the a la carte menu and to see the views of Liverpool and Wirral once more, but in summary, I left feeling just a little bit disappointed and with room for another course.

  January 28, 2015, 8:03 am

  Log in to Reply
• Simon Wootton

  Over Priced. The views are stunning, the food is of good quality and very well presented. However, if you have anything other than a small appetite you may find yourself hankering for some chips on the way home. I dont have an enormous appetite, but its galling to pay 60 for a meal that leaves you hungry. I can eat at a number of places in Liverpool that offer equal quality food at half the price. Probably best just to go for a drink, they do have a good choice of sprits.

  April 5, 2012, 4:53 pm

  Log in to Reply