Picture your stereotypical Irish pub, and then think again.
With successful venues already in Southport and St. Helen’s, Punch Tarmey’s is recognisable across the North West and has recently added a third venue into the mix.
As of August this year, Punch Tarmey’s Liverpool, the city’s largest Irish pub, launched in the Baltic Triangle, and has quickly become popular with locals and tourists alike.
Putting a sophisticated twist on your traditional Irish pub, Punch Tarmey’s Liverpool is not only known for its live music events, live sports viewing and warm atmosphere, but it’s incredible food menu.
Urbanista recently visited the venue to taste a selection of their delicious dishes.
The Venue
Located at Cains Brewery Company, Punch Tarmey’s Liverpool is the perfect place to immerse yourself into the busy and vibrant atmosphere of the Baltic.
Still drawing upon its Irish roots, the interior pushes the boundaries of what you expect your typical Irish pub to look like.
The décor reminds you of a distillery, with its exposed brickwork, authentic Cain’s beer barrels and brewing equipment distributed across the walls.
With capacity for a thousand guests, the pub is incredibly spacious, consisting of three bars across three different areas.
The venue has a lively atmosphere and welcomes large groups of people to sit, dine and chat over a beverage, with its large tables, stools and benches.
But there is also an element of intimacy, as its comfy booths, which fit around 6 people, have small screen to watch live music and sports.
On a typical Thursday night, the ambience was very chilled, with acoustic music playing in the background allowing you to relax, chat and indulge in the tasty plates in front of you without any distraction.
Starters
The three of us had the pleasure of trying Punch Tarmey Liverpool’s menu, so for starters we ordered three to share between us. These were the Cajun Halloumi Fries (Veggie) – (£4.95), Bubble and Squeak Cakes (Vegan/Gluten-free) – (£4.95) and Breaded Chicken Goujons (£4.95).
As somebody who eats chicken pretty much every day, I was eager to see if the Breaded Chicken Goujons tasted and were as good as they looked. Four big tender goujons arrived and they tasted incredibly crispy and meaty. They were accompanied by a spicy sauce that had a small kick and was a nice alternative to the ketchup and mayonnaise that appears on every table of every restaurant. The starter was definitely worth the price and satisfied my hunger just the right amount before the mains arrived.
When trying the halloumi fries and bubble and squeak cakes, Hannah said: “The fries weren’t very stringy at all, if anything a little chewy, but the flavour was tasty.
“The portion size of the bubble and squeak cakes was generous and the chicken goujons were tender and well cooked.”
If you fancied a light lunch or a sharing meal, you can also choose any 3 from the ‘Round One’ section for just £13.
Main
Punch Tarmey’s Liverpool has an incredible array of burgers to choose from.
But we wanted to diverge and see what other hearty and equally appetizing mains they have on offer.
Saying that, I did order a burger, but it was an alternative choice from your beef or chicken patty.
The Ultimate Chippy Tea arrived and included all the British favourites. The burger consisted of a beer battered cod loin and chunky chips, sandwiched between a brioche bun which was spread with tartare sauce. The burger was huge and was hard to handle without a knife and fork, but is ideal to wash down with a beer, to cure a hangover or to satisfy your hunger. As a lover of tartare sauce, it was tangy, just the right amount and was the best I have ever tasted. The meal was accompanied by more chunky chips, mushy peas, coleslaw and a slice of lemon. For only £9.95, the meal was extremely filling and worth every penny.
Hannah ordered the 6oz Rump steak (£15.95) which came with mushroom confit, grilled tomato, chips and a garlic herb butter. She said: “The steak was cooked to my preference which is medium, the chips were so yummy and the butter was full of flavour.
“I really enjoyed my meal, it was just the right portion size for me and I was incredibly satisfied with the quality of the food for the price of the meal.”
Holly decided to order the Vegetarian Breakfast (£7.95), which came with portobello mushroom, hash browns, two fried eggs, two vegetarian sausages, grilled tomato, baked beans and toast. With Holly’s dietary needs, the waiter and chef were very understanding and assured the meal would be fine, which was very helpful. Holly said: “I loved the idea of having breakfast for dinner and the hash browns lived up to my expectations.
“The eggs were cooked so the yolk was perfectly runny.
“Both our mains arrived without the grilled tomatoes.”
Desserts
For dessert, I thought I would stick more with the Irish theme and have something that sounded light, as my waistline began to test me after the first two courses.
From ‘The Final Bell’ section of the menu, I ordered the Irish Mess for £4.95, a play on the traditional Eton Mess, but with Pogue’s whiskey infused cream. The cream overpowered the dessert and was a nice change from the meringue being the featured ingredient. It was a lot more whipped and creamy and was complimented by the sweet bursts of the berries. The Irish Mess is ideal if you have a sweet tooth or are looking for something light, but still filling. I would definitely recommend it and have it again.
We were kindly given their warm chocolate brownie and ice-cream to try too , which doesn’t appear on the menu, but hopefully will soon. The brownie was very gooey on the inside and tasted just like a melted dairy milk bar. The vanilla ice-cream and sweet strawberry sauce balanced out the richness of the brownie, and is a chocaholics dream.
Hannah ordered the warm chocolate slice with vanilla ice cream (£4.95) for dessert and said: “The chocolate slice was thick with a rich, chocolate icing and a strawberry coulis filling which made it even sweeter but gave a sharp taste too.”
Unfortunately, there were no vegan deserts available ,so Holly was unable to try any of the desserts. The desserts were so delicious that hopefully there will be some tasty vegan treats to try in the future.
Service
All of the staff at Punch Tarmey’s Liverpool were extremely friendly and accommodating. We had the pleasure of meeting the chef before we ordered our food, and it was nice to engage in conversation with the servers who aren’t afraid to be chatty or crack a joke. The service was quick and we didn’t have to wait long in between courses. Dietary requirements were also met and we were very pleased with that. If you want to go out with your friends or family, feel relaxed and welcomed, and have a full drinking and dining experience, Punch Tarmey’s is the place.
More Information:https://punchtarmeys.co.uk
Find Punch Tarmey’s on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/punchtarmeyscains
Twitter: @TarmeysPunch
Instagram:@punch_tarmeys_liverpool
31 Grafton St, Liverpool L8 5SD
Review by: Jess Molyneux
