After an impressive visit at Delifonseca‘s café bar on Stanley Street, my husband Paulo and I decided to pop into Delifonseca’s Dockside location for lunch and a spot of shopping on our way out of Liverpool. It is housed in a colourful and functional building on Brunswick Quay with the added advantage of ample free parking.

The deli caught my eye as soon as I entered… so many lovely displays of delights as far as the eye could see. I was tempted to turn right and keep exploring but hunger beckoned. We were greeted warmly and guided to a table in the restaurant section at the left. We had a great table by the window and settled in the comfy chairs as we perused the menus at the table and on the chalkboards.

We had a delightful waitress who made our experience all the more pleasant. Everything on the menu and chalkboard sounded so tantalising, it was difficult to make a choice. We decided to share the Deli Dip Platter as our starter.

The little bowls of dips and nibbles in this beautifully presented platter surrounded a mound of perfectly toasted crostini. The dips consisted of tahini, hummus and spicy red pepper pate. All three were excellent in taste and consistency. The hummus was more lemony than I’m used to but very good nonetheless.

The tasty salads included tabbouleh (bulgur wheat with tomatoes and spring onions) and a colourful three-bean salad. The nibbles featured good quality green and black olives, marinated cubes of feta cheese (the olive oil marinade was so good, we dipped our crostini in it afterwards), vibrant chilli peppers stuffed with Greek cheeses (feta and myzithra) and dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with rice and fresh herbs). The vine leaves weren’t tough and chewy at all… they were tasty and tender.

My curiosity was peaked with their Po’ Boy sandwich, as I heard such good things about it. I just had to try it, even though I was tempted by the other offerings on the menu. I was not disappointed!

The Po’ Boy was a warm fresh baguette filled with the most succulent slow roasted beef and its roasting juices. The sandwich was moist but not enough to be soggy. The lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise added even more flavours and textures. So authentic, I could have easily been enjoying this sandwich in N’awlins rather than Liverpool! The perfectly cooked chunky fries and salad with a light dressing were good accompaniments.

The Cassoulet de printemps was one of the blackboard specials. This lighter version of the classic featured beer brined pork, smoked pork, garlic sausage and beans in a clear broth. It was served with some herby garlic bread. Paulo had tasted stodgy versions of cassoulet in past restaurants and it put him off. I managed to convince him to order it and he was glad I did.

The look of delight on his face as he took his first bite was priceless. I had seen that little smile in some of his childhood photos and mentioned this to him. He told me that the flavours took him back to his mum’s kitchen… quite a sentimental moment there.

Of course, I couldn’t resist having a taste and it was delicious, particularly the broth and the garlic sausage. I really hope this cassoulet is on the menu the next time we go there!

The desserts board listed a tempting selection and I settled on the chocolate mudcake. It was served with a fresh strawberry and raspberry as well as a large scoop of Cheshire Farm scrumptious ‘strawberries and cream’ ice cream. The dark chocolate cake was warm and each bite just melted in my mouth. Nice big portions too!

Paulo’s dessert portion was big as well. He was served a large pot of vanilla crème brûlée, topped with fresh raspberries and accompanied by delicious raspberry shortbread biscuits. The crème brûlée was expertly prepared (the caramelised sugar cracked when he tapped it with his spoon) and he could see and taste the vanilla seeds. We finished our meal with some excellent espresso and tea.

With happy bellies from our wonderful lunch at Delifonseca Dockside, we were ready to explore their Aladdin’s Cave of delicacies. They have an impressive range of products, which are well organised and nicely displayed. We bought a loaf of fresh brown bread from the bakery as well as foods we never tried before, such as Aivar (ajvar) from Pelagonia, chocolate from Montezuma’s and green olives from Olives Et Al. They were all delicious and we will definitely be including them in our food repertoire. It’s also worth mentioning that Delifonseca Dockside features the full range of Capsicana‘s excellent sauces, spices, whole chillies, etc. The display of sauces is nicely done and provides a good description to help you choose your preferred heat and flavours.

Such a great deli and restaurant… we would be here all the time if we didn’t live so far away! All of Delifonseca’s awards and accolades are certainly well deserved!

The owners, managers or staff did not invite me to visit this establishment and were unaware that my experience would be the basis of a written review. It is based on my experience at my own cost and I did not receive compensation for my review.

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