Maray Bold Street

Originally a bijou clothes shop in Liverpool’s independent quarter, this funky fusion joint is a trendy no-frills kind of place dominated by long communal tables and a chatty crowd. This combination looks to be a winning formula, with Maray having opened two other sites since the success of their initial offering - one down at the docks and another bigger branch on nearby Allerton Road.

At this branch eclectic sharing plates are the deal, with Middle Eastern grills, Asian riffs, Scandi ideas, US dude food and true Brit classics all tossed into the mix to create a melange where you’re sure to find something you like. Typical on-trend picks might range between sweet potato with date molasses and tahini, scallops with curried butter beans and pickled fennel, buttermilk fried chicken with harissa, aioli and pickles, plus various snacks and sides. One fan reckons they do “the best falafel in the UK”, so don’t skip out on the opportunity to try those while you’re there. At lunchtime there’s a very reasonable deal which sees you served three plates of your choice for £13 per person.

If you manage to leave room for pudding, desserts might bring sticky toffee pudding with ras el hanout toffee sauce and ice cream, or a chocolate tart flavoured with orange and pistachio and served with a generous dollop of sweet orange cream.

Global wines, G&Ts, cocktails and world beers are a spot-on match for the food. As a late night venue Maray also provides with a basement bar that serves drink both pre- and post-dinner on the weekends; the low-lit, cosy space is open 6pm-midnight.

In case you’re a linguist and interested in the name, it is a phonetic realisation of Le Marais, a Paris arrondissement that provided the inspiration for the restaurant.

Maray began in 2014, when the owners found themselves inspired by their experiences in the Parisian district of Le Marais, and opened a restaurant to showcase fusion Middle Eastern flavours. The restaurant takes sustainability very seriously, and became carbon neutral back in November 2021, which they consider to be the first in many steps they aim to take towards becoming a carbon net zero company.

Products are ordered fresh every day, so the Maray Bold Street menus do change. But, you can take a peep at the sample menu for a good understanding of what you may expect to find. Aperitifs are the first feature on the menu, including an intriguing Spelling Bee number made with Beefeater gin, Greek honey, pink grapefruit and basil.

On the food menu at Maray Bold Street, mezze options include hummus with pomegranate and chermoula, a baba ghanoush with pumpkin seeds and raw tahini, and whipped goat's cheese with pickled apple, herb oil and dukkah. There's a bigger focus on veg dishes rather than meat and fish, and so there's plenty to choose from. Try the disco cauliflower with chermoula, harissa, yoghurt, tahini, pomegranate, parsley and almonds, the spiced lentil and rice mejadara with local kale, crispy onions and raisins, and chickpea dopiaza made with crispy chickpeas and coriander. If you do want to order a meat or fish dish, try the crispy sea bass with tomatillo, charred corn and peas, fried chicken with fenugreek and ginger ketchup, or the rump steak with spinach, and a ras el hanout peppercorn sauce.

For dessert at Maray Bold Street, you've got options of baklava cheesecake with rose, pistachio and anglaise, the medjool date bread and butter pudding with caramel and ice cream, and chocolate and coffee ganache with sunflower seed praline, blackberry and chantilly cream.