Possibly Britain’s most controversial chef, Gary Usher (the man behind the highly successful Sticky Walnut in Chester and Merseyside’s Burnt Truffle) turned to his loyal followers to get this, his fourth restaurant, off the ground back in 2017. A pop-up event at this old watch factory in the heart of Ropewalks was designed to raise the capital needed for the project and, like Usher’s other culinary ventures, was a storming success.
Usher turned the near-derelict building just moments from Liverpool Central train station into a large neighbourhood bistro with a laidback vibe. Exposed brickwork, wooden floors and tables, and an open kitchen are all simply done to allow the food and service to speak for itself, which is definitely does. There are eight to choose from, including breakfast, Sunday lunch, dinner, and a separate kids’ menu. There’s even a birthday cakes menu, which attests to how popular Wreck is for celebratory meals among locals.
Those popping in for breakfast can look forward to a small selection of classic breakfast dishes done well, including a full English (which can be made veggie or vegan), smashed avocado on sourdough with poached eggs, and porridge with seasonal toppings. The set lunch and early dinner menu offers excellent value with two or three courses, and includes dishes such as pressed ox tongue with celeriac remoulade and dill pickles, pan-fried sea bream with saffron risotto, buttered spinach and sea rosemary, and honeycomb semifreddo with chocolate sauce and fresh honeycomb.
On the dinner menu, you can expect the likes of burrata with butternut squash, Za’atar, charred lemon dressing and harissa spiced pumpkin seeds, and duck breast with crapaudine beetroot, duck leg croquette, orange blossom vinegar and caraway. Desserts, meanwhile, include salted caramel crème brûlée, sticky ginger cake with bourbon and orange caramel, malt ice cream and ginger snap, and a ring doughnut with whisky crème pâtissière, marmalade ice cream and cocoa crumble.