Bistrot Verite

Husband and I went for an early tea as we had the opportunity of a baby sitter! Food is always fantastic here, I have literally never had a bad meal after visiting for 15+ years. Marc heads up a team of exceptional chefs whilst the waiting-on staff make sure you are well looked after. Michelin star quality food but with better portion sizes. The mix of French classic cuisine with some Asian dishes and top notch Italian pastas never ceases to amaze me. The menu is small (ish) but executed perfectly. There is a reason this place is booked up weeks in advance, but if you're in the local area you simply must visit

We ate here last night and had a fantastic meal. We were made to feel very welcome by all of the excellent servers and the food was delicious. The fish dishes were cooked to perfection and the crispy potatoes were outstanding. We will return!

Amazing food as always on our recent visit. I can still taste the port and truffle sauce with wood pigeon. Thank you

There’s a reputation to Verité that has interested me for years as a local. I’ve always wanted to try it, but didn’t realise they offered vegan options until recently. I appreciate that asking a French restaurant to cook vegan is a challenge, but they do promote a menu that caters for it. The starter of garlic mushrooms was disappointing — it felt like a bowl of boiled mushrooms with a dash of garlic oil. Watery and basic. The Malaysian vegetable curry, however, was much better. It stood out as a well-executed dish, especially for a French bistrot, and I couldn’t really fault it. My partner had the £50 steak, which she described as “just okay” — not particularly memorable and similar in taste to steaks at a third of the price. It’s also worth noting that you’re given a strict 90-minute slot for your meal. It felt like the staff were very aware of that time limit throughout, which added a sense of being rushed. The overall quality of food is good, but some of the pricing feels hard to justify. With a bill well into triple figures, I left feeling quite underwhelmed. It didn’t quite live up to the anticipation.

Lovely place, with polite and professional staff, but the food .... out of this world. Ok, it's not cheap, but it's good value, and worth every penny. If you want to visit of an evening, plan and book we'll in advance. Especially of a weekend or for special occasions

There is no doubting the quality of the food here. However, at this end of the restaurant market we don't expect to be in and out in fast food restaurant timings. We had a starter and a main and, each time we finished, our plates were cleared within seconds of us putting down our cutlery. The main was brought just a few minutes after we finished our starter. In all, it took just 45 minutes from entering the restaurant The staff were all very friendly and welcoming, but it wasn't in any way the relaxed meal we were looking forward to.

Amazing lunch with friends. It was our first time at Bistro Verite (for all of us), and it didn't disappoint. The food was outstanding. Highlights were the Crepe, Pork Chop, Risotto. Fabulous.

This was a very very welcome return to Bistrot Véritê for us. Lovely warm, welcoming team, fabulous service all evening. A incredible menu, literally so many wonderful dishes from Chef Jacques, son of Marc whom we have loved since Warehouse days. Nothing comes close to being this good in the area. From the fricassee starters to the wood pigeon to the unique profiterole desert. We will be back so very soon! 🫶

I remember from my youth that this site used to be home to a little Chinese restaurant that always looked quite dark and dingy, even when it was open, as if there was something going on inside that they didn't want you to know about (maybe some Yakuza bosses were having a meeting inside, who knows). Thankfully, the Chinese there has now been replaced by a lovely little French restaurant called Bistrot Verite (who'd have thought bistro in French was bistrot, hey?) Named after it's owner (a highly reputable chef in the area, I'm told), this cosy little restaurant is placed not far from Birkdale station, making it perfect to hop off a train and venture in for a good meal and a bottle of wine or two before hopping on the last train back home. Their reliance on fresh local produce means the dishes change from time to time depending on what is in season but this makes for an excellent variety of food ranging from lamb to tuna steak and salmon and asparagus pasta. The staff there are friendly and engaging, contributing to the warm and pleasant atmosphere making for a great dining experience. C'est bon (GCSE French in practice, there).

Quite what the difference between a 'bistrot' and a bistro is I have no idea, but if anyone out there is far more cultured than me, answers on a postcard please. What we do know it does is successfully bring a taste of France to the wealthy suburbs of Birkdale, and what better to put these affluent types in the mood for their next jaunt to gay Paree? (I did phonetics there, I'm sorry. Oh, I mean... ferneticks.) With a reputable chef at the helm and a flair for innovation stamped all over the menu, you can't go wrong with this place, and its location in such a well-to-do area between Southport and Liverpool means that going wrong in the land of Birkdale isn't really an option, and the restaurants follow suit. The mussels are absolutely staggering; the French do throw them together very well and I was most impressed with the almost slurp-worthy white wine sauce. The seasonal dishes are cooked to perfection and presented very prettily, and the accompanying wine list is most impressive too. The service can't be faulted either, and for staff who must be starstruck on a daily basis by sporting heroes and actors, they're extremely down to earth and most of all, friendly, accommodating and helpfully informative with the menu, and to be honest, the prices aren't all that bad for the generous portions you get given Salut, as they say on the continent.

I am learning french at the minute and had my french dictionary to hand! I think I am right in saying that Bistrot is very similar or the same as Bistro/cafe. Verite means truth, lifelikeness, truthfulness or sincerity. So we have a bistro of sincerity in our midst and own by none other than Marc Verite, the chef who put Southport on the Michelin fine dining map. It seems to be a family run affair. Modelled on a rustic French bistro with simple and laid-back style. The menu changes regularly, so it's slightly harder to tell you what might be on the menu. Starters could include Mussels Marniere or Baked Camembert with caramelised apples and pistachio nuts; typical mains include classic dishes such as Chateaubriand for two with Bearnaise sauce and grilled venison haunch steak rubbed with juniper berries and garlic. Bistrot Vérite is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday. I found the service excellent and couldn't fault the place in the slightest!