Auberge Brasserie

With its Parisian-style brasserie terrace chairs and Art Nouveau lettering, a little bit of je ne sais quoi comes to the Southport seaside, with a menu of French cuisine classics to match alongside some British favourites in the form of good old fish and chips.

Sticking to the holiday vibe, and starters include the likes of chicken liver parfait and a salad of Roquefort cheese with bacon and walnuts. The lunch menu offers more on the leaf front, including a warm goats cheese number, and is served all afternoon as a prix fixe of one, two or three courses (there’s also an “early diner” three-course fixed price menu). Pan-fried sea bass and catch of the day are options on both the lunch and main à la carte menus; the latter also has plenty for the meat lover to get their teeth into. Steaks come with chunky chips and rocket, and a choice of sauces straight out of France – Cafe de Paris butter, peppercorn or Dijon mustard and brandy are all on message. There’s sirloin and fillet, plus Chateaubriand to share, although you need to remember to order 24 hours in advance, as you do with the whole lobster. Still on the meaty tip, there are pork medallions with mash, green veg and an unspecified Normandy sauce – cider, maybe, or even Calvados? For the discerning vegetable eater, there’s the French staple of couscous, here a cauliflower version, served with a Moroccan stew dish packed with pulses and spicy goodness.

A taste trip across the Channel wouldn’t be complete without a decent dessert list, so think chocolate mousses, crème brûlées, tarts and a cheeseboard with grapes. Talking of which, both the whites and reds are propped up by some decent offerings from French vineyards, and half bottles are a thing.

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