Wreck Bistro

Liverpool seems like an appropriate place for a restaurant funded by the people. Wreck Bistro, or just Wreck as it’s now known, was financed by 1,522 enthusiasts who raised the record-breaking £200,000 required, via a crowdfunding campaign from Elite Bistros’ Gary Usher. Accordingly, it has the feel of a place for the many, not the few.

Housed inside a 19th century watchmaker’s factory, Wreck Bistro is all brick and wood, softly lit, homely and hospitable. The old building’s raw materials are displayed to their best advantage: solid and reassuring.

Staff have an energy that’s infectious and a calm assurance that belies their youth. Patrons span the generations but there are more than a few hirsute hipsters in search of something a little more grown-up than the usual dirty burgers and burritos. At Wreck, there’s no glitz, no pretence, no big I am, just a warm welcome and superb bistro food.