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What is it?
Well, it used to be Frankie’s Bar and Grill - Marco Pierre White’s joint venture with champion jockey Frankie Dettori. Now White has re-branded it, as the name suggests, as a New York-style Italian.
On the menu
Sophisticated versions of great Big Apple belly-busting treats such as burgers. hot dogs and ribs, plus pizzas, steaks and pasta staples from spaghetti bolognese to rigatoni meatballs. We tried the Italian burger with mozzarella and crispy prosciutto (£10.95) which ticked all the right boxes after an appetite-whetting yomp along Hoylake beach. There are a few fish dishes, of which we tried the yellowfin tuna steak with olives and capers (£16.50) - a very full-flavoured and hearty portion it was too. Of the starters, we tried garlic and lemon prawns with toasted rustic bread (£7.75) - a good portion of large buttery prawns - and the roast beetroot and goats’ cheese salad (£5.50) which was excellent value and tasty.
Decor and ambience
Seaside architecture, big windows, glitterballs and chequerboard tile floors. All very shiny and glitzy. Piped music ran from Gypsy Kings to KT Tunstall. Why no Dean Martin or Tony Bennett? This is supposed to be Wirral-meets-New York.
Service
Attentive and friendly.
Cost
For a little over £80, we had three courses each, side orders and a bottle of Italian pinot noir (£17.95), which was very good value, from a concise but sensible wine list.
Marco’s New York Italian
The King’s Gap
Hoylake
Wirral CH47 1HE
0151 632 2073
www.marcoshoylake.co.uk
LOUISE ALLEN-TAYLOR
