The Courtyard

Cor, you may think, they don't go out much do they. Well, yes we do, but not too much on the wirral at the moment.

So when the opportunity came up to eat Sunday lunch at the Courtyard in Oxton village  we thought we should go for it.

The Courtyard is sited in the units which used to be Villa Jazz and it has probably been open about 18 months. During that time it must have re-invented itself two or three times. Initally it had a sofa area and a very visible 'courtyard' out back for smokers, now the sofa's have given way to additional tables and some of the courtyard has done so too. That means the smokers now go out front which is never a good look.

The current design has limited seating for drinkers on high stools and tables, an area to stand near the bar and then an eating area which does about 40 covers. The bar is a modern lager dominated stainless steel contraption, and really its not the place I would visit  in Oxton out of choice. There is no draught beer and the clientele is varied and 'interesting'

Anyway, i have heard good reports about the food, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so when the opportunity to try it came up off I went. Now normally in a no beer bar i would drink Guinness but just lately I have developed a pre-dinner passion for Bloody Mary's.  In the Courtyard i really should have stuck with the black stuff. My BM was served in a pint glass with two bottles of tomato juice which drowned out the vodka, and there was absolutely no spice to it at all. in fact I don't think the barman knew that Tabasco should have been used and wacked something else into it. It was very poor.

The Sunday dinner on the other hand was excellent. The two course meal was £13.95 and the three course £17.95. We had soup andduck spring rolls which were fine. then there was a variety of roasts of which we chose beef and lamb. All came with roasties and Yorkshire puds, and ample other vegetables. desert choices included a creme brulee which was far too runny but got eaten, and sticky toffee pudding which was fine.

All was washed down with a very pleasant Sauvignon Blanc or three all the way from Chile.

So I think we would go again, but I would make my own Bloody Mary. what of the waitresses? well i think they were onto a loser as the female clientele tends to turn heads with some very revealing outfits on display, but they were attentive and helpful so all in all a good craic..