IT was the handcrafted fishcakes which gave the game away. The Green Room in West Kirby is one of a trio of restaurants in Wirral serving up some inventive offerings in a stylish environment.
Strangely enough, those same fishcakes crop up on the menu at the sister restaurants - The Manor, at Greasby, as well as Bamboo, in Oxton.
Mark, something of a fishcake aficionado, spotted them straight away and made the connection.
By chance, we've now sampled all three restaurants for this very feature and, to be honest, would be hard pushed to choose the best. They're all very different, as chalk compared to the cheese of a far-flung link in a multi-national chain.
We arrived at The Green Room on a Monday night and they just managed to squeeze us in. We'd not booked, which could have cost us dear. This is evidently a popular venue, so booking is advised.
It's a dark place, almost rather sombre and a tad cramped. Service, while friendly, is relaxed, even if slightly on the slow side. But, then, this is no fast food joint, so sit back...
There's a fixed price menu at £8.95 for starter and main course, with some specials available for a small extra charge. That's available every night, though it is restricted to early evenings towards the end of the week. After 7pm between Thursday and Saturday, a more expensive menu - at £13.95 - offering a larger selection takes over.
After we'd ordered, I did notice the blackboard which offered the likes of smoked salmon or peppered mackerel to start, with poached salmon or liver as main courses. Nothing out of the ordinary and not dishes we'd ordinarily choose if we go out, but it would have been nice to have had our attention drawn to them.
