The Smugglers Cove in Liverpool

Out for tea. Decor was nice/standard botanist. Food was really good, we all enjoyed our meals (including fussy child/grandparent). Staff were really nice. Food took a long time to come, but was worth it.

Oh dear. How disappointing! We looked online for a nice place to have a drink and light bite and thought how lovely the botanist looked. We arrived at 2.45 and the sun was shining down we got some lovely seats outside. It wasn’t overly busy so that was great. My partner went in to order drinks and get a menu. 20 minutes later, he came out to say he still hadn’t been served! There was other people in the queue that had said to him they’d been waiting almost half an hour. There was lots of staff wandering around but only one person serving. Other people also left because of the wait time. Really disappointed with what should have been a lovely trip out! 😫 Went to one o’clock gun two doors down and got served straight away with two very welcoming bar tenders.

Booked a family meal for Sunday evening. Impressed by the restaurant , nice decor and not to flash. Was impressed that you could still get a Sunday roast in the evening. My wife had the roast lamb with all the trimmings. She ate the lot, enough said. The rest of us had the hanging kebabs with chips. All very nice. Reasonable price with the drinks. We only had a short break but visited twice. Must give a big thanks to our waiter named Sam who was a credit to the botanist. Will book again when we visit in September.

Lovely food came for a Sunday roast on Easter Sunday and it was just spot on. The service was amazing and the food was unbelievable you literally got what you paid for. Would definitely come again

Lovely atmosphere however, very hot inside as for some reason there were several heaters above us while we were eating ? The staff were nice enough but the lady who served us seemed a bit lost as to what she was doing and couldn't add up our tab as we asked to spit it so l did it for her and couldn't calculate if I was old enough to be drinking. As we went in the guy at the desk showed us to our table and didn't smile once or say hello (I understand we didn't book so maybe he was a bit annoyed but still...) The food looks lovely and was mediocre for the price. The cherry on top was that I went home later that day and threw up, I later realised that the reason the chips tasted funny was because they were truffle chips which I hadn’t realised because there was no mention of it anywhere on the menu so I didn’t double check to see if they sold them.

Went yesterday, lovely place , fab service, however no lamb I was very disappointed. Had the Halloumi kebab which was lovely

Lovely food and really good service but unfortunately the cleanliness of the table was off putting, smelt horrible and sticky residue from no soap and over spraying, and was actually dirty!

Nice food, good singers on, bit drafty though

Staff were lovely and very impressionable, will definitely be back

Went here as single parent with two kids and everything I asked for felt like too much trouble. I won’t be coming back when there are so many other options

Staff were amazing!! Really dog friendly and so cute with our dog, very nice atmosphere and we intended to only have cocktails but ended up having some late lunch from the bar menu and the food was unbelievably good! I would definitely go back again for a meal from the main menu, all the cocktails were delicious and also the place was immaculate including the toilets. If you’re looking for great service, great food and delicious cocktails then go to Botanist on the Albert dock!

Staff were really pleasant and attentive. We were a party of 10 and arrived half an hour early. We went to get a drink at the bar and by the time we were served , our table was ready. We were sat in a lovely little nook / private bit. It looked lovely. Only issue was the benches which were uncomfortable. Food was enjoyed by everyone ! The cocktails were equally delicious. Everyone said they would visit again !

Just incredible meal, perfect for our date out and just topped an amazing day

Decided to get something to eat while waiting to check in, very nice food.

Typical chain food, dry, flavourless and extremely salty! After a lovely day in Liverpool we thought given the reviews this would be an ideal spot for a family dinner (2 adults, 3 children). Boy, were we wrong - worth noting we also booked a table. It took 30 minutes to get drinks order taken and drinks to arrive. Then the food arrived and the children’s came first, the children’s linguine contained around 2 x tablespoons of pasta and the others came with chips that had an entire layer of salt crystals. Next adults, we had a sharing kebab, they were out of lamb so we had extra chicken, the only thing extra about it was the fact it was extra dry. It came with a single portion of fries and half, yes half of a flat bread (this was a sharing option at £32). Our chips also came with a whole layer of salt, they bought us fresh ones. When we complained the waitress said she would speak to the manager, took the bill away and then came back gave us the same bill and said precisely nothing. The food was vile and the kids left hungry as the quality was rubbish and layered with salt. I would find somewhere that cares to spend your money, alternatively you’ll be better burger and chips from 5 guys down the road for 50 quid less.

Cocktails were okay. Dinner was brought out randomly and not as requested. The staff was friendly, but seemed disjointed. The food was very disappointing. We were unable to finish our meals due to the taste. Would not recommend and will not return. Not sure if we received tainted food, but spent an extended amount of time in the restaurant toilet before leaving. The only disappointing meal we had during our entire stay in the UK…

A beautiful environment with excellent friendly service and wonderful food!

Booked for a family meal here today for 1pm. Waited 1 hour for the food and when it came the food was stone cold! I ordered onion petals as a starter and I could taste oil on the inner onion when I ate. Sharing kebab was cold! The only part of the meal that was warm were the chips… Albert Docks can be expensive as we all know but £83 for a terrible meal is just wrong if your food is terrible. The waitress didn’t even ask if we enjoyed the meal…..I would go to McDonalds if I want a fry at least the staff care and food is warm…. Very disappointed……

Fabulous atmosphere, great decor. A delicious Sunday lunch at the bar to the sound of great live music. Superb service.

Nothing much to fault. We entered through the 'wrong' door and stood like lemons waiting for staff to approach. When we asked about dining we where directed through the bar to the restaurant. Here we where shown our table. There was a good variety available, my Lamb Kofta kebab was tasty and a good portion size with tasty chips. Though the menu's claim that they are 'properly' seasoned is wide of the mark, and perhaps that decision should be left to the customer ? Service was very good with attentive staff. Dessert menu was somewhat limited.

Excellent food and service. Great location. Will definitely return.

Great service to accommodate 2 x extra persons.

We went on last Friday to this amazing place, service was great , ambience was excellent , drinks were excellent. But the FOOOOOOD wasn’t GOOD. We frequently visit to Chester Botanist and this time decided to visit Albert dock . I’ve left my burger on the table after one bite however my bf finished his burger and had DIARRHOEA for 2 days . Food was expensive - and not at all worth it honestly. I would go to this place again just for drinks but NOT FOOOD!!!!! Horrible !!! I’m giving 1 star because my bf’s is still having bad stomach

Really enjoyed an evening here. The food was great - special commendation for the Scotch Egg, Calamari and the Salt and Pepper pork belly kebabs but everything was really good. Nice choice of cocktails as well. Food was so good it will be one we come back to again.

Beautiful setting, stunning food and our waitress was so lovely. Already planning to return here when we visit liverpool next. Reasonably priced for the quality of food you get.

Visited The Botanist on a Saturday evening for food & drinks as a birthday weekend. There was 11 of us and we had a really good spacious table. Service was quick despite being a Saturday evening, food was good and lovely cocktails! Highlight of the evening though was our server Lucy! She looked after us and I even got a free cocktail cause she saw I had a birthday headband on! Her overall service was 10/10 and she’s a credit to your company! The vibes in here are immaculate and the decor is really fun too! 100% worth a visit

We visited Botanist on Saturday afternoon, we had a 1.30pm reservation and I’m glad we did as the restaurant was jam packed. We arrived a few mins early and we were welcomed, then seated in a few minutes. It was our first time visiting the Botanist and I loved the look of the place, I had been there when it was Smugglers Cove and a lot of the old fixtures and fittings remain. It certainly has that Botanist stamp on it though. We were sat on a table with a great view out over the Albert Dock. We had a few different members of staff serving us and our drink order was taken quickly. There is a great range of drinks available including some fancy cocktails. I am not drinking, so just had a Coke. Our food order was also taken quickly, we got a mixture of things as the menu was really good, with plenty of choice. My friends got a hanging kebab and a club sandwich, I got the grilled chicken and nduja burger with coleslaw. We waited about 15 mins for the food, it arrived piping hot. The food was excellent, my burger was juicy and the coleslaw was fantastic, it had grain mustard mixed through it, yummy. Shortly after we finished our mains, a member of staff came over and wished my friend a happy birthday I had mentioned on the booking it was my friends 40th, she was given a glass of Prosecco on the house. We waited a bit of time for the bill, when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised with the price. The 3 meals, a beer, Prosecco and Coke was just over £60. We had a nice afternoon, good food and great staff.

Lovely serving staff and super food.

Food was good but atmosphere not the same since it changed from the Smugglers Cove. The brilliant decor of the pirate ship and swords, etc, have been replaced by greenery. Such a shame it's lost its character.

Food was amazing and the venue had a really good feel. Staff were attentive and the overall visit with friends from Norfolk was a great success. Would definitely recommend

Staff were very attentive. Food was of a great quality. We really enjoyed our meal here.

When we arrived we had booked a table for 3. We were sat on a high table where u couldn’t even rest your feet . This make the seating very uncomfortable. We was sat by a table of 8 who were young and very loud swearing etc in front of my 15yr old daughter . Food was ok and service was ok . But unfortunately this was spoilt by the potty mouth from down south and the most uncomfortable chairs .

A bit disappointed as it sounded interesting. But took ages to get served, it wasn't too busy and it was slightly too noisy as the live music was amplified to much for the pub.

Food arrived with bits missing, I pointed it out and was told they had run out, please let customers know in advance so we can change our order, at current prices it wasn’t worth it and the food as a result was bland.

I was disappointed to see that the quirkiness of the Smugglers Cove had been lost with the re-brand but the food and service was excellent. A little on the expensive side but nice for a treat.

I came here on Saturday for a joint birthday celebration and we had an absolutely amazing time! Our waitress Zoe was absolutely brilliant, very friendly and helpful and extremely patient as I’m sure our group of 7 were a little loud and took a while when ordering! She made our day extra special for our birthdays and I cannot thank her enough for a lovely evening. The food was great. This is our second time here and the food was just as good as the next. The hanging kebabs are now a family favourite!

Loved it! Best roast dinner I've had in a long time. Service was amazing too.

Not good. Walked out as no acknowledgement from any bar staff, totally ignored Would not return

Ok food, ok service but rude staff when asked to remove service charge

Amazing food and staff, went here on the 02/03/24 the table we were given by the fantastic live singers made it a great night thanks

Lovely food and good service. Would definitely come again. Nice interior in historic building.

Their live music was amazing! 👏🏻

Everything was really good! My only criticism is that the straws were too short for the cocktail glasses ! You couldn't sip out the glass because there was too much ice.

Great food and atmosphere. Service was awesome too. Will definitely go again. The pork belly skewer was a winner.

Very disappointed. Booked this months ago as we were going to see Bill Bailey and I had fond memories of eating at Smugglers Cove. Somewhere between booking and eating there it became a Botanist restaurant. Was given a time slot of 1.5 hours which I felt was reasonable at the time. We arrived early and were seated immediately. The service was poor. No other word for it. If you are going to hold people to a 1 and a half hour slot to eat, your waiter/waitress service needs to be spot on. Waited 15/20 minutes to order after being given our drinks. Ordered a second drink with the meal and it took 20 minutes for that to arrive. Felt rushed and unable to relax. To top it all off was charged £7.59 service charge! For what? Such a shame as the food was good. If the service had been half as good it would have been a lovely 90 minutes.

Long wait for starters, then very long wait to get bill. Food was ok when it arrived. Cocktails made with pre mix

Fabulous food, lovely decor and very friendly and attentive staff. Lovely Saturday afternoon visit with the family to the Botanist on Albert dock.

What can I say.Terrible from start to finish.Called in for lunch last Saturday.Two club sandwiches almost inedible.Soggy white bread, bits of chicken in so much mayonnaise it was inedible, bacon cold and fatty.Chips as if they had been in the bottom of the fryer for a week.Just ugh! Waitress was abrupt and rude.We left most of the food on the plate and she didn’t even ask if everything was ok! £38 for two inedible club sandwiches , 2 cokes and 10% service charge -a complete joke.Give it a miss !

Probably just teething problems with staffing but we waited 20 minutes for drinks and 45 minutes for food without explanation as to why. Then food arrived luke warm at best and the rest was cold. Really disappointed 😞

Food was superb and customer service excellent! We came for a birthday celebration and we all had a lovely time! Thank you to all at Smugglers Cove

Great spot and the hanging Chicken Kebab wins hands down. Freindly staff, nice atmosphere and will defo come again. 🙂🥳

Great food and excellent service

The staff here are so professional,and Young , food great , a very enjoyable experience during our visit to Liverpool 👍

Food ok nothing special, small portions and well over priced. Expectations not met, hanging kebab very much style over substance. Not worth a return visit

The place is nice, the food was good, but the service, this night, was not worth the 10£ tips already included in the bill.

We have visited this place this premises twice now in our last two visits to Liverpool, it’s a lovely restaurant, a huge selection of drinks available also. The menu has something for everyone and I wouldn’t consider it overly expensive either. We will definitely visit again on our next trip to Liverpool.

Me and my boyfriend came to smugglers cove on a Friday evening! Service was fast and food was delicious. We had never been to smugglers cove before, our server Lucy was amazing recommending food and drinks from the menu! We will definitely be returning! Great thanks to all the team especially Lucy!!

We had an excellent experience dining here with a very friendly and smiley young server called Lucy. She was really attentive and made our evening extra special!

Had a fantastic time, Huge thanks to Tara for looking after us, and giving us a heads up about the larger table, Massive thank you, look forward to coming back soon

Good food and experience, food was warm rather than hot, not enough to kick off and complain about, but like wise not 5 stars. But I can sympathise with the waiting staff, the kitchens are up stairs.

Delicious cocktails and very cool theming and decorations

Tara is a legend! Helped with the menu and also just an absolute sweetheart. Thanks for looking after us!! Gave us the heads up of a large party coming in so we could order first. The Camembert was 5 star

We had a lovely meal today. Everything was perfect. It was in a fantastic position and close to all the tourist attractions. Cocktails were amazing, if abit pricey. Would definitely eat here again. Service was good and reasonably quick for a busy Sunday. Our waitress...

Fab food in a lovely establishment. Taken care of by the lovely Lucy. Atmosphere is lovely and food exceptional 😊.........................

Great lunch and very friendly helpful server Lucy.The food was delicious,came quick and also a very reasonably priced child’s meal.

I recently visited here with my family and friends. I have been trying to get a reservation here for a while so I was looking forward to the experience. What a letdown it was! The service is pretty poor and not attentive in the slightest....

Food was absolutely amazing, starters stole the show though 🥵, some of the best cocktails in town and VERY good prices, considering the location/view of the docks, Keisha was our server and if I could I would ask for her again! 10/10 ❤️

Must admit the service was incredible, Keisha couldn’t do more for us, she was lovely and kind in every way, couldn’t fault her. A real credit to the company ❤️

Poor service we waited for around 1 hour.special GIANT 🙄 hanging kebab, pink tasteless jelly chicken told it was all thigh meat thats why it was that colour and texture , reason for being pink. Cold chips , small portions of rice and coleslaw. Unexpected...

Delicious food, great atmosphere, service okay

A cool pace and liked funky decor. Food really nice and good range of drinks. We enjoyed ourselves and will return. Definitely try the Cookie Dough!

We went here for a late Sunday lunch to celebrate a birthday. Food was good, but the normal menu is better than the Sunday one in my opinion. I wasn't in love with my chicken burger, and my cookie dessert was overcooked. Service was a little slow, but this wasn't the fault of our server who was great. We'll go again, just not on a Sunday!

Pretty rubbish experience to be honest. Expected more of a pirate theme but it was just a normal restaurant with uncomfortable wooden bench seating. Booked weeks ago but still got given the worst table in the whole place. Had about 8 dishes not available and...

We were recommended this place, by my daughter. We didn't pre book, but we're seated ok. The maitre'd was a little surly. Food and drinks were reasonably priced. The prawn pil pil starter was fantastic. Decor v unique and bathrooms v clean. Recommend.

Food was nice , place is nice , but don’t feel like our business is appreciated as there are so many people at the Albert Dock looking for food I guess they have enough custom to be able to be that way

Excellent all round place, food service and surroundings

Best Dinner ever desserts were so nice Serivce was lovely one of the staff said we were polite

Nice meal put a bit expensive £19 for a Sunday roast dogs allowed in bar area

The food was nice, not outstanding but was nice. HOWEVER, the service wasn't great. They didn't tell is at the beginning how long we had the table for. It did say it in the email of the booking, however I have been to many places and they state the same I their email and either notify you or allow you to stay to have your meal. We ordered a starter and main course ( part of 2 so not huge ) and wanted desert but but where informed we needed to vacate the table as the time had run out for us IF YOU CANT CATER For a three course meal either don't have it as an option or inform the customer. As someone who has worked in customer services I find this appaling. We also waited about 15 minutes for one drink. Starters took 20 minutes. We did ask for desert but where instead shown the bill. I even heard someone joke when leaving the restraint that you can definitely tell it was there last day as they weren't putting in the same effort. Will not be returning. I felt like we where an inconvenience rather than paying customers.

Highly recommend the rum experience. We had a lovely man called Harry that we amazing at telling us story’s and information.

£10.75 for one 250mil glass of Pino Grigio is robbery. Change your name to Pirates Cove. First and last time for me. No wonder people stay home and drink.

Lucy, Akash, Joe, absolutely exceptional service, one of the best I have head across the country. Kind people, good drinks, great music by Live Lounge Duo

We had a great meal here! The salt and pepper pork kebab was delicious. The service was quick for a busy restaurant and the staff were helpful and polite. Will certainly visit again 😃

Huge thanks to Mason for the most wonderful friendly and attentive service! Huge bonus that this is a dog friendly restaurant and very wheelchair accessible!

Excellent food and service, thank you Keisha. Nominations nom onion petals, get in my belly you lovely onions!!!!!!!!!

Staff are friendly and helpful, atmosphere is great and the food is incredible. The crispy mushrooms are a must try. My only disappointment was that I just didn't have room for dessert. We were lucky and got a table for two as a walk in but it's definitely worth booking as this place is deservedly busy. The allergen menu is easily accessible from a QR code on the menu and they also didn't make a huge fuss about dealing with allergens. It was nice to feel normal whilst eating out.

The food and drinks were lovely and the staff very friendly and helpful. Its in a great location on albert dock and had a lovely atmosphere

We had a table for 10 for my Sisters 50th Birthday. Highly recommended. The venue is quirky and fun, good atmosphere even at lunchtime. The food was good but the main reason for my 5 stars was the staff. They were all patient, funny, friendly...

The Chicken sandwich was tasty!

Not the warmest of places to eat. It was a bit expensive for what you were served. Bar selection is a bit too cosmopolitan. On a good note the staff were very friendly and helpful when a mistake had happened with the order.

We visited here twice in two weeks and had a VERY different experience each time. On both occasions, the food was gorgeous. The ‘Salt and Pepper Onion Petals’ starter is to die for, and all the food we had on both visits was outstanding. However,...

Found this restaurant whilst walking around Albert Dock where we had a super Lamb Kofta, Chicken Piri Piri and Banoffee Sundae which were good value for money. The restaurant had a good atmosphere and we would recommend it to anyone.

Not a lot of food for the money they charge. I was hungry after the chicken kebab. £17 for a few pieces of chicken and a few chips. Wondered why we were given saucers for plates.be nice if they put the heating on too. My wife had to keep her coat on inside.wasn’t impressed with the service charge and they forgot to say goodbye and thanks for your custom. A bit sloppy really. I should’ve stuck to liverpool1 for a meal

£76 for two courses each and two cokes. Between two starters of chicken skewers and a kebab,I'd say there was less than a full chicken breast. Sea Bass came with two new potatoes cut into four. We were absolutely freezing in there. I had to...

Food: Starter came and they were lovely, mains came ...... all hanging kebabs ordered had the wrong sauces on, they had mixed them up, luckily we noticed before pouring and managed to fix, they were lovely. Garlic Bread..... basically a sour dough pretzle with butter...

My fella surprised me for my birthday by taking me to here. Best place ever. The staff are amazing and accomodating as well. (Mason and Jonie). They have great customer service and have been very friendly. I will definitely visit again.

Nice vibe and drinks are priced around how you'd expect for the location

Lovely place, lovely staff, lovely food but check the prices against your bill as I was overcharged as the prices on the bill did not match the prices on the menu.

Nice place with good food and service. One star off because of the Banoffee sundae; two scoops of ice cream, a quarter of a banana and some crumble stuck to the outside of the glass isn't worth the cost at all!

What an amazing time we had. I can't thank you enough for being able to fit all 10 of us in and even better we had two tables one for the kids and one for the adults. Food is amazing and the service was great. I have to say a massive personal thank you to Mason who was looking after us, he was great and was always willing to join in on the banter, he is a credit to your company.