Ask

Yet another great experience for my Aussie visitors and myself last Thursday! We wanted somewhere we could have a quick, filling bite to eat before going to the Playhouse Theatre so I suggested ASK having had decent experiences there in the past.
The first thing that impressed me was that when I said we had two people unexpectedly joining us to eat the waitress wasn’t phased at all and very quickly found a larger table for us. The second thing that pleased us all was how warm it was — my Aussie relatives were not impressed with the biting Liverpool wind that’s for sure!
I explained to the waitress that we were in a hurry as we were going to the theatre and I have to say the service was extremely fast and efficient plus the food came nice and quickly. One of our extra guests arrived just after we had ordered so she ordered straight away and actually her meal came at the same time as ours which was great.
The fifth member of our party arrived soon after our food had arrived but she didn’t have to wait too long after ordering for hers to arrive too.
The food in ASK is hardly haute cuisine but I always find it to be extremely tasty and filling. The Pinot Grigio I and a couple of my friends chose to drink was very good too.
I was really impressed with the service as it was fast but attentive and friendly.
This will definitely always be one of my favourite ‘go to’ places for a pre-​theatre meal. Definitely deserving of a very warm round of applause if not a standing ovation ;-)

Ask isn’t one of my favourite places to go in Liverpool, mainly because I went when it first opened and was really impressed but since then it has slowly deteriorated. The atmosphere is still as good as it ever was, it’s mainly the food which has gone downhill. The portions have almost been halved — maybe Gordon Ramsey came in and showed everyone how much they were giving away in doggy bags!- and I’ve had a couple of cold meals served to me too.
I wouldn’t complain too much if I was asked to come here as the ambience is still great, and it’s nice surroundings with pleasant staff. Just a shame that food isn’t up to scratch anymore. It can get really busy here, so I do suggest you book as the waiting area can get very very cramped!

To sum up Ask in a sentence. Cheap and cheerful traditional Italian dishes in the heart of the city! It’s not a place for posh Italian food or any type of intimacy for a romantic meal, but it is a place for great traditional dishes at a very fair price.
The pizzas are nice, the pasta dishes are ok, but this isn’t a top notch restaurant. Due to the open plan seating you’re always close and in earshot of other people, so I found it hard to unwind and would say that there isn’t much of an atmosphere in the place.
There were a lot of families with kids when we ate early evening so it was quite noisy and we waited a fair while for our food after we ordered. Given the size of the place, this can be expected as it is popular and busy as a cheap and cheerful alternative to a mid range Italian Restaurant.

Ask restaurant offers a decent variety of typical Italian cuisine, albeit pasta and pizzas for the majority of main courses. Starters consist of garlic bread, olives and anti-​pasti for example.
I have been here on a couple of family occasions and generally thought the service and food was okay but nothing special.
If you enjoy classic Italian food and don’t fancy anything too exotic or extravagant, this would be a safe choice but I would not recommend you go at a peak time because you will have to wait much longer for dishes to come out. When I went, it was quiet and I still waited some time.

Mid priced restaurant in the Queens Square area of Liverpool. This place is huge, with large windows and a modern interior, dominated by a large staircase in the middle of the room. It is usually busy with shoppers and people on their way to the theatre so if there is a few of you its worth booking. The food is really good for the price, there is a good selection of all the usual italian dishes and pizza, plus steak and fish which I havent tried. The service is excellent and always very quick no matter how busy you are. Great value for a cheap and cheerful meal in town. There are often vouchers available for 2 for 1 meals online as well so even better bargain!