| Cuisine : | British, English |
|---|---|
| Open for : | dinner, lunch |
| Type : | bar, restaurant |
| Tags : | local produce, suitable for large groups, sunday roast |
| Menu types : | a-la-carte, lunch menu |
| Reservations : | reservations accepted |
| Average price : | Main course £15. Three courses £25. |
| Lunch prices : | Average main course £6.95. |
| As seen on : | 2012: Masterchef - BBC One |
| Short URL : | http://iate.at/ZFEw |
Please note as of March 2013, Tinkers Restaurant in Southport is closed. The restaurant reports the restaurant closure was due to problems with drainage on the site which they were unable to resolve with their landlord.
The sister restaurant, Tinkers of Aughton remains open as usual.
Just a few weeks after finishing fourth in the BBC Masterchef competition, Jay Tinker has opened what he hopes will be the first of many restaurants. The restaurant will open daily for both lunch and dinner. Evenings see a full a la carte menu and at lunchtimes there is a soup and sandwich based menu.
The menu will stay seasonal with Jay using local farmers and producers when planning his menus. He aims to move on from with the skills he picked up during the TV series and cook 'comfort food with elegance'. Some sample starters from the menu are; 'Southport shrimps dressed with sweet dill cucumber, warm bread and parsley pesto oil' and 'Warm roasted black pepper crusted sirloin tossed in a spring radish salad with caramelised red onion dressing'.
The chef has been working with local butchers Holmes-Smith to create his own recipe sausage with chicken, lemon and tarragon to be served in the restaurant.
Review left on 28/12/2012 by simon (1 review)
I'm not going to go through the detail of everything we had for lunch there yesterday, partly because less than 24 hours later the meal was so unforgettable I've forgotten most of it; most of it wasn't actually that bad were I thinking of somewhere that was pitching at the Wetherspoons diner who wants to splash out a bit, but given the provenance of this restaurant I frankly expected better. That said, the creamy thyme and leak sauce which came with my chicken main had no flavour beyond bitterness (and was more of a tepid soup than a sauce), and my mum's comment on her turkey was that it was more like a piece of rubbery reconstituted Bernard Matthews than something roasted and sliced off the breast. The overall pacing of the service was much improved in comparison with comments on other negative reviews here, but that didn't stop the food from being tepid when served, and the ambient temperature of the room hasn't warmed up since the earlier reviews were written.
I don't live in Southport any more (we were back visiting my parents for Christmas), so I've no idea how well it compares to other restaurants in Southport; I live in Birmingham and when we feel like going out for a 'budget restaurant experience' we go to the Carluccio's bistro in Brindley Place, offering a considerably better variety at considerably better quality at the same price. Oh yes, and our wonky table leg was also propped up with a napkin - now you'd probably not notice such a thing in a greasy spoon caff if you'd gone in for your egg and chips, but even a standard Lord Street tea rooms would know better than that, never mind a supposedly posh restaurant.
Reading the comments in the five star reviews here, I assume they're either Jay's mates, or they normally eat at Wetherspoons themselves. In a nutshell, if tinker's is pitching at the usual Wetherspoons diner who wants an occasion, then it'll do well, but if it has any aspirations beyond that, it needs to up its game considerably if it's going to last.
Review left on 19/05/2012 by Ewelina (1 review)
Friendly and welcoming staff, great food at a great price and Jay made time to say hello. Thank you for a good night :)
Review left on 10/05/2012 by ellis & sheila (1 review)
We were so impressed, excellent food, value and service.
Review left on 29/04/2012 by Sarah (1 review)
Faultless meal! Friendly and welcoming staff, great food at a great price and Jay made time to say hello which made my daughters 13th birthday - thank you x
Review left on 28/04/2012 by Kevo (1 review)
Great little place intimate feel with rustic bistro look, fine dining food with a non-pretentious service. Great hosting from Jay himself when we were there he came to every table checking people were happy. Great menu choice and plenty of wines and beers at very very reasonable prices. separate bar to relax in pre or post meal. We will be regular diners at Tinkers.
Review left on 11/04/2012 by Howard and Tina Powsey (1 review)
Outstanding overall restaurant! Affordable for the entire family and something for everyone on the menu. Love the Southport Shrimp, as they pay a respectful homage to the local area. Service was attentive, yet unobtrusive. Can't wait to return!