Approaching the Liverpool Football Stadium in Anfield wearing heels and a skirt is something I’m not familiar with, particularly when the team or playing an away game.

I was descending upon the stadium to sample the delights of The Boot Room Sports Cafe, the latest restaurant to open in the North of the city. I was surprised by the size of the restaurant, with a spacious yet warm atmosphere it’s automatically relaxing to walk into.

Booths line the walls each containing a flat screen TV showing sports, and of course any Liverpool match that may be showing. The centre of the room hold further tables each for smaller groups and a cordoned off area to the far side of the rooms has smaller tables for kids’ parties (ice cream factory included) – in all the restaurant seats 230, which does make me wonder what this space could have been used for before and why LFC didn’t think to open a restaurant earlier as it seems like it belongs here.

We (my sister and myself) were greeted by restaurant manager Ben and our waitress for the evening Hannah, who showed us to our seats.

The menus handed to us were large, and I was surprised by the varied selection on offer. From typical Scouse to posh pastas, the selection boats 12 starters, an impressive 27 main course, eight side dish courses, five deserts, a very extensive sine list and more, including a daily specials wall.

The specials on the wall this evening were Garlic & King Prawn Tagliatelle with char-grilled courgettes and cherry tomatoes, or Rack of Lamb with colcannon mash and rosemary sauce served with seasonal veg.

The kitchen is headed up by Chris McDowell, who has previously worked at Gusto at the Albert Dock. He said: “We’ve produced a menu which is very affordable for families and which focuses on healthy, locally-sourced ingredients, so people can enjoy everything from a snack to a full meal without breaking the bank.”

Manager, Ben, told us the restaurant has been doing really well, not only on match days but with tourists and families: “We have such a wide range of customers. I’ve met so many brilliant people from all over the world who come to dine. We are also very family friendly, with menus designed for youngsters and some fantastic party packages for them.”

The kids’ package includes a stadium tour, museum visit, party in the Boot Room, two course menu and goody bags all for £15 per child – not a bad deal if you can gather at least 10 kids who are all mates and all support Liverpool!

So we chose from the ‘themed’ menu our dishes. For a starter I chose bread and olives from the specials wall while my sister (Clare) went for Antipasto (Kalamata olives with salami, Parma ham, olive oil, sea salt and focaccia.

My bread and olives, although tasty, was just the same as Clare’s meal except I had more bread and she had the Parma ham added.

Hers was definitely a better option. Mine had too much bread for one person but would have been a fantastic sharer for two.

My main course was Homemade Lasagne, and Clare chose 8oz Prime Fillet Steak with Peppercorn Sauce. The Lasagne was the best I’ve ever tasted. Many restaurants smother the pasta with far too much tomato sauce, but this was fantastic – and very filling.

The fillet steak was cooked perfectly for Clare as she requested, and presented beautifully. For her side she chose was chunky chips and her only complaint was that they tasted beautiful but were too hot for her to impatient stomach!

Due to over eating our first courses, we weren’t quite up to a desert, but shared one anyway. We chose New York Cheesecake with blueberry compote amd ate it clowly as we finished off a beautiful bottle of wine.

The presentation of the food is fantastic, and at very reasonable prices this is perfect for any occasion. Our waitress, Hannah, was fantastic, and although showed us attention didn’t hover or crowd us at all.

There’s always something for after dinner too, with LFC memorabilia placed all around the restaurant and a bar near the entrance you can relax in the surroundings, or watch the match in style.

It was quite a surprise to me that such a fantastic restaurant can be hidden in one of our city’s suburbs, but it’s certainly a welcome attribute and I have no doubt that it’s going to set itself on the culinary map.

Chic, friendly, relaxed, fantastic food and top quality service – The Boot Room has been kicked to the top of my favourite restaurant list.

Seen Verdict: 9/10 – Great score at Anfield

For more information, menus and to book a table, visit http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/bootroom or call 0151 906 1892.