Liverpool city centre is home to a variety of restaurants offering every cuisine you could possibly imagine, from traditional Italians to Greek eateries.
In the 2000s, a Spanish restaurant proudly stood on Liverpool's Victoria Street that, from the outside, looked like any other restaurant. On the inside, however, it was quite the opposite.
Don Pepe was loved for its array of traditional tapas dishes and “buzzing atmosphere”, and the interior of the restaurant was certainly a sight to behold. The ECHO recently uncovered a review of the eatery from 2003 in the Reach archives.
READ MORE: Fascinating photos show how Liverpool has changed since England won the World Cup in 1966
The reviewer notably calls the restaurant the “Disneyland version of Iberia”, and after reading the full review, it’s easy to understand why. Most Spanish restaurants have the odd traditional Spanish decor here and there, but a few interior design elements made Don Pepe unique.
The review states that the walls were “covered in bright paintings of the Spanish countryside”, but the wall art wasn’t the most impressive part of the restaurant. That’s because at the centre of the room there was a huge water fountain, with the tables positioned around this extravagant centrepiece.
It was Don Pepe’s decor paired with its atmosphere and the “vigorous laughter” of other diners that made the reviewer feel like they were at “a Disneyland version of Iberia”, and thankfully, the food was also a delight. The restaurant offered a variety of tapas dishes, including meat, seafood and vegetarian.
The reviewer described them as “little dishes of assorted delicacies” that filled the table, “leaving little room for the dinner plates and wine glasses”. This included patatas bravas (£1.95), champinones al ajo (fresh mushrooms cooked in garlic and white wine, £2.75), mejillones marinera (mussels poached in white wine, £4.50), and gambas pil pil (sauteed prawns in garlic and chilli, £3.65), but it was the “mouthwatering” chorizo frito (fried spicy sausage, £2.50) that was the “real highlight of the evening”.
The ECHO also found an old review of Don Pepe on YELP where a diner wrote: “With its walls adorning rural Spain and its water features, Don Pepe is a Spanish Oasis in the heart of Liverpool. I can imagine when you have the holiday blues a night dining in here could be almost therapeutic.
“The food is fantastic but the highlight has to be the atmosphere which was absolutely buzzing. Excitable chatting and laughter is such a healthy environment to be enjoying your food with family or friends. I highly recommend it. Head into town for a bit of Spanish delight.”
Did you ever dine at Don Pepe? Share your memories in the comments section below.
Join our Liverpool memories and history Facebook group here.
For more nostalgia stories, sign up to our Liverpool Echo newsletter here.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here.
Read next:
Cereal box toys and tat that'll take you back to your Liverpool childhood
Six historic buildings and areas in Liverpool and Wirral considered 'at risk'
Lost breakfast cereals Liverpool families would love to see back on the shelves
Inside 'creepy' abandoned Liverpool school where books and classroom equipment remain
