Lunya

Had delicious 3 tapas lunch here for £12.95, great selection for vegetarians. There is an upstairs restaurant and downstairs café and deli shop with wide range of Spanish cheeses, meats, beers and even gin! Portions generous for tapas, unusually couldn’t finish. Am quite fussy about tapas and would rate Lunya really highly.

Authentic and good fun. Great for food or drinks. This was actually recommended to us by the bar man in a local rival establishment as being the best place to go! He was right (but I won’t get him into trouble by saying which eatery he worked in!)
Will go again. Definitely

I popped into Lunya on recommendation of a friend. I have to admit that tapas has never been my thing and the only ‘Spanish’ food I’ve ever really enjoyed consistently has been paella! Call me uncool, but that’s how it is. Anyway, the other reviews all looked great and so my idea was that at least in this place I should get some quality scoff as a reliable basis to finally, once and for all, decide if the tapas trend is warranted or just hot air.
So my first look inside is Ok; a bit posh. Outside tho’ it’s a bit on the tacky side. I get a nice smile and can choose my own seat. All very pleasant and informal. There’s a special menu with three small dishes, a glass of house red and a desert for a very nice price. There’s also a large a la carte menu. I order the special deal, being a foodie tight wad! All is good so far.
The the food arrives and it’s delicious. It’s like ordering a Thali! Bits of this and that prove more satisfying than a single dish. I scoff as much as I can, but there’s just too much patatas bravas so I’m forced to leave half of it to save space for my ice-​cream. The wine was nice and fruity and the desert perfectly acceptable.
So all in I’ve experienced a bit of a conversion. Clearly, in the right place, with the right selection of options and pleasant service tapas is truly an enjoyable experience. Highly recommended! Perhaps one of the nicest meals I’ve had anywhere.

Just stopped by for a quick pint while a friend got his hair cut next door, ended up staying for a few, sat outside since it was such a nice day. Got to chatting with the bartender a bit about my visit (I’m American) and he was very friendly. After chatting we went back outside with our second round and the bartender brought us out a delicious little snack to enjoy with our beer for free, pretty sure it was potato with cherry tomatoes and some oil. He really made the visit stand out.

My wife and I visited Liverpool for the first time this weekend from Los Angeles. As preparation for our trip, I had reconned the casual estaurant scene on Unilocal and TripAdvisor. Lunya came up on both and had intrigued me. Spanish tapas is always in my consciousness since I started dating my wife, who grew up on the Cannery Islands. And we enjoy mixing our palette, thanks in no small part to our travels and places of residence (present and past). Variety is the spice of (our) life.
We arrived at Lunya around 8:30 this evening after attending the Liverpool game and without a reservation. We were seated promptly though with a bit of controversy, which I will detail at the end of the review.
The food was quite tasty and rival other Spanish tapas in LA, Spain and other experiences during our travels. We forego our usual choices of chorizo, tortilla and paella and ordered the baby sardines, croquetas, Padron peppers, Pluma Iberica and frituras of spiced cauliflower & manchego and desserts of Tarta de Santiago and PX Sherry infused raisins with icecream and turron. All were delicious as did our usual dishes, which were paraded around us on their way to serving other guests. The mussels also looked good. The Pluma Iberica was amazing, because it tasted like beef; most unique!
All in all, we had quite a positive culinary experience and my wife was able to strike up conversations with some of the Spanish staff, especially our server, Estephania.
If we were Liverpool residents, there is little doubt that we’d be visiting Lunya again (even despite our initial introduction to Lunya at reception).
As I had mentioned, we came in without a reservation and into what appeared to be a pretty full ground level café. There was not a hostess or host at the door. The couple in front of us was ushered upstairs by a waiter who gave the impression that the entire restaurant was pretty full.
A waitress then came by and was about to lead us upstairs as well, which was a good sign. But then she was intercepted by another waitress, who pulled the first aside and whispered with a shake of her. Not a good sign. The first came back to tell us that only the lone high table with stools was our only option. I was hungry and my feet were tired from my 13 mile morning run and an afternoon of touring and even though a stool was not the most comfortable place to park myself for dinner, it would have to do. As we were about to sit down, my wife intervened and spoke in Spanish to the second waitress. She came back withy the news that we would be seated upstairs. Upon arriving upstairs, we found a large dining area that was may be 55% full! This really made me wonder whether we were being played.
The restaurant certainly was not yet closing and there was certainly a lot of vacant tables. Was it our ethnicity? Dress? My Liverpool shopping bag? We were not in our Sunday bests, but certainly not sloppy. In fact, other than my Boss jeans, all of my clothes and shoes were brand new.
I bring this to future patrons’ attention so that they know they have to be assertive on this issue. And to Lunya that it needs to have an organized way to its seating; designate a host or hostess to such an important task. Pist… it’s industry standard. And, please don’t judge a book by its cover, because some books can write.
I do hope this was an isolated instance and encourage others to bring up any similar experiences if they occur.

I’ve had two recent encounters with Lunya.
My first was the best by far. I enjoyed a cheese tasting board, an amazing lamb tagine, and two (different) superb glasses of red. A helpful server in this instance made all the difference: He knew the wines very well, and recommended the tagine when I asked his advice. This made for a satisfying four-​star meal. I couldn’t wait to return.
My second visit left a somewhat lesser impression. This time I brought company. The girlfriend and I ordered the cheese tasting board again, and, in lieu of the tagine (unavailable) some chorizo in wine. We both agreed that La Viña’s chorizo was superior; the cheese plate worked, as one might expect. I made the mistake, however, of expecting the same level of wine know-​how my second time around. I inquired regarding the rioja, to which the server replied, «I don’t know, it’s a rioja.» The resulting glass was underwhelming, albeit (my bill informed me) for an overwhelming £7.45!
This brings me to my core criticism: Lunya’s not cheap. Given the beautiful food presentation, pleasant ambiance, and varied menu, price is not a problem per se if the service and overall experience holds its own. When this starts to look like any other restaurant, alternatives nearby that offer a slightly inferior selection for less monetary pain (like La Viña) start to look like better value. That said, for tapas and wine enthusiasts, Lunya would no doubt make for an enjoyable, once-​in-​awhile indulgence.

Lunya was recommended to me by a fellow food blogger but, considering I had already eaten, we popped in for a quick drink before travelling back to Manchester. It is located just off Liverpool One near to John Lewis beauty and is a deli with café combined.
The deli is well stocked with some amazing Catalan finds such as olives and wine with lots of different sauces you can’t typically find in this country.
The café is spacious with some really interesting spirits on the bar including London Gin and some fabulous red wines. They do wine and sherry flights at incredibly reasonable prices and i was gutted to be driving home else I’d have indulged! I ordered a hot chocolate and, let me tell you, it was thick yet not overly creamy. Just perfect and like molten light chocolate! I’ve already talked about going back but this time I’ll be on the train so I can indulge in that sherry flight.

Called in for a coffee, I found this place by accident because the Blue Coat School Café was closed. I walked out the back door of the rear square and across the street. Modern and clean inside this Spanish Café/​Bar/​Deli has lots of parts to it. They have an outside seating area and a deli one side and a tabled area the other side. It was well staffed and the prices were good.

We lived in the city centre for several years and Lunya has become one of my favourite restaurants. It’s a great atmosphere and staff are pleasant and always friendly. There is a fantastic deli inside which provides a range of cheese and meats. One of my favourite features of the restaurant is that the head chef is often around and always chatting to customers. He gives fantastic advice and discusses the history of the menu and how many of the cured meats are formed. My only criticism of the place is occasionally they have got my order wrong, mainly I think due to some language barriers of the staff.
The lunch time menu is reasonable. The standard evening menu is competitive but Lunya is going to cost you as much, if not more than some of the other brilliant restaurants which are close by. It isn’t cheap, but its certainly worth it!

Perhaps it was all that in 2010 when it opened. I went because of the reviews & was dissatisfied. The smoked haddock & asparagus cakes tasted like potato without a trace of smoke or green in them. The vegetable dishes were one sided (the cheaper side) although the sautéed mushrooms were tasty, & the cauliflower was criminally over-​fried.
Cheese & cured meat selections & quality were excellent. If you go get these with some wine.
Service was mediocre, our server was terrible, unable to make clear suggestion or provide attentive service — fortunately the bar staff were friendly & willing o pick up the slack.
Overall, I’d say this place is a bit tired & self important. It would do well to seek good reviews rather than rely on old ones.

I had wanted to eat at this restaurant for ages after hearing great things about it and seeing the awards that it had won. We went in quite late on a Sunday evening but even then it was busy. In fact you could say it was crowded with the tables being so close together.
We ate a starter of mixed meats and cheeses from the deli section, which was a great way to start a meal. For the main course we ordered a selection of tapas dishes of varying quality. They also came out from the kitchen in a very random order and spread quite far apart (approximately 20 minutes from the first dish to the last).
The waiting staff seemed quite rushed, with hardly a smile to spare, and we were also given the wrong bill at the end of the meal. All-​in-​all the food was okay but certainly not up to the high standard we were hoping for. If you’re after great tapas, there are better options in the city centre.

I went there on Monday night after a tip from family to go there. There was a special deal for 2 people to dine and bottle of wine included for £35. This is just Monday nights. I had a very lovely paella. My companion had a selection of 4 tapas which maybe could have been a little hotter. The mushrooms had a lovely smokey taste and were delicious. She also had some nice patatas bravas with a spicy sauce. We also had the very typical catalan pan de tomate to start with.
Its a lovely space, as the sun was shining people were able to sit outside and have a drink. Next to the restaurant there is a very well stocked deli.
Definitely recommend.

Lunya takes its place in the heart of Liverpool One as the only Catalonian fusion restaurant and deli. Nestled down a small lane, next door to Onisuka Tiger is where Lunya draws your attention to try out their tasteful dishes which can include a range of 3 Tapas and a portion of bread for just £10. This is an ideal lunchtime meal deal. My favourites have to be the chorizo, Spanish meatballs and spiced pork kebabs. As you can tell, I’m do shy away from vegetables! If you are a vegan, there are exactly 3 courses to choose from the tapas selection. In terms of the service and food, overall it was generally good apart from the arrival of dishes being a tad slow.
I have not bought anything from the deli section but they do have a wide range of traditional produce such as olive oils, cheeses and sausages. It looks so tempting yet whether their products are worth the money, is another question.

Lunya hasn’t been open long, but it’s certainly created a bit of a buzz in the Liverpudlian food community. Priding itself on being friendly independent restaurant serving Catalonian ‘fusion’ food, it certainly isn’t your average every day Tapas bar, utilizing both Spanish and locally sourced ingredients in its dishes
I popped there for lunch a few weeks back to try it for myself and left feeling slightly disappointed. Whilst the texture of my mushroom soup was velvety smooth, it was under seasoned, meaning I often felt as though I was slurping a big bowl of nothingness. However, my Iberico Ham and Manchego sandwich was excellent, and was polished off by myself in about 60 seconds flat — only pausing to take a few slurps of a rather delicious Rioja.
Lunya also has its own deli attached to the side of the restaurant, where you can pick up all sorts of delicious tit bits to take home with you if you’ve fallen in love with one particular ingredient after your meal. I was particularly impressed by the huge hams hanging up behind the counter, and was sorely tempted to take one home for my own personal consumption (although I seriously doubted that I would have been able to fit it into my handbag).
Whilst I left Lunya feeling slightly underwhelmed, I do intend to go again and try a few more of its more serious Tapas dishes. However, it is nice to see somewhere truly challenging Liverpudlian diners tastebuds — and for that reason alone, it’s certainly worth giving Lunya your custom.

Lunya is pretty unique, being the only Catalan restaurant-​cum-​deli in the UK. They went out on a limb, and it has definitely worked. I love the Catalan/​Spanish feel and this place is full of it, serving up a wide variety of fresh meals from tapas and a la carte menus.
There is often live music on which really adds to the already buzzing atmosphere, the place is vibrant, fun and really friendly. The staff are great and will help you out if you don’t know what some of the items on the menu are.

Despite my brother’s murmerings that this is not an authentic Catalan restaurant — he spent a year out in Spain — and is merely another bastardised Spanish tapas joint in Liverpool it does not tarnish the fact that it is a good restaurant with friendly approachable staff who will do their best to inform you of what you are eating.
As with most restaurants now, Lunya has not missed a trick with offerring its food to take home through their deli section situated off to the left of the store as you walk in. They have a wide selction of imported meats, pastes, cheeses oils and all things warm and Mediterranean-​y. Yum, good stuff.

I love restaurants and delis that merge into one. Look at my track record with reviews, they all get top marks because they make me feel like totally sophisticated. Y’know, I can grab my green tea, abuse their wi-​fi, then buy some bread and olives from them that I’ll nibble later in front of… This Week. Not… Coronation Street. (Oh how I love Coronation Street.) Not at all.
So this combines all those things. Lunya’s handily located around Liverpool One if you happen to be shopping there, and is rather popular indeed. It describes itself as Catalonian Fusion, and is still fairly young having only opened in 2008. High quality ingredients have been sourced and the passion is evident, with everything being deliciously fresh and tasty. They’ve even happily given away some secret recipes on their website, for Spanish Tortilla, an omelette everyone will love, and white chocolate cheesecake which I plan to try out as soon as possible.
This place has everything. Flamenco dancing lessons, a restaurant serving up some truly delicious tapas and Mediterranean fare all made from scratch, a deli with some very rare cheeses, the best coffee this side of Barcelona… need I go on? I don’t want to spoil it for you, but as soon as I stepped into Lunya I kind of wanted to move to Liverpool. All the goodies I took home have run out and I want to go back!

A friend recommended Lunya not long ago and the name really stuck in my mind. Now it has only been open for a few months and I was surprised as to how word of mouth has raised Lunya’s profile across Liverpool. I suppose the name has a lot to do with it, simply put, it’s pretty cool name isn’t it, let’s be fair. Just rolls off the tongue.
Obviously there is more to it than that. This is the first Catalonian fusion deli /​restaurant in the UK, located in Liverpool 1. Furthermore they have chosen to convert a 19^th century warehouse armed with its own wood fired brick oven.
Central part of Lunya’s philosophy is fusion. The menu provides a nice range of tapas and a la carte meals. Mix & matching, blending British and Spanish recipes, ideas and ingredients the restaurant really does offer something very unique. The passion for food and the road to discovering new flavours is where Lunya’s ideology rests. They have even recently started their own Sunday roast. Not really my cup of tea (I dont eat pigs) but they have suckling pig imported from Spain which they will roast in their special brick oven for you every Sunday. Must say the picture on the website doesn’t look appealing but, we all have different tastes, do we not… I’ll leave you to it I think.
I would highly recommend Lunya for those paying Liverpool 1 a visit

With Lunya recently opening, it already gives off the vibe of a stylish and perfect summer restaurant.
Walking past in the mid afternoon, they often have a large table outside offering passing members of the public samples of some of the fine delicacies available from their menu and in store deli.
I sampled some of their summer cocktail, summer wine, several delicious cured meats and some wonderful pâté of their own baked bread as I made my way down to Liverpool One last week.
They have a fantastic menu and claim to be the only Catalan restaurant within the UK. They have an extensive wine collection and offer recommendations on wines to suit each of the dishes they serve. Their tapas portions are generous and their deli is well stocked for the passing food connoisseur.
Their staff were very friendly and keen to chat about the menu and the offers in store as I sampled the food outside, the chef was also present to discuss the various samples

Ok, wonder of wonders, despite Unilocal’s hundreds of categories they don’t have one for Catalan restaurants, which is what this is, so I’ve gone with the nearest thing, which is Spanish.
This is actually the only Catalan-​inspired restaurant in the UK, and for some reason they chose to have it in Liverpool. It’s great though, and I’m very grateful it’s right on my doorstep. On the fringe of Liverpool One, this restaurant and deli has some delicious food and amazing wines. One great thing about the menu is that it recommends a wine to go with every dish. Most of the wines are by the bottle though, so you’d end up pretty poor and pretty pissed if you ordered a load of tapas!
If you go in here, don’t make the mistake I did, which was squint over at the deli counter whilst waiting for my food. There were all sorts of lovely things displayed and described and it was like some sort of exquisite culinary torture. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Lunya sources a lot of its produce locally, after taking care to get the key ingredients and flavours from age-​old traditional Spanish importers. They pride themselves on the best ingredients and secret recipes meaning that even if you do opt for tapas, it won’t be like tapas you’ve had anywhere else. Being a lover of spinach I got a Catalan-​style spinach dish which had nuts and raisins in and was lovely. The seafood is varied and succulent… in fact, everything I tasted I loved!
This is one of those restaurants you’re gonna want to spend a good few hours in sampling various things, including (did I mention?) the wine. They could actually do very good business having a wine and cheese night. I know I’d go!