Alma De Cuba, Liverpool

Alma De Cuba, Liverpool is my absolute favourite restaurant. Whenever there is a birthday or special occasion this is one of the places I come to eat with my family. Not only is it a great restaurant, it has an excellent bar and my friends and I come here for the fabulous cocktails on a night out. Alma De Cuba actually won best bar, best restaurant and the UK's best venue in 2008.The restaurant is situated in an old church on Seel street and the interior is just beautiful. It's kind of eerie as most of the 300 year old interior details (stained glass windows, wooden beams, gothic stone floor and staircases etc) are still the same as they were when it was a church but this helps create the atmosphere. The bar, large seating area and stage (the altar!) are all situated downstairs and the restaurant seating is upstairs. The decor upstairs is fantastic, the main colour being red, with wooden flooring and rustic chandeliers. The dress code is dress to impress and I can see why. This is a very classy venue, within it's right.The food has always been superb for us, no complaints and they have some very nice wines too. For me, this is just a bonus as the place and the atmosphere are worth the visit. The menu is not just Cuban, but a mixture of South American and Caribbean influences and although not overly extensive, we've always found that there is something for everyone. Last time I visited I ate the confit duck spring rolls and chicken, chorizo and tomato with potatoes which were both so tasty. I've never had it but the coconut & chili laksa starter looks really good too. The portions are not huge, I could definitely manage 3 courses so bear that in mind. In my opinion it's just enough.One special thing about Alma De Cuba is the seemingly impromptu entertainment (especially if you've never been before). I'm not sure if it's every night or just on a weekend (I've always visited on a Saturday) at 11pm the music starts up and all of a sudden there are rose petals raining down from the balconies and dancers appear on stage encouraging everyone to dance and that's when the party starts. The cocktails are fab and the staff have always been really friendly and efficient. The prices for food and drink are not cheap, but in my opinion you do get what you pay for.The only real bad point for me is that it can get really crowded at the bar as it gets later. The last time we visited it took a while to get served at the bar after we had finished our meal. I guess this just proves it's popularity though.I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. I just don't know if I can wait another month until my birthday when I'll be visiting again!