Things to do:

Is it a pub? Is it a restaurant? Is it an old abandoned building within a former brewery? Truth be told Baltic Market is all of these things and more, but above all it’s a weekend evening destination where some of the best food in Liverpool comes together in some bitesize chunks in the thriving Baltic Triangle.

Baltic Markt is the place to go if you’re one of those people who can’t decide between three or four things on the menu. If you can’t decide here, simply choose a few different street-foodish meals from one of up to a dozen or so of Liverpool’s best purveyors of food and drink. Trestle tables are laid out and shared between groups of hungry diners – think beerhall – while the decor is suitably striking and minimal, it’s oddly apt for the abandoned-facgory ambiance of the former Cains Brewery.

Alongside regular special guests regulars include Pao! Food Power, Slims Pork Chop Express, Little Furnace Wood-Fired Pizzas, The Midnight Delivery, Ital Fresh, Hafla Hafla, Timmy Tikka, Down The Hatch, Oktopus and Crosby Coffee – all of whom have established their reputation across Liverpool at festivals, pop-up events and private functions, if not their own permanent outlets.

Timmy Tikka Baltic Market

We’ve sampled most and can speak to the high standards across the board. Pao! has been particularly impressive – serving up a pair of boa buns stuffed with shredded meat here, but keep your eyes peeled for the hoisin pork with wonton nachos, or the sweetcorn and shrimp paste fritters.

Hafla Hafla serves what might be the single most popular dish we’ve seen eaten at Baltic Market – halloumi fries with a sticky, sweet-and-sharp pomegranate reduction. Lots of veggie-friendly wraps too. Down The Hatch serves what it calls vegetarian junk food, based around seitan – a genuinely meaty meat-free alternative made from gluten. Given a crunch coating and spicy sauce and even carnivores will be hard pressed to tell the difference.

Slims ia an Asian-flavoured restaurant in Chinatown that has carved out a reputation for doing meat better than most in Liverpool – expect brisket, pork and burgers here. Oktopus has received perhaps the highest acclaim of recent eateries in Liverpool of late, offering refined tapas-style light bites at its Hardman’s Yard restaurant and bar. At the Baltic Market there are seafood options such as popcorn mussels and softshell crab burger.

Pao Street Food Baltic Market

Timmy Tikka has variations on dhals – a delicious, comforting lentil dish – alongside lamb and cheese samosas, okra chips or mini popadoms topped with raita mango chutney and sweet tamarind. More of a pizza fan? No problem – the Little Furnace has plenty of options; if you fancy something a little different then Ital Fresh serves up authentic vegetarian and vegan Caribbean food including fried plantains and corn on the cob with lime and coconut.

Room for dessert? The Midnight Delivery’s (formerly a a cake’n’shakes delivery service) doughnut fried, brownies and cheesecake take some looking past – unless you’re heading to Roll House where they make sweet treats out of rolled ice-cream of course.

With five or so dishes at each outlet you’ll be spoiled for choice so enjoy a light lunch if you’re heading to Baltic Market later in the day. Refresh yourself with the likes of Baltic Lager from Liverpool’s Black Lodge Brewery or a range of brews from Stateside, plus cocktails from the main bar, spirits from the likes of Liverpool’s Turncoat Distillery plus Prosecco, hot drinks and juice from the pop-ups.

Down the Hatch Baltic Market

Pints from the main bar are a fiver each and even soft drinks are expensive – you may view this as reasonable given the lack of an entrance or fee or you may not. Your mileage may vary.

Look out for special events. The excellent Hobo Kiosk will be visiting in coming weeks and each weekend the hall will welcome DJ and live bands. If you’re keen to make a day of it there’s the nearby Ghetto Golf and massive brocante / flea market / junk / retro / antiques thing Red Brick Vintage a stone’s throw away.

• The Baltic Market is open from 5pm to 11pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and 11am to 11pm on Saturdays and Sundays in the Cains Brewery complex, Stanhope Street, Baltic Triangle, Liverpool.

Bitesize Baltic Market

Needless to say Baltic Market is a veritable engine for Instagram fodder with plenty of eye-catching small plates. Here’s a taste of what you can expect…

Slims Pork Chop Express’ 14 hour smoked brisket…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV2kShJHKFu/

…and one of their burgers

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWCqC8UnDOq/

Pao’s tempura prawns

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWBT5WeASCZ/

Oktopus’ popcorn mussels…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV7lPzXF1XV/

…and their softshell crab burger

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWBKCGOFj_t/

Midnight Delivery’s doughnut fries

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWAysxYj57x/

Hafla Hafla halloumi fries

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWAQ5MpnvAD/

Timmy Tikka’s lamb and cheese samosas…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWDfR3FF1KC/

…and spinach Curry Bowl, drizzled in homemade butter and raita sauce

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXKrbNrgrqY

The multicoloured Rasta Bowl from Ital Fresh, including sweet potato, spinach,coconut quinoa, peppers slaw and pickles

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVfcaponh0A/

Margherita pizza by Little Furnace…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXVqCjzg_0F

…and their marinara

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXId-I6AZV2