People travel for miles for Mahoe Blue's tastes of Jamaica.
Andrea and Stephan Lebbie opened the bar and bistro in December last year, taking over a unit that was formerly a dog grooming service. Found next door to micropub The Little Taproom, it is part of a growing hospitality scene on Aigburth Road, alongside Italian street food spot Cartoccio, Asian venue Sutikku and a number of pizza restaurants.
Originally from London, Andrea and Stephan (also known as Sas) ran a restaurant in Jamaica before moving to Liverpool. Now bringing Caribbean flavours to Aigburth, Mahoe Blue has hit its stride.
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It has a number of regulars, with tables increasingly hard to come by on Fridays and Saturdays. Some customers even travel from as far as Wirral, Manchester and Cheshire for the food, cooked by the couple alone.
With the restaurant finding success, Andrea and Stephan spoke to the ECHO about what led them from London to Aigburth, via Jamaica.
Andrea said: "We met through mutual friends in the UK and then we went to Jamaica. We were there for around three years.
"We had a place in Mandeville, Jamaica. It was similar, but we only had two tables and the breakfast bars. It was for people on their way to work.
"But we came back to the UK and moved up here. I had a relative here in Liverpool, so we came up to visit and then we just fell in love with the city."
The couple knew they wanted to stay in Liverpool and set up a restaurant. However, they were not sure exactly where to go.
Andrea said: "Initially, we were looking for somewhere nearer to town. There was one place that we were going back and forth with a lady about.
"It was my mum who saw this on one of the neighbourhood groups. We were actually out of Liverpool at the time - we were away visiting family. She contacted me and said there was a place on Aigburth Road, right next door to the micropub.
"I rang the guy, he was away too. We met the next week and then we went for it."
Though the restaurant was a big step for the couple, who settled in Aigburth, Stephan was encouraged by the interest in Mahoe Blue as they were preparing to open in the second half of last year.
He said: "When we were doing the work outside, people would stop and ask me, 'when are you guys opening? We can't wait'. That was very encouraging, to know we were welcome."
Similarly, Andrea was quickly pleased with the location they had found. With Raggas Caribbean Cafe a mainstay on Smithdown Road in Toxteth since 2006, she was excited to be bringing Caribbean food to a neighbouring part of the city.
She said: "We love the fact that Toxteth is right there, so we're not far, we're in walking distance. And there's a lovely community around here - the amount of people that I will come out and talk to and they'll say they just live two streets away is great."
The restaurant's setting is compact, with four tables and a side bar in the front area, before it leads to the bar with more high tables around it. A map of Jamaica is painted on the wall, along with images of the island and of Bob Marley - its most famous son.
The bistro takes its name and colour scheme from the Mahoe Tree, Jamaica's national plant, which has light blue streaks throughout its wood.
Andrea and Stephan are very proud to have "brought a slice of the Caribbean to Liverpool". Business has built steadily as word has got around.
Andrea said: "I think we've fitted in nicely. I think we all complement each other on this road.
"People will often come here if they have been for a drink at the taproom next door. Or they'll come here to eat and then go next door for a drink.
"We've been a lot busier in the last month. Usually, we would have days where we would say 'ok, that's a quieter one'.
"Whereas in the last month, we've been pleasantly surprised. Most evenings - but Friday and Saturday are definitely the buzz days.
"This last weekend we were booked back to back. Because we do takeaway as well, it was busy and t's just the two of us in the kitchen.
"It has got to the point where people were trying to book the side bars, but we had to leave space for walk ins. It's great that we're booked right through from 5 to 11, we still want to welcome our regulars and walk ins - there's a nice group of regulars already and they'll come in a lot."
The menu features Jamaican staples like jerk chicken, saltfish fritters, ackee and curry goat. It is inspired by Andrea's family home cooking and her Jamaican heritage.
She said: "We're a very, very close family. I grew up around my grandma and my mum's siblings, particularly my Auntie Janet.
"My grandma and Auntie Janet were the two cooks in the family. If we were having a dinner, it would be them in the kitchen. The other sisters would help out, but when it came to the cooking it was those two.
"I think, as a kid, because I was close to them, I would tend to drift into the kitchen. Or I was called in.
"Initially, I would sit and watch. And then I might be asked to add something or chop something. Eventually, as I got older, the roles reversed and they would shadow me. You don't even realise it, but you've then got the central role. You realise 'I'm cooking now'.
"That's where the food comes from. It's now very fulfilling to bring Caribbean food to people who may not have tried it before.
"I can't even explain how great the feeling is when people say they enjoy it. A lot of people have tried jerk - but ours is popular and we make our marinade from scratch, it's our own signature. A lot of people comment on it.
Andrea is delighted to see her and Stephan's vision for the place come to life, welcomed with positive feedback. She said: "It definitely has been more people coming in or people that know us. Before we did this, we did a delivery service and we also did pop ups.
"Some people have tried our food before and know now that we've got a restaurant or just people that have come in and recommended it. I think we've had more custom from word of mouth."
To Stephan, word of mouth is key.
He said: "You would rather have people come in because their friends told them. You have more confidence in where you're going" and added: "we've had people travelling from all over - Birkenhead, Wirral, Manchester and Chester".
Though their venue is growing in popularity, the couple are committed to making the most of what they have on Aigburth Road. They don't want to stray from their original idea of serving authentic Jamaican menu in a homely setting.
Andrea said: "For the minute, we're happy. We're happy watching this grow and getting a rhythm going. We've got to enjoy that people are coming and people like it.
"I think for us, regardless of what the next step is, it's really important that what we have here says the same and doesn't lose anything - its quality or its authenticity."
Mahoe Blue is found at 276 Aigburth Road. It is open from 5pm to 11pm Wednesday to Saturday.
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