Marc Wilkinson's intimate and sophisticated little restaurant, in the conservation village of Oxton, comes highly recommended. It is the first on Merseyside to be awarded three AA rosettes, as well as being named a rising star by Michelin.

Here, modern cooking techniques are used to create a light, contemporary French cuisine which takes diners on thrilling adventures in taste, texture and temperature.

Three skillfully composed, fixed-price tasting menus are the guide to subtle and complex dishes that surprise and delight.

Only the best ingredients satisfy this chef-patron, who is as attentive to the creation of a beautiful eating environment as he is to the creation of beautiful food. Soft lighting bathes the warm sandy tones of the soigné interior, with its sensual suede chairs, specially commissioned artwork and fine tableware. Or you can dine al fresco to the soothing sound of a water sculpture. Art, architecture and design are important interests for this many layered man, but food is his raison d'être.

He devours the latest books, especially those on the science of food (often reviewing them for the catering press), and carries out his own action-research in great restaurants like El Bulli (returning with menus for guests to browse).

Unassuming, immensely hardworking and gently humorous, Marc Wilkinson is lauded at every turn, for the dazzling quality of his cooking and the delicious originality of his food.

"We try to be different at Fraiche. We try. It's very difficult to be original about everything, but we try to have our own touch, our own twist to things. The highlight of cooking for me is when you create a new dish. Take our Shot of Pesto. It's so good – one of my best amuse bouche! You take pesto and deconstruct it: put all the ingredients in front of you – or just picture them in your head – and then reconstruct them in a different format.

What I am doing is a basil and lemon powder, with fresh parmesan shavings, and pine nuts with extra virgin oil dust. Close your eyes and you've got pesto there. But it's so fresh! – because the basil isn't cooked. It's raw in the powder so, when it hits, you get that floral depth which I love.