Whether up close or far away, Liverpool is a city with impressive vistas. We’ve got beaches, parks, seafront and rooftops – but it’s not just the views keeping people enjoying the city. A fun-loving spirit, full of character and characters, it’s a city in the midst of a cultural renaissance, exploding with independents who keep us all eating, drinking and dancing.
Eat
Liverpool is a city of makers and dreamers and it never feels more apparent after visiting the Wild Loaf. As well as supplying half the city with bread, it also has a small shop down an unassuming alley where you can buy fresh bread made that day, alongside its city-famous fresh doughnuts. For food on the go, Bakchich on Bold Street offers the best Lebanese food this side of Beirut.
Baked treats at the Wild Loaf
For a fancier dinner, it’s worth checking out Oktopus, which specialises in European small plates and craft beer, with a focus on fresh fish and seafood. Speaking of small plates, Maray and its beloved “disco cauliflower” on Bold Street is practically unmissable. As is Salt House Bacaro’s Italian-style tapas, which includes favourites such as ox-cheek lasagne.
For something out of the city, get to Belzan (if you can get a seat, that is), located in the student area of Smithdown Road. It’s a classic neighbourhood bistro slinging out some of the best food in the city. If you’ve got room after, grab a wood-fired pizza from Little Furnace just opposite it. Hafla Hafla, a middle-eastern inspired restaurant, has just opened on Lark Lane. Its halloumi fries are worth travelling for alone. If sitting down and knives and forks aren’t your thing, head to Homebaked Anfield – the co-operative bakery opposite Liverpool FC’s home ground, with a queue down the block most days.
Maray on Bold Street
Drink
All that eating can be thirsty work. If it’s wine you’re looking for, pop into Bunch, Liverpool’s first natural-wine bar. On Berry Street, it specialises in off-the-shelf, small-batch wines you’d struggle to find anywhere else. A small stumble a couple of doors down and you’ll be at Berry & Rye, the city’s premiere speakeasy – a blacked-out joint with no sign, which can be missed in the blink of an eye. If you find the door, walk in for the bluesy prohibition-era atmosphere and a whisky collection impressive by just about anyone’s standards.
In a time where pubs are closing so frequently, many of the local boozers that are surviving have started doing things a bit differently. The Caledonia, a pub in the Georgian Quarter with a great history, has set up its own community library and recently switched up its menu to be completely vegan. It has been attracting students and hungry hipsters ever since. Just around the corner is Peter Kavanagh’s, a pub full of curios and characters that is also definitely worth a visit. For something grander, head to the Philharmonic Dining Rooms, a beautifully ornate – and gigantic – boozer that is very popular for pre-theatre drinks.
Leaf on Bold Street
Meanwhile, the Merchant on Slater Street, with its Scandi-cool decor, is a great place to dance with an Aperol spritz in hand. For a night of sophisticated tunes and drinks, head to Frederiks on Hope Street – one of Liverpool’s top jazz bars – or Kazimier Garden, a beautiful urban oasis where you can catch an eclectic programme of live music and imbibe from a list of great craft beers.
If alcohol isn’t your thing, 92 Degrees Coffee will provide your caffeine fix; they roast the coffee beans themselves so you’ll smell it before you see it. For tea, don’t miss Leaf on Bold Street, one of Liverpool’s most popular independents specialising in loose-leaf tea.
Mary Mary Florals; Root Houseplants
Shop
If you’re hoping to take a bit of the real Liverpool home with you, you could do worse than to pay a visit to Matta’s, again on Bold Street – a family-run business for more than 30 years and the city’s premiere shop for international, vegan and healthy foods. In other words, Matta’s is a Liverpool institution. Vinyl heads, make sure you check out Probe Records and Dig Vinyl. For clothes, Resurrection on Bold Street has some great bargains and Outsiders will provide you with all the latest streetwear. If you dream about pastry, visit Artisane on Bold Street for Parisian-style baked goods or pop into the family-run Rough Handmade at the Albert Dock for their famous pillowy pita breads. If you fancy something off the beaten track, stroll on down to Queen Avenue, known as Liverpool’s Diagon Alley among the locals, with its cobbled paving and olde worlde shop facades. Pop in and see wine merchant Devin Stewart at R&H Fine Wines for a bottle of something special.
The Outsiders store
Dance and club nights
Liverpool was once famously described as the kind of city where people go out on a Monday night and couldn’t care less about the Tuesday morning. Never does that feel more apparent than at Camp and Furnace, where the phenomenon began. Thursdays are the new Friday, well at least according to the twins behind Shit Indie Disco, a weekly club night helping revellers relive the golden era of indie. If you’re more into your electro and techno nights, check out Abandon Silence. Constellations in Baltic Triangle and Invisible Wind Factory in the North Docks are also very well known for their wide range of weekly blockbuster events.
If you fancy dancing like nobody’s watching, there’s nothing quite like a night at Jenny’s Bar – it’s a disco den with one of the most stunning interiors. The Jacaranda has always been famous for music and all those decades later you can still get a taste of the local music scene.
See and do
It’s no secret that Liverpool is blessed with some stunning buildings and public spaces, so it’s a damn good thing that it’s also easy to get around the city. The good public transport and bike-rental schemes are loved by the locals, but the city is also highly walkable. And getting the train into the city couldn’t be easier with London Northwestern Railway, which runs plenty of services from Birmingham, London and elsewhere. Plus, there are savings to be had if you book in advance.
Palm House
We may have bias, but the waterfront and the Three Graces are up there with the best when it comes to said buildings and public spaces. At the stunning Sefton Park you’ll find the Palm House – a dome-shaped Victorian palm house with lush flora, and a regular venue for events. Liverpool Cathedral, St George’s Hall and Central library are all musts. For great exhibitions, check out the Museum of Liverpool, Maritime Museum and World Museum. If you get chance and fancy admiring Liverpool from a different angle, Everton Brow offers a view like no other.
If you fancy seeing the waterfront from a different angle, climb on board a ferry across the Mersey for picturesque views. For something a bit different, go on a Shiverpool tour, the award-winning ghost tour of the city’s Georgian Quarter. Once you’ve seen the sights, relax at Sugar & Dice in the Baltic Triangle – it’s Liverpool’s premiere board-gaming cafe and offers the perfect respite from the modern world.
Art and theatre
Liverpool’s got loads of amazing art. We’re talking world-class paintings, modern works that make your head spin and street pieces worth seeking out. If you’re by the Three Graces, drop into Open Eye Gallery – a photography gallery with great exhibitions. The Bluecoat is the oldest building still standing in the city centre and houses bookshops, art galleries, plant shops and more. For theatres, check out The Everyman & Playhouse, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Royal Court, Unity theatre or Hope St theatre for something more cutting-edge. The Baltic Triangle is the area in Liverpool everybody’s talking about and it’s become quite famous for the street art, especially the Liver Bird Wings by Paul Curtis. If comedy is your thing, enjoy a good laugh at Hot Water Comedy Club, a place so popular it has two city-centre venues, with local comedians taking to the stage every night of the week.
David Williams and Oliver Press are the founders of Independent Liverpool
Book your tickets to Liverpool with London Northwestern Railway with services running to and from London, Birmingham and elsewhere at londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk
