INTRODUCTION
Central Station is the hub of the Merseyrail network and consequently a spot where many people meet up in the evening before moving on. In the daytime the pubs tend to be popular with people of all ages. Also popular with football fans getting off inter-city trains on match days at nearby Lime Street station.

RESTAURANTS
Next to Central Station, at the bottom of Bold Street, is PROHIBITION, a cafe bar situated inside the 19th century Lyceum building, a former gentleman's club with glorious domed ceiling. Phone 0151 707 2333. VILLA ROMANA is an Italian restaurant at the foot of Wood Street, 25 yards from HSBC bank. (0151 708 8004). ORCHARD SPRING (0151 708 8400) is a Thai restaurant in Paradise Street, which is a little way from Central Station, down Church Street and first left after WH Smith.
Close to Lime Street station is SIGNALS BRASSERIE, situated inside the Holiday Inn, L1 1NQ. (0151 709 7090).
Underneath the Holiday Inn is the MAY SUM BUFFET KING serving Chinese food (0151 707 6886). On the corner of Great Charlotte Street, opposite the landmark Lewis's department store is BELLA PASTA. Around the corner in Renshaw Street, L1 2SA, is CAESAR'S PALACE (0151 708 7787) with its "fast food cuisine" from 10am to midnight.
Further along Renshaw Street, heading towards Berry Street and Chinatown, is a string of Tandoori restaurants.
Laying claim to being Liverpool's No 1 vegetarian bistro is THE EGG CAFE (0151 707 2755) hatched on the second-floor at 16-18 Newington, L1 4ED, which runs between Bold Street and Renshaw Street.

BARS and PUBS
Pubs heavily outnumber bars in this district. Directly opposite Central Station are four traditional pubs. The Central Commercial, known locally as THE CENTRAL, is a classic example of the ornate Victorian pub. Next door is THE MIDLAND, a typical city centre corner pub. A few yards around the corner (looking a little out of place next to the glass-fronted Clayton Square shopping centre) are the cosy COOPERS and THE GLOBE.

Great Charlotte Street is dominated by the former Blackler's department store building where George Harrison was an apprentice electrician. One part of the building is occupied by a huge WETHERSPOON'S pub, popular with people of all ages, and women shoppers. Next door are JR's BAR AND GRILL and TESS RILEY'S, which might be described as smaller versions of Wetherspoons.

On Lime Street, next to the Adelphi, there is the physically imposing VINES, built with style 100 years ago and known to locals as "The Big House". Smaller, but in similar style, next to Lime Street station, is THE CROWN, a faded gem of Victorian architecture. Next to the Empire Theatre is THE HEAD OF STEAM, with several bars, inside what was once a magnificent railway hotel that has been converted into student flats.

REAL ALE GUIDE
THE GLOBE in Cases Street, is small and would be called traditional but for the sloping floor. THE CROWN, next to Lime Street station, was selling a good pint of Tetley's cask bitter at £1 a pint during spring 2004.

WETHERSPOONS serves real ale as a matter of policy. The real ale bar of THE HEAD OF STEAM usually offers an excellent choice. Located close to the Empire, on Lime Street, and accessible from the train station concourse.