DON'T waste time walking the streets looking for somewhere to eat after
you arrive. Instead BEFORE you make your trip to Liverpool, stroll through
our nine pages on restaurants, bars and pubs.
This page offers just a general overview. Click on the pages above (see yellow bars) for detailed information on seven different districts of the city centre and two suburban areas.
EATING
OUT
If
anyone ever doubted whether Liverpool would benefit from being named European
Capital of Culture 2008, the proof of the pudding is in the restaurants
scene.
Once upon a time, there was a lack of restaurants in Liverpool. Not any
more. Today there is intense competition for the custom of the business
traveller and the affluent visitor.
Not only is there a wide range of specialist restaurants, but also a growing
number of upmarket bars that serve high quality meals.
For those visitors with a bite-sized budget, many pubs offer good value
dishes. For much more information, click on the different pages.
PUBS
and BARS
For 400 years, Liverpool has had plenty of traditional pubs and alehouses.
I'm not so sure that's true any longer. The latest generation of young
adults seem to prefer bars with gleaming wooden floors and chrome rails;
some look like lounges from Startrek. The difference between the pubs
and bars almost represents Old Liverpool v New Liverpool.
REAL
ALE
Before man learnt to drink lager out of bottles, Englishman would drink
beer that had been brewed and dispensed in traditional ways. It began
to disappear from pubs in the 1960s and 70s until the formation of the
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). Since then, real ale has enioyed a resurgence
and seeliverpool.com offers a guide to real ale in the city.
LATE AT NIGHT
Liverpool beats London and most other British cities when it comes to
having a late drink. City centre bars and many pubs tend to stay open
until 2am from Monday to Saturday and admission is usually free, even
after 11pm.
GAY
SCENE
There is no distinct gay village in Liverpool, but a gay hamlet may be
emerging around the Stanley Street area of the city centre. This follows
the opening of a few more gay-friendly bars. For more information, see
the Mathew Street and Victoria Street page in our Restaurants, Bars and
Pubs section.
CLUBBING
By this, we mean dance music. Go to the Culture section of seeliverpool.com
then to the music page.
FOR detailed information on different areas of the city centre, click on the yellow buttons above. We have divided the city centre into six distinct areas. Going in a generally downhill direction from the brow of the city centre to the river, these are:
Hope
Street and Hardman Street
Chinatown
Bold Street to Duke Street
Central Station area
Queen Square
Mathew Street and Victoria Street
Albert Dock and Water Street
OUTSIDE the city centre, there are two other districts which boast a fine
collection of restaurants: Allerton Road/Penny Lane Lark Lane
ALSO there are other good pubs and restaurants dotted around the city.
Some are listed on the Lark Lane page.