Rough Guide to Eating and Drinking in Liverpool, 2008

'Grown-ups Version' by David Robertson 

click here for a 'Young Person's Version' by daughter Gemma

General Guidelines

Alma De Cuba restaurant in Seel Street It is wise to remember that Liverpool is very busy at the moment. There is a lot going on. Restaurants and bars can get quite crowded. At weekends (Friday & Saturday nights), the city centre gets very busy indeed, not always in a nice way. Best to keep your eyes open. Better still, perhaps find somewhere a little quieter in one of the suburban areas I mention below.   Many of the players in the tournament have been to Liverpool before, some several times. If you don’t know the city, ask those who do. We’ll be happy to help.   Most of the suggestions below can be reached on foot - at most, a 10-12 minute walk. But the suburban areas are best reached by taxi. Taxis in Liverpool are easy to find, and quite cheap. If it’s raining, obviously more people use them. But otherwise they are plentiful.

Where to drink - my favorite pubs

Liverpool is has 1500 pubs, some very good. You can find chess sets and ‘real ale’ in Dr Duncan’s (St John’s Lane) just across from the venue. Another favorite, up by the universities, is the Everyman Bistro (Hope St), the theatre bar downstairs; always friendly, often crowded, and with ‘real ale’ & superb food. Elsewhere on Hope St, the Philharmonic has to be visited. This is one of the city’s finest 19th century pubs, popular with students and the theatre crowd. Elsewhere, nearer Premier Apartments, the Lion Tavern (Tithebarn St) is quiet and well-regarded; or Rigby’s too (Dale St).   Where to eat - my favorite restaurants   Dr. Duncan’s pub on St. John's Lane These days, Liverpool has hundreds of cafes, bars, pizzerias and restaurants. There are far too many to list, and the quality has improved greatly in recent years.   These websites give you some idea of what is available:   http://www.sugarvine.com/Liverpool/   http://www.restaurant-guide.com/uk+north-west+merseyside+liverpool.htm   Self-catering breakfast   There are plenty of coffee bars around the city centre, Starbucks and Café Nero for example. Also, many people now live in city centre apartments, so there are nearby supermarkets and other stores.

Before the Game

Everyman Bistro For absolutely the best lunch, try the Everyman Bistro (Hope St/Mt Pleasant), near the Catholic Cathedral. Fabulous ‘whole food’, but a 10-minute downhill walk back to the venue. Lower down Mt Pleasant is Kimo’s, a cheerful North   African restaurant (5 mins). On the other side of the city centre, nearer Premier Apartments, the very best for lunch is Delifonseca (Stanley St, 4 mins). Otherwise, closer to the World Museum, there are several pizzerias and tapas bars in Queen’s Square and nearby. The Chinese team last year liked the May Sum ‘all-you-can-eat’ place next to the Holiday Inn on Lime St; Tso’s restaurant on St John’s Lane is similar, I think. La Tasca on Queen’s Square itself does tapas.   After the Game   Where to start - there is so much choice. The following are just a few of the restaurants I like. For most, you would need to book for large groups, or at the weekend.

Zone 1) Hope St - Hardman St

Two award-winning but expensive restaurants can be found on Hope St. The London Carriageworks is very fine; and further along is 60 Hope Street is excellent too. Both provide high-class brasserie service. A cheaper alternative is Ego by the Philharmonic Hall, often crowded early evening with concert-goers, but good value. I’ve already mention the Everyman Bistro at the Mt Pleasant end of Hope St, great for a noisy, friendly night out. A quieter alternative is The Side Door nearer the Philharmonic pub. On Hardman St itself, Bistro Jacques is a lively French-style hang-out popular with students, while across the road the Valpariso is an authentic Chilean restaurant established by refugees fleeing Pinochet. Just along Rodney St, you can find the highly-recommended Puschka (Russian). And at the bottom of the hill, by Renshaw St, you have Zorbas Taverna, a popular long-established Greek restaurant.

Zone 2) Berry St - Duke St - Chinatown

ChinaTown Liverpool’s Chinatown is the oldest in Britain, but far smaller than in London or Manchester. Quality can be very fine though. On Berry St, the Mei Mei was chosen by the local Chinese community to host a fine banquet during the UK-China match; and through the Chinese Arch on Nelson St, we also visited the New Capital Restaurant. Other old favorites of mine are the Far East (Berry St), Yuet Ben (corner of Duke St) and Ma Bo (Nelson St). Around the corner on Duke St, there are a series of very fine but affordable restaurants. Il Forno is a great favorite of mine, by far the best Italian in the city. Next door is Mayur, arguably Liverpool’s best Indian too. And on the same block, Sapporo (Japanese) and Savina (Mexican) have their fans. Before we move on from this area, I must also mention Alma de Cuba on Seel Street, an astonishing dining experience which I won’t spoil by describing it.

Zone 3 Castle St - Victoria St - Stanley St

There are dozens of restaurants in this area. My favorites are the fabulous Olive Press on Castle St, near the Town Hall, and the equally delicious Delifonseca on Stanley St (deli downstairs where you can choose your wine; restaurant upstairs). Casa Bella on Victoria St is a decent Italian; a good alternative is the long-established Casa Italia on Stanley St. Piccolino on Cook St is a more expensive Italian alternative. There used to be a nice Spanish restaurant in this area, but it seems to have disappeared.

Zone 4 Lark Lane (suburban)

If you want a night away from the city centre, then get a group together and jump in a taxi to Lark Lane (£6.50). Getting a taxi back to the centre is very easy too. Lark Lane is near where I live by Sefton Park. It’s very popular with students, academics and other professionals because of an easy-going atmosphere and pleasant friendly restaurants & bars. My two eldest children work part-time in Keith’s, Liverpool first wine bar neat the park. The wine is cheap (hhmm!) but the food is cheap and very good. Great for a laid-back night out. Over the road, Que Pasa Cantina (Mexican) and Tirano (Italian/Spanish) are very popular too. Further down Lark Lane from the park, Marantos and Esteban offer tapas, pastas, pizzas and similarly cheap but good quality meals. Finally, we have the Red Fort, another outstanding Indian restaurant; and Chili Banana (Thai). And I must not overlook Negresco, its all-black exterior inviting the really adventurous (more expensive).

Zone 5 Penny Lane - Church Road - Allerton Road (suburban)

Dozens more good places to eat in this other South End suburb (where the Beatles lived); taxis, same as Lark Lane. If you like authentic Thai food, try Siam Garden (Smithdown Rd, near Penny Lane). At the Penny Lane-Church Rd junction itself, we have several great restaurants. The gorgeous Patio specialises in seafood; next door, Spire offers high-class modern British cuisine. Heading further down Allerton Rd, my choices of numerous restaurants are The Other Place (restaurant, not the deli), Fusion and La Bussola. (Italian). But new ones are opening as I write.

Zone 6  Albert Dock (waterfront)

Back in town, the Albert Dock teems with bars and places to eat. Everything changes so quickly there that I don’t know it that well any more. Est Est Est used to be a lovely small Italian restaurant, but it outgrew its small beginnings, and moved to the Albert Dock. There it’s become a cavernous mass-dining ‘experience’, and changed its name to Gusto. Nice to sit by the Dock though. Then there’s the Blue Bar, ideal if you want to spot a WAG, or tackle a footballer. Not worth mentioning chess there though. It won’t impress; it won’t even be understood.

If you want any further recommendations, just ask me. If you want more energetic recommendations, read my daughter, Gemma’s guide!           

David