Insider guide to Liverpool
Home to The Beatles and recent European Capital of Culture, Liverpool has always had a buzz about it. But it’s not just about the arts – this city has some seriously good bars and restaurants too. Imbibe tracks down the scouse party spirit...
.Bars
Although it was a prosperous port in the 19th century, Liverpool has since fallen victim to economic decline, so much so that by the 1980s, Alan Bleasdale’s scouse character Yosser Hughes became the iconic representation of Britain’s unemployment problem.
But this is a resilient city with an innate sense of humour and showmanship, which has propagated music legends from The Beatles to super-club Cream – meaning that Liverpool has never been too
far
from global attention.
The city’s 21st-century rehabilitation has been crowned by a hugely successful year as European Capital of Culture, giving Liverpool a rediscovered sense of purpose and yet another reason to go out and enjoy a good drink.
Nick Midgley
The Peacock
Style: Recently opened, stylish but relaxed, comfortable bar on the increasingly popular Seel Street.
Prices: £4-4.50 for cocktails; 25ml house spirits from £2.
General Manager: Tom Iredale
‘The great thing about Liverpool is that in lots of places you’ll see “workies” standing next to groups of students,’ says The Peacock’s general manager Tom Iredale. ‘It’s an all-encompassing sort of crowd with little segregation, and we’re trying to take advantage of that crossover of cultures and class.’
As with many other bars in the city, Iredale reports particularly strong spirit sales:
‘Wyborowa is our house vodka, which you can double up for £3.40. Things like that fly out. The cocktail culture in Liverpool isn’t that old, really,’ he continues. ‘It all started down at the
docks, probably around 10 years ago, and it’s really taken off. There’s a good bar scene and lots of good bartenders around at the moment, and that’s reflected in the number of people who’ve
started drinking cocktails. Mojo opening up nearby has really helped as well.’
Only 10-strong, The Peacock’s cocktail list is smaller than most and concentrates mainly on classics with a twist, plus a handful of originals. ‘I’m not convinced about putting a massive range of classics on the list,’ explains Iredale. ‘If people want a Mojito or a Cosmo then they’ll just ask for it anyway. What I prefer to do is make some suggestions so they can venture away from those.’
Located in the heart of Seel Street, there’s certainly little shortage of competition for The Peacock, but Iredale is confident about the bar’s offering. ‘There’s a really varied mix of bars on Seel Street and we slot into the middle quite well,’ he observes. ‘Heebie Jeebies is big with the student crowd and has a great party atmosphere, whereas Alma de Cuba is more upmarket.
‘We’re at the crossover point, looking to bridge the gap by providing top-end service and premium products but at a price that’s not prohibitive. This is the end of town to be now, and it hasn’t been completely taken over by the chains yet, which I think has been the downfall of other parts of town.’
Bar Four (Hard Days Night Hotel)
Central Buildings, North John Street, L2 6RR, 0151 236 196, www.harddaysnighthotel.com
Style: Beatles themed, but tasteful and well thought-out bar on the edge of the Cavern Quarter.
Prices: £7.95-13.50 for cocktails; 25ml spirits from £3.
Bar Manager: Kevin Parker
‘Cocktails sell really well here,’ says manager Kevin Parker, whose resemblance to George Harrison circa 1967 is probably not entirely coincidental to Bar Four’s theme. ‘When we put the cocktail
list together we put a few Beatles references in there, but we didn’t want to come over as too cheesy. A couple of the names are slightly on the edge of that, but once you’ve tasted the drinks you
can make your own judgement.’ 
Cocktail sales are spread evenly across the list, with one notable exception: Strawberry Fields With Pepper. ‘We infuse our own vodka in-house using the grass from the original Strawberry Fields. It takes about a week, and ends up pretty similar to Bison grass vodka in style, but a little lighter, with apple and lavender tones. We imagined lots of tourists coming to the bar looking for a drink that encompassed what the Beatles were about, and that’s the closest I could get.
‘In 2008 the increase in tourism has been very noticeable. Liverpool FC’s Champions League win in 2005 brought a lot of people here too.’ And what of the future? ‘As far as the global financial situation goes we’ve not really noticed it. It’s a real party atmosphere here at weekends and I can’t see it stopping.’
PanAm
The Albert Dock, L3 4AE, 0151 702 584, www.panam-venue.co.uk
Style: Popular dockside venue combining speakeasy comfort with a club party vibe.
Prices: Cocktails £6.30-15.50; 25ml spirits from £3.
Manager: Martin Stones
‘Liverpool has absolutely exploded,’ announces Martin Stones. ‘Come 2009, once the stigma of “Capital of Culture” has been lifted, I think it’s going to go from strength to strength.’ So was the 2008 accolade a problem? ‘I think it put the city under pressure to perform,’ Stones explains. ‘The city’s been like a sleeping giant. Liverpool was massive in the late 60s and 70s and then quietened down, but now it’s back with a vengeance.’
Albert Dock is one of several regenerated areas of Liverpool and hosts a number
of bars and restaurants, plus the northern outpost of the Tate Gallery. Its new neighbour, the Echo Arena, has also boosted traffic to the area. ‘We hosted the after-party for the MTV awards and I
think we’re the place to be seen. Even after seven years we’re constantly busy,’ says Stones.
‘Lots of people want a cocktail nowadays, which seems to be a sign of the times,’ Stones observes. ‘If you’re going to spend a fiver on, say, a vodka and Coke you might as well go for a cocktail and get something extra.’ Stones also notes an increase in wine sales, particularly among men. ‘We’ve had groups of guys buying bottles of wine rather than beers, which has taken us a little by surprise. You watch them to see if they go back to a table with their girlfriends, but it’s often with another couple of lads. I don’t think you’d find that in too many other places.’
Mosquito
15 Victoria Street, L2 5QS, 0870 442 253, www.mosquito.uk.com
Style: Subterranean lounge bar/club with a sense of style and fun.
Prices: Cocktails £4.95-7.95; 25ml spirits from £2.90.
Manager: Gregg Parker
Although located directly underneath its sister venue, The Living Room, Mosquito is very much a venue in its own right. However, manager Gregg Parker acknowledges a healthy level of synergy with the more refined neighbours upstairs. ‘The combination provides a fairly unique flow-through for a Friday or Saturday night,’ he explains. ‘People can come to Living Room and have some dinner, live music and a few drinks, then head down to Mosquito and party the night away there. It’s a whole night out under one roof. There’s a totally different atmosphere in Mosquito, and it’s a different style of night out. It’s much more “full on” with people looking for more of a party.’
So what’s the drink of choice for the party-loving Liverpudlian? ‘We’re selling huge amounts
of Grey Goose by the bottle and lots of Laurent Perrier,’ says Parker. ‘Buying spirits by the bottle is obviously cheaper than buying the equivalent number of shots, which may be why it appeals to
people, or maybe the attraction is being seen with a whole bottle. Either way it’s good news.’
Even Mosquito’s extensive cocktail list takes second place to spirits and fizz. ‘The party vibe here means that people are less inclined to sip cocktails,’ Parker says. ‘Everyone in Liverpool used to drink sambuca, but they’re coming more over to Jägermeister now. Rosé wine is also popular; it’s outselling white wine.’
While Parker has noticed a recent small drop in Friday-night business, an increase in Saturday trade has more than compensated. ‘Year on year we’re still trading up,’ he explains. ‘I don’t know what will happen in 2009, but Liverpool and its people are very resilient.’
The Cube
1 Concert Steps, 25/27 Seel Street, L1 4A, 0151 709 327, www.thecubeliverpool.co.uk
Style: Extensive and popular club with VIP bar areas.
Prices: £3.50-6 for cocktails; 25ml spirits from £2.60.
Operations director: Bruce Jackson
Recently opened and already a firm local favourite, The Cube is helping to cement Seel Street’s growing reputation. ‘It’s the up-and-coming part of town these days,’ explains operations director Bruce Jackson. ‘There’s a really good circuit developing with Alma de Cuba, Mojo, The Peacock and Heebie Jeebies, so we’re in the right place.’
Although principally a nightclub, The Cube features two more relaxed VIP bar areas and a rooftop terrace. ‘We sell a lot of high-end champagnes and bottled spirits.’ Vodka-based drinks and
cocktails are also high on the sales list, but Jackson reports healthy sales across the board, from Smirnoff Ice to Cristal. 
‘Liverpool and Newcastle are actually quite similar in that they seem to buck the trend,’ he explains. ‘Even during leaner times people will party anyway, rather than save for a rainy day. I think if you look at volumes of beer sales, for example, neither city has really been affected by economic issues in the same way that others have. In The Cube’s case it’s hard to say, because we’re a recent opening and everyone wants to go to the “new place”, but the situation really doesn’t seem to be a problem.
‘Being Capital of Culture has brought in a huge amount of investment. The Echo Arena brings people in from all over, as does the Liverpool One shopping area. I was in one of the owners’ other businesses last year and we had a better January than December,’ he recalls. ‘If you put on the right things to attract customers, you can get round most challenges.’
.Restaurants
European Capital of Culture 2008, buzzing conference centre, vibrant university city, new Easyjet hub, calling port for cruise liners (including the QE2 until she was recently decommissioned), architecturally well-endowed – Liverpool has recently boomed on the back of inward investment, renewed tourist interest and a resilience of spirit that lends such individuality to this great northern town. Add in the superb quality of produce available from the farms and waters of the North West and it is perhaps little surprise that Liverpool’s restaurant scene is thriving, with high-end and modish openings continuing apace despite the general economic malaise sweeping Britain. It can’t be long before a Michelin star alights on this city and, as the menus and wine lists of the leading eateries confirm, there is already more than enough to promote the place as a great gastronomic destination.
Andrew Catchpole
Panoramic
34th Floor, West Tower, Brook Street, L3 9PJ, 0151 236 5534, www.panoramicliverpool.com
In a nutshell: A fairly succinct list given the lofty aspirations of the newly opened Panoramic, but the opening volley of 20 top-end-leaning champagnes gives way to a fairly heavy-hitting French-biased selection, ticking a lot of classic Burgundy and Bordeaux boxes, with brief forays into Italy, Spain and the New World. Big names to match a big view.
Suppliers: Jeroboam & Shot, Organica
Talking to: Oliver Hawthorny, restaurant manager
‘I came here from Claridges in London and this is a very different market, although wine knowledge is higher in the north of England than in many places. A lot of top sommeliers are from the north and places like Sharrow Bay and Northcote Manor have helped to educate and inform people about wine slowly but surely.
‘We are quite a special destination, especially given the views and the food, so a lot
of people do want to drink fine wines, although there are many customers who are very open to recommendations. They are also open to New World and less well-known wines.
‘The wine list is quite small and still very much a work in progress, and we are looking to expand it with wines that are a little different, with more of a regional bias; wines that also give an
excellent example of the style of each region. The
food here is very seasonal and rooted in regional produce so the wines also need to reflect this and
it helps having a good selection
by the glass.
‘Liverpool has changed a lot in the past 10 years and it is still a niche where ambitious chefs can make their mark. As soon as Liverpool gets a major restaurant accolade it will really take off as a food destination because there is already so much going on here.’
The London Carriage Works
40 Hope Street, L1 9DA, 0151 705 2222, www.hopestreethotel.co.uk
In a nutshell: A 200+ bin wine list offers a changing selection of 14 wines by the glass, with French and Italian classics plus funkier finds from around the globe with emphasis on good value and interesting drinking.
Suppliers: Boutinot, Origin Wines, Mondial, Jeroboam & Shot
Talking to: Paul Askew, chef/proprietor
‘Being European Capital of Culture has certainly helped Liverpool, but this is the culmination of a lot of investment in the city. We have a real mix of customers, from tourists and visitors
to the theatres and Philharmonic,to people from the new cruise liner dock, business people, locals and, obviously, people staying at the [Hope Street] hotel. 
‘Ten years ago there was minimal wine culture in Liverpool, but this has changed hugely and it’s no longer all about fish and chips and beer. People like to party here and Liverpool now has the highest champagne consumption per capita after London.
‘With the wine list we try to offer wines that are good value and work with seasonal, modern British food; and people don’t just stick at entry level, they shop down the list.
‘I don’t want to have a one-stop-shop supplier as the wines should reflect the amazingly rich and diverse produce that we can source in the North West.
‘Food and wine events are extremely popular. We have just done a tasting menu with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and recent wine events include a dinner with Joseph Drouhin and a Pol Roger evening with five champagnes and five courses. Liverpool is now saturated at the mid-market dining level and people are looking for something more, which is what restaurants like this can offer.’
60 Hope Street
60 Hope Street, L1 9BZ, 0151 707 606, www.60hopestreet.com
In a nutshell: Nyetimber heads up the sparkling wine list, with forays around the world taking in Verdelho from Australia, Alsace Gewürztraminer, Ribera del Duero, Côte-Rôtie, Brunello di Montalcino and lots more. A good by-the-glass selection covers classics and off-beat finds from both Old and New World.
Suppliers: T&W Wines, H&H Bancroft, C&O Wines, Whirly Wines
Talking to: Colin and Gary Manning, owners
‘Having worked elsewhere, we both came back to Liverpool 10 years ago because the city was a black hole restaurant-wise then and we thought there was a great opportunity to open a good modern British/European restaurant.
‘The changes since then have been incredible. With the European Capital of Culture
year, new Easyjet routes and investment in the conference facilities, university and theatres, things have really boomed. And people have become a lot more educated about food and wine.
‘The wine list is eclectic and very contemporary, which encourages people to be adventurous. You can drink an excellent-value Touraine Sauvignon, but also find Pouilly-Fumé Silex from Didier Dagueneau. There are well-known wines but much of the list keeps people guessing and this stimulates interest.
‘We aim for value and quality, and do get out to tastings and vineyards to buy wines. And people respond to this. Our customers are adventurous anyway, but by educating them we can keep the list exciting and introduce unknown wines in the knowledge that they are more likely to sell.’
The Monro
92 Duke Street, L1 5A, 0151 707 993, www.themonro.co.uk
In a nutshell: A brief, fully organic, annotated gastropub list, touching base with Pinot Grigio and Rioja but also singing the delights of Inzolia, Viognier, Grüner Veltliner and Malbec, with most wines at £14-16 and a ‘full money-back guarantee’, printed on the list, if you don’t like your wine.
Supplier: Vintage Roots
Talking to: Kerry Fitzpatrick, manager
‘When we opened five years ago there wasn’t much around, but now just on Duke Street alone you can eat Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Greek and Russian. It’s incredible, there has been a real
boom in eating out in Liverpool, with so many new places opening – and the standard of restaurants keeps going up. We haven’t seen evidence of the credit crunch yet and with our mix of regulars,
office workers during the week and a younger crowd at the weekend, we’ve been getting busier and busier. There is too much going on here to even think 
about what is going on in London or elsewhere.
‘Our drinks sales are split roughly 50/50 wine and beer, and the all-organic wine list is popular because it fits in with many people’s concerns over where their food and drink comes from. Pinot Grigio and Rioja are big sellers but our customers have become more adventurous and are encouraged to try something different, especially if it is on the wine “specials” board.
‘We have an organic wine club evening on Mondays, where £14.95 buys two courses and tasters of organic wine, plus a “taste the world menu” at lunchtime and between 5pm and 6.30pm when again we offer various tasters, plus organic wines, and these events are very popular.’
Delifonseca
12 Stanley Street, L1 6A, 0151 255 080, www.delifonseca.co.uk
In a nutshell: A superb deli-cum-restaurant where the mouth-watering array of ingredients are conjured into flavoursome, unpretentious dishes by chef Martin Cooper in the upstairs eatery, and the compact but well-chosen shop-wine selection represents great value at £5 corkage.
Supplier: Local Wine Company
Talking to: Martin Cooper, chef
‘Candice [Fonseca, owner] opened here a couple of years ago with the idea of creating the first real deli in Liverpool and this expanded into the café idea, which seemed to make sense and also
keeps wastage down. You can buy from the deli, take away sandwiches with chunky chips, or graze in the café on deli produce or what I’d describe as peasant food, whether vegetarian 
moussaka or a beef brisket that has been braised for four hours.
‘It’s an eclectic menu of food that I like to cook and eat myself, and we are appealing to the type of person who would be happy to eat in a shed if the food was great. The wine list is what you see on the shelf. You simply pick up a bottle from the deli, bring it upstairs and for a £5 mark-up on the retail price, drink it with your meal, which I think is a pretty fair deal.
‘We do a monthly tasting menu with six or seven wines and a selection of dishes. It’s very popular and very relaxed, and if people want to talk and gain knowledge about the wines and food then they can. We used to do this mid-week but moved it to the weekend because people think it’s a great night out and there’s a real thirst for learning about wines and food.’
Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine - January / February 2009
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