Food and Drink in Liverpool

Creative Tourist

From gourmet tapas to towering burgers – by way of sushi, Chinese and vegetarian food – we’ve done our best to lasso together an inventory of food and drink in Liverpool. At some we’ve gone nuts for the food, in others the booze and for some it’s all about the venue. So, if you’re looking for the city’s most moreish plates, or simply somewhere to grab a simple beer, this is the guide for you.

Our top picks

El Gato Negro Liverpool

El Gato Negro Liverpool, Walker House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool,, Liverpool, L2 3YL - Visit now

El Gato’s home in Liverpool is the beautiful stone-clad Walker House, part of the landmark Exchange Flags building. Overlooking the iconic Nelson monument and Liverpool Town Hall, this stylish open-plan restaurant and bar offers a wide range of options for dining and drinking. You can even enjoy tapas al fresco, sat in our fully covered and heated patio area.

El Gato Negro Liverpool

The Art School Restaurant

The Art School Restaurant, 1 Sugnall Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L7 7DX - Visit now

The Art School’s tasting menu differs from most, in that rather than a series of tiny plates the dishes are fewer in number but gradually increase in size and intensity, reaching a crescendo with the masterpiece plate of Galloway beef – easily one of the top ten dishes in the North. The experience doesn’t come cheap but event dining of this quality rarely does.

Ian Jones

Stanley’s Bar & Grill

Stanley’s Bar & Grill, Stanley Dock, Regents Road, Liverpool, L3 0AN - Visit now

It might be a short trip away from the city centre, but Stanley’s Bar & Grill feels like a whole new world. The food is second-to-none, taking traditional dishes and adding a flourish that elevates them far above the norm. If you’re looking for one of Liverpool’s best restaurants, either for a special occasion or to wow a guest, look no further.

Stanley's Bar & Grill

Bacaro restaurant

Bacaro restaurant, 47 Castle Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L2 9UB - Visit now

Bacaro elegantly and effortlessly serves up a taste of the Mediterranean – Italian cicchetti plates, to be precise. Which means: herby focaccia, arancini, meat boards and fritto misto (or fried fish). With dusky walls, moody lighting and intimate booths, it’s the perfect place to share some tapas-style dishes, washed down with the Italian classic, Campari. Don’t miss the affogato dessert, too. Why? You’ll see.

The Grapes Liverpool

The Grapes Liverpool, 60 Roscoe St, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 9DW - Visit now

Built around 1804 on the site of an ancient tavern, The Grapes is one of the oldest pubs in Liverpool. It has, perhaps unintentionally, become an arty haunt, with punters just as likely to be found discussing Derrida as football.

The Grapes Pub, Liverpool
The Grapes. Photo © Vicky Andrews

Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen & Bar

Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, Liverpool ONE, 45 Paradise St, Liverpool, L1 3EU - Visit now

Gordon Ramsay’s modern European restaurant has finally landed in Liverpool ONE, taking over two floors and featuring all the classic Bread Street Kitchen dishes such as beef wellington, butter chicken curry and the Hell’s Kitchen burger.

Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen & Bar
Gordon Ramsay Bread Street Kitchen & Bar

Bold Street Coffee

Bold Street Coffee, 89 Bold Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 4HF - Visit now

Bold Street makes a strong showing in this list, and for good reason – it’s a hive of fiercely independent shops and cafes. Bold Street Coffee is one of the best, with, as you’d expect, a strong range of heavily-caffeinated coffee blends, but a superb selection of breakfast dishes. Our favourite has to be the home-made cinnamon granola with banana, figs & blueberries, served with a pumpkin lassi. Irresistible.

Camp and Furnace

Camp and Furnace, 67 Greenland Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 0BY - Visit now

Lauded by Jay Rayner as “one of the more intriguing venues I have eaten at for a long while”, Camp & Furnace brings together vintage caravans, towering shrubbery, roaring fires and the biggest public screen in the city all under the roofs of three old warehouses and a coach shed. You guessed it – the place is enormous. It’s big on its foodie events, too, with film-themed dining on Screen Thursdays, a Friday Food Slam and a Saturday Meat Market (cooked up over a huge BBQ). Ergo, one of the coolest places to eat in Liverpool.

Tempest on Tithebarn

Tempest on Tithebarn, 12 Tithebarn St, Liverpool, L2 2DT - Visit now

This restaurant prides itself on its fresh and local approach, with an in-house bakery and bees producing honey on the rooftop garden. It’s a good looking venue that’s light and airy, matching the style of the food on the menu. The cocktails (which often make use of the aforementioned rooftop honey) are also superb.

Tempest on Tithebarn
Tempest on Tithebarn

Albert’s Schloss Liverpool

Albert’s Schloss Liverpool, 18-26 Bold St, Liverpool , L1 4DS - Visit now

This “Cook Haus and Bier Palace”, manages to land on the right side of Bavarian without tipping over into tacky. Food-wise expect a sausagefest, with bratwurst and frankfurters sprinkled liberally throughout the menu, and as for beers, the selection is expansive and inclusive, with options for all taste buds.

Albert’s Schloss Liverpool

The Pen Factory

The Pen Factory, 13 Hope Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 9BQ - Visit now

From the team behind the old Everyman Bistro comes The Pen Factory, a warm and welcoming space situated in the basement of the Annex Building.

Gino D’Acampo Sky Bar 360

Gino D’Acampo Sky Bar 360, 18th Floor, INNSIDE, Old Hall St, Liverpool , L3 9LQ - Visit now

17 floors up and with 360° views over Liverpool Gino D’Acampo’s Sky Bar is a great spot in Liverpool. We particularly love the afternoon tea there, but the extensive cocktail menu is also a big draw for those wanting to sink a few fruity, sugary treats while overlooking the River Mersey.

Gino D'Acampo Sky Bar 360
Gino D'Acampo Sky Bar 360

Where to go in Liverpool

The MerseyMade building in Liverpool
Liverpool
Shop
MerseyMade

In the MerseyMade shop you’ll find bottled gin from the likes of Turncoat Gin, Anfield Gin, Albert Dock Gin and Three Graces Gin. Yep, Liverpool REALLY likes its gin.

Exterior photo of Pippin's Corner cafe in Liverpool
Lark Lane
Café or Coffee Shop
Pippin’s Corner

Pippin’s Corner is a family-friendly cafe bistro in the leafy Liverpool suburb of Aigburth and is an ideal base for exploring Lark Lane’s independent shops and the magnificent Sefton Park.

Rocket & Ruby
Liverpool
Restaurant
Rocket & Ruby

Named after the owners’ dogs, this charming neighbourhood cafe is based next to Liverpool One on Castle Street.

Afternoon tea at Oh Me Oh My
City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
Oh Me Oh My

A secret space and tea room, Oh Me Oh My lives in the stunning surrounds of Liverpool’s West Africa House. We take a look.

Liverpool
Café or Coffee Shop
92 Degrees Coffee – Baltic

Placed at the very heart of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, 92 Degrees Coffee forms an integral part of the Baltic Creative Community.

Liverpool
Café or Coffee Shop
Ryde Liverpool

A ‘bicycle café’ set in Northern Lights within the Baltic Triangle, serving up great food and coffee to leave you… spinning.

City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
Bold Street Coffee

A super cool cafe at the top of Bold Street, Bold Street Coffee in Liverpool serves a range of specialist coffee, cakes and sandwiches.

City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
LEAF on Bold Street

Keeping Bold Street a hub of creativity, LEAF is more than a tearoom, it’s also a bar and thriving event space with a packed schedule of upcoming happenings.

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Baltic Fleet from the outside.
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