Jimmy’s Liverpool

When it sprung to live in 2016, Jimmy’s in Manchester (first the Northern Quarter, now Ancoats) earned itself a reputation as one of the North’s best rock and roll bars and gig venues. So when, a few years later, they announced the launch of a new sister venue down the other end of the M62, Liverpool was punching the sky.

Renowned for late night music, live gigs and DJ sets, as well as their own range of beer and a decent line-up on the restaurant side too, Jimmy’s sounded like it might just live up to Liverpool’s long-lost and legendary Korova Bar…

George and Jimmy Craig (formerly of the band One Night Only) are certainly doing a lot of things right. In this three-story venue on Bold Street, the brothers host way more than their fair share of up and coming bands and music legends, from The Coral to Red Rum Club. After the bands finish, you can usually catch a rock and roll DJ behind the decks until the wee hours.

As well as hosting some great bands and afterparties, it’s an atmospheric place to sink a pint. Lighting up the junction with a lava lamp wall that allegedly holds the world record for the most lava lamps on a wall, Jimmy’s Liverpool reaches out to Chinatown on one side and down to the hip and happening Ropewalks on the other. From the outside, it looks a bit like that bar from Dusk to Dawn. Inside, a pink neon sign politely requests, “Please be naked”.

This isn’t quite a spit and sawdust joint; the restaurant upstairs boasts a lovely view of Liverpool’s iconic Bombed Out Church and Burgerism (of viral Tik Tok fame) serves up some excellent BBQ scran. There’s also the relatively new addition of a sun-kissed beer garden outside, which will make for some very happy days this summer.