A host of new venues opened across Liverpool so far this year, with new bars, restaurants and shops popping up throughout the city.
From fine dining restaurants to new clothing stores, Liverpool's new venues have got you covered. While this does keep things fresh and exciting, it can make it quite hard to keep track of where you ought to visit.
From Greek restaurants and Miami themed clubs to rooftop bars and food markets, there's something for everyone. Below, we’ve taken a look at the shops, restaurants, bars and clubs we’ve gained this year.
READ MORE: Things to do with the kids in Liverpool over the summer holidays
MeatMe
Greek street food restaurant MeatMe opened on Lark Lane this month. The restaurant is a modern take on the traditional street food and serves up unique, freshly-made dishes to order.
MeatMe serves a range of Greek street food, including Gyros wraps, Souvlaki portions, loaded fries, vegan and vegetarian dishes as well as dips. The menu has been carefully crafted by the restaurant’s directors - one of whom also serves as head chef.
Inside the venue is a recreation of a traditional Greek restaurant with an added modern twist that brings it into 2022. In keeping with its theme, the restaurant has kept characteristics from the old times, is vibrant and flowery with good vibes and music.
Capeesh
Capeesh has opened its doors inside the iconic Pacific Chambers building on Victoria Street with the aim of bringing a new dining experience to the city. The menu will feature classic pasta and grill dishes as well as Neapolitan style pizzas from a state of the art wood-fired pizza oven.
The new restaurant is set over two floors and will seat 150 people, with a wood-fired pizza oven at the centre of the newly-built open kitchen. A private dining room will also be available for a more intimate dining experience.
Menu highlights include a 24oz ChateauBriand sharing steak and the 'La Tartuf' pizza which will no doubt be a favourite for truffle lovers.
Burger King
Burger King has reopened its restaurant on Lord Street in Liverpool city centre, years after it closed without warning. The site closed suddenly back in December 2018 for “maintenance” but two months later a warning sign appeared in the window that read: “Danger asbestos removal in progress." The restaurant remained closed since.
However, the burger chain has now reopened the venue with a whole new look. The newly refurbished venue features silver signage outside, as well as new seating areas inside which have wooden countertops and colourful stools.
There’s now also a ‘collect’ station where customers can pick up their food after placing their order. This week we visited to see what the new look Burger King is like and you can read the review in full here.
Slim Chickens
Popular American restaurant Slim Chickens opened in Liverpool ONE earlier this month. The new site offers the entire Slim Chickens menu, which includes its signature fresh, buttermilk marinated, hand-breaded, cooked-to-order chicken tenders, and much more.
Bold Street Coffee The Plaza
Bold Street Coffee opened its second venue in Liverpool earlier this year, based in The Plaza building on Old Hall Street. Like at the original venue, guests will be able to enjoy all of BSC coffees including carefully blended Flat Whites, Mocha, Espresso, Cortado, Cappuccino, Latte, and Americano as well as a selection of teas and iced drinks. The new menu features everything from yoghurt and granola to pancakes, fry-ups and everything in between.
Zenn
New rooftop bar and garden Zenn opened its doors on Victoria Street recently. The venue is centred around its Asian-inspired menu, offering guests a “slick” selection of drinks, a “simulating” soundtrack and a “sophisticated” atmosphere.
The 350-seat venue has a contemporary feel with its glass-fronted ground floor area, aquatic-themed interior and luxury dining spaces. Zenn also has an “Instagram-worthy” rooftop zone where guests can enjoy the in-house DJ. The venue is designed for over 25s and those wanting to “dine, drink and dance” in one location.
Manifest
Restaurant and wine bar Manifest opened in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle in March. The venue offers a “modern British menu” and wine list.
Manifest is from the owners of The Little Shoe, the family run brasserie and micro bakery which had branches on Bold Street and in St George’s Hall. The Little Shoe closed its doors last year, and now the team has opened Manifest.
The restaurant and wine bar’s name, as well as its menu, is inspired by the Baltic Triangle’s historic shipping trade. Owner and chef, Paul Duran, has created a “modern British menu with wine firmly in mind.”
Renshaw Street Food Market
Situated near the Berry Street, Bold Street and Leece Street junction, new food market Renshaw Street Food Market has 11 units in total and a licensed bar. The venue offers a variety of cuisines, including Italian, Thai, Chinese and Turkish.
The 11 food units at Renshaw Street Food Market are:
1. Jidong bubble tea
2. Dagu rice noodle
3. Z.X. Fresh Fried Chicken
4. NDUO SUSHI
5. Mong kok Dim sum/ Roast
6. AMARA Turkish street food
7. Antonietta artisan cakes & Gelata
8. BAJA Mexican street food
9. Rice and Noodle kitchen
10. PadThai Thai Street Food
11. PESCATO
Bacino
New Italian restaurant Bacino has opened inside the huge new flagship Flannels store in Liverpool city centre. Based on Parker Street, just opposite Clayton Square, the restaurant aims to offer a "bold new Italian concept in modern, luxury space".
Based on the ground floor of Flannels, Bacino is a compact restaurant that exudes opulence while still offering a relaxed atmosphere. The immaculate décor features pops of varying pink hues and a medley of textures like marble, wood and velvet.
23 Hope Street
From the same people behind Turncoat Distillery and its basement bar at the Albert Dock, 23 Hope Street is a gin garden decked out with benches, a yellow brick wall, an antique street light, and its very own well. The garden is overlooked by a veranda-like link between the main building and the kitchen out back.
The new venue on Hope Street aims "to be reflective of the history of the address". The venue offers an extensive menu, including wild mushroom risotto, homemade hummus, cauliflower wings, fish and chips and more.
Piccola
From the people behind Berrington’s, which closed back in June, Piccola is a new Italian restaurant based at the same venue. The restaurant serves fresh pasta and Italian small plates.
The menu features dishes such as Piccola-made Focaccia, Tagliatelle with ‘nduja, mascarpone and lemon, Rigatoni cacio and pepe and much, much more.
The Wheelbarrow
The owners of The Watering Can in Greenbank Park opened a new sister venue, The Wheelbarrow, in June. The team transformed a former college canteen just a stone’s throw from Sefton Park.
Owners Keith Perryman and Philip Starling are working in partnership with Greenbank Sports Academy to operate its food and drinks outlet. The Wheelbarrow features an outside south facing terrace area suitable for alfresco dining.
Guests can enjoy a full breakfast menu from 9am, along with lighter breakfasts including Huevos Rancheros, Croque Madame Croissant and bacon or sausage barms.
Nova Scotia
Situated in the Mann Island building on Liverpool’s Pier Head, Nova Scotia opened its doors in June 2022. The restaurant aims to “capture the city’s maritime past” and offers views over the iconic waterfront.
Owned by independent Liverpool bar operator Ma Pub Group, visitors can enjoy breakfasts, lunches, small plates, mains and desserts. Among the dishes are the full English breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, hotdogs, traditional Scouse, fish and chips and rainbow salad. Nova Scotia also has a range of drinks and signature cocktails, including a wide selection of wines and beers.
Friesday
Friesday Belgian Fries, which has venues in Bradford and Sheffield, opened its doors in May. The new restaurant is based at 60 Duke Street in the city centre.
Friesday specialises in triple cooked Belgian Fries, which come topped with a selection of sauces and a variety of meat, vegetarian and vegan options. Customers are encouraged to mix it up when it comes to toppings too, with everything from the classic cheese and gravy to jerk chicken and Chipotle mayo on the menu.
In keeping with the Belgian roots, Friesday also offers a selection of authentic Belgian sauces such as Andalouse - accompanied with the famous Chocomel drink. The restaurant also offers the Friesday Burger, which features seasoned Belgian fries with a hot meat filling of your choice, topped with salad and sauces, all served in a warm brioche bun.
Love Kimchi
The team behind Love Kimchi on Smithdown Road and Little Korea at the Baltic Market launched a new site at GPO at the Metquarter in April. The new site serves up Love Kimchi classics such as Korean Fried Chicken, Ramen and Crispy Dumplings.
The menu at Love Kimchi features crispy dumplings, spring rolls, Korean corn dogs, glazed yakitori and donburi rice bowls, along with Love Kimchi’s famous Katsu curry, fluffy bao buns and loaded fries. Each dish is served with homemade real Korean sauces and Classic Kimchi using an authentic 70-year-old recipe. There is also a full vegan menu.
Neon Jamon
Popular tapas restaurant Neon Jamon reopened in March, more than two years after closing its doors. It is based next door to its sister venue The Crafty Swine.
The Smithdown Place venue serves up Catalan-inspired small plates, tapas and cava. The restaurant features bare brick walls and offers booth seating.
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar
Gordon Ramsay’s Liverpool restaurant Bread Street Kitchen & Bar opened in February after much anticipation. The new restaurant opened in the same venue where rival chef Jamie Oliver had his ‘Jamie’s Italian’ restaurant until it closed back in 2019 after nearly a decade.
The menu features all the classic Bread Street Kitchen dishes ranging from Gordon Ramsay’s signature Beef Wellington to Butter Chicken curry and the Hells Kitchen burger. You can read a review of Bread Street Kitchen's £16.50 fish and chips here.
Riva Blu
Riva Blu Italian Bar and Restaurant replaced Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo’s Castle Street restaurant back in January. Gino My Restaurant first opened in the summer of 2017, but closed its doors in December 2021 before being relaunched as Riva Blu.
Based at No.1 Castle Street, the restaurant offers an extensive menu including sharing plates, bruschetta and antipasti, salads, pasta, risotto and ravioli, pizza, steaks and a wide selection of main courses.
Homebaked St George’s Hall
Anfield’s award-winning bakery Homebaked opened a cafe in Liverpool city centre in February. Homebaked , which opened in 2013, set up shop in St George’s Hall to bring its award-winning pies to the city centre.
Tucked away in a small corner of the iconic St George’s Hall, Homebaked feels like a separate entity altogether. Quiet, cosy and warm, the cafe is the perfect retreat from the busy city centre.
Shebang
Shebang is a "first of its kind" fusion restaurant which opened on Bold Street in January. The venue is a fusion of Indian and Turkish cuisine and is located above Red Dog Saloon. Shebang serves up an array of Indian street food and Indian and Turkish charcoal dishes, as well as cocktails, lassis, chai teas and more.
So Salsa Castle Street
Popular Crosby tapas restaurant So Salsa launched a new venue on Castle Street earlier this year, inside the former Maluco site. There is another So Salsa restaurant in Crosby.
So Salsa serves tapas cuisine from around the world. Dishes on the menu include Duck Spring Rolls, Salt & Pepper Chicken Pancakes, Halloumi Fingers, Honey Goats Cheese and much more.
The Warehouse
The Warehouse, a new sports bar serving draught lager, cocktails and “the best burgers in the UK”, opened in January. The bar is from the team behind Dough and Lynchburger, which have sites across Merseyside.
The new bar serves everything from draught lager and cocktails to an extensive wine collection. The Warehouse also shows live sports from Sky Sports and BT Sports on its 120inch large cinema screen and 55inch TVs.
Petit Café Du Quartier
French cafe Petit Café Du Quartier opened on Allerton Road earlier this year. The venue is the sister business of Petit Café Du Coin on Berry Street. The café serves brunch, coffee, wine, cocktails and small plates. There’s also live jazz music for visitors to enjoy.
Vice
Vice, a new Miami themed nightclub and cocktail bar, opened its doors on Thursday, June 2. Located on Fleet Street, Vice offers a slice of South beach, a mix of cocktails, music and retro décor.
The 'Instagrammable' club features bright neon lights and even a Ferrari for the ideal selfie spot. The club accommodates up to 350 people with a combination of booths, sofas, and stool seating. The nightclub also has a DJ booth and a Funktion 1 sound station, ready to deliver upbeat house and disco music.
Liverpool Beerhouse
Liverpool Beerhouse is from family brewing company SEVEN BRO7HERS and opened its doors in May 2022. Based in Wolstenholme Square on Parr Street, the venue was originally planned to open sooner, but was delayed due to the pandemic.
The beerhouse offers a variety of the company’s beers on tap and a menu consisting of “delicious pub grub”. It is open seven days a week and features indoor and outdoor seating.
Azvex Brewing Company
Azvex Brewing Company opened its doors on King Edward Street in April. The taproom gives visitors the chance to enjoy fresh, locally-produced beverages and even see them being made. The venue is also dog-friendly.
The venue is the creation and passion project of couple Adam and Dominique Henderson, originally from Arbroath in Scotland, who moved to Liverpool because it's a "cool city" with "excellent water for brewing beer". The venture began with a brewery which started production in October 2021 before their first beers went on sale to the public in November 2021.
The Brink
Popular Liverpool bar The Brink reopened in March after closing its doors back in 2020. The venue opened in 2011 as the UK’s first ‘dry bar’, creating a social space for people from all walks of life and supporting people recovering from addiction.
The Brink remained closed after lockdown rules were lifted in 2020, claiming that “the financial impact of Covid-19” meant that it could not reopen its doors. However, the venue reopened in March 2022 serving coffee, cake, mocktails, smoothies and soft drinks.
Cheers Big Ears
Cheers Big Ears opened inside the former The Crafty Chandler site on Bold Street. The new bar is the latest addition to the Pub Invest Group's extensive portfolio.
Cheers Big Ears aims to provide an ideal spot for quiet, relaxing drinks during the day, and fun and excitement on the weekends. The pub serves up an assortment of snacks and mains, with speciality chicken dishes and light bites as well as a wide selection of beers, spirits, wines and cocktails.
The Crafty Swine
The Crafty Swine opened in February inside the former Tribeca site on Smithdown Road. The neighbourhood pub serves Tribeca's "delicious pizzas will live on in a smaller form".
The pub offers patrons craft and cask ales, breakfast, bar snacks and more. The menu features breakfast, small plates and pizzettas, cask ales, 14 keg beers and cocktails. The Craft Swine is dog and family friendly.
Alcotraz
Alcotraz: Cell Block Three-Sixis a prison-themed cocktail which opened in Liverpool city centre in March. The bar is an immersive one-of-a-kind cocktail experience based on Seel Street.
The venue features 10 individual cells, which can accommodate 50 inmates for public experiences, or private venue hires perfect for birthdays, stags, hens and Christmas parties. Alcotraz: Cell Block Three-Six will uniquely expand on the immersive storyline with the introduction of a Visitation Area, Laundry Room and Warden’s Office. Guests who get the Guards on their sides will unlock the opportunity to explore these unseen areas.
Bean
Popular north west coffee operator Bean opened a permanent space on Manesty’s Lane in Liverpool ONE back in February, as it relocated from its pop-up on South John Street. The new space houses a coffee shop and an improved retail space for customers to trial and buy coffee making equipment - from filters to espresso machines. The new venue also incorporates coffee tastings, a dedicated ‘Brew Bar’ and individual barista masterclasses.
On The Green
On The Green is an immersive golf experience that opened on The Terrace in Liverpool ONE back in February. The venue has four simulators allowing visitors to play a full 18-hole round of golf on a choice of 150 courses around the world
Customers are given a real golf club and ball to use inside the Trackman simulators, with the technology recreating the golf courses down to the finest details providing a high-definition experience.
On The Green also has a clubhouse bar on the terrace overlooking Chavasse Park where guests can enjoy a variety of drinks including golf-themed cocktails, such as the Tiger Woods and The Lady Captain.
Decathlon
Sporting goods brand Decathlon UK opened a new store inside the former Next unit on Liverpool’s Church Street in April. The company operates more than 2,000 outlets around the world, including one inside Asda in Huyton.
Decathlon took over the ground floor of the six storey building. The new store, set over 2,500 sqm, sells everything from athletic wear, sporting equipment, camping goods and more.
The chain prides itself on offering “the best quality at the lowest possible price”. Shoppers can ask for expert advice from Decathlon’s store teammates, while also being able to touch and try the products before purchasing.
Flannels
The highly anticipated Flannels store opened inside Owen Owen Building, which once housed a Tesco Metro store. The site has been completely transformed into the city's most exclusive and experiential department store, fusing retail and leisure under one roof, with a blend of top brands, dining options, and in-house experiences.
The store offers top brands like Chanel, Givenchy, Hermes, Gucci and more, alongside skin care specialists like Dermalogica, haircare experts Olaplex, social media titan Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin and more.
Rituals
Rituals, the luxury bath, body and homeware brand, opened in Liverpool ONE earlier this year. The store showcases Rituals' full collection of luxurious yet affordable bath, body and home products, ranging from skin and body care to scented candles and fragrance sticks. The store is located on South John Street.
The Vintage Store
A huge new vintage clothes shop opened in Liverpool city centre in May. The Vintage Store is open until 8pm in the evening to give visitors plenty of time to explore.
It will be based in the former Topshop site, next to Lush. Described as the ‘UK’s largest retailer of vintage clothing’, The Vintage Store also has shops open in Sheffield, Hull, York, Newcastle and Birmingham.
Kick Game
Luxury shoe store Kick Game has opened in Liverpool ONE, specialising in exclusive trainer and streetwear collections from renowned sportswear brands including Nike, Adidas, Supreme and Off-White. The store marks the brand's Liverpool debut, with stores already established in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.
Bershka
Designer store Bershka opened at Liverpool ONE in May. The store sells menswear and womenswear collections, and is located on upper South John Street.
The new store is the third Inditex brand to come to Liverpool ONE, after Zara and Pull & Bear. Bershka sells exclusive ranges such as Bershka X Nirvana and Bershka X League of Legends.
According to the retailer, each of its stores offer separate spaces for its various product lines. In each section, Bershka, BSK and Man, the products are placed according to their style, ranging from casual wear to sports and from basic garments to more fashionable items.
Russell & Bromley
Russell & Bromley opened its first Liverpool store in April. The premium footwear and handbag has launched a huge 3,000sqft store in Liverpool ONE.
The store showcases the brand’s extensive collection of fashion-led luxury women’s and men’s footwear and handbags. The space presents the new contemporary store format reflective of the brand’s luxury positioning, providing a relaxing boutique customer experience that allows the perfect curation of Russell & Bromley’s hand-crafted products within a premium setting.
Timothy Oulton
New gallery Timothy Oulton opened its doors to 3,2000 square foot space on Peter’s Lane earlier this year. The new Timothy Oulton gallery features the brand’s full range of original furniture, from sofas to bar cabinets, all designed with "a passion for traditional handcraftsmanship and beautiful materials”.
These are showcased alongside home accessories such as rugs, mirrors and wall art, and a comprehensive lighting range.
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