Gosh it feels like it was ages ago that I visited Liverpool for 48 hours. And it turns out – it was in fact months! I’m not sure where this year has gone by, but here we are, it’s nearly the end of another year and I haven’t even had a moment to tell you about this beautiful city.
I think Liverpool has an interesting reputation. It’s not a city that I’d ever had much on my radar… until suddenly almost out of nowhere, I did. Cue a handful of trips to this industrious city over the past year. That’s the thing, when you’ve never been somewhere and then suddenly, you feel like it’s a place you’re in all the time.
Liverpool is exactly like returning to visit one of your good friends. Every time is a little bit different but you’re always welcomed with the same warm feeling. Interestingly, I even met a couple from California in the hotel lobby who plan a trip to the United Kingdom yearly and one of their “must stop” cities is Liverpool!
The sites to visit:
Top of the Royal Liver Building
It’s my favourite building in the city – and no wonder! The beautiful Liver Building is a city icon. On many a previous visit, I always made sure to venture to the riverside to pay a visit to the outside of the Liver Building. After all, it’s beautiful!
We learned the history of the building before our ascent to the top. Did you know that one of the clocks was used as a rather fancy dinner table before it was mounted to the building?! I would have loved to have experienced that!
Views of the city are pretty spectacular from the top too! You know Joe and I can’t resist a good rooftop view. Tours run daily so be sure to book ahead to avoid missing out on this one.
The Tate
Did you know that there’s also a Tate museum in Liverpool? I always thought London had the only one – but luckily I was mistaken. This meant I was able to visit the amazing Keith Herring exhibit during our visit.
Herring has always been one of my favourite street artists and it was so wonderful being able to see his work in person. And the rest of the museum is of course well worth a good explore too.
Beatles Museum
OK this was another fun one! The Beatles Story is located down by the waterside just around the corner from The Tate. We popped in on a lovely sunny day and I was surprised at how busy it was for a weekday afternoon. Everyone loves The Beatles Story!
The museum is set up as a little time machine if you will, where you wander through the building from the start of their careers through to modern day successes. It’s incredible how far they all came, starting out as local Liverpudlians to the international stardom they achieved.
There’s memorabilia and recreations of the places they were along the way. If you’re a mega fan it’s a must-see on your list.
Where to eat
Bold Street Coffee
Whenever I’m visiting somewhere, I always find time for brunch. It’s funny because when I’m home, it’s not often I’m out brunching or finding the time for it. But when I’m in a different location… it’s my favourite meal to find.
An all day brunch place is always on my radar as often times with my schedule I’m visiting somewhere during the weekdays. Those all day spots are my fave! So enter Bold Street Coffee. Located on you guessed it, Bold Street, this coffee shop has one of the best veggie breakfasts I’ve ever ordered.
Duke’s Street Market
Kind of like your favourite street feast markets in London, Duke’s Street Market in Liverpool is a treat for your tastebuds.
We decided to queue up at Ginger. I tried the chicken katsu and the Joe went for the prawn katsu. I’d been a bit under the weather at the time and truth be told, it was exactly what I needed. That and a big gin and tonic! It couldn’t have been a better night.
Mowgli
I was recommended to visit Mowgli by one of my friends who lives in Liverpool – always trust your local pals. Joe and I popped in here for dinner and it was superb. Some of the best Indian food I’ve had and a definite contender to take on the likes of Dishoom! There are a few Mowgli locations in cities up north so definitely worth a visit if you’re nearby one of them.
Something a little different…
One of the highlights of our stay was actually a visit to Junkyard Golf in the centre of Liverpool’s ONE shopping centre.
We went in and had some wacky fun cocktails and played a round of golf against each other and it couldn’t have been more fun. It’s something I never would have thought about doing so it was super great to try a new activity together. It made me think that we really should actively seek out more adventurous date days like this one!
Where to stay:
I was booked into the Beatles hotel in the centre, The Hard Days Night. The staff were really accommodating but honestly the hotel is pretty dated for the price – and the walls are paper thin. We could hear music roaring all night long and barely slept a wink. A Hard Days Night indeed.
We switched rooms the second night and it was slightly quieter. Totally fine if you’re visiting Liverpool and planning to stay up until the wee hours. Then you can catch a few hours of sleep before starting a late day. But if you’re there for work or booking in for a more relaxed trip, I’d recommend staying slightly elsewhere… or at least not right next to the music clubs -which are great to party at, less great to sleep next to.
Other hotel options that seem to be a bit further away from the chaos:
Have you been to Liverpool before? What are your favourite parts of the city?
Lots of love,
Kelly xx
PS. I worked on this post in collaboration with Visit Liverpool as a guest, but all views are of course, my very own.