Philharmonic dining rooms
Locally known “Phil” has sat pretty on the corner of Hope
Street and Hardman Street for well over 100 years now
and looks every bit as royal as the era it was conceived
in. An art nouveau gate invites you in to the mosaic and
mahogany decked interior, where you might be mistaken
for thinking the crown jewels reside. I am so told that one
of its hidden gems is the gentleman’s urinal with its
especially attractive roseate marble design. That said,
how gentlemanly you are when you grace the toilette
depends entirely upon what position this public house
occupies in your pub crawl.
Mackenzies Whisky Bar
Just a stone’s throw from bombed out church and the
sacred Nabzy’s sits Mackenzies Whisky Bar. On first
appearance, it looks like a bank-breaker and certainly
the decoration is posh enough but the drink deals are a
delight and whisky is not the only thing on offer at not too
high a price. The more you settle yourself in to its leather
seats and scan your surroundings, you’ll realise that it
has bizarre art décor choices on par with Heebie
Jeebies. Definitely a gem to retreat to in summer is its
snug and ambiently lit beer garden.
Ma Egerton’s Stage Door
The best little hideout to down a pint before a theatrical
production. This Victorian pub on Pudsey Street sits in perfect
proximity to the Empire theatre and the O2 academy. Cosily
nestled amongst industrial concrete buildings, Ma Egerton’s
appears out of the blue in Harry Potter-esque fashion. For
those fancying a pre-theatre nibble or carbs to soak up the
alcohol, its pizzas and traditional scouse are quite well known.
The North Western – Wetherspoon’s
A short walk down the hill from Ma Egerton’s and right next
door to Lime Street Station and the Empire theatre is
undoubtedly Liverpool’s poshest Wetherspoon’s. Drinks
prices and the menu selection need not be mentioned with
Wetherspoon’s being the most numerous tavern in the city
centre. Think tall white walls and hanging chandeliers. Think
of your usual purple rain pitcher without all the rowdiness of
the other spoons’ you’ll find in town, in the impressive shadow
of St George’s hall.
LIV
Some days you yearn for something with more class than the font with its £2 cocktails and zero hygiene rating. When
the mood calls, Liverpool has plenty of boozey hideaways to please, with everything ranging from cheaper-than-
chips pints to glitzy gin bars that’ll eat your wallet whole. Sometimes the repetition of the usual faculty to juicy to Baa
Bar crawl grinds you down like a blunt cheese grater and you need to mix it up a tad. Whether you want to recapture
that country-bumpkin feeling of home or wrap yourself in the London-esque limelight of the financial quarter, here are
some inspiring additions to add to your dream pub crawl.