Family trip to Liverpool

[sandinthewaves]

I doubt we will be going abroad this year, so we are planning some city breaks. Kids are teenagers and we live in rural SW.

Hoping to go to Liverpool, I know we want to go up to the Gormley statues at Crosby beach, see all the sights etc.

Can you give me your recommendations for restaurants, hotels, quirky cool places, walking tours etc?

We will probably go by car as it's quicker and cheaper, so we may want to stay somewhere with parking. It would be good to wander out for dinner rather than having to drive every evening (and forgo a glass of wine with supper!)

Kids are into vintage, student vibe places, casual restaurants.

Probably aiming for three or four nights.

Thanks

Whenever I do car city breaks, if the budget is tight I stay a bit further out but on public transport to make parking easier and the hotel is cheaper generally. Ive also in the past parked on residential streets and taken the train into the centre (London mostly).

As mentioned speke hall is lovely, and there's a maze and small zipwire there too, and you can walk up onto the embankment to watch planes taking off and landing at the airport which is right next to it (and if you enjoy annoying your children make terrible jokes about it being a stupid place to build a nice house). Another National Trust property that I really liked is The Hardman House, a house that was used as a photography studio and has been preserved as it was in the 50s, with the living areas, studio and dark room, and a display of the Hardmans' photographs.

If you get the ferry to the Wirral, New Brighton has some great murals on the buildings round Victoria Street www.newbrightonstreetart.com

Restaurants in City Centre worth a try are:
Mowgli - two restaurants, one on Bold Street, one on Water Street. Food is amazing; Water Street one is an amazing building,
Maray - small plates, lots of choice and is canteen style. They have kept going in Covid times and are doing meal kits.
Casa Italian - an institution in Liverpool, Italian food. Same menu for at least 30 years!

Camp and Furnace In normal times has great events/exhibitions on, great Sunday roasts and is in the Baltic Triangle - close to the Cain brewery.
Another vote for Lunya
The Philharmonic Hall and Pub are good for a visit.
If going on the Ferry, try and get on the Peter Blake ferry, Everybody Razzle Dazzle
Chinatown is looking a bit lost these days.
The Tate Modern on the Albert Dock usually has good exhibitions on, and has a good canteen on the ground floor.
Liverpool One is the more modern shopping centre, but at the moment lots of closed units; but there is a John Lewis there.

If I can think of more, I will come back later; it is quite difficult to know at the moment what will have survived.

Heyy OP - Scouser here and from Crosby originally. @sandinthewaves

Baltic Markets are brilliant for food and vintage shopping if you’re after quirky.
Lark Lane and Sefton Park are just outside the city centre and well worth a visit for breakfast or lunch and a good walk. Plenty of places for tea (evening meal) as well. I’d recommend On the Pallet for a good breakfast or lunch on Lark Lane. Marantos is my go to for tea.
You’ve got MoeJoes in Crosby for a food and drinks and the beach is a little walk or taxi ride away. You can get to the beach easily from the city centre if you get the train to Hall Rd station.
Moose Coffee on Dale Street in the city centre is a favourite with locals, but be there early or expect to queue.
You can walk the whole waterfront if that’s your thing from the city centre towards Cressington, plenty of unusual little things to see along the way if you have an interest in history.
We don’t use hotels much, but have gone to the Jury’s Inn at the Albert Dock for a little escape in the past and liked it there. Peaberrys on the docks is a little bit gorgeous for food.

There’s a million and one other things to do so I hope you have a really good time :-)

@EastofEdna

Yea casa Italia!

I can't wait to go back there!

This is so cool, thanks so much to everyone! This is MN at its best

So many people will want to explore in the U.K. this year and this is the best way to get all the good recommendations.

Getting excited now (bit early I know, but it's so nice to have something to look forward to after the last year).

Moose Coffee on Dale Street

I love Moose Coffee. There is/was another one up near the cathedrals and the Philharmonic.

I live in Liverpool and have teens, AMA

I recommend Anglican cathedral first - go up the tower and see everything from up high, then food/drink on Hope St, (go to the catholic cathedral if you like a bit of cool spaceship modernism)

Bold St/Duke St/Ropewalks - loads of independent food places up the top end - Maray (poshish), Mowgli, Backchich, La Parilla, Leaf, various bakers and cofee shops plus lots of vintage (bottom end is more chainy, BOBA shop, Bundobust), FACT Centre on Wood St is arts and media centre - cool exhibitions (tech/film/installation), new cafe opening, indie cinema may have re-opened by summer. Grand Central for more vintage shopping.

Baltic - only go to the epicentre of Cains Brewery in the day and not at weekend - lairy/stag do/bit grim now at busy times

Docks are still good for sense of place and food offer has more independents now for tapas/mexican/thai etc. TATE/Open Eye photo gallery and walk up to Pier Head to get Ferry - do the cruise, its cheesy but great, all the kids skateboard round there. International Slavery Gallery at the Maritime museum. Wouldn't bother with the museum of tat and trinkets Liverpool life

For the Gormleys you want Central Station Northern line, get off at Hall Road and walk back the whole beach to Waterloo, where there are coffee shops, or the other way round. If you go further north from Hall road there is a brick beach of sea defenses made from Blitz rubble - quit amazing. Other days out - Formby - beautiful beach and pine woods, NT.

Laurence Westgaph is doing amazing walking tours focussed on black history and slavery - really excellent

Independent shops etc guide and discounts indie shops & food

Artsy/cool/music/events here: Bido Lito

The Quarter on Falkner Street for laid back food. It's not far from the Cathedral and the philharmonic if you are exploring around that area.

I have no advice about Liverpool but wanted to make sure you absolutely don't book the Adelphi Hotel or any hotels owned by Britannia! I had a terrible experience in one of their others and two friends also had an awful time in the Adelphi.

How old are your teens? What are their interests? Fantastic bouldering facilities (Climbing Hangar) and film/contemporary art FACT) or the BAFTA award winning Art Deco cinema (Crosby Plaza). These all near other attractions that have been listed already. The library is massive and in the same area as the museum and art gallery in the city centre. Sudley House is a really beautiful, small gallery in South Liverpool. Good for a stop off between city centre and Speke Hall. Also the water sports centre at the marina (very close to Albert Dock) has a huge aquatic obstacle course, SUPs, swims around the dock, canoes, etc and you can hire wetsuits. If you're mountain bikers you could do a day trip to Delamere Forest (also has a water sports facility) taking in Lady Lever/Port Sunlight and/or Cheshire Oaks (discount shopping park). Public transport is really expensive for odd trips, better to get a day pass for unlimited travel or a weekly pass - different types but one includes the ferry and that's a lot cheaper than paying separately. I would walk to anything city centre based, it's a small city. There are also new electric scooters that you can pick up in one location and drop off wherever you like, not sure of age restrictions though.

There's a huge international food hall in the Baltic Triangle (near docks) with a multitude of arts related ventures and independent cafes. Lodge Lane has loads of small, independent cafes serving food from the many communities that reside in that area. Most are no alcohol/cash only.

Recommend a parks day. From city centre pass the Anglican (maybe stop to see Toxteth library library, v small but beautiful) walk down Princes Boulevard to Princes Park, through that to Sefton Park (Palm House and Lark Lane, through to Greenbank Park (beautiful cafe and rose garden) and onto the Mystery, which has an Olympic size public swimming pool.

There are umpteen things to do learn about the history of the city, it's in every building.

I could go on ...

Also, just saw about the vintage vibe. There are loads of charity shops on Allerton Road - also close to many of the places suggested. It's actually quite an affluent area and there are loads of lovely restaurants there too.

Oh yes, the pp’s comments on the Adelphi hotel are definitely to be noted!

Some fab suggestions already. If you get the train out to Waterloo from central station the beach is about a 3 min walk going past boating lakes. You can then walk along the beach and back up to Crosby and even further to the end. Some great places to eat on the way back or fish and chips from the Chinese chippy, the best I've ever had!

Also if you are getting a ferry there is a space museum called spaceport- it used to be awesome! Also blue planet aquarium Nr Ellesmere Port is the best I've ever been to. Some great places to go from Liverpool. I can't wait to go back. In fact that's where we will probably end up in the summer. See you there!

@BeatricePrior - can't wait to queue up and go in as well. We have had takeaways from them, but it's not the same ! I forgot about the Eleanor Rigby statue opposite the Casa.

waves to all my fellow liverpudlians :-)

Yes, definitely don't book The Adelphi hotel.......

Depending on your budget you might like to consider The Hope Street Hotel or the fabulous 2 Blackburne Terrace B&B - which is also just off Hope street. This is the area in which the two cathedrals are located, and also hosts a range of good places to eat.

It is 'up the hill' and so a short walk down to where most of the other action is. The girls would like the area around Bold street, which is young and student'y, and which also has lots of interesting places to eat - such as 'Leaf'. Very popular.

If you would rather stay at the waterfront then the Pullman hotel gets great reviews, but may be a little corporate for your taste?

Whatever you do, don't stay at any Signature Living hotel. Tacky beyond description and with poor finishes ( Shankly hotel, James Street, Dixie Dean).

Apart from taking a Merseyrail train ( underground station at Central/northern line) out to see thge gormley figures, why not hop on to the wirral line and pay a visit to Port Sunlight too. A lovely model village built by the founder of Lever brothers for his workers. It houses a really lovely, small gallery too. The Lady Lever Gallery.

Is the old vintage building (quiggins?) still there? It did change venues and was great for quirky and vintage stuff. Also on the road behind rapid hardware there were great vintage shops. (Probably all gone now though!)

The Pullman Hotel was great when we stayed. Views across the city and fab breakfast . Think we paid around 60 a night.

I know a few have recommended getting off at Hall Rd for Crosby Beach and the Gormley statues, but personally I'd suggest getting off at Waterloo - South Rd - the sand hills/coastal park and the beach are just at the bottom of the road.

You also have to take a ride on the ferry 50 minutes long...leaves on the hour, every hour, weather conditions permitting.

Is the old vintage building (quiggins?) still there

No, long gone.......Bold street and the Baltic Market are probably the best places for vintage now.

This is an AMAZING thread! DH got himself tickets for the Liverpool FC tour (we live far down south) and I was sort of wondering what we'd do to make a weekend of it. I'm tempted to make it a long weekend now. Lots of these places sound great.
Thanks everyone.
And thanks OP.

Fellow Liverpudlian here. There are lots of us on this board!

Lots of great recommendations.

If you/they like live music, Liverpool Arts Bar by the Cathedral is great, local talent, local booze, great space.

If the weather is fab, a short train out to Freshfield station and a walk through the Red Squirrel Pine Woods onto Formby Beach is great.

Liverpool World Museum and the Slavery/Maratime museum are incredible

Wander around the Albert docks, someone I think already mentioned Smugglers Cove

Ghetto Golf down by Cairns Brewery is fab.

General areas that I think your teens will like: Bold Street (including bombed out church), Rope Walks, Baltic Triangle, Lark Lane, Hope Street

Oh you'll have a fab time! I'd avoid eating in Liverpool one - great selection of chain restaurants but always packed and there are literally hundreds of better independents, many of which have been listed

@Ironmanrocks

Some fab suggestions already. If you get the train out to Waterloo from central station the beach is about a 3 min walk going past boating lakes. You can then walk along the beach and back up to Crosby and even further to the end. Some great places to eat on the way back or fish and chips from the Chinese chippy, the best I've ever had!

Also if you are getting a ferry there is a space museum called spaceport- it used to be awesome! Also blue planet aquarium Nr Ellesmere Port is the best I've ever been to. Some great places to go from Liverpool. I can't wait to go back. In fact that's where we will probably end up in the summer. See you there!

Spaceport has closed now unfortunately. There's going to be something new taking it's place (Eureka) but it's not opening until 2022

Oh you'll have a fab time! I'd avoid eating in Liverpool one - great selection of chain restaurants but always packed and there are literally hundreds of better independents, many of which have been listed

Perhaps one exception to that is the recently opened Made In Liverpool. A local arts/crafts hub-studio complex with attached cafe. Recommended; also just up from there onDuke street is the Duke Street Food hall Very popular.

I know it's a cliche that Scousers are incredibly friendly, but it's true. While you're there, if you want advice on where to go or how to get there just ask anyone. We've had the best laughs sitting on buses, the random person behind striking up a conversation and treating us like new best mates.
We've enjoyed the city bus tours, getting off at the library - great building- and the Philharmonic pub, famous for its loos (but thought the pub itself a bit grotty, sorry).