Pubs, pubs, pubs. That’s what we’re after. Hearty old fashioned establishments with stories oozing out of the walls and tradition at every turn, epitomised by an old bloke with a moustache who will tell you about the old days before buying a pint of ale and a packet of pork scratchings. We can’t promise such an experience in all of these spots, but they are pretty magnificent nonetheless.
It might seem like a strange thing to recommend, but we were first told to go to The Philharmonic for the men’s toilets alone. We won’t go into great detail, but these are probably the most aesthetically impressive toilets in the UK. The pub? Well that is a beaut as well, a stunning old boozer with history in the walls and enthusiasm in its eyes, and plenty of great beer in its taps. This is one of the most impressive Victorian pubs in the country.
You won’t find a better old man pub in Liverpool than The Swan. This place hasn’t changed in decades, and nor should it. Rock and metal dominate the jukebox and leather vests are all around, which almost guarantees a friendly clientele and a seriously boozy evening. Don’t expect much in the way of light, but then nights in Liverpool are at their best when darkness reigns.
A friendly real ale pub in the heart of the city, Doctor Duncan’s is named after, well, a doctor called Duncan. William Henry Duncan was his name, the Liverpool-born son of Scottish parents who was the country’s first Medical Officer of Health. There is plenty of health being toasted in the Queen Square pub that takes his name, and we’re going to go ahead and assume that there are plenty of long term benefits when it comes to drinking copious amounts of real ale.
A gorgeous 18th century pub with a mahogany bar and an open fire, Baltic Fleet takes the middle man out of the equation by brewing its own marvellous beers and unleashing them on the thirsty public. This is what we want from a pub — good beer, great food, a friendly atmosphere and plenty of room to lounge in the summer months, not that Liverpool has a particularly long summer. It also has one of the best cider tap selections in the city.
A truly iconic back street pub in the centre of Liverpool, Peter Kavanagh’s is a consistent place to pick up a fine pint of ale and unearth some local stories along the way. Named after the man who ran the pub from the end of the 19th century until just after Word War II, this is the right sort of atmosphere for a good pint.
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