Café culture really began to take hold in the UK in the early 90s when greasy spoons cafes and pub lunches started to give way to the more chic (and healthier) café bar. And in Liverpool, whether you’re looking for an informal hideaway to share a panini and cappuccino, or hankering after a location with all the elements of a Parisian pavement café, there is a startling selection of venues to choose from. And there’s one location in particular that’s not to be missed – Bold Street.

The epitome of café cool is the sophisticated and cosmopolitan Life Café. Situated in the heart of the city’s cultural and dining quarter, Life is worth a visit for the décor alone. It’s set in an old ornate Post Office (and merchant trading hall before that) and boasts a restaurant, café bar and nightclub in one. The hip atmosphere and friendly service make this an ideal place to stop off for Moules Mariniére (£4.95), Eastern Chicken (marinated chicken with lemon and mint served on a bed of jasmine rice and wilted bok choy served with minted sour cream, £7.95), Cous Cous (£8.95), or simply Bangers and Mash (£8.95). Life also offers a diverse menu of pasta (from £5.45), grills (from £7.95), and sandwiches (from £3.95) all freshly prepared. And if you’re at all hungry your visit to Life must include the Rack of Lamb (£10.95) – a delicious crusted rack of lamb, served pink, with vegetable medley and redcurrant juice.

Tucked away further down Bold Street is Café Latino. Blink and you’ll miss it and that would be a loss as this café has a diverse menu with some truly adventurous choices. Wend your way up the stairs and you’ll find Liverpool’s largest selection of garlic bread (including artichoke bread and wild mushroom bread) from £1.80. The menu is ever-changing with special meal deals aplenty – pasta of your choice with garlic bread and a drink for £5 or two pizzas for £5. Café Latino is a great hideaway above the noise and bustle of Liverpool’s main drag and perfect for an intimate lunch.

Soul Café is a true student haunt with daily specials and special student deals – buy a baguette and get a free tea or coffee. People-watch from the huge windows or take in the sounds of the in-house radio station (Soul FM UK). This is definitely a cool place to kick back and relax. With its incredible views of St. Philip’s Church, Café Tabac is the perfect spot for perusing the Sunday papers with an espresso and croissant to hand. Open 7 days until 10pm, the café attracts a wide clientele from students to business folk and shoppers. Huge plates of tasty sandwiches from £2.25 and two courses with a drink for £10 make it a very reasonable alternative.

The seriously funky Caffé D’Oro is the ideal place for a hangover cure with an excellent range of coffee – cappuccino, mocha, latte, conpanna -- from £1.25. The choice is endless. A full English breakfast (two sausages, two bacon, egg, tomatoes, beans, two toast, tea or coffee at £3.25) should help ease the pain. Leaning over Bold Street, Café D’Oro has a décor to die for –- bright, modern furnishing -- and the trendiest staff in Liverpool. The extensive menu offers everything from pizzas (£3.50) and pastries (£2.30) to baked potatoes (£2.90) and burgers (£3.30). It’s frequented by the arty crowd and Liverpool’s beautiful people and is definitely worth a visit.

Last but not least, right in the bustling centre of Bold Street is Coffee Union. With its unmistakeable aroma of coffee, you can usually smell it before you see it. It’s a modern café with minimalist décor and you can expect to see a few famous faces here. As well as featuring every coffee possible, the extensive menu has some good Paninis from £2.50 (Mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and basil, goats cheese and roasted vegetables, French brie and bacon) and Croque Monsieur (£2.50).

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For those in search of food with a more unusual flavour, Liverpool's restaurant scene offers a cornucopia of hidden gems. From rustic Russian classics to the spicier Chilean and Mexican cuisine -- there’s something in this city to suit everyone’s tastes. Unearthing these specialty restaurants hidden away in the heart of the metropolis is definitely worth the effort.

One of Liverpool’s more intriguing restaurants is St Petersburg on York Street, which proudly bills itself as the only ‘fully authentic Russian restaurant outside of London‘. Hidden behind the facade of an ex-gentlemen's club, the eatery offers a truly olde world experience with its atmospheric lighting, chandeliers and enchanting Russian artefacts. The menu offers enough choice to suit the most demanding of tastes. From Shee Boyarskiye (sour cabbage and mushroom soup served in a Russian pot and apparently a favourite of the Russian dukes), Black Russian caviar served with Russian pancakes (£15), to the supreme Goviadina po Gusarsky (£17.95, grilled fillet steak stuffed with mushrooms and Russian black bread filling and baked to an ancient Russian recipe). After dinner, the friendly management encourages customers to stay a while at the ‘Peter The Great’ bar to sample the extensive range of Vodka, and enjoy the music and live entertainment.

Five minutes walk from St Petersburg, on Hardman Street, is the acclaimed Chilean restaurant Valparaiso. Established in 1985, Valparaiso is another one-off -- the only Chilean restaurant in Liverpool. Décor is fresh and cosmopolitan, with handcrafted wooden furniture and contemporary art hanging in the nooks and crannies of the vast dining area. Chef and proprietor Julio Arellano offers customers an impressive choice of traditional and modern cuisine including typical Chilean dishes such as Pastel de choclo (£10.95, minced beef topped with minced sweetcorn), Chicory Asparagus Gratin (£9.50) and Vegetable Burritos (£8.80) for the veggies. Seafood is popular with the fresh mussels (£4.90) reputedly the best this side of the Med. Another experience worth sharing is the house speciality Paella Valparaiso (with saffron rice and seafood, for two or more at £10.40 per person). Open Tuesday to Saturday (5pm-10.30pm), its city centre location makes it the perfect place to begin a night out in the city. The restaurant also hosts the Liverpool Spanish Circle each month for Spanish speakers and welcomes anyone with an interest in Latin American countries.

If Mexican food is your bag, El Macho is a must. Based in Hope Street, this is a lively hub of activity with mixed clientele and a great atmosphere. Unlike many of the city’s restaurants, this venue is very much in your face with its contrasting red, green and yellow décor. Look out for the bright yellow El Macho truck outside the restaurant (pictured above). The Mexican skillet with charcoal grilled chicken and steak, fried onions, green peppers and scampi has to be the order of day. Perfect for parties and celebrations, El Macho was recently awarded the ’International Award’ from the Mexican Embassy.

The wonderfully traditional, well-established and intimate Spanish restaurant Don Pepe is hidden away in Victoria Street. A surprisingly large dining area greets customers, with heavy emphasis on simple Spanish decor -- roughly white-washed walls, simple candles, terracotta tiles. The seating is at basement level, giving the restaurant an air of exclusivity. House specialities here include Suckling Pig (£12.95) and Sea Bass (£13.95). Whatever your tastes run to -- tapas, tacos, sushi, caviar –- Liverpool has plenty of choice to tempt the adventurous.  back to top