Tuesday 26 February 2019

AD | Exploring Hope Street, Liverpool

As someone who visits Liverpool a lot, I've got a bit lazy - I tend to stick to the city centre - L1, Dale Street, Bold Street - places I know and love and feel comfortable in. But when the gang over at Hotels.com got in touch to challenge me to explore an area of the city that I've not spent a lot of time in, Hope Street sprang to mind instantly. It's a short walk from the main area of the city centre and definitely worth taking the time to get to, plus it's home to one of the most beautiful hotels in Liverpool if you are looking for somewhere to stay. Long weekend or fleeting visit, though, put Hope Street on your list of places to check out in Liverpool.

My spending money for a day out in Liverpool was gifted by Hotels.com, but all views are my own.

Our first port of call, obviously, was food - and we decided to head to somewhere that's always been just on the edge of my radar: Death Row Dive & Diner. I remember when it first opened, and I know people who have been over the years, but it's always been somewhere I forget about when it comes to finding somewhere to eat.

the exterior of death row diner, liverpool

As restaurants go, it's pretty cool - it's got neon signs and retro paraphernalia all around, with some booths near the bar and then some bench/table set ups (very cafeteria style) as well. The food is kind of a mid-range price (2 soft drinks, 2 starters and 2 mains cost us around £43) and the portions are huge. For my starter I opted for their famous Lasagne Bites which are, literally, deep fried chunks of lasagne in breadcrumbs. I wasn't disappointed and they were amazing. P had the Dead Mans Fingers chicken strips which he said were about a 6.5 out of 10 in terms of spice, and he eats spicy food a lot.

For my main I chose the Southern Fried Chicken Strips from the Meat Sweats part of the menu - 3 huge pieces of fried chicken with crinkly chips, a pot of gravy and a huge corn on the cob. It was too big for me to finish but tasted great. P had a burger which had cilli con carne on it, also with chips, and he enjoyed that too.

photo collage from death row diner in liverpool

Death Row Dive &Diner is definitely somewhere to consider if you're looking for places to eat in Liverpool - it's open 3-late Monday-Friday, and midday-late at the weekends when they also have live music!

There are plenty of bars on Hope Street; I wanted to check out the Jenever Gin Bar and the dog-friendly Pen Factory, but both are closed on Mondays so that's something to keep in mind when planning your trip. We opted for Frederiks, where the cocktails are £7.50 each and very strong - I had a mango cosmopolitan and P had something with a chilli in it, and both were lovely. They do food and have jazz artists play, and they also offer pre-theatre dining deals as Hope Street is home to not one but two theatres: The Everyman and The Philharmonic. Plenty of shows and gigs to choose from if that's your thing!

a red cocktail on a table

the interior of frederiks bar on hope street

We then decided to stroll along to The Casa which is a little pub with candles in old gin bottles, and really old board games and a very chilled out atmosphere. It's a lovely little pub and totally different to the fancier bars that line the street, proving that there's somewhere for everyone.

There's plenty to look at on and around Hope Street, too: flanked by not one but TWO cathedrals and lined with stunning Georgian houses, no matter which direction you're looking in there's something beautiful to cast your eye on. William Mackenzie's tomb is also very close to Hope Street, and it's something that has caused a lot of rumour and speculation throughout the years, so it's pretty cool to see.

So, if you're looking for places to explore in Liverpool then Hope Street might just be somewhere to add to the list - with two cathedrals, two theatres and plenty of indie bars and restaurants, you'll never get bored.


Want to know how to spend 19 hours in Manchester? CLICK HERE

No comments:

Post a Comment