City Guide | Discovering Independent Liverpool

Accompanied by Enterprise Rent-A-Car we spent a couple of days exploring Liverpool and discovering what unique shops, restaurants, bars, sights and true characters the 2008 European Capital of Culture has to offer.


Life is so much better when you take the time to search decent things out. Take pumpkin beer, for instance. Mat’s been hankering for some for ages, but as it doesn’t seem that popular here in the UK, it’s been a hard find. Even BrewDog Liverpool - that shining beacon of choice for beer - almost failed to provide; but there, nestled at the back of the fridge, were the last couple of bottles. A pumpkin beer found and downed - and, with it, Mat’s number one priority for the day ticked off the list.


We were in Liverpool for a project with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. They’d invited us up to watch a Liverpool FC game in the UEFA Europa League; but, more than that, they wanted us to take our time, explore the city and discover its independent spirit. Strange, you might think for a big car company headquartered all the way away in the US of A; however, Enterprise is a family-owned business, so they understand the passion, commitment, and effort independent businesses put into their work.


When visiting any city, a little bit of research goes a long way. It’s easy to print off a top 5 list from TripAdvisor; but, in doing so, you miss out on a lot. Armed with a City Map produced by the Independent Map Company, which we picked up back in April, we delved a little deeper.

Okay, so BrewDog isn’t on the map and, being a chain, probably strays slightly from the brief. But BrewDog is always a great shout and we did need to get hold of that beer. Their independent spirit can't be knocked, plus their selection is very hard to be beaten.

 
I’ve not explored Liverpool much before, just a couple of formulaic football trips - arrive, grab a beer, watch the game, and leave. Mat lives a lot closer, so knows the place quite well; still, as with any city, it’s easy to visit a fair few times and still only scratch the surface.
 
As you’ll probably guess, when Buckets & Spades are in town, coffee features heavily in our wanderings. A good dose of caffeine helps before, after, and during a long trek around a city and Liverpool has some spot-on coffee shops, all perfect for dodging the Northern drizzle and recharging the batteries - literally.

Panna was our favourite - well, we did visit twice. Peter, the co-founder, owner, and manager, keeps a clean, tidy, clearly Scandinavian influenced cafe, stocked high with some of the best coffee going (I spied a couple of bags from HasBean). It was here, early on the first morning, that we planned our route around Liverpool, making sure to take in another couple of coffees at Golden Square and Bold Street Coffee, as well as a bacon bagel at design store + kitchen, Cow & Co. 

After beer and coffee, food is never too far behind for us. That bacon bagel was lunch Part 1, to be followed by a quick tiffin box at curry house Mowgli. Yep, that’s right, curry for lunch. The warming spice was welcome on what was proving a chilly day (come on, I am from London where it’s never cold...). I’m still unconvinced by chat bombs though; a total yogurt overdose.

We finished our culinary tour with a giant plate of meat at Slim's Pork Chop Express and some far smaller plates at Pen Factory. The latter was epic. Beetroot risotto and a lamb shoulder so tender, it must have been cooked for a week. The lunch menu offered three smalls plates for £10. It was also a good chance to indulge in some whisky: Yamazaki 12 year old for about £3.50 a glass. Crazy prices!

Pen Factory is a short walk away from Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral. How I’ve not heard of this place before, I’ll never know. While the Albert Dock’s and the riverside are well worth a visit, this place is a definite must. A tall, white, oddly-spikey pyramid, the cathedral is a breathtaking projection of the future from the imagination of the 1950s - like the centrepiece from Logan’s Run or something similar.

 

The city is littered with stunning, yet varied architecture + design styles; from modernist carparks and futuristic museums to industrial tunnels and the grandeur of Pier Head. If it's galleries you're looking for then the Tate Liverpool, The Open Eye Gallery and FACT are all worth a visit.

Culture done, it was time for a drink or two and a near perfect recommendation from both the map and Pretty Green Tea, Berry & Rye.

While London is swimming in speakeasies, Liverpool is a little way behind on quantity, but not quality. Berry & Rye is the quintessential dark, quiet, Motown playing bar, hidden behind a decaying facade and a black curtain, walls strewn with paraphernalia from Liverpool’s industrial heritage. We sat at the bar - always the best place to sit, as the aromas of citrus, bitters, and various alcohols wash over your nose. A Hemingway Daiquiri was a strong start; but, the old fashioned (it is called Berry & Rye, after all) was the real winner.

This wasn’t just a trip for food, drink, and fun though. There was a need for some serious shopping too. Weavers Door - a small, yet perfectly stocked menswear store - is probably Liverpool’s only real place for decent menswear. Norse Projects, Universal Works, Red Wing...all the brands we know and love; it’s like a Buckets & Spades walk-in wardrobe here!

We tagged along with the Weavers team while they went on location, with Photographer Luke Million, to shoot for their Wardrobe series.

Probe Records is worth a visit too. An old school record shop, you can waste away a good hour or so here, flicking through records old and new, marvelling at the artwork and trying not to justify purchasing a record player. Anyone who's into skateboarding will also appreciate Lost Art skate shop. We'd also recommend a stop by Bold Street's Maray, for their excellent gin selection and European-inspired small plates.

We finished the trip at another of Liverpool’s churches: Anfield - the home of Liverpool FC. After touring the city for two days, I’d almost forgotten we were here to watch UEFA Europa League football - a good sign, if ever there was one, of what Liverpool has to offer as a city.

It’s great to go to a game and get the full VIP treatment. As we were there with Enterprise Rent-A-Car this meant a chauffeur driven rental car to the game, a smorgasbord of food and drink, and brilliant seats - of course.

It was a good match to choose too: a new manager's first home game, a keen opposition, and an expectant crowd all made for a great atmosphere. Just a shame for the fans that Liverpool didn’t manage a win. We were happy though. Guided around the ground before, during, and after the match by some really friendly local-born staff, it was great to get an insight into the work that goes on behind-the-scenes of a football match and to be treated so well.

All-in-all, we certainly scratched more than just the surface of Liverpool this time; it's a tight-knit community well worth exploring. Every city has an independent side to it, people, shops, and sights that are unique to a place and can’t be replicated elsewhere. Liverpool has this in spades and, hopefully, other folks travelling to the city will discover - and enjoy - the same side that we did.

Stay tuned for Part Two of our series with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, where you can win tickets to the UEFA Europa League clash between Celtic FC + AFC Ajax!

Thanks for reading,
Mat + Nik.

This City Guide has been created in partnership with Enterprise RENT-A-CAR.  Thank you for taking the time to support the projects + businesses that make this blog happen.

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