A weekend in Liverpool: Where to stay, where to eat and what to do

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It’s perhaps best known for The Beatles and its two high-flying football clubs, but Liverpool has much more to offer for a weekend escape. Shiny new shopping and residential complexes have popped up in the past decade, transforming dilapidated warehouses into lively hubs of independent business.

The city has raised its culinary game, too, with everything from thriving food markets to fine dining restaurants to choose from. Stroll past the red-pillared warehouses of Albert Dock, a Unesco World Heritage site and also the largest collection of Grade I listed buildings in the UK, and take in some modern art at the Tate. Or step inside the largest Anglican cathedral in Britain and marvel at its phenomenal architecture.

READ MORE: A weekend in Sheffield: Where to stay, where to eat and what to do

Liverpool: Fun facts

• “Scouse” is a type of stew, usually made with lamb or beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and onion. It was eaten by Liverpudlians living in poverty before the 1900s, and was popular with sailors.

• Liverpool holds the Guinness Book of Records title for being the Capital of Pop. More artists from Liverpool (including The Beatles) have had a number one hit than from anywhere else.

• Liverpool is England’s most successful footballing city, with Liverpool and Everton having won 55 major trophies between them.

Here’s our guide to the best places to stay and eat, and what to do while you’re in Liverpool – no matter your budget.

Where to stay

If you’re on a budget

Set in a prime location amidst the Ropewalk District, Lock & Key is a Georgian townhouse hotel with 14 bijou rooms, a speakeasy-style bar and a relaxed restaurant specialising in Neapolitan pizza and pasta. Expect rooms with funky printed wallpaper, velvet headboards and scallop-shaped cocktail chairs. You’re within a ten-minute stroll of the Albert Dock, Beatles Story and ACC Liverpool M&S Arena & Conference Centre. Doubles from £66.

Book the hotel here

If you’re looking for luxury

Housed inside a former warehouse used for storing rum and tobacco, the Titanic Hotel retains many of its original features, with spacious, well-styled rooms, a bar serving over 60 varieties of rum, and an on-site spa. B&B doubles from £100. Or, try Hope Street Hotel, which has an upmarket feel with its exposed brick walls, wooden beams and large beds fitted with Egyptian cotton sheets. It also has an award-winning restaurant serving everything from vegetarian sharing platters to chateaubriand dinners. B&B doubles from £119.

Book the hotel here

Where to eat

If you’re on a budget

Tuck into tasty morsels at Duke Street Market, where you’ll find lots of small traders selling delicious yet very affordable food. Open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 10am until late, the main hall has six resident kitchens selling everything from vegan meals to dishes from a family-run Italian restaurant. Coffee, wine, and cocktails are also available.

If you’re looking for luxury

For a special treat, 60 Hope Street offers a fine dining experience inside a beautiful red brick building. Inside, slip into a padded booth and feast on modern British fare, such as braised pork belly with kibbled onion and crackling, roasted cauliflower soup with white truffle oil and baked Alaska. Three courses cost £29.95. As well as dinner, it’s also a great choice for a Sunday roast or afternoon tea.

What to do

If you’re on a budget

Head inside Tate Liverpool to catch some modern art without breaking the bank. The most visited gallery of it kind outside London, it displays cutting-edge contemporary works and is free to enter. Or check out the beautiful architecture at Liverpool Cathedral, Britain’s largest Anglican cathedral. Book onto the Tower Experience and head to the very top of the cathedral for a bird’s-eye-view of the city.

If you’re looking for luxury

Love music? Then why not watch a performance by the acclaimed Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra at the art deco-style Philharmonic Hall? There are more than 250 events each year, ranging from classical, contemporary, rock, pop, folk, roots, and jazz to comedy, film and spoken word. Or you could head to The Beatles Story, a museum dedicated to the Fab Four. It houses fascinating memorabilia including John Lennon’s glasses, Ringo Starr’s drum kit and original hand-written lyrics. Adult tickets cost £17.

How to get there

Liverpool's main railway station is Lime St, hourly services to numerous UK destinations including London Euston, Manchester and Chester. Nearby, you’ll find the National Express Coach Station, which has services to Birmingham, London, Manchester and Newcastle, among other places. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is eight miles south of the city centre and serves a range of international destinations, plus UK destinations (Belfast, London and the Isle of Man).

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