Liverpool, itself, is a hidden gem. From escape rooms to cat cafés, there is always something for someone, no matter who you are. What about those who have a sense of adventure, mystery and love to drink? Have no fear, Liverpool’s hidden bars are here. From coded access, to hidden in plain sight, here are 10 of Liverpool’s coolest and hidden bars in the city.
Berry and Rye
Located on Berry Street, behind the sketchiest and plainest black door, is according to The Confidentials, one of the best bars in Liverpool. It even won the best date places in the North West in The Skinny Food and Drink Survey 2015. Inspired by the prohibition of 1920, you knock on the door and a doorman ushers you inside to a room lit with candles in old whiskey and wine bottles, surrounded by bare brick, old wood and dark leather. To really capture the essence and theme, the menus are hidden in bibles, and you can enjoy a large range of whiskies, gins and unique cocktails to the soothing and swinging sounds of some old Jazz and Blues. This truly is a secret gem in Liverpool.
El Bandito
Tequila, tequila. Welcome to the taste of Mexico. Situated in a basement of Santa Chupitos on Slater Street, this dirty cellar bar is a hidden gem in Liverpool. With Happy Hour being every day from 8pm – 12am, El Bandito is a small place with great music, great drinks and where you’re destine for a great time. Furthermore, if you’re interested in learning how to make cocktails, for £30 per person, you and your friends can have some fun and put your mixing to the test.
Abditory
0.2 kilometres from the Carvern Club, Abditory is an elegant bar, where care and craft are key. Meaning ‘a place to hide away’, Abditory offers a slice of old-school in the middle of the city centre, on Queens Avenue. Reviewed as an intimate place for great cocktails and music, Abditory is the place to be whether you’re in need of a coffee, cocktail or a toastie.
81LTD
On top of Salt Dog Slims on Seel Street, 81LTD is super-secretive cocktail bar. In fact, it’s so secret, you can only get in through reservation, and through the coolest way possible. Guests send a text message, and receive one back with a secret code to punch in at the venue. One of the more chilled places on this list to hang out with friends or go on a casual date, 81LTD is definitely a vibe and truly the definition of “hidden gems” in Liverpool.
Some Place
Another basement bar, with vintage board games and a neon green glow, Some Place is definitely one of the more peculiar hidden bars on this list. Also known as the “Absinthe Bar”, Some Place is described as “looking like someone’s put a bar inside a pirate ship”. It is so hidden that you have probably walked past it multiple times without realising. Located on Seel Street, Some Place is a tribute to Edgar Allen Poe, Oscar Wilde, and of course, absinthe.
Goodness Gracious Roof Garden
Sometimes, the best places are always up. Why not enjoy a good drink with a good view? A garden filled with beautiful flowers, relaxing music, cosy cushions and views of the magnificent city, Goodness Gracious Roof City is the perfect place to bring your friends and show off the town. Located on the 8th floor of the West Africa House, this is the perfect place for a good time and good Instagram pictures.
Motel Bar
Located on Fleet Street, our next hidden bar is raw and industrial. Filled with graphic style artwork, neon signs, 60s and 90s grunge music and movie projectors, Motel Bar has an American dive bar feel. Not only can you relax with friends or watch big sporting events, you can also create your own taco. Reviewers claim that Motel Bar isn’t a place you visit, it’s a place you experience, and that’s the beauty of this hidden gem.
Ex-Directory
Are you up for an adventure? Then Ex-Directory is the hidden bar for you. Using some clues on Twitter, Ex-Directory can only be found by locating a red phone box. Here, you phone, reserve a booth and get some more clues to one of the most unique and quirky hidden bars in Liverpool that prides itself on a variety of cocktails, circular booths and an orange glow.
Brass Monkey
One of the newer bars in Liverpool, this a hidden bar for the students, especially the Instagram lovers. With Moroccan styled floors, a rustic fireplace, hanging umbrellas and swinging chairs, Brass Monkey is slowly becoming the new place to be. Hidden on School Lane, just a short walk from Bluecoat, enjoy speciality cocktails and a massive range of beers, wines, and spirits, as well as muscles, meat platters, burgers, salads and so much more.
Clockworks
Breakfast, lunch or dinner drinking, this 200-year-old establishment is one of earliest hidden gems in Liverpool, and is described as a “charming mix of old and new Liverpool”. Mixed with steel, iron and exposed red brick walls, this comfortable and unique bar has a contemporary atmosphere with a flair for the Industrial era.
Liverpool is definitely a city full of fun, so why not make your drinking experiences a lot more interesting, creative and memorable? With these hidden bars, there’s never a down moment for you and your friends to experience in the city, and that is truly the hidden beauty of Liverpool.
