BIRKENHEAD

PubCommentsLocation
@75 (Rocky's)
Pic
Night Club.
Not visited.
Argyle Street / Conway Street
Map
Bacco's Bar and Bistro Closed, now offices.
Not visited.
Hamilton Street
Bam-Buddha Lounge A late-night pub new in 2006. Now a function suite.
Not visited.
Conway Street / Burlington Street
Beach (Ma Bakers) (New Orleans) (Ice Bar)
Not visited.
Conway Street / Burlington Street
Map
Bidston "Ham and Eggs"
Pic
A plain, very well cared for and friendly two-sided local.
Last visited 2020.
Hoylake Road / Challis Street
Map
Bierhaus (Life Cafe)
Pic

Not visited.
Price Street / Hamilton Square
Map
Blue Bell
Pic
A plain but well looked after pub, knocked through but still having two halves. Pretty quiet when I have visited.
Last visited 2018.
Cleveland Street / Freeman Street
Map
Cavendish
PicPic
A well looked after large split level ale house, possibly converted from a number of shops.
Last visited 2020.
Grange Road West / Cole Street
Map
Central Hotel
Pic
Hand pump
A three roomed pub with a small comfy lounge at the front, a large wooden floored bar with an impressive lantern, and "Monaghan's Pantry". The fine decor in the bar was closer to real Irish than to the expected paddified plastic.
Now closed.
Last visited 1999.
Borough Road / Argyle Street
Map
Charing Cross
PicPic
Hand pump
A very nicely decorated two room flat house built in 1852. Subdued lighting and impressive mirrored ceiling and walls in the lounge. Always seems busy.
Last visited 2018.
Exmouth Street / Grange Road West
Map
Christies Bar
PicPic
A plain cheerful down-market boozer, with one large open room. Just a few regulars in on a Tuesday afternoon, much busier with a friendly crowd on a Saturday.
Last visited June 2023.
Cleveland Street / Maddock Street
Map
Club Image (Sheridans) Night club converted from shops, originally a cinema. Closed in 2006 and now a carpet showroom.
Not visited.
Whetstone Lane / Salisbury Street
Map
Comet Inn
Pic
Two bars plus a back room in this slightly scruffy popular local.
Noted closed and tinned up in 2010.
Last visited 2003.
Laird Street / Lansdowne Road
Map
Commodore
Pic
Now closed.
Not visited.
Lord Street
Cool Room Night club in the basement of The Beach.
Not visited.
Conway Street / Burlington Street
Map
Copperfield
PicPic
Rather pleasant but perhaps a little run down "60s twee" decor in this one room knocked through corner house. After a period closed and tinned up, in 2008 this was refurbished and re-opened but it was tinned up again by 2010.
Last visited 2003.
Market Street / Hamilton Street
Map
Crown
PicPic
With a splendid two room interior which retains many Victorian features, this used to be a favourite pub of mine. Sadly, the quality real ales I enjoyed when it was called the Crown Ale House have gone, and it is now a basic drinkers' pub. Beer garden at the back.
Last visited 2018.
Conway Street / Conway Place
Map
Cush (Crown and Cushion)
PicPic
Hand pump
A compact plain two bar pub. The back room has a good collection of football scarves.
Now closed.
Last visited 2003.
Market Street / Hamilton Street
Map
Cygnet A plain worn bar side and a deserted lounge with LSTV in this early 60s free standing pub. Now closed.
Last visited 1999.
Watson Street / Price Street
Map
Deja Vu (Fever) (Slices) Disco bar reported closed.
Not visited.
Conway Street / Bank Street
Desi's (Yates's)
PicPic
This popular pub, formerly the Yates' Wine Lodge, has one large open room, double height at the counter with mezzanine seating around.
Last visited 2018.
Exmouth Street / Oliver Street West
Map
Dock Hotel Now closed and converted to a convenience store.
Not visited.
4 Freeman Street / Rendel Street
Map
Fireman's Arms
Pic
A plain knocked through one bar pub.
Last visited 2018.
Olive Street / Walton Street
Map
Gallaghers Pub (Chester Arms) (Hamlet) (Dispensary)
GBG
PicPic
Hand pump
The well preserved decor of the Dispensary was better than the Liverpool branch, and included a splendid stained glass lantern. Spot on Cains' beer, and I enjoyed a nice Sunday roast dinner. There's a beer garden at the back. A sign in February 2006 said under new management.
In 2010 it became Gallaghers, a combined pub and barber shop. This rather unusual combination seemed to work well, and the pub part provided an excellent range of real ales, in friendly cheerful surroundings. The beer garden is particularly pleasant.
The hairdressing ceased in 2017, the excellent real ales in a comfortable setting continue.
Live music upstairs.
Last visited December 2023.
20 Chester Street / Albion Street
Map
Garrick Snug
PicPic
A fine small traditional one bar pub in a side street off the main shopping precinct. Full of female darts players on my first visit!
Last visited 2018.
Saint John Street / Grange Road
Map
George and Dragon Hotel
Pic
A rather fine traditional interior in this well cared for pub with an L-shaped bar and a lounge side.
Last visited 2018.
Argyle Street / Oliver Street
Map
Glass Barrel
Pic
Closed.
Not visited.
Market Street / Albion Street
Map
Grand Trunk Hotel
Pic
A plain but pleasant one bar pub, knocked through with arches.
Noted shut in 2014.
Last visited 2003.
Duke Street / Old Bidston Road
Map
Great Float Demolished.
Not visited.
Upper Beckwith Street / Pattern Street
Map
Hamilton's
Pic
A beautiful art deco and wooden panelling one bar pub with some alcoves. The decor is somewhat marred by the disco lights. This listed building was formerly a bank.
Reported tinned up in 2010, and now a coffee lounge.
Last visited 1999.
Whetstone Lane / Grange Road
Map
Harvey's A large pleasant plastic one bar pub. After a period of closure this re-opened in October 2003. Demolished in 2008.
Last visited 1999.
Woodside Hotel, Bridge Street.
Map
High Society (Xanadu) (Promises) (Post Office Hotel) (Sophie's Bar) Five names so far, and I still haven't been there! Too late now, as it's closed.
Not visited.
Argyle Street / Oliver Street East
Map
Hornblowers
Pic
This very large knocked through one bar pub was formerly The Market Inn and Barristers, now combined. The interior includes a fine dark wood bar front and does not have the strong maritime theme one might expect, given the name. That's because the hornblower referred to is on a stagecoach and not the fictional character from Forester's novels.
Last visited December 2022.
Market Street / Albion Street
Map
Indigo (Lola's II) (Bar Fifty 4) Lola's II was a night club style gay bar with a tiled floor and a loud drag queen running the disco/karaoke. In 1999 when we walked in he announced "here comes the talent"!
Passing more recently I observed Bar Fifty 4 to be very dark inside with candle-lit tables, but I never visited.
Now closed.
Last visited 1999.
Market Street / Hamilton Street
Map
Iron Door Club Reported as closed in April 2010.
Not visited.
Argyle Street / Marion Street
Josie Ryans (Durrans) Durrans closed March 2002, Josie Ryans opened early November the same year, I'm told. A pleasant quiet comfortable knocked round two bar pub in which the back bar was shut when I visited. Reported closed and demolished.
Last visited 2003.
Old Chester Road / Princes Place
Map
JPs (Boot Hill Vaults) (Billy's Bar) In the basement of the Liquid Lounge.
Now closed.
Not visited.
Argyle Street
Kelsie's (Astons Bar) A night-club in a rather intriguing old building, originally the Trustee Savings Bank. Spent a period closed before re-opening as Kelsie's in 2010. Closed again at the end of the year.
Not visited.
Argyle Street / Clifton Crescent
Map
Leprechaun (Tut & Shive) (Park Hotel) (Blu) (Dickie Lewis's Sports Bar) When I first visited, the decor was typical Tut & Shive, with a wooden floor and a green ceiling made out of old doors. After a change of style it re-opened as Blu, but by December 2002 it was closed again. It has now been refurbished again and joined the Dickie Lewis's chain, and is a plainly decorated knocked round bar with lots of TVs and one LSTV. Well cared for but in need of a hoover when I visited. Reported closed in 2007, it has since re-opened as an Irish Bar. Reported closed again in December 2009.
Last visited 2004.
Oxton Road / Whetstone Lane
Map
Livingstone Closed 2001 but reopened about August 2002. Demolished by 2010.
Not visited.
Livingstone Street / St Anne Street
Map
LQD (Lenin's Bar) (Static)
Not visited.
Argyle Street / Oliver Street East
Map
MacKenzie
PicPic
A plain modern well cared for pub with some rather good fake (I think) wood panelling in one large L-shaped room. In 2004 this was the thousandth Merseyside pub to be visited in my researches.
Last visited 2018.
Claughton Road / Exmouth Street
Map
Meadows
Pic
An impressive ceramic exterior. Closed and converted into flats.
Not visited.
Conway Street / Watson Street
Map
Mersey Arms Noted boarded up in 2009.
Not visited.
2 Neptune Street / Corporation Road
Map
Miltons Reported in 2007 closed and for sale, and then became an Asian restaurant.
Not visited.
Claughton Road / Coventry Street
Molly Malone's Closed.
Not visited.
Corporation Road / Cathcart Street
Map
Molly's Chambers (Old Colonial)
PicPic
Hand pump
Old Colonial: Outside this is a rather plain building. Inside however, is a very nice alehouse with friendly staff serving Cains' and others' brews - I had a very nice pint of Eccleshall's Top Totty. There are tables in the car park at the rear, where you can enjoy the sunshine and watch the trams running by. The tram museum/workshop next door is worth a visit as well. Closed in 2008.
Re-opened in 2018 as a music venue, initially only open weekends but now all week.
Last visited 2018.
Bridge street / Taylor Street
Map
Monkeys Nuts (Caledonia Inn) (John H Stracey's) (Lion)
Pic
This plain, nicely decorated, friendly corridor bar had stained walls and a wooden floor.
Not visited during its time as a sports bar - Part owner John H. Stracey was World Welterweight Champion in the mid '70s.
In its "Lion" version it was a plain pleasant pub and in May 2017 I was surprised to see four real ales on offer, all from Porthmadoc's Purple Moose brewery. The one sampled was excellent and very cheap. Returning in October the same year, no real ales were available.
I haven't visited the latest incarnation, as Monkeys Nuts.
Last visited 2017.
Market Street / Argyle Street
Map
Moodz Bar Now closed.
Not visited.
Exmouth Street / Back Menai Street
Map
Myrtle
PicPic
A plain friendly two-room boozer, in mid redecoration on my last visit.
Last visited June 2023.
Cleveland Street / Arthur Street
Map
New Dock "Blood Tub" This large pub has a pale ceramic frontage in the bottom of a four storey 50s apartment block. Inside, the two bar pub is plain but well cared for.
Now closed and demolished.
Last visited 2003.
Stanley Road / Tyber Street
Map
North Star
Pic
A nicely done plain two-sided boozer, clean and tidy. The Thursday night bingo was very popular when I was there in 2003.
Last visited 2020.
Laird Street / Lansdowne Road
Map
North Western
Pic
A small pleasant clean and tidy bar which looks like it hasn't changed inside for forty years or more, plus a side room. Unusually, there are fonts for both ordinary keg John Smith's and the Smoothflow version - The devil and the deep blue sea indeed!
I think this is now closed.
Last visited 1999.
Cleveland Street / Watson Street
Map
Observatory
Pic
Now closed.
Not visited.
Oxton Road / Tetbury Street
Map
Open Arms (Avenue) A pleasant plastic modern knocked through food-oriented pub. LSTV. Not visited since it was renamed.
Now closed and demolished.
Last visited 2003.
Bidston Avenue / Norman Street
Map
Pacific This plain clean and tidy two-sided pub was quiet when I visited on a Thursday evening. Unusually we had the choice of ordinary or smoothflow John Smith's.
Now closed.
Last visited 2003.
Price Street / Old Bidston Road
Map
Park View
PicPic
A plain spotless comfortable two sided friendly boozer busy with cheerful regulars.
Last visited June 2023.
Price Street / Duke Street
Map
Peachez (Latin Quarter) (AURA) Became AURA in 2010.
Not visited.
Conway Street / Burlington Street
Map
Pilot Now closed and demolished.
Not visited.
Beckwith Street / Duke Street
Prince William (Harp) This knocked through one room pub is pleasant, plain and noisy. It looks like it is in a very old building? Reported closed in 2010.
Last visited 2003.
Old Chester Road / Chamberlain Street
Map
Queens
Pic
A large open airy bar plus a side room in this cheerful boozer. Most of the building is no longer a pub, I think.
Last visited 2018.
Conway Street / Park Road East
Map
Recession Bar (Metro) (Marlow's Bar) (Paddy's Bar) This plain and slightly tatty bar has a late licence every day. Watch out for the weird springy chairs which are very uncomfortable and will give you a bad back if you're not careful! LSTV. Renamed Paddy's Bar in 2006 and Recession Bar in 2008.
Now closed.
Last visited 2004.
Oxton Road / Grange Road West
Map
Residents' Club Closed.
Not visited.
Duke Street / Saint Anne Street
Map
Richmond (Maritime Inn)
PicPic
A plain, mostly tidy interior in this one-roomed boozer.
Last visited 2018.
Oxton Road / Maritime Park
Map
Riley's Snooker Club. Now closed.
Not visited.
Argyle Street / Hinson Street
Map
Rinty Monaghan's This was a large fake Irish one bar pub in which the decor was less overpowering than most. It seemed rather tatty and un-cared for. After a period of closure it re-opened in October 2003, but is now closed and demolished.
Last visited 1999.
Woodside Hotel, Bridge Street
Map
Riverview (Queens Hotel) (Worsley Arms) "Cuckoo"
Pic
Hand pump
The Worsley was a pleasantly faked antique one bar pub, the techno music not really in keeping with the decor! (The music was more "appropriate" on a subsequent visit.)
Post the 2013 refurbishment we find a rather well done fashionable interior with fake wooden beams. The glitter ball in the middle doesn't really seem to fit in.
As the name suggests, a splendid river view is available from one end of the room.
Last visited August 2023.
Chester Street / Bridge Street
Map
Rose and Shamrock A plain well cared for two bar pub.
Closed and demolished by 2015.
Last visited 2003.
Laird Street / Vulcan Street
Map
Rupert's Night Club. Closed and converted to office use.
Not visited.
Argyle Street
Schooner (Weighbridge) Closed and demolished.
Not visited.
Park Street / Brook Street East
Sea Dog
PicPic
A sixties (or maybe seventies) pub. I've never seen it open when I pass by, so I fear it has closed.
Not visited.
Cathcart Street / Beckwith Street
Map
Seamus O'Donnell's (Exmouth Arms)
Pic
A rather nicely done "plastic paddy" pub in a modern single storey brick building. The beer yard looks nice.
Last visited 2018.
Exmouth Street / Claughton Road
Map
Sherlock's Closed.
Not visited.
Conway Street / Bank Street
Map
Sonny's (Sonny's Bar) (O' Hanlons) (Sonny's on the Cross) This former shop has slightly odd stylish decor in two rooms plus a back area with a pool table. Now closed for conversion to an Asian restaurant.
Last visited 2004.
Grange Road West / Exmouth Street
Station A bistro bar with wine / coffee / food but no beer I'm told.
Now closed.
Not visited.
Hamilton Street / John Street
Map
Stork Hotel
Pic
Hand pump
Outside, some impressive ceramics on this corner house. The wonderful interior has more ceramics, a mosaic floor and a splendid wood and cut glass partition, and is deservedly included in CAMRA's Inventory of pub interiors. In stark contrast to the splendid interior, the beer yard used to be somewhat tatty but more recently it has been very nicely done up.
Last visited July 2022.
41 Price Street / Adelphi Street
Map
Sue's (Letters Inn) (Sonny's on the Square)
Pic
The Letters Inn was a high ceilinged knocked through pub in traditional style, which was later totally redone with a Mexican look as Sonny's. They continued to provide good real ale and the menu looked good value.
Sue's has retained the good decor but dropped the real ale.
Last visited 2018.
Argyle Street / Douglas Street
Map
Swinging Arm (Ross Royal)
Pic
Hand pump
In 2003 this was a busy friendly plain clean and tidy boozer. Returning in 2014 I found the interior layout changed and the decor is now biker-oriented, with loads of lights, posters, sculptures etc. Perhaps not the place for a quiet pint, but I rather like it. Live music is frequently on offer.
A fine river view is available from the rear windows.
Last visited December 2023.
Church Street / Water Street
Map
Tobago (Mr White's)
Pic
Looks like it's a shop conversion, very well done anyway. At the time of my visit the builders were in, and there was no name on the repainted frontage, so it might have been called something different later.
Now closed.
Last visited 2018.
Argyle Street / Hinson Street
Map
Traffic (Boot Hill Tavern) (am:bar) (Liquid Lounge) (Bunker) (Decades) Not visited under any of its names.
Not visited.
Argyle Street next to George and Dragon
Map
Turleys Reported in 2006 as closed and demolished.
Not visited.
Borough Road/ Whitford Road
Map
Vale
Pic
Closed.
Not visited.
Oxton Road / Cartmel Close
Map
Venue (Picture House) (Esia) First floor late night venue in a former cinema.
Not visited.
Conway Street / Argyle Street
Vittoria Vaults "The Piggy"
Pic
A very comfortable friendly pub with three or four rooms but just one counter. Particularly well looked after and welcoming.
Last visited June 2023.
Vittoria Street / Brook Street
Map
Vu (Stairways) Reported as closed in April 2010.
Not visited.
Oliver Street / Argyle Street
Warwick
PicPic
Noted boarded up in 2020.
Not visited.
Westbourne Road / Warwick Close
Map
Waterloo
Pic
A pleasant, very well looked after two-sided boozer with friendly regulars.
Last visited 2018.
Grange Road East / Borough Place
Map
Westbourne Hotel Closed and converted to flats.
Not visited.
Westbourne Road / Belmont
Wetherspoon's Brass Balance (La Piazza)
PicPic
Hand pump
A good large Wetherspoon's always busy with people eating. Only one real ale - Courage Director's - was on when I visited in 2003, a vastly improved range of quality ales has been found on many subsequent visits.
Last visited December 2023.
Argyle Street / Douglas Street
Map
Wetherspoon's John Laird
Hand pump
The very nice interior in this smaller than average member of the Wetherspoon's chain includes an odd half balcony on one side. It always seems to be busy in here, you may not be able to find a table.
Noted closed in 2017.
Last visited 2017.
Claughton Road / Hemingford Street
Map
Windsor Castle Hotel
PicPicPic
This busy, plain, well cared for pub knocked round into one room has a rather impressive ceramic exterior.
Last visited 2018.
Oxton Road / Windsor Street
Map
Yard (Katie Mulligans) (Queens)
Pic
Reported closed in 2010.
Not visited.
Queens Road / Green Lane
Map
Zicos Part of The Latin Quarter, and reported closed in 2010.
Not visited.
Conway Street / Burlington Street
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