21 things you can do this week in Liverpool (14-20 Sep 2020)

The sun’s been out, and summer is deciding to stay a little while longer – so make the most of it while you can, but remember do it in a safe way, and don’t forget your hand gel!

There’s loads going on in Liverpool this week, indoors and out, so enjoy it all and have fun.

Again, don’t forget the ‘Rule of Six’ and remember to keep you and everyone else safe when you’re out and about by regularly washing your hands, using sanitiser, keeping your distance and avoiding anywhere that you feel is not COVID secure.

Lots of tips on how to keep yourself and others away from harm here.

Lunch at Lerpwl

The Barrie brothers’ restaurant has finally opened on the Royal Albert Dock, so why not celebrate the arrival of a brand new eaterie by taking time to sample its gorgeous menu.

Lerpwl’s delicious offerings will include the finest sustainably-sourced seafood, mussels and oysters from the Menai Straits of Anglesey, as well as home-grown pork and vegetables from The Fat Pig Farm.

Mouth watering yet? Then you know what to do…

Book here.

Socially Distanced live show stream at Future Yard with She Drew the Gun 

It says it all that tickets for She Drew The Gun’s show at Future Yard’s new venue in Birkenhead have sold out, but you can still listen to this increasingly-successful band play thanks to a live stream.

Digital tickets for the gig on Saturday, September 19, are available now, so you can enjoy the Wirral band whose 2018 album Revolution Of Mind was a massive hit.

Find out more here.

Head to Sicily with the new menu at Six By Nico

Travel might not be as easy and straight-forward at the moment, but you can still head over to the sunny island of Sicily this week, with a food voyage courtesy of Six by Nico.

Think Sicilian lamb with aubergine caponata, or seabass with fregola sarda, cherry tomato puttanesca, caper raisin dressing and crispy cavolo nero, and you can almost feel the warmth of the Italian breeze and the smell the salty sea of the Med.

The North John Street restaurant which journeys to a different place to inspire its menu, will be stopping off at this amazing destination until October 18, with a six-course tasting menu at £29, and matching wines for £26 per person.

Book here.

Liverpool Theatre Festival continues

Pic. Liverpool Theatre Festival

Al fresco entertainment carries on at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church this week with more drama, music, film and more.

Crissy Rock stars in Deathly Confessions, a series of chilling dark comedy monologues from tonight (14.9.20) while later in the week sees the reunion of ‘Judy Garland’ and ‘Liza Minnelli’ back together again thanks to the musical experience, Judy & Liza, now celebrating its 10th anniversary.

For the full programme of performances go to the Liverpool Theatre Festival website here.

Students are back and can take a virtual Freshers Fair

Social distancing doesn’t mean students arriving in, or returning to, the city can’t have fun and embrace all that’s happening before all the hard work starts.

The city’s main universities are still having freshers’ fairs – just with most of the fun virtually! The University of Liverpool’s Guild of Students, for example, has organised a Welcome Week of activities to get involved with now – and later, so students can explore 200+ societies, countless volunteering opportunities and a whole host of physical and virtual events. 

To make sure you get the most out of all the socially distanced and online aspects of university life, or to find out what events are still going on, go to:

Liverpool University Guild

Liverpool John Moores University

Liverpool Hope

Shopping at Stevie G’s new Liverpool ONE store

Pic. SGG Apparel

The former LFC midfielder always had a certain style both on and off the pitch, so why not pass by this new pop-up store at Liverpool ONE with premium menswear inspired by the man himself.

SGG Apparel in South John Street stocks a range of products from the premier league of fashion, from smart polo shirts to bomber jackets.

The collection is heavily influenced by the certain style of Liverpool men, with a nod to the history of the city as well as the streets and areas where Mr Gerrard grew up.

Justino’s money off

Savour classic Italian Cusine for less at Justino’s Italian Ristorante and Bar in Aigburth Road.

There’s 30% off the a la carte menu from Monday to Wednesday, and 20% off take away food everyday.

Mamma Mia (sorry!), with its pizzas, pastas and delicious seafood, that’s just too good to miss.

Book here

Get cultural at the Bluecoat

There’s so much to do at the Bluecoat centre of contemporary arts, and it’s easy to get to, in the middle of the city so you can fit it in with a trip to the shops or a meal out with family and friends.

Its Vide space is currently hosting exhibitions about Bluecoat’s history as an arts centre – the first in the UK – with new work by local artists and first shows by students and recent graduates. Its galleries also include Facecrime, a solo exhibition by Jonathan Baldock, and Pattern Buffer, by Frances Disley.

Galleries are open Thursday to Saturday from 11am – 4pm (The cafe is also back open with drinks and light snacks), and entry is free – but Bluecoat is operating timed ticketing, so pre-book as numbers are limited to ensure social distancing.

Find out more here.

Check in to the Resident Hotel on Seel St

A perfect place for your staycation, The Resident Liverpool has re-opened, with increased hygiene and safety measures to ensure that you can rest and relax safely.

Located in the heart of the city centre’s Ropewalks district and housed within a stunning former warehouse, it’s bright, modern and stylish – and just a short walk from all of Liverpool’s top attractions so you can discover the best of Liverpool, or rediscover the favourite parts of YOUR city.

Better still, check in and get a special discount card with money off places like top restaurant Wreckfish (conveniently just across the road). The Resident partners with many venues and attractions in the area to make sure you experience the city like you never have before.

Pre-book here.

Saturday Brunch with a difference at Lu Ban

Sit back, relax and enjoy, while Lu ban’s chefs cook delicious dishes and their servers bring round dishes in waves.

You will have an hour and a half to indulge in a collection of fabulous food including spring rolls with spring onion, shoots, soy, ginger and chilli sauce, Tianjin Stir Fried Noodles, and out-of-this-world sui mai with crispy pork and lobster foam.

It costs £29.50 which includes drinks from a wide selection, like Lu ban Beer, Lu Ban Cocktail and red and white wine. It’s what lazy Saturday mornings were made for – and gets the weekend off to a really great start.

Visit the website and book your place here.

Be wowed at the Don McCullen exhibition at Tate Liverpool

Get set to be utterly captivated as Tate Liverpool launches its brand new exhibition this Wednesday. Don McCullen is one of the most iconic photojournalists of all time having spent time in war zones capturing moments of conflict, loss and love like you have never seen before.

You will also find images from Northern towns including Liverpool during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s as well as his beautiful landscapes collection.

Face coverings are compulsory and there’s a great one-way system in place.

Pre-book your ticket here.

Image at top of article by Jason Wells of Crosby’s Iron Men

Indulge at home with the new Biscoff white chocolate doughnut from Midnight Delivery

Always a life-saver when you get the late-night munchies is this city delivery service which comes to the rescue with a collection of shakes and cakes.

Currently satisfying so many sweet tooths is their Biscoff White Chocolate Doughnuts, with deliciously light fluffy doughnuts, filled with cream, and bursting with the unmistakeable oaty taste of Biscoff.

And you don’t even need to take one step out of your front door.

Place your order here

Take some time out and be inspired by Liverpool Central Library

It’s worth a visit to the William Brown Street Library just to see the stunningly remodelled building itself, but while you’re there there’s so much to take in.

You could have a look at the famous collections of rare books housed in the magnificent Hornby Library and Oak Room, view the impressive Picton Reading Room, renowned as one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, or learn about the city’s history with its unique and rare archives from the 13th century to the present day.

Visit the website here.

Visit the new-look Il Forno Boccini on Duke Street

Celebrated Italian chef Paolo Cillo has re-opened the doors of one of the city’s favourite restaurants after a major revamp, so why not head to Duke Street to take a look.

A whopping £300,000 has been spent on refurbishing the restaurant with new lighting, new seating and a fresh new-look bar and lounge area.

Needless to say, it’s got a new menu too, filled with modern and classic dishes. Buon appetito!

Book your table here

Chill time at Suites Hotel Spa

The Suites Hotel and Spa in Knowsley has put lots of measures in place to make sure all its visitors are safe – but one thing that hasn’t changed is its relaxing and therapeutic treatments and atmosphere.

Whether you want to take time out and chill with a soothing body massage or an exfoliating scrub; give your face a little TLC with a firming facial, or nail a new look with a manicure – this is the place for you to unwind. And…breathe…

See what’s on here.

Sunday Roast at Pinion in Prescot

Perhaps start with spiced cauliflower risotto, before moving mouth-wateringly on to the pan-fried sea bream with whipped cod’s roe, tenderstem broccoli, cucumber and brown butter, and then get lost in a dreamy blackberry pavlova with blackberry sorbet.

Oh yes, Sunday Lunch really is special at Pinion, and yet it doesn’t come at the usual fine dining price. Three courses at Pinion is just £29, and the menu is creatively put together to offer a host of stunning dishes by Chef Gary Usher and his team – the only downside will be trying to choose only one for each course.

Pre-book your place here.

Escape the madness at Martin Mere

Leave the city briefly behind and get back to nature with a visit to Martin Mere, home to 800 acres of wetland paradise, and some colourful residents like the flamboyant flamingos and adorable otters.

There’s so much space, where the kids can become a detective and find out what they can scoop up in their nets in the Pond Zone or have fun in the play areas, you can all wade into water adventure with a canoe safari, or you can sit in peace in one of the hides and watch the world – and the wildlife – go by…

Pre-book here

Avoid another lockdown at Escape Hunt, Albert Dock

Use your nous and marvellous mystery-solving skills to complete the challenges and make your escape before your time runs out…

You can enter bizarre and brave new worlds to complete ground-breaking missions; and work as a team to find clues and solve the puzzles before getting ‘locked in’.

You can choose from The Last Vikings, Blackbeard’s Treasure, Escape the Wild West, Alice in Puzzleland and more for your exciting Albert Dock experience.

Visit the website here.

Delivery from Hafla Hafla

After years of cooking Middle Eastern-inspired food at home and then at festivals and events all over the UK, it was owner Tim Haggis’s dream to have his own place.

And now you can get this amazing food at your place! Get food like Persian roasted chicken, market fish and prawn curry, loaded falafel salad and so much more from the amazing Lark Lane restaurant delivered to your door, and have your own ‘Party Party’ (translation of Hafla Hafla) at home.

Book your delivery here.

Cocktails from Berry & Dry

Liverpool’s favourite hidden drinking den, Berry & Rye is taking delivery bookings for your favourite tipples, so now you can ‘party party’ even more!

They are delivering Thursday to Saturday across Liverpool, from 12-10pm, and you can pre-order via message or call 07557506660.

Hmm, ours is a classic Old Fashioned, made with Woodford Reserve, premium small-batch bourbon, angutura and sugar…

Follow them on Twitter here

Count the Iron Men on Crosby beach all perfectly socially distanced

Jump in your car or hop on the train to Crosby Beach to appreciate the spectacle of Antony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’ art installation.

It remains one of the most impressive sights with 100 life-size iron men, cast from the artist’s own body, spreading across three kilometres of the foreshore and stretching almost one kilometre out to sea.

As they stare at the horizon in silent expectation, it’s awe-inspiring stuff and with such an expanse of beach, social distancing is never an issue!

More info here.