New restaurants, outdoor theatre, disco balls and more this week in Liverpool (7-13 Sep 2020)

Don’t you just love Liverpool, and looking around to see everything getting gradually – and safely – back to normal?

It’s not surprising the buzz is returning to the city with new bars and events, and so much going on.

And, while you can drive in of course, Merseyrail is back on track so you can leave the car at home and get in by train, and Arriva has increased its routes and timetables so you can let them do the work while you let your hair down and relax.

Stuck for ideas? What about this little lot this week…

A pint at The (new look) Penny Lane 

The Penny Lane has been given a fresh new look – and name – with a post-Covid makeover and lots more artwork lining the walls to make the popular venue even more welcoming and brighter than before.

But it’s not just the inside that’s been given the Changing Rooms treatment. Outside there’s new seating and tables too, and plenty of blooms to add colour and make it one of the best bars to meet back up with family and friends.

It’s enjoying greeting guests back after lockdown with beers, wines and cocktails and, this week, food is back on the menu too.

Follow on Instagram here.

Take the kids to Imagine That!

Now bigger and better since its move from the Pier Head, the Wavertree Technology Park kids’ play centre is a great place to keep the kids occupied and having hours of fun. 

It’s got loads of arts and crafts activities for them to do, there are science workshops and an Imagination Village including a construction zone, lots of shops, an American diner and theatre, a pet rescue and car wash and loads more.

Visits will need to be booked in advance because of limited numbers and they’ll be restricted to three hours.

Book your place here.

Yard & Coop continues Eat Out to Help Out – 50% off on Wednesday

Loads of us have been enjoying fabulous city food for less thanks to the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, so it’s great news that some restaurants have decided to extend the offer or give similar discounts now it’s officially ended.

One of those is one of Liverpool’s best chicken restaurants, Yard & Coop, which is offering 50% off food every Wednesday throughout September, so you can enjoy a better bargain than ever with your scrumptious fried buttermilk chicken or halloumi nuggets, and more!

See the menu and book your table here.

Quiz night Tuesday at the Elephant Pub

Test your general knowledge against the rest of the regulars at this Woolton Pub, back with its weekly quiz night.

The fun starts at 9pm and you can book a table beforehand to get 2-4-1 burgers or pizzas. 

To book call one of the team to book on 0151 909 3909, email bookings@theelephantwoolton.co.uk or go online here.

Walk the Wirral Way!

This is a great walk (or cycle ride) that runs through the Wirral countryside and along the coastal estuary of the River Dee, following the track bed of part of the former Birkenhead Railway route from Hooton to West Kirby.

You start off at Hooton Railway Station and head towards Neston entering Wirral Country Park along the way, before heading along the coastline path, past Heswall and Thurstaston before finishing at West Kirby.

And there’s loads to see and enjoy along the way, from woodlands to wildlife and some of the best views.

Find out more here.

Check out the new Asian Fried Chicken restaurant, Jollibee

With so many concerns about the hospitality industry in the city post-Covid, it’s great to see so many new places opening.

So when you’re next in town, for work or the shops – or just to enjoy the food and drink – why not check out new Asian fried chicken restaurant Jollibee in Whitechapel with its Chickenjoy, Jolly Spaghetti, and Yumburgers.

They describe the menu as a ‘joyous mashup of Western comfort food served with a Southeast Asian twist’. Well we’re intrigued – aren’t you?!

Visit the website here.

Liverpool Theatre Festival kicks off with Swan Song starring Andrew Lancel

Liverpool actor Andrew Lancel is well known for his telly roles in The Bill and, especially, Corrie bad boy Frank Foster, but he’s made a name for himself on stage too with roles in The Man Who Made The Beatles and Cilla The Musical.

Now he’s now back on stage in the city and set to raise the curtain on the Liverpool Theatre Festival, in Swan Song, a one-man comedy by Jonathan Harvey about the lack of investment in education and respect for teachers.

Liverpool Theatre Festival will be held at St Luke’s Bombed-Out Church from September 11-19 with 12 productions over 9 days, and Swan Song will be the first with two performances at 6pm and 9pm.

For tickets, go to Ticketquarter here.

Shop local at The Nest on the Albert Dock which is now reopen

We’re delighted to see The Nest back open again and if, by chance, you haven’t been in here, perhaps it’s time to spread your wings and stick your beak inside.

Now at The Dock for more than two years, artist Katherine Caldwell has created a beautiful space to showcase the work of other local makers: supporting the city’s independent talent, and offering souvenir hunters and shoppers the chance to buy something unique and irresistible. It’s great for all those special little gifts.

Visit the website here.

Cheese & Wine evening at Calderstones Park

Join charity The Reader at a Cheese & Wine Evening in one of Liverpool’s loveliest parks? Don’t mind if we do.

It takes place in the Theatre Room at the Mansion House, teaming up with two favourite local suppliers for an evening of the best in cheese and wine.

Tickets for the event, hosted by Mike Stoddart from Oddbins, are £30, and you’ll explore six of his favourite wines, each complemented by a tasty treat from Liverpool Cheese Company.

Find out more and pre-book here.

Staycation at the Secret Garden Suite at Urbanista Hotel, Bold St with your own private terrace and makeup station

Get together with family or just your other half for a staycation at one of city’s best new hotels.

Situated in the Ropewalks conservation area, it’s perfectly placed for all the great bars, restaurants and attractions Liverpool has to offer – although when we tell your what IT has to offer, you might not even want to leave the Bold Street hotel.

The Secret Garden Suite is one of four specially designed suites. It can welcome up to six guests, has a beautiful ensuite, chic lounge and dressing area and access to its own private courtyard.

Check in and check it out…

Check out the hotel here.

Lerpwl opens on the Royal Albert Dock

There’s little, if anything, not to love about this latest restaurant opening at the Royal Albert Dock.

For starters, it’s owned by Ellis and Liam Barrie, brothers who are originally from Liverpool and have already opened Marram Grass in Anglesey to much acclaim. So now it’s our turn.

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

We know Ellis found further fame on the Great British Menu and recently on the new-look Ready, Steady, Cook, but for us it will be Ready, Steady, Eat… and Enjoy.

Book your table here.

Take a walking Liverpool Food Tour on Friday

What a way to see and sample the city!

With a Taste of Liverpool Walking Tour, you get to try many different culinary delights in a three-hour guided food tour, with at least five food/drink stops (local independents) courtesy of a knowledgeable, experienced and passionate guide.

You do it in a small, intimate group of up to four and you’re guaranteed a wide variety of amazing foods and flavours.  Something to really get your teeth into…

Book your place here.

Try the new crazy pool at the new look Roxy Hanover Street 

Game on! It’s great news that the Hanover Street bar, restaurant and leisure space is back open and, if you’ve never played Crazy Pool – what are you waiting for?

It’s a mash up of Crazy Golf and Pool and costs £8 for 8 holes … all make sense now?! But whether you’re playing Crazy Pool, shuffleboard, or plain old ping pong at Roxy Ball Room, you can have a great time with your mates and enjoy a craft beer or a classic cocktail.

Find out more here.

Watch new movie Tenet at the Crosby Plaza

The Plaza Community Cinema is one of the few remaining indie cinemas, and it’s run by volunteers – so why not support it, so it can provide you with a unique and intimate cinema that shows the latest blockbusters, as well as film-based education programmes for schools, the voluntary sector and the general public.

It’s currently showing Christopher Nolan’s action thriller Tenet, starring John David Washington, Kenneth Branagh and Robert Pattinson. Armed with only one word – Tenet – and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist (Washington) journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.

It’ll probably make your head hurt, but it’s still a cracking watch in a great environment.

Book tickets here.

Disco in the park at Sefton Park Palm House Friday and Saturday

Ooh, get your dancing shoes on and get set for a ‘soiree the park’ as the Palm House prepares to disco!

Special guests are promised for the event which runs from 4pm to 10pm on Friday and 3pm to 10pm on Saturday.

DJ Fat Tony, Mighty Mouse (Glitterbox), Mark Armstrong, Liam Ross, and Guy Burns will be in the line-up and, as well as the best disco and house soundtrack, you can expect a socially safe outdoor garden gathering in the grounds of the Grade II Listed Palm House with cocktails, beers, spirits and Prosecco, and more special guests to be announced soon.

To book a table go to the website here.