Secret Liverpool 3: Even more hidden gems to explore in our city

We have absolutely no problem shouting about what is great in our city, but there are always things that go unnoticed, sometimes completely on purpose.

In part 1 and part 2 of our secret Liverpool series we got you in on the ground level to some of the city’s best underground events and venues, and we’re not stopping there.

Vintage Shops

Liverpool is awash with vintage stores as the trend takes over the world. From Bold Street to The Baltic Triangle, you can’t move an inch in the heart of the city without falling into a new pair vintage jeans or a retro jacket. The biggest, and perhaps most tucked away is Red Brick Vintage in Cain’s Brewery – a warehouse full with vintage clothes and furniture. The basement of Bold Street’s COW opens out into a bottom floor of colour, Pop Boutique recently upgraded venues and many more retailers offer exclusive sections of the store pure for the retro and vintage. Top-secret tip – if vintage trainers are your thing, then head to Transalpino above Soho on Bold Street.

Rococo

We’re certainly not short of a place or two to grab a coffee in Liverpool and, we don’t mean to overlook all the cracking coffee houses across the city centre, but Rococo is one that you may not even have known was there. Located directly above the EE Shop on Lord Street, Rococo is a Victorian Tardis of a cafe. The narrow doorway leads to mountain of stairs that open out into three rooms that make you feel like you’ve just stepped through a portal to Paris. The food is great, the coffee is great, but it’s all about the escape – it’s all about feeling like you’ve discovered your own little world.

More info on the website here.

Hobo Kiosk

Much like Rococo, Hobo Kiosk is another hole in the wall that you may walk past everyday and not even realise is there. This little secret store specialise in vintage and mid-century furniture and home ware. They describe themselves as stocking “up-cycled doo-dahs” and salvaging “industrial treasures, vinyl, comics, magazines, Cards and local art”. This small, independent bazaar is in the heart of the Baltic Triangle, right on Jamaica Street, and hopes to make you feel at home when you enter and leave you with at least a smile when you leave.

Give them a like on Facebook here.

Music Studios – The Motor Museum

Liverpool is one of the biggest cities in the world for exporting music, and you have of course heard of the cities premier venues such as The Cavern Club, but where were all those hits recorded? Well, Parr Street is one of the biggest names as part of the studio is now a venue, but The Motor Museum is what we want to talk about today. Tucked away on a side street, off Lark Lane, The Motor Museum is a huge oasis that you would never know is there. Complete with palm trees, The Motor Museum has welcomed the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, The 1975 and The Coral through its doors, amongst many others.

More info on the website here.

Western Approaches

How about exploring the actual place that is known to have won us World War 2? You have probably walked past Western Approaches lots and wondered what’s below? Dust-covered artefacts and archives are being discovered daily during the renovation of the bomb-proof and gas proof building, which has a seven-foot roof, three feet deep walls and hundreds of rooms covering more than 30,000 square feet. Big Heritage have transformed this former secret underground HQ, used to mastermind the Battle of the Atlantic, into an immersive and interactive attraction that will benefit not only history lovers but also those with military interests, school groups, families and tourists alike.

It’s open everyday apart from Wednesday and there’s more info here.

We’re keeping it short and sweet when it comes to revealing more of our cities secrets, but we want to hear what you’re favourite hidden gems are.