Motel Bar is probably the most unassuming place in Liverpool. We visited earlier in the year and,…read moreafter a heavy lunch and walk around the shops this weekend, we were desperate to find somewhere quiet and totally chilled for a drink. Outside, there's no real signage - just a red neon light, shining the word "motel" onto Fleet Street. If you've seen the episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia where they discuss removing the sign for the bar purely to get people interested, this set up might feel familiar. There's little else around it of note; to be honest, if you're a regular in this part of town, you've probably walked past it without a second thought. Perhaps you even thought it was an actual Motel (as did a few people when we were sat having our drink...) The bar is dark, completely disheveled, and totally impossible not to fall in love with. The guy behind the bar was brilliant, turning down the music to have a chat with us about the film that was playing - True Romance - and to see if we wanted anything else to drink. The art around the room, from more neon signs to scratchy illustrations, means there's always something to look at, and the music on this occasion was a great mix of acoustic sets. The menu is simple, with a wide selection of cocktails, a few bottle/draught beer options, and some cider. They do food, though this probably depends on the number of people in the bar at the time, and give you two options; build your own tacos, or a hot dog with all the trimming. Perfect soaking up alcohol food. Note that the minimum spend on card is £10. There's an upstairs area where The Anfield Wrap is sometimes filmed, and otherwise appears to be used for small gigs or private parties. I'm guessing the place totally transforms when it comes to the evening drinking scene, but can imagine it's just as laid back and friendly as it is during the day. Add it to your list.

Motel Bar is a quirky dive bar located on Fleet Street, the backstreet of Liverpool Concert Square…read more If you're a fan of a quite drink with friends in an alternative bar with a broody personal atmosphere, this place is for you. The Motel Bar is quite difficult to find for the untrained eye as it's on a backstreet and its interior is concealed behind a plastic curtain making it easy to walk past without giving it a second glance. For those lucky to stumble across it on a whim (such as myself) will find that it is a cool place with an interesting vibe and mostly likely end up returning. Their alcohol prices are average and they have a decent selection, they also have a good deals on cocktails too with various to choose from (however cocktails are not my drink of choice so I cannot make a good observation on their taste). The only gripe I do have with this place is they do not seem median with their music volume, the music will sometimes go from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds which can interrupt a quite drink and trigger you to leave and "find somewhere quieter", although this only seems to happen at late afternoon/night time which is kind of justifiable. In conclusion I do like the Motel Bar and the atmosphere it provides as always seem to return if I am in town, I would recommend this bar to anyone seeking a quirky ulterior to usual drinking places.

The Swan is my favourite pub. I have been a regular here for many years and I never get tired of…read moreit. The Swan is the sort of place you can walk into at any time and you're guaranteed to know someone in there. If you don't know anyone then you soon will. The staff and customers are welcoming and friendly. They re happy to leave you to your own devices or put the world to rights with you if you so desire. The pub is full of characters from cheeky student types, to pensioners without whom the pub might actually fall down. The bar has won many awards from CAMRA - the campaign for real ale. There is a large range of real ales, mostly from the local brewery Cains. The ales are changed often but a couple of old favourites such as Wobbly Bob have been there for years. There is also a huge range of spirits, bottled beers, continental beers, alcopops, wine and ciders available. There are 3 floors in the Swan inn. The ground floor is the most spacious and has a large bar with bar stools, and stools, pews and tables. Upstairs is smaller but a bit brighter. There is also a mezzanine level which is the newest floor. This is a good space to grab early on in the night if you are expecting a large group of people. The jukebox on the ground floor has long been known to be the best in Liverpool. Upstairs is a video jukebox which is updated regularly. During the day time there is a small selection of food available which is inexpensive and very tasty. I love this pub, I would recommend it to anyone. I particularly like quiz night which is every Thursday. I would class the Swan Inn as a Rock pub but it welcomes everyone.

The Swan is a bit more of an Ugly Duckling as far as pubs are concerned and the clientele more akin…read moreto the AJ lot minus the students. This gives it an edge however, it's individual and stands out with it's never say die attitude. With gothic grime and leather jackets tattooed with Metallica being the most fashionable in the home of Dragon Force and Whitesnake, you have to be tolerant of such music, have very selective hearing or a monopoly of the jukebox to survive. But if you can get past this, or have a secret love of Bon Jovi (I haven't seen him live I promise...well, maybe once.) then it's a great place to come. I can usually be found here pre-FACT viewing for cheaper booze than the cinema and a more down-to-earth watering hole, complete with hard rock. Where can I get some piercings? It's rubbing off on me.

Big Hands is an essential watering hole before a Gig or even if you just happen to be in the…read morevicinity. It has a really nice relaxed atmosphere even when it is crammed full of sweaty Metal Heads (as it usually is for the type of Gigs I go to). If I lived near by then it would be my local so that I could go in and play a game of guess who is playing a gig by the punters attire and general appearance. If you happen to pop in to play this game (Soon to be screened on BBC1). and see me in there, then be assurred that there is about to be Metal of the highest quality going down \m/

I have a confession to make in that I've been living in Manchester for 7 years now and had never…read moreactually been to Big Hands until last Friday. Basically it was one of those places where people would say "yeah big hands is great" "oh you know what it's like" - and I'd just nod and smile thinking damn I'll get there one day! Ok so it is pretty out on a limb being up by MRI hospital and surprisingly close to the Manchester Academy music venues, making it pretty popular I guess before gigs. Again I'm not really sure why it wasn't on my horizon before this but basically I would always go to Kro across the road before gigs at the Academy. The bar looks tiny from outside but is surprisingly spacious throughout and has a lot more room in the back. It has a real 'neighbourhood bar' feel about it and the staff were pretty friendly, plus they were playing great music at a volume that you could actually chat over even though it was about 12.30am. A good selection of craft beer and some good beers on tap, it was great to also see the Okells beer from the Isle of Man represented in the bottle fridges.

Great restaurant. All the food options were excellent and I certainly enjoyed every meal I had here…read moreduring this week.

I've been occasionally popping into the West Coast Rock Café on trips to Blackpool for years, to…read morethe degree that I could've sworn I'd already reviewed it, but on checking my previous reviews, I apparently haven't, which is something I will remedy right now! Everybody who knows Blackpool knows of West Coast Rock, and anyone who is a visitor and who doesn't, should make the effort to find out, because it's well worth hunting out its blink-and-you'll-miss-it tiny front entrance, which comprises of nothing but a door with a staircase leading upwards, and some bright yellow signage. It's near the tower. It bills itself as a family restaurant and music venue, but it is what in the USA would be known as a Dive Bar. That's not an insult in any way, it's their term for a place that is rough around the edges, casual, with a focus on good casual food and drinks, and usually live music. West Coast Rock Cafe is big on all of these, and their style inside is dark red walls and ceilings, painted wall art and illustrations, even illustrations on the tables, and old furniture. It works. It works really well for what they're doing. The service is casual and friendly, staff treat everyone like regulars and smiles are always in view. The menu is burgers, steaks, sandwiches, classic American favourites, and some Mexican options. All the burgers are named with tongue in cheek and a sense of humour, ie a plain hamburger is called "The Boring Burger", and the rest of the menu shares the same fun and casual style, as well as the same style illustrations from around the restaurant too. This time round we ordered a Double Decker Club Sandwich from the West Coast Favourites section, and a Hill Street Blues Burger. Waiting for your food here is perfectly pleasant too, because as well as the excellent music videos playing and music generally, the restaurant is on the first floor with wrap-around windows, making it great for people-watching over the pedestrianised streets. The food arrived pleasantly presented. The burger was juicy, with oozy blue cheese topping caramelised onions and mushrooms, which really kicked the flavour up a few notches. The club sandwich was surprisingly filling, and with the addition of cucumber in the mix, it really gave the sandwich a bit of bite and pop. The fries on both meals were lovely and crisp and hot. One thing we noticed was that the burger came with a sauce, and we couldn't quite place what it was, was it a chilli mayo or a paprika mayo? We asked the server who told us that it was the chef's so-called 'dirty sauce', made with ingredients such as mayo, Cajun spices, and lime juice. Thing is, it's a really nice sauce, and not even mentioned on the menu, when it deserves to be, because it was something created not bought. The food was excellent as always, and once again even though we didn't get a starter, we had no room for dessert. I swear one day I'll be able to manage a dessert at West Coast Rock Cafe... in fact some day I might go JUST for dessert... maybe to try The Fudgezilla, but I don't know if I could bring myself to go to Blackpool and to West Coast, and NOT have their delicious food! Give it a try, it's fun, it's casual, and it's good quality. It won't break the bank either.

Lovers of both Yardbird and Motel - and generally huge fans of everything meat - we knew we had to…read morebook in to Death Row Diner on our recent anniversary weekend in Liverpool. Booked in for 8pm on a Saturday night, we headed down the incense scented steps and descended into the darkness of the restaurant. The front of house desk is a slot machine, and we were pointed in the direction of the bar to wait until our table was ready. The drinks menu includes cocktails, hard shakes and floats, beer, wine, and cider. Not wanting to start down the road of a white wine hangover the next day, I opted for a cider. Not having any names I recognised, I went for a Jeramiah Weed - tasting not unlike JD & coke, it was unusually delicious! Our table took about 15/20 minutes to be ready, for which the front of house were eternally apologetic and resulted in a free round of drinks, but this just meant we had some time to take in our surroundings. We're talking neon, bricks, bars, wire, photos of criminals, doors marked with incoherent numbers, and boxes marked in the same way to represent convict's belongings. The menu contains everything you could wish for; wings, ribs, fried lasagne bites (yes please), burgers, fries, and steak. Unfortunately for us, they didn't have the lasagne bites, mac & cheese, or bacon wrapped maple onion rings - but we sure made up for it... Our table contained a whole butter basted poussin, bbq brisket, chorizo fried waffles, wings with both tequila lime & frank's buffalo hot sauces, padron peppers, two portions of fries, and two portions of slaw. Served up in the same aluminium trays as Yardbird, it's a down and dirty style of eating (though knives and forks are obviously provided!) Top items had to be the poussin, with a perfectly crispy skin, and the chorizo fried waffles, with little pieces of chorizo and a spicy chipotle sauce. Padron peppers, which are currently a personal obsession, provided a vegetable on the table, and the slaw was vinegar based rather than mayonnaise, meaning extra greenery that I could get involved with. Wings had a nice spice, though I've come to the conclusion I prefer the sauce based kind, rather than the breaded ones served up. Although the brisket had the perfect texture, there was a bit too much bbq sauce for my personal taste. Desserts included fried oreos, ice cream 'sliders' with brioche, and pecan pie - that's if you have enough room... A great meal with friendly service; hopefully next time we can have room for something sweet!

I'm quite surprised to be the first person to be reviewing this place. It's by the same guy as…read moreYardbird and reviews elsewhere are 5*. I went here for a friend's birthday on my first visit to Liverpool. I'd heard great things about their other restaurants and so had high expectations. I was dubious about a Death Row themed restaurant - I'm not sure the theme sits well with me and I do feel it's in poor taste. However if you have the nerve to go for such an out-there concept then I figure you've got to be good at what you do. DECOR - I wanted MORE from them. There's a photo and document for an inmate for the 80s on one wall, and illustrations of other creepy looking guys on another. We were sat in booths, and there was some wire fence to break up the space. Neon signs adorned the walls along with a few old-style prison phones. But I felt like they should have pushed it further. If you're going to call yourself Death Row Diner I want to be seated in a cell or have some metal bars in the room. COCKTAILS - I ordered the 'No Vaseline' - a Chambord, blueberry and lemon cocktail. It was wonderful. Sadly I spilt most of it, but was enjoying it so much I ordered a new one. The second one was a bit stronger than the other so must have been mixed by somebody nice, but was still good. The £7.50 price seemed reasonable by my London standards. FOOD - They have a good range of options. Whether you want to play it safe with a classic cheeseburger or half chicken, or try something a bit different like brisket or beef burger with shrimp. It also means there should be a price to satisfy everyone. The starters/sides are possibly the most inventive options. I tried the bacon wrapped onion rings (still prefer batter) and the deep fried lasagne bites (amazing). For my main I ordered the chilli burger. Really tasty but I only managed half with all the other bits I'd eaten. The food was served in metal trays. I'm not sure this really worked and seemed at odds with the plastic tray they used on the branding of their menus. Ultimately I was underwhelmed by it all. Had they not chosen this name I probably would've been more impressed by it all. But if you go with a theme you have to take it all the way. Would I go again? Yes. Would I try somewhere else first? Certainly.

Infinitely more pleasant than the Faculty next door, Slaters is still crummy enough to warrant two…read morestars. It does exactly what it sets out to do (i.e. be the dive bar to end all dive bars) but it's still the kind of place you need eighteen litres of ethanol swamping through your arteries before you can begin to enjoy it. The clientele are a mixed bunch. One half resemble the cast of Skins, the other look like Billy Elliot's dad. Infamously, the home of the 'Quad Vod', when I got one of these drinks, I found it to be half a single at best, while my mate had half a bottle of Asda Smart Price vodka in his coke. I got the feeling they'd just sloshed whatever amount of alcohol they felt like into the glass, with the inkling that nobody would bother saying anything. Shame on you, Slaters.

Slaters, the self acclaimed 'College of Knowledge', is somewhere you want to go if you want to get…read moreroaring drunk and still have change of a £20 note. Not just a karaoke bar, this has built its reputation on quad vods served in pint glasses (4 shots of vodka) with a bottle of WKD to top it up. And by heck is it popular. Not being a vodka drinker myself, I've always asked why they can't do four whiskeys instead, but apparently the name wouldn't catch on. This is a massive student pub and as a result, looks a bit grotty. Its had a relatively recent facelift on the exterior, but not a lot, if anything, has changed inside. Nobody cares though, because the music is like the stuff from your favourite radio station combined with that mix tape you made when you were younger, and the quad vods soon dim most people's senses. This place is right up there with The Raz as somewhere you have to go to if only for the experience.

This is one of my favourite bars in Liverpool. Set slightly below the pavement you can see the…read moreworld walk on by above you as you sip on a particularly well-made cocktail. They have a great selection and they're fairly cheap ranging from £3 to £5 for Singapore slings and I would recommend 'Hello Sailor!' as a personal favourite of mine- Sailor Jerrys, you are heavenly. I went inside in the day which and found it relatively empty. However, the food was really bloody good (Since when did Django's serve food? I here you say.); simple menu, but I could have eaten 3 of those Jerk chicken burgers...well if I wasn't so busy drinking cocktails. It's definitely a place which comes alive in the evening when it's usually rammed with the DJ playing dub-step. It's a great atmosphere and I'd say it's the bar to start a late night out.

I have two words to say about Django's: uber cool. This is the attitude that most the clientele…read morehave anyway! I'd say it appeals to those a little older, probably 23 plus, as the atmosphere is less commercial, and very chilled out. The music is up to date with live bands and DJ's on a regular basis, it's a really cool place to chill and chat with friends before you head on for the rest of your night. I suggest getting here early because it does get realllly busy as it's so popular, and you can be left waiting for ages at the bar. The decor fits the sort of people you will find in Django's - grungey. As you can expect, it's not the cleanest place... especially the toilets. This is the only downside to the bar, but it seems that the "cool as" staff don't really care! I recommend the cocktails.

Blue Angel or The Razz as it is sometimes known is an experience that a student in Liverpool must…read morehave. The decor is shabby the toilets are awful and it is a sweaty and crowded mess at times but this is all part of the appeal. If you are a student searching for a hedonistic night of heavy drinking during the week then you could do alot worse than visit Blue Angel. The entry fee is two pound and various selected drinks are only a pound each, the speciality however is fat frogs a lethal mix of alcohol which is bright green and is a ridiculously cheap £3.00 for two pints! The music in Blue Angel is pure cheese, any anthemic and cheesy classic you can think of will be played and the crowd will love it. Another interesting note is that Blue Angel is officially the easiest place to pull in the UK so singletons should get on down there. It is not tidy or clean and it certainly isnt classy but Blue Angel is too much fun to turn down!

So have we established that this place is affectionately called The Raz not simply The Blue Angel…read moreas written above the door? What about the fact it's really s**t? The Raz is one of the most awful places in town and is likely to be filled with teachers and ex-students clinging to university days as it is with students who can dance ironically to the cheesey music because it's fun and stuff! It's obviously not my thing but if you like undrinkable beverages - everyone knows never to by a pint here - and The Foundations' Build Me Up Buttercup then this is the place for you. It's just a laugh though isn't it! The Raz is more complex than I make out, however, as it dispels the idea that it is only edgey, underground clubs that create vast swathes of sweat dripping from the ceiling and rivers of urine collecting near the toilets, this cute disco friendly place beats them all hands down.

The nineties are old school now? Hang on, weren't they just.....um....oh holy Christ on a stick!…read more1995 was fifteen years ago! Where in blue blazes did that time go? My memory completely blacked out this place and it wasn't until I checked out their Facebook profile that the memories came rushing back like gullet phlegm. Although it's more of a nineties club than the other place across the road, the Old Skool 90s Bar's soundtrack will never really appeal to my sensitive musical palate. Classic dance anthems from your yoof do indeed crop up, but since they're little more than classic dance anthems, I won't be booking my wedding here. Better to just revisit your own 90s memories than come here.

Still coming to terms with the fact that people treat the nineties as 'old school' now. Ok, 1990…read morewas twenty years ago, but dammit stop making me feel old! Old Skool is a slightly better alternative to the 90s bar over the road, if only because the spaces are smaller and encourage a bit more impromptu dancing and chatting. Last time I was here it was a bit of a desperate move as me and my mate were trying to ditch the double dates we had, so ducked into this place. We actually had a fairly decent time here, but then we stayed for less than an hour. It's a nice trip down memory lane and there's some really good club anthems that gets everyone going, but I still can't get to grips with a 90s bar. It's just weird!

If you're a fan of the show or of beer, you won't be disappointed here! What a great, huge venue…read moreand an amazing atmosphere. It has ambiance with the bar tenders dressed like the show. It's a limited true craft beer destination with most drafts being mainstream. Cheers