O' Leary's; sounds Irish, doesn't it? Well, that's probably because it is an Irish-themed pub,…read morefunnily enough. I'm not the world's biggest fan of Irish pubs generally, but O'Leary's off Nevill Street is probably the best one in Southport (it may also be the only one these days, but that's beside the point). The pub itself looks quite small from the outside but as you enter it does open up a bit, offering drinkers more than ample space to drink a Guinness or two in relative comfort. The drinks selection isn't too exciting but it is all reasonably priced for the area, even the Guinness. The atmosphere in here as you might expect can get quite lively at times, particularly on Paddy's Day, and there's even live Irish music on sometimes to help get you in the mood if you need any more encouragement.

Very good Irish pub it situated down a side street…read more The staff are very friendly it looks a bit rough from outside but when you walk in your made to feel very welcome. There two levels but we stayed down stairs. It not a bad pint and reasonable prices I liked it in there and defo returning back there when we visit Southport again.

I like this pub been in a couple off time while been in Southport only been in during the day tho…read moreso not had the chance to watch the live bands. When we visit this pub we have always been made very welcome by the staff and locals. They have a large selection off beers wine and spirits they have a nice outdoor seating at the back off the pub the pub is pretty large inside with a centre stage and what caught my eye was at the back off the pub they have a wall were you can sigh it it was brilliant. We will be visiting this pub again and hopefully stay a bit longer to watch the live bands.

Great pub and atmosphere…read more Diverse range of live music over the weekends, great drinks selection and reasonably priced.

Nice pub very friendly staff especially the owner he brilliant very funny great outdoor seating…read morewith the view off marine lake were you can watch the boats going past you. On the other side off the pub you got more seats were you can watch the singer on the centre stage. They got verity of beer wines and spirits and soft drinks they got a good menu but can't comment on the food as Iv not tryed it yet.

Teeny little pub with outdoor and indoor seating and lovely views over the Marine Lake, nothing…read morefancy just essence of Southport.

Waited twenty minutes to be served. Told by two service people someone would be out to serve in two…read moreminutes. When I finally got upset and went in to complain I was told by the bartender to be "patient" and I wasn't gonna get served with my "attitude". Last time in this place for certain.

Breakfast was great, service fast n polite. The bar prices r good, plenty of offers to eat with ur…read moredrink. Best for the 40+ clientele

The Phoenix is a bit of an odd choice for the name of a pub. According to Greek mythology, a…read morephoenix is a mythical firebird with a colourful plumage and tail of gold and scarlet which lives for 500 to 1000 years. Not quite the sort of animal that you'd associate with drinking. But then again, what animal would you associate with drinking? A sloth, perhaps? Name issues aside, The Phoenix is a fairly large pub near to Southport's beach front that serves a good selection of draught lagers and ales on tap all at reasonable prices. It also does food until 9pm everyday, with their menu offering a range of pub classics that are all pretty cheap and can include drinks deals with them as well. The atmosphere in the pub of a daytime is pretty relaxed and casual (unless there's a game on, of course) but at night, the lights go down and the music goes up as a resident DJ gets the party atmosphere going in an attempt to start your night out off in style. This is helped by several great drinks deals, making it one of the cheapest pubs to drink in. All in all, The Phoenix is a very decent place to go if you fancy a drink and a bite to eat or if you're looking for somewhere to begin a messy night out.

This pub is at the top end just off Lord st so its in the perfect location for pre-town drinks! It…read morealways seems to get a good crowd of people in here makin the atmosphere good, they have good offers on drinks and its not too expensive! The food is your average pub grub nothing amazing but it tastes good and does the job and again its reasonably priced.

Lovely and comfortable pub and restaurant with excellent food and attentive but not over the top…read moreservice. Becoming a family favourite.

Very nice food and great service. Little loud for us oldies but we will most definately be back…read morethanks

As my fellow yelper Stu wrote, The Guest House in Southport is a lovely, traditional style pub that…read moreis somewhat hidden away from the busy (and tackier) drinking venues in the town centre. Unlike many pubs and bars in the area, The Guest House offers its customers a quiet and peaceful place to have a few decent pints without being drowned out by loud music or even louder drinkers. The selection of pints on offer there is very good, with a range of cask ales available on draught as well as a good selection of lagers, all available at inexpensive prices. The pub itself is reasonably-sized, meaning you always have ample room to relax and enjoy your drink without fear of anyone committing the cardinal sin of knocking over your pint. It can be quite a walk from the train station, but it is worth trekking to if you can manage to negotiate the confusingly similar looking streets around those parts.

Lovely "Pub-Style" pub!…read more No loud music, traditionally decorated and furnished. A decent choice of beers (including 'guest' cask ales). Small but pleasant area at the back for us anti-social smoking types with lots of plants (it's not big enough for a lawn!) Our favourite venue for a 'quiet couple of pints' when we're in town. The only draw-back is if we take a car; parking in Southport can be a bit problematical with the whole town centre 'pay and display' and not too many parking spaces at that. Better to go by bike, train or bus!

Incredible quality food, great selection, good prices…read more Highly recommend the pork and Stilton duo (right proportions of everything and the onion marmalade beautifully contrasted the Stilton) and the lamb shank (fell off the bone, perfect vegetables). And a special mention of the Southport potted shrimps - hot and delicious. Great, friendly and helpful staff who took our reservation over the phone and served our drinks while we waited for our table to be ready. Good ambiance (carpets make all the difference to the noise levels), but not as busy as we expected for a Saturday lunchtime. Very likely to come back again soon.

Was looking for somewhere just for a quick bite and just passed Fishermens Rest. It mentioned on…read morethe outside how it was one of the top 100 most famous pubs in Britain - although famous for what!! Its a nice enough pub inside. It was just a few days before Christmas so most of the tables were reserved but we found a few tables free. I went for the chilli con carne and my Dad went for steak and ale pie. My chilli was average at best - actually more of a "meh". However, my Dads pie was not good. The meat was so tough that after just one bite he asked them if he could have something else - he went for the gammon. They didn't have any issue with this and it was all no problem. The gammon he got instead was also "OK". Based on just the food it would be a 2/5 but with the service and the interior of the pub - looked like the toilets had recently been refurbed - it gets a 3/5. This is one of those times half marks would be good and it would be a 2.5/5.

The design of this place is super fancy and I like the tables the main meal is very nice I got…read morechicken + cheese and mayo and it was very nice. Jo is very nice (she is a waitress) loves the desert I got chocolate brownie and ice cream 5 stars

This was my local before i moved to Glasgow. Been coming to this pub for years! I used to come with…read moremy family every sunday for sunday lunch, and every christmas day without fail!(i still make the journey down to do this!) Theres 3 parts to the pub the long room which is mainly for the families and meals, then theres the middle part which is more for meals and and people having a quiet drink. Then there is the end bar bit which is where i would go, you get a mixed crowd in this bit from the men who have finished work to the younger people coming here before a nightout and the people watching footy! I miss it and wish i could find a nice cosy pub like this in Glasgow :')

I will always remember this pub fondly as the first place I bought my first pint (legally) and I am…read moresure I am not alone in sharing this landmark with the Cross House. I guess this little story sums up the Cross House's status as a pub for special occasions for me, but never considered as a viable option for my local. The interior is interestingly decorated and the variety of different seating available is excellent, offering many comfortable areas to converse over a few pints. The food served there is nothing special - standard pub fare and priced accordingly - but whenever I have visited the atmosphere has always been warm and inviting, perfect for a birthday or other special occasion. That's the thing though; although it's a very pleasant pub, it just doesn't have the 'feel' of a local. Maybe it's something to do with the distinct lack of odd, drunken regulars (they always seem a respectable lot in there) which I see as a staple of establishments to be considered as my 'local' (is this normal for someone my age? Let's not go there). They also have a weekly quiz night, although it is probably one of the more difficult ones in Formby (only beaten by the Bay Horse) and a lovely outdoor area, perfect for a not-so-warm summer's night with a few bottles of cider.

This is pub I went to on my eighteenth birthday. It wasn't the first place I ever drank - I won't…read morename and shame the pub that served me when I was sixteen - but it was the first place I legally drank. It's a nice pub too, smokefree before it became the law (strange to think there was ever a time when you might come home from a pub stinking of tobacco) and with a gastopub-leaning menu before gastropub really existed (a pub with asparagus on the menu, even if it was a Formby specialty, was unheard of) It has the sort of unpracticed sort of charm, with mismatched furniture and low beams, that only an authentic pub really does, the sort of authentic pub-charm that various branches of Wetherspoons and Slug & Lettuce try to emulate. They have old speckled hen on tap occasional live music and the pub quiz is easily the best to be found in Formby. It's a shame that we hardly seem to go anymore, I'll have to start reliving my eighteenth birthday.