Thanks to amicable staff, decent mix of customers and number of bright and jolly world flags…read morestapled to the ceiling, the Wellington tends to comes across as one of the more welcoming of the local pubs on Wavertree High Street. Its regular-propping L-shaped bar leads off in both directions to comfortable wooden back rooms that can cater a good wake. That was one of my experiences of this place, okay? It wasn't just a staggeringly specific example of what you yourself could get up to. Standing outside at night and peering down the bleak emptiness of Wellington Road, the pub begins to feel like its standing on a frontier into more uncertain territory. This is why I packed in my habit of standing on pub doorsteps in favour of sitting inside pondering where else I can avoid.

The Wellington, or "The Welly" as it's apparently affectionately known, although I have never heard…read moreof anyone refer to it as that. Anyhow, firstly it killed me to go into a pub where all the signs outside have at least one spelling or grammatical error! From the outside, The Wellington doesn't look much, it looks like a typical old man's pub. However, inside it's a bit warmer and friendlier. The staff are lovely and will chat to anyone who walks up to the bar, but it is a proper locals pub. The drinks are a decent price and the space is quite pleasant as their are functions rooms towards the back.

Just...just no. Even…read moreas somebody who would happily drink alone surrounded by men who were already pensioners the day I was born, I still found the Sandown a pill too bitter to swallow. This is a shabby, scabby, crappy Wavertree pub infested with society's dregs and an unhealthy predilection to karaoke. Even though there were only about eleven customers in the place when I visited, they still insisted that the horrible caterwauling be cranked up to a volume that would knock the eruption of Krakatoa into a cocked hat. Sitting in my gloomy corner (I wouldn't let the barmaid turn the light on) I was forced to look upon my unfinished pint as a chore whose completion would allow me to escape, the very antithesis of a good drink. No thanks, Sandown.

You could easily walk past The Sandown without even noticing it. It is along Wavertree High Street…read morewhere there are many pubs and bars but The Sandown is a bit further down the street all on its own. The exterior wouldn't entice you in and once you're inside, you probably wouldn't be thrilled. It is a quiet local's pub where you can the local ales and beers - it's usually full of older men who sit at the bar for hours on end or tradesmen who have finished work for the day. Basically, it's not really my kind of place, but if that's what you're after it's probably perfect.

On a road of pretty rough-looking drinking pits, the Thatched House still manages to stretch head…read moreand shoulders above the rest to be crowned the place you should be least likely to visit. Despite the fact the music, all sixties classics, was irritatingly good and the quiz machine already had a free pound in it, these did little to heave the place out of my very specific mental category of 'Can I leave now?' Also, in 2002, an innocent 27-year old man was gunned down in this pub, caught in the crossfire of a revenge shooting aimed at somebody else. You can weigh up 'free quiz machine' against 'accidental homicides' till the cows come home but I know which one presses most firmly on me when ascertaining a pub's value.

The Thatched House provided the setting for a fatal shooting of an innocent man in 2002 . I was…read morewarned when I first moved to Liverpool, to never enter this pub, and until very recently I never have. I live literally a stone's throw away from the Thatched House and that has never persuaded me to go for a drink in here, in fact it has completely put me off. If you walk past the Thatched House, you're bound to find a couple of drunken old fella's stood on the doorstep with string vest, a pint in one hand and a fag in the other. Hardly a singing endorsement. Basically, I'd avoid at all costs.

Large menu with varied meat,vegan and vegetarian options. Fellow diners had vegan scouse (stew),…read moreHummus w/toast points, salt n pepper fries and I had beet root and feta salad. Nice large portions so everyone could share. Service was friendly and efficient. Outdoor beer garden, dog friendly and free large parking lot. Great place to enjoy a game.

This is one of those locals for all walks of life. When I was last here, the vibe was positive and…read morefilled with excitement, which was perfect for my visiting guest from the US! She was in love with this "pub" setting, yet it was more than she had expected. The interior of the Dovey is a bit jumbled with walls and columns and steps to other areas, but there is so much seating for everyone. Despite all the expansive space available, the interior is very warming and homey: the dark wood filling the space, the original tiled flooring, and the bits of vintage pub decor dotting the nooks. I've visited the Dovey on a few occasions, but I think it gets better with each visit. Definitely recommend this local for anyone residing in Allerton or anyone visiting Penny Lane. Great atmosphere and very inviting! Oh, and dog-friendly!

Situated off the beaten track of Picton High Street (emphasis on the word 'beaten') means the…read moreEdinburgh can remain a comfortingly traditional pub, as opposed to nearby boozers which feel like poorly-renovated smack dens. With its ramshackle furniture cluttering the back room, green leather benches skirting the walls and resident little doggy scratching its rear on the underside of the tables, there's a gratifying rusticity to the Edinburgh. The place feels well lived-in, yet in good nick. The fact the said leather upholstery isn't patched and slashed to buggery makes me think that this is solely a haunt of the non-thuggish.

fab local pub,busy every evening good variety of drinks available…read morestaff are great bunch.

Kelly's dispensary is a bit different to the many other pubs on the Smithdown road and this is no…read morebad thing at all. Being different is certainly a good thing and this place really make it work to their advantage. The atmosphere here is always good and the decor is excellent too and it all makes for a really wholesome pub experience. The thing I enjoy most about this pub is the range of beers on offer, they have real ales and bottles of beer from all around the world and I felt it was my duty to try as many of these as possible and I can safely say it made for a good time. The crowd in here tend to be older but this doesn't affect the atmosphere it just means that rather than having a rowdy bunch of students you have a rowdy bunch of middle aged men and the occasional drunken fool like me lounging around in the corner. Good times

When Queen Victoria's fourth son, Alfred, visited Liverpool in 1866, he stayed in the Grange, a…read morelarge house that stood in grounds that are now the Mystery. As a result, Wavertree underwent a short Alfie craze. The narrow road running past the Grange was renamed, from Cow Lane to Prince Alfred Road. Nowadays if you follow this road onto the High Street you'll come to the Prince Alfred pub, a place I'm annoyed I've ever missed. The tavern is surprisingly lovely inside, with dark wooden timbers flanking a huge fireplace and soft red seats whose fabric inexplicably isn't stained or ripped. It's a miracle! The only thing that doesn't fit is the music. It's all dance tracks which fail sublimely to match the burly barman and polished horse brasses. What would Alf think?

A little pub on Wavertree High Street which is bustling of a night at the weekend but a very…read moredifferent market to that of Allerton Road. The Clock always seems to have great promotional offers on it's drinks. It's a family friendly pub but it wouldn't be the first place I would go if I had kids. I'd say it's more for the sort of person who fancies a pint after a hard days work - but there's nothing wrong with that. Not a bad pub, but not the "coolest" place to hang out.

Some might say you can't beat the Clock but I'm against the Clock. I'd rather run out the Clock. I…read moremight even punch the Clock. There we go. That's four of your five puns a day, right there. Standing less than 100ft from the Picton clock tower is this threadbare pub for locals. Since I shuffled in at about 10pm on a Wednesday evening, it'd be stupid if I criticised it for being empty...but it was. Finding two new customers approaching, the barmaid asked if we wanted to do the quiz. We declined, unaware that she technically wasn't asking, she was telling. A few minutes later we were sat, baffled and with pen in hand, as each question was followed by a witty riposte from each regular in turn. My favourite was "Eee lad! Don't have a go at Neil Armstrong! He's my ancestor!" to which the quizmaster said "But he's still alive!" The Clock isn't the worst place ever. The drinks are unnaturally cheap, we were plied with free pub snacks and the customers are all boisterously affable, it's just that I'd rather spend a night stapling my tonsils to Concorde than go back..

Went during a Liverpool game and it was a lot of fun. Service was pretty quick considering how many…read morepeople there were. Decent price for beers.

If you're a student with a few quid in your pocket and you're looking for somewhere to go for a…read morequick drink, something to eat and a game of pool - The Brookhouse is the place to go. The pub is massive, there are two sides to it, the left has a loungey type of feel with the pool tables and sofas; whereas the other side seems more civilised with a chairs and tables set up. I was on a work "away day" once and suggested the pub to a few of my older colleagues - lets just say as soon as I left for home, they left for a different place. I've given The Brookhouse 4 stars, but bare in mind, that's if you're a student or under the age of 30. I wouldn't have thought anyone else would be really interested. The drinks offers throughout the week are a bonus!