A Liverpool City Guide — Sophie Cliff

So, one of the things I'm really keen to start sharing more of on this blog is travel content based here in the UK. I really love European city breaks and New York will always be my favourite place in the world, but there are also lots of beautiful places right here on our doorstep that I want to explore. It's also much easier to fit a UK trip into a weekend, and with most of next year's annual leave already accounted for with the wedding and honeymoon, some local jaunts might be the perfect solution for my inner travel bug. To kick off the UK travel content, I thought I'd create a little Liverpool city guide following our trip a couple of weeks ago. We only spent 24 hours in the city but my parents only live twenty minutes away so we visit fairly regularly. It's one of my favourite cities in the world - the people are warm and friendly, the nightlife is amazing and the architecture encompasses a beautiful mix of old and new. Liverpool has had such a regeneration since it was the European Capital of Culture in 2008, and you'd be hard pushed to find a better city to spend the weekend in.

I'm hoping that this little guide will inspire you to visit, as well as helping you to find all the best places to eat, drink and stay when you get there...

STAY

- Aloft Liverpool - if you've read my review you'll know that I am totally obsessed with this place, but it really is in the perfect location and the price is very reasonable for a city centre hotel.

- The Titanic Hotel - this hotel is next on my Liverpool hitlist. It's set within one of the old dock buildings and boasts a very beautiful looking spa. Perfect if you're celebrating a special occasion or have a bigger budget to play with.

EAT

- Salt House Tapas - delicious tapas in a laidback and fun environment. We sampled their lunch menu which was incredibly good value and went very well with their house sangria. You must try the roasted belly pork, it was the best I've ever eaten!

- Matou - we wanted somewhere a bit special to eat for my birthday dinner and my sister recommended this Pan Asian restaurant which is set in the Pier Head ferry terminal. The food was to die for and the view of the Royal Liver Building was pretty impressive.

- Leaf - set on trendy Bold Street, Leaf is THE place to head for a tasty breakfast. Their chorizo scrambled eggs were to die for and I loved the little pots that the tea was served in. They also host gigs and events, so worth checking out their website if you're in town.

DRINK

- ExDirectory - the novely of this secret bar is that you enter via a phone booth in the middle of an otherwise empty street. The whole set up tries to emulate the prohibition era and the cocktails are epic - mine came with candyfloss on the side! Enough said.

- The Shipping Forecast - this trendy pub is based in an area of town that is teeming with cool bars and restaurants. The vibe is cosy and kitsch and I've heard the food is pretty good too.

- Bold Street Coffee - Sam is a total coffee nerd and he absolutely loved this place, so it comes on good recommendation. The decor was super pretty and when we visited on Monday afternoont their seemed to be lots of freelancers in there doing their thing.

VISIT

- Tate Liverpool - this iconic art gallery is set on the equally iconic Albert Dock. Expect international modern and contemporary art - they currently have Tracey Emin's "My Bed" on exhibition until September next year.

- Museum of Liverpool - I really love this museum, which captures everything from The Beatles to the rival football clubs. It's definitely a good place to learn more about the local area.

Have you visited Liverpool before? Is there anywhere in particular in the UK that you would like me to create a guide for?