It’s no secret that I like wine. This site is called Wandering and Wine for a reason. However, up until now, my wine travel content has been lacking. To kickstart a new set of articles, I’m sharing the seven best wine bars in Liverpool. It’s the city I call home, and I’ve been exploring the city’s best-loved wine bars for years. Over the years, I’ve frequented all of these multiple times, so you know they’re good. So, let’s get into it.
Queens Bar & Bistro
Located down a beautiful little alleyway off the main drag of Castle Street is Queens Bar & Bistro. This French-inspired eatery has one of the best wine lists in the city centre, due in no small part to being located next door to R&H Wines.
Expect a lot of different French wines on offer, as well as some from further afield, for a surprisingly reasonable price, considering its prime location. The best time to visit is on a summer afternoon, when you can comfortably sit in the front alley with friends. However, there’s also something magical about being there when the twinkle lights start to come on.
Buyers Club
While Buyers Club is probably best known for its incredible pasta dishes and being home to the famous cacio e pepe butter beans, it’s also a haven for wine lovers. Again, R&H Wines has a role to play here, as they’ve recently opened a bottle shop in the bar area.
However, Buyers Club has long had a great wine list with some intriguing pet nat and orange options. They also have seasonal wine fayres and wine festivals that allow you to meet winemakers and check out some interesting varietals that you might not find anywhere else in the city.
Cressington Wine Bar
If you want to venture outside Liverpool city centre (and you really should), jump on the train to Cressington in South Liverpool, around 10 minutes from Liverpool Central Station. A short walk around the corner from the station brings you to the cosy Cressington Wine Bar, which only has a smattering of tables, so it’s worth getting in early.
There’s a small menu of nibbles, including an excellent cheese board and my go-to wine partner of olives. The wine menu rotates pretty frequently, and there’s a good range for such a small bar. They’ve recently expanded out back and have a lovely little terrace for the warmer days, if you don’t want to deal with the crowds in town.
BoBos
Located in the business-meets-leisure capital of the city centre, Castle Street, BoBo specialises in Spanish and Portuguese wine and small bites. As such, you can find delicious cheese and charcuterie, alongside crisp whites and big, bold reds. It’ll nearly always be full from 4-6pm on a weekday with the accountants, lawyers, and other corporates from the offices on Castle Street descending for a quick one.
On weekends and in the evenings, especially in the summer, you can find DJ sets here, and the front opens up, giving some much-needed fresh air. For those of you who love a glass of wine and something small to eat, BoBo has those charcuterie toppers for wine glasses that allow you to enjoy both without a table, perfect for peak times. It’s also close to a lot of the city’s best-loved hotels, so ideal for a short walk to a great bar.
Ropes and Twines
A staple of Bold Street, Ropes and Twines is a beautiful coffee shop slash wine bar. By day, you can enjoy delicious coffee and be surrounded by remote workers and friends having a chat. However, as the day ticks on, the mugs are swapped out for glasses and the amazing range of wines comes out to play.
One of the best things about this wine bar is that it’s also a bottle shop, and there’s an event space downstairs for tastings and private events. So, if you like what you’re having by the glass or at a tasting, you can easily grab a delicious bottle for home. This also means there’s a much wider range of wines than at a lot of city centre wine bars.
Petit Café du Coin
While there are now a few branches of Petit Café du Coin around Liverpool (the new ones are on Lark Lane and Allerton Road), the original is one of the best places in the city for a cosy drink. Emulating the jazz and wine bars of Paris, it’s a warm and inviting spot on the corner by the Chinatown Gate.
As with all good Parisian-style bars, the lighting is low, the music is atmospheric, and there are plenty of charcuterie and cheese boards on hand to help with the copious amounts of delicious wine you’ll be drinking. If you’re looking for a spot for Beaujolais Nouveau day, this is the place to be.
Keith’s
There are some places that’ll always have a special place in your heart. Keith’s is one of them. Located on Lark Lane, Keith’s is an institution when it comes to Liverpool wine bars. It’s been around for 47 years, and there’s a reason why. While it’s not the fanciest place and the glassware isn’t the thinnest, it’s affordable and has a huge range of options.
The giant blackboard behind the bar is updated a lot, and there are always deals to be found on the “bin ends” section for discounted bottles. There’s also a cheap food menu to help soak up the wine. With bottles as low as £15 and glasses for £4-5, it’s always a good night in Keith’s, even if there’s a tendency to get carried away…
