Bon Appetit

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• Cafe Porto read more ›
  (14 Rodney Street. Tel. 0151 708 5276)
  Excellent Portuguese offerings, mainly in tapas-sized portions, like salt-cod fishcakes with home-made aioli, and fiery chorizo in a deep-red wine broth, served in cosy, friendly surroundings.
• Kimos read more ›
  (36 Mount Pleasant. Tel. 0151 707 8288)
  Fabulous looking cafe serving fabulously good-value, Mediterranean-based food and great coffee (but no alcohol), near the Lime Street station.
• Cafe 07 read more ›
  (103 Mount Pleasant. Tel. 0151 703 6949)
  A French owner with a Liverpool accent serves baguettes, salads and good coffee in cosy, Gallic-inspired surroundings.
• Cafe Sports Express read more ›
  (10 Thomas Steers Way. Tel. 0151 706 7440)
  Healthy eating on the go and an emphasis on good food. The menu includes pizzas, salads and penne Carragher, a warm pasta salad named after the owner, Liverpool and England footballer Jamie Carragher.
• The Egg Café read more ›
  (16-18 Newington. Tel. 0151 707 2755 )
  The emphasis is on relaxation, with excellent service, soft jazz and fine city views. A mostly vegan menu includes home-made burgers as well as good-quality quiches.
• The James Monro read more ›
  (69 Tithebarn Street. Tel. 0151 236 9700)
  Lunchtime tapas at a New York-style restaurant and bar in the business district include Brooklyn meatballs on spaghetti, which you can up to a main course for £5.

• Uni read more ›
  (67 Renshaw Street. Tel. 0151 709 6587)
  Around for nearly 40 years, a legion of regulars love the little curtained-off cubicles and its reliable, no-nonsense Indian fare at great-value prices.
• Il Forno read more ›
  (East Village, 132 Duke Street. Tel. 0151 709 4002)
  With its impressive pizza oven, bright, contemporary style and lively atmosphere, Il Forno is a good place to stop for pasta or a pizza at any time of the day.
• Olive Press read more ›
  (25-27 Castle Street. Tel. 0151 227 2242)
  The pizzas are fabulous and children are welcome in this pizzeria and grill on the edge of the business district.
• Piccolino read more ›
  (14A Cook Street. Tel. 0151 236 2555)
  Free-range chicken, Tuscan sausages with borlotti beans, and top-notch lasagne are on offer at this bright, airy restaurant serving reliably good Italian fare.
• Las Iguanas read more ›
  (Liverpool One, 14 Paradise Street. Tel. 0151 709 4030)
  Latin American food-from shitake, portobello, button and oyster mushroom fajitas to Puerto Rican paella-is served on the terrace of Liverpool's massive new retail development.
• What's Cooking read more ›
  (Britannia Pavilion, Albert Dock. Tel. 0151 707 2023)
  Handy for the 10,000-seater dockside arena, the diner-style restaurant offers a dozen types of burger, plus burritos, fish and chips, noodles and sandwiches.

• Puschka read more ›
  (16 Rodney Street. Tel. 0151 707 9772)
  Classy but casual bistro serving high-quality British and European dishes - like cod with sherry and chorizo - making use of local, organic and free-range ingredients.
• The Side Door read more ›
  (29A Hope Street. Tel. 0151 707 7888)
  Fish from the North Sea arrives every day at this smart, intimate, restaurant in the Cultural Quarter, which prides itself on using the best local produce.
• Restaurant Bar and Grill read more ›
  (Halifax House, Brunswick Street. Tel. 0151 236 6703)
  Housed in an elegant former banking hall, with a striking cocktail bar, the restaurant's international menu includes teriyaki organic salmon and sausages made from free-range, rare breed pigs.
• read more ›
  
  The à la carte menu changes weekly at this acclaimed restaurant, making wide use of local ingredients like vegetables and fish straight off the boat.
• St Petersburg read more ›
  (7A York Street. Tel. 0151 709 6676)
  With ultra-friendly service, live music and Cossack dancing, Friday and Saturday nights provide probably the best fun to be had in a Liverpool restaurant. The food's good, too!
• Upstairs At The Bluecoat read more ›
  (School Lane. Tel. 0151 702 5324)
  The Bluecoat arts centre restaurant has reopened after a fire, with locally sourced dishes including Shorrock's tasty Lancashire macaroni.

• Panoramic read more ›
  (West Tower, Brook Street. Tel. 0151 236 5534)
  From your seat on the 34th floor, you can enjoy superior food and, on a clear day, views of the Welsh mountains and Blackpool Tower.
• Malmaison Brasserie read more ›
  (William Jessop Way, Princes Dock. Tel. 0151 229 5000)
  The brasserie menu at this swish boutique hotel on the waterfront includes grass-fed, dry-aged steak and roasted, locally grown beetroot and goat's cheese salad.
• Blakes read more ›
  (Hard Day's Night Hotel, Central Buildings, North John Street. Tel. 0151 236 1964)
  Try diver-caught scallops followed by cep and white truffle risotto in stylish surroundings amid Liverpool's first and only Beatles-themed hotel.
• London Carriage Works read more ›
  (40 Hope Street. Tel. 0151 705 2222)
  Multi-award winning chef Paul Askew's modern European menu is widely regarded as offering the best food in town, served by knowledgeable local staff in swish surroundings.
• Fraiche read more ›
  (11 Rosemount, Oxton. Tel. 0151 652 2914)
  There is simply nowhere on Merseyside doing food like this: artful, meticulously constructed modern cuisine with dashes of molecular gastronomy. Be sure to book.
• Panoramic read more ›
  (West Tower, Brook Street. Tel. 0151 236 5534)
  This 34th-floor restaurant offers the best view of the city-and beyond-with a menu boasting line-caught sea bass with caviar, and suckling pig.

After Dark

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• The Pumphouse read more ›
  (The Colonnades, Albert Dock. Tel. 0151 709 2367)
  The former pumping station, refurbished a year ago, is a good place to rest and refresh after taking in the historic dock's attractions.
• The White Star read more ›
  (2-4 Rainford Gardens. Tel. 0151 231 6861)
  One of few traditional town pubs left in the city centre, join the convivial crowd standing round in the bar, or take a seat in the more laid-back 'news room'.
• Thomas Rigby's read more ›
  (23-25 Dale Street. Tel. 0151 236 3269)
  One of the oldest city pubs with an impressive range of world and home-produced beers, and a lunch menu that's popular with the office crowd.
• Everyman Bar and Bistro read more ›
  (5-9 Hope Street. Tel. 0151 708 9545)
  Major changes afoot at the Everyman Theatre mean the basement bistro's future may be limited, so make the most of its lively, creative atmosphere and low-cost, high-quality, daily-changing menu.
• The Ship & Mitre read more ›
  (133 Dale Street. Tel. 0151 236 0859 )
  Regarded as the region's premier real-ale pub, the Ship is a big, lively, cosmopolitan meeting place on the edge of the city centre.
• Fly In The Loaf read more ›
  (13 Hardman Street. Tel. 0151 708 0817)
  Voted Britain's best pub in a BBC radio poll, the Fly is an attractive, atmospheric pub serving about 50 lagers and real ales.

• O2 Academy read more ›
  (11-13 Hotham Street. )
  With a 1,200-seat main hall and more intimate venue near Lime Street Station, post-punk group Echo and the Bunnymen and critically-acclaimed indie rockers The Cribs are on this year's gig list.
• Korova read more ›
  (39-41 Fleet Street. Tel. 0151 709 7097)
  Live music from the basement club, seven nights a week, is streamed into the bar above via retractable TV screens. A focal point for undiscovered talent.
• Bumper read more ›
  (14-18 Hardman Street. Tel. 0151 707 9902)
  Cool, laid-back bar and club in the heart of student country which champions cutting-edge underground sounds. Live music and DJs every night.
• The Hotel California read more ›
  (2 New Chester Road, Tranmere. Tel. 0151 666 1668)
  Safe, friendly live venue for classic rock, punk, metal and indie music, plus tribute bands and DJs, five minutes from Liverpool city centre, near the Mersey Tunnel entrance.
• Barfly read more ›
  (90 Seel Street. Tel. 0151 707 6171)
  This former theatre is one of the best places to catch the music stars of tomorrow. Razorlight and the Arctic Monkeys have both taken a bow here.
• Carling Academy read more ›
  (11-13 Hotham Street. Tel. 0151 707 3200 )
  With a 1,200-seater main auditorium and a more intimate Academy 2, both established and rising stars are showcased here.

• Heebie Jeebies read more ›
  (80-82 Seel Street. Tel. 0151 708 7001)
  Diverse music, much of it live, and a happy crowd have made this characterful club something of a legend among Liverpudlians.
• Le Bateau read more ›
  (62 Duke Street. Tel. 0151 709 6508)
  One of the city's lesser-known nightclubs is nevertheless frequently packed to the rafters. Three floors, two bars, with an eclectic range of music, from jazz to techno, on its dancefloors.
• Newz Bar read more ›
  (18 Water Street. Tel. 0151 236 2025)
  A regular haunt of WAGs and local celebs, Newz has one of the longest bars in Europe and was recently voted one of the worlds's best bars.
• The Magnet read more ›
  (45 Hardman Street. Tel. 0151 709 6969)
  This richly cool, independently owned bar has won a string of awards for its plush, groovy interior, great vibe and good music including jazz, soul and Latin beats.
• The Vocal Rooms read more ›
  (Top Floor, The Rat & Parrot, 2 Queen Square. Tel. 0151 232 1990 )
  The city's first private karaoke venue offers rooms for hire for up to 12 people, with food and drink available at the touch of a button.
• Alma de Cuba read more ›
  (St Peter's Church, Seel Street. Tel. 0151 702 7394)
  The city's most spectacular bar is located in a converted 200-year-old church, complete with high marble altar and thousands of flickering candles.

This month...

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Tips

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