The Best Coffee Shops and Cafes In and Around Liverpool
You’re Never More Than 10 Metres Away From A Coffee Shop In Liverpool, Or So The Saying Might Go. This City Is Jam-Packed With Independent Cafes Serving Your Daily Caffeine Fix With A Side Of Delectable Sweet Treats And Delicious Lunches. But With So Much Choice, It Can Be Hard To Sort The Cappuccinos From The Instant Coffees. Luckily We’ve Tried Them All – Here’s Our Pick Of The Best Cafes And Coffee Shops Liverpool.
Bold Street Coffee @ Santa Maluco
One of Liverpool’s most iconic coffee bars temporarily closed its Bold Street location earlier this year, but the pop-up at Santa Maluco is serving the same specialty coffee, delicious brunch menu and edgy independent vibes from the pizza parlour over on Castle Street.
Set to return to their Bold Street location later this year, we’d still recommend heading across to Castle Street for a pour over coffee and one of their fabulous BSC breakfast bowls. Amongst all the coffee shops Liverpool offers, this is an iconic cafe choice.
Currently based at 2 Castle St L2 ONA
Mother Espresso
Check out new kid on the block Mother for a coffee served up in minimalist interiors. The haunt of Liverpool’s coolest inhabitants, grab your batch brew filter coffee or Sencha Green tea here and stop off for a browse of their extensive brunch menu, which includes classics such as Eggs Benedict and bacon butties, but also poached pears, vegan breakfasts and avocado toast.
82 Wood St L1 4QD
Carpathia @ 30 James Street
Head to 30 James Street Hotel’s fabulous rooftop terrace for a morning coffee or afternoon tea with a view.
The Carpathia Bar and Restaurant has views of Liverpool’s famous Albert Dock and its iconic skyline for you to ogle while you sip a morning americano in one of Liverpool’s most luxurious hotel and restaurants. It’s the perfect spot for people watching as you get your caffeine fix and whether you’re outside on the terrace, or tucked under the roof, you’ll always have great views of Liverpool’s historic waterfront.
If you’re looking for a more substantial treat than your morning coffee, visit between 12pm and 5pm for daily afternoon tea, complete with a glass of prosecco.
30 James St L2 7PQ
Cow & Co.
This tiny independent Liverpool café is tucked away in a residential square but packs a punch when it comes to great coffee and even better sandwich selections.
With independent magazines to browse while you sip and incredible sandwich combos like halloumi, fresh mint, harissa mayonnaise and rocket plus daily replenished cakes and pastries, Cow & Co. is a tranquil haven only minutes away from the shopping chaos of L1.
And – as a bonus – you can sit outside in warm weather!
15 Cleveland Square L1 5BE
LEAF
Don’t let the expansive interiors of LEAF on Bold Street put you off – this emporium is the best café in Liverpool to get your tea fix.
Specialising in loose leaf tea, this home-grown success story sits in a beautiful art deco building that, in previous generations, had been both a tea room and a cinema. The airy space never feels empty – it’s always buzzing with the chatter of the forever present customers who favour this fabulous tea parlour.
LEAF has delicious menus throughout the day and a great evenings drinks variety, but its pièce de résistance is the extensive tea list which includes everything from Hilmari Imperial Gold Assam to Frozen Summit Oolong, with Ginger root, Three Graces Blend and Chilli Ginger Roobibos along the way.
65-67 Bold Street L1 4EZ
Rococo Coffee House
One of the few independent coffee shops Liverpool that’s dared to venture into the Church Street shopping area of the city, Rococo is hidden away behind an inconspicuous door and up a very long flight of stairs.
Once inside, however, you’ll find an expansive but higgledy -piggledy coffee shop inside the second oldest building on Lord Street. Serving fair trade coffees and delicious deli lunches, it’s a great café to hideaway inside one of the many rooms and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet in the centre of the city.
61 Lord St L2 6PB
Love Thy Neighbour
For an Instagram friendly cup of coffee, Bold Street’s Love Thy Neighbour offers food and drink as aesthetic as its interiors.
With decadent hot chocolates (try the white hot coco for a cold day), ‘rainbow’ coloured lattes and a ceiling filled with hanging foliage, you’ll be snapping and uploading all day from this millennial-pink coffee hangout.
P.S. Look out for the avocado influenced street art on the side of the building!
108 Bold St L1 4HY
92 Degrees
Expect to find scholars and students aplenty in 92 Degrees. Only a 5-minute walk from the University of Liverpool, it’s a favourite haunt for sleep-deprived PhD students typing up their theses, and tutors taking some time-out for coffee.
The city’s first combined roastery and coffee shop, the historic Georgian building wafts a delicious coffee smell across Hardman Street as you arrive, making that initial sip of fair trade coffee all the more incredible when you finally get your hands on one of their beverages.
24 Hardman St L1 9AX
East Avenue Bakehouse
Tuck into some freshly baked bread and own-blend coffee at Bold Street’s East Avenue Bakehouse. With the morning loafs stacked neatly in the window and some delectable bakes and cakes ready to be devoured, this is the ultimate spot to enjoy a sweet treat and a hot drink mid-way through the morning. As far as coffee shops Liverpool go, this is a local favourite.
112 Bold St L1 4HY
Filter + Fox
The most elegant coffee in Liverpool is served up by the Ropewalks’ Filter + Fox. This small Duke Street establishment will offer you a cappuccino on a slim, silver tray, accompanied by a small glass of water, a sweet wafer and a hefty dose of sophistication. End up staying all day? Their cocktail selection is available from morning opening…
27 Duke Street L1 5AP
Moose Coffee
For a dose of Americana with your morning coffee, there’s nowhere better to head than Moose Coffee. With two branches in the city centre, and one out in Crosby, Moose brings New York City to Liverpool with its big-time hot beverages and calorie-heavy breakfast menu. We recommend taking a Moose Macchiato (complete with a slug of caramel and topped with whipped cream) with the famous Moose American Pancakes – sticky, sweet and completely OTT.
6 Dale St L2 4TQ and 88 Federation House, Hope St L1 9BW and 157 College Rd, Crosby L23 3AS
Root Coffee
One for the coffee bean aficionados – Root takes coffee seriously. Really seriously. We’re talking state-of-the-art coffee processing, seasonal bean selection and illustrated info boards explaining the science behind your morning wake-up drink.
They’ve recently installed a ‘Colombian Nitro Cold Brew Tap’ which pours cold brew coffee like a pint and have served beans from an eclectic selection of origins including Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Rwanda amongst many others. If your serious about the hot, black stuff, this is one of the coffee shops Liverpool you can’t miss.
52 Hanover St L1 4AF
Coffee & Fandisha
Until Coffee & Fandisha came along, the Baltic was crying out for a specialty coffee shop. This edgy venue on Brick Street is inspired by the origins of coffee drinking in Ethiopia, where serving coffee was a traditional welcome into the home, with a side of popcorn (Which, in Ethiopian is Fandisha!)
Look out for its beautiful street art front and make sure you try some of their unusual combinations such as slow infused mint mocha or honeycomb Ecuadorean hot chocolate.
5 Brick St L1 0BL
The Bastion, Shankly Hotel
Liverpool’s coffee shop of champions is undoubtedly The Bastion at The Shankly Hotel. Celebrating the legacy of Liverpool FC’s legendary Bill Shankly, you can enjoy a cup of coffee or a delectable afternoon tea while exploring the life and career of one of the city’s most famous sportsmen.
With exclusive and previously unseen memorabilia, including a ‘Good Luck’ telegram from The Beatles, and Shankly’s very own typewriter and OBE medal displayed around The Bastion, it’s the perfect coffee spot for any Reds fans.
The Shankly Hotel, 60 Victoria St L1 6JD
Ryde
Liverpool’s first bicycle café, situated in Cains Brewery in the Baltic is both a hub for cycling fanatics and a great coffee spot on that side of town. Get your bike fixed at Ryde’s service and repairs centre while you enjoy some freshly prepared brunch and a Brazilian origin coffee.
Stanhope St L8 5XJ
Love Locks
Tucked away on Old Haymarket on the edge Liverpool’s business district, Love Locks is a homely little café with a big heart. Filled with plenty of greenery, delicious bakes and friendly staff, it’s the perfect coffee stop for a rainy day when you want to get out of the cold.
Unit 6, Old Haymarket L16ER
PANNA Artisan Café & Eatery
Another business district favorite, look out for the sunshine yellow coffee cups of PANNA customers make their way across the city first thing every morning. This simple but special coffee shop offers freshly prepared breakfasts and bakes and their own coffee blend to brighten up everyone’s morning.
Silk House Court, Tithebarn St L2 2LZ
Naked Lunch Café
Head to South Liverpool to discover this co-operative owned café on Smithdown Road. Fitted with stripped-back interiors and available-to-buy local artwork, Naked Lunch is as much a coffee shop as a community hub for the freshly born independent spirit that’s awoken on Smithdown.
Alongside hosting live gigs and art installations, it also serves up a mean coffee and a great vegan- and veggie-friendly brunch menu.
431 Smithdown Road L15 3JL
Pippin’s Corner
Over in Aigberth’s Lark Lane, seek out Pippin’s Corner for a quiet coffee meet up or a freelancing work hour. We recommend trying one of their elaborate hot chocolates or extravagant milkshakes. Often overlooked in the plethora of coffee shops Liverpool hosts, it takes the crown of the city’s hidden gem.
64 Lark Lane L17 8UU
Greendays Cafe
For a caffeine boost and a side of health, head to Lark Lane’s Greendays Café – a haven for vegetarians. This plant-based café serves freshly prepared food, a selection of teas and ground coffees and juices made on demand.
With homemade food and tasty cakes it’s a kooky little coffee stop split across two floors of an old house. Look for its hidden-away entrance on the corner of Little Parkfield Road.
13a Lark Lane L17 8UW
Other Cafes and Coffee Shops Liverpool
Alongside these incredible cafes and coffee shops Liverpool has listed above, there are loads of other tip-top venues across the city where you can grab your daily coffee.
Check out the light and airy Cuppa Coffee at Avenue HQ in the Mann Island building on the waterfront, Community SOUL in Wallasey, and Caffee Oro on Smithdown Road.
