Kind people. Cozy environment. Cold beer. No complaints here. Enjoyed our time and would visit…read moreagain when back in Merseyside.

Being good at pool/snooker is said to be testimony to a misspent youth. Clearly I'm an angel, if my…read morehit-and-miss form is anything to go by. But where better to seven-ball your brother, or completely miscue and hit the white off the table towards your fourth pint, than Rileys. I could easily spend a weekend here, shooting pool and sinking beer, if my puny bank balance would allow. There's an array of pool tables, and a few snooker tables for the hardcore, to choose from, US and English. The cues are a better standard than you'll find in any pub, and the baize, while not Crucible standard, is usually in pretty good nick too. It almost invariably proves cheaper than playing anywhere else, unless you're with someone extremely slow, as you can play for an hour for just over £6. Riley's often has offers on too, so you can get 3 hours for the price of 2. Even though I'm a bit of a chubber there's normally adequate room for queuing, but if it's particularly busy and the balls dictate you sometimes have to wait for a second to allow someone else to take a shot. TV's showing the latest sports results/matches are a bonus.

What I like best about Liverpool star Jamie Carragher's business venture is the addition England to…read morethe title of this very run of the mill sports bar. I'm not sure what I am expecting from a sports bar except a good selection of screens but maybe I yearn to find somewhere that lives up to the standards set by Cheers? At Cafe Sports, however, nobody will know your name. It's possible that Mr Carragher would think that a wet mid-week afternoon was not the best time for me to get a good flavour of the place but I have seen this place on a Saturday night and I'm not sure that's a side of the establishment that I want to reflect! It's just bland, Sky Sports News on every screen just strikes me as a bit desperate - we need sport, any sport, even hockey news! - To be fair to the place, it does what it says on the tin and I'm sure Cafe Sports will be a good venue for the World Cup but as somewhere I have visited outside of a notable sporting event it doesn't really have much else to offer.

Considering the fact that this is a Sports Café you'd expect wings, nachos, burgers, wedges, all…read morethe stuff you'd imagine munching on when you're watching a good game. However what's unusual about this place is that you can get proper traditional Brit main meals here. I should have noted the England in the title, huh. Guess it's less an American Sports Bar, more a pub spliced with one. Neat! The homemade scouse takes pride of place on the menu but you can also find fish and chips, bangers and mash, cottage pie, even a chip butty or a gargantuan Yorkshire pud filled with roast beef and spuds, gravy and veg. Believe me, come here when you're ravenous because otherwise you'll be so packed full you'll want to fall bobos. You can even get breakfast here if you pop in during the morning, and it's not all fried eggs and sausages and ketchup, there's fresh fruit salad and a super muesli packed with all sorts of goodies too, so even the health conscious can enjoy a bit of sporty action in the AM. Smoothies are available all day and are deliciously tangy and pulpy. Puddings are classics like fudge cake, carrot cake, banana split and sticky toffee pudding and come highly recommended along with their sorbets and yoghurts. The place is packed full of lots of tasteful sports memorabilia and there's a plethora of TV screens so no one misses out on the nice sporting view which is rather excellent. Seriously, if you need a treat I'd say it's one of the best places to watch a game and chow down on some stodge or get a smoothie and superfood fix. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I'm not even that into sports.

For being such a large, bustling city, Liverpool has surprisingly little to do after nighttime…read morehits. Unless it involves drinking, of course. Tired of wasting nights at our regular hangouts, BF and I decided to try somewhere new. He'd been to Pogue Mahone's many times before, but I hadn't. Most of my pub experiences in Liverpool at that point had been either been in hole in the walls or in trendy, studenty places. None of them had really impressed me. Pogue offered a really nice alternative. Warm from the blazing fire, we ordered Guinness and sat down in the big arm chairs around the fireplace. The pub had an old-timey, homey feel to it- exactly what you picture when you imagine an Irish pub. I like the decor, especially the dark wood and scattered bookshelves- and I really want to steal their idea of using Jameson bottles for candle sticks. It's not a big, thumping night spot but it has a fun energy that is perfect for the nights when you want to drink (possibly heavily) without getting into a fight. Someone mentioned once that Pogue Mahone has live, traditional music on some nights, but I haven't caught that yet. Either way, I am really tempted to make this my regular watering hole, especially since they have quiz and curry nights on Monday, the true way to my heart.

There's a heck of a Scouse/Irish connection, and nowhere is that clearer than in Liverpool itself…read more My entire family's from the Mersey and I know for a fact that somewhere along the line our clan goes back to the green, green grass of Ireland. So Pogue Mahone fits right in on Seel Street. It's an Irish bar, and the live music is often traditional, with the atmosphere very cosy. This is exemplified by the wooden walls, giving it the feel of a warm cabin. Irish bars should be like Mulligans in Manchester as opposed to your Waxy O' Connor chain - you want to feel transported to a different realm, heck, a different time even. And stepping into Pogue from the hectic bustle of Seel Street really feels calming and soothing. The bar is decorated by Irish football shirts, and the crackling coal fire in the main bar is a definite draw in the winter months. The owners and staff are Irish born and bred which adds to the authenticity of the place, and occasionally you'll find proper stew on the stove, free fry-ups for early punters and of course the quintessential Irish bands.

The Sports Cafe is the number one venue for watching Sports in Liverpool, though there are many…read moreothers like it. They show live football, rugby, cricket, tennis plus along with many other sports, Within the Sports Café it caters for everyone's needs offering 4 bars and 3 floors to choose from. The Sports Café isn't just a place to watch the footie but is also a restaurant, bar and nightclub. If you are looking to have a big party then you can hold it here, they allow functions, corporate and promotional events. The last time I was there the Sports Cafe was doing two student nights each week, one was 'Happy Mondays' and the other was 'Friday Basement' which basically means that they were offering drinks cheap; £1 pint and £1 shots. You might want to double check website to be sure they still on though. They also offer a range of randomness, such as bucking broncos, dueling jousts, and Sumo wrestling matches; one of my personal favourite!

I've been on some good night outs in Sport's cafe as well as seen some nail biting football games…read morehere. However since those days the place has deteriorated some what. It has developed a bit of a reputation and not the good kind. Where once it was a perfectly valid drinking hole, nowadays is a bit of a health hazard thanks to a slightly Chavvy crowd unable to hold their drink. It only takes one incident to drive away business. While I didn't have such an experience I have heard enough from trusted friendly sources to suggest that I should steer clear. It is such a shame because it has a lot to offer in terms of food and beverage. Gone are the days however when you could relax and have a bite to eat. Mind you it's not all doom and gloom. One man's loss is another man's gain. If you are into cricket for example, this place transforms into a great place for you. Mainly because luckily the Chav factor is removed and you can view a great Ashes match live on a Sunday afternoon in relative peace. In conclusion if you want to watch England play football avoid this place. If you want to watch them play any other sports this place isn't half bad. I haven't mentioned the food because it doesn't really deserve much of a mention and is mainly comfort food. A-ok but nothing to shout home about.

The Abbey underwent a refurb a while ago and this has been a sound investment, the place is great…read more There are different themes including The Liver Lounge which is usually hired privately for office parties;and The Season of '86 is perfect for chilling out with a few drinks and watching the sport on the big screen. The food is fab too, nothing better than grabbing a pub lunch while watching the game, or just popping in whilst your out shopping. It's location and friendly, relaxed atmosphere really attracts the professionals and students alike. It's always buzzing but in a really chilled out way. Recommended for the World Cup!

The Abbey is a beautifully laid out gastropub located next to Buffet Star in Hanover Street. There…read moreis a wonderful bar area as you approach the cosy dining area with a relaxing space to eat alone or with a small group. During the night, the place comes alive and becomes a popular clubbing venue. This morning, I went for a large breakfast for £3.99 (served until 12pm). I chose my table number and my meal was served within 10 minutes. The content of the breakfast was fine but it was grease filled and a bit on the chargrilled side. The toast was also cold and slightly burnt. Even though this wasn't the best breakfast I've had in town, the dining experience and service was pleasant. However, I felt there could have been some air conditioning as there was a lack of chill on such a warm day it was. A mediocre experience.

AVOID. Such a shame they have ruined this place with ridiculous policies and confrontational door…read morestaff. We had spent over £100 as a group of four, and were refused entry to use the toilet facilities, including my 60+ year old father. Instead, they directed us to Modo (next door, a great venue by the way!). Absolutely appalling behaviour, poor customer service, astonishing how badly they treat paying customers and disgusting how they treat their customers like an inconvenience. All I can say, avoid this place like the plague. The service is astonishing. I would wholly recommend to avoid Soho, disgusting behaviour by both the door staff and management. Wholly unwelcoming and would never return. A great example of how not to run a venue.

An Extremely prejudiced bouncer works here and it's apparently acceptable to the management. We…read moreoverheard him not allow a young man in because of how he looked. (He was a bit effeminate) When his friend asked why they weren't letting him in, he simply responded "he's just not getting in". She asked to speak to the manager and the manager said "if my bouncer says no, he's not getting in". The guy was letting in people based on appearance in this day and age, I would like to believe we're better than that as a society. We won't be back here. Too many great bars in Liverpool to put up w bigoted bullshit.

Down a flight of stairs on Stanley Street lurks a beer cellar that has Germanised itself up to be…read moreknown as Bier Keller. I took a trip here on its second day of being open to the smelly public and was sorry to find it had a few teething problems. The blank plastered walls and scatterings of furniture gave it a oddly morose look. No music was playing so the air was echoing with chatter and the whole thing was strangely depressing, like a party that's been going on far too long and everybody just wants to leave. Bear in mind this was its second day. There were some positives, mind. When they finally get round to ordering enough of everything on their menus, the selection here will be very impressive, with fine old ales from across the globe. I hope this place makes it eventually. They deserve to live up to their staff's eagerness and not my bristling cynicism.

Let's be clear from the start: this place doesn't have any exotic beers. I couldn't find a single…read moreone. Pretty much every beer they carry is easily available everywhere, and most can be bought at a local tesco extra. As a Canadian, I was quite offended to once again find Moosehead as the only Canadian beer available. Seriously, haven't these guys ever heard of La Maudite, la Fin du Monde or Creemore springs. ( no, they haven't. ) The beer selection is also quite lager centric, and the only ales they carry are the pretty standard ones. At least they do have some Belgian Trappist beers, which does save the quality of their menu a little. But what they lack in their beer list, they more than make up for in their ambience and the general environment. Me and my girlfriend visited this place on a Sunday evening, and we were genuinely surprised to find a live singer ( who my girl quite fancied - insert angry emoticon here) and the atmosphere buzzing. I had a standard German Weiss and my lady consumed some Cusqueña. ( which I think I a great lager, and recommend it to lager lovers. ) Upstairs, they have rows of tables and benches, which I have been told is very German, but I really felt like I was home. The service was extremely friendly and even the bouncers ( I think they were bouncers) smiled. Whenever I'm in Liverpool, I shall be visiting this place, and if you are not an annoying beer snob like me, you will definitely enjoy the visit.

The name is slightly random for pub now that its frame of reference, the old Odeon cinema next…read moredoor, is no longer there. It was always a good place to stop for a pre or post movie pint and would be filled with other similar folk wanting to stretch out their evening. However now that those punters are drawn to the other side of town, The Picture House is much the same as many of the other pubs along London Rd. That's a little cruel as it is certainly more lively than The Lord Warden - is that place ever open? - and is clearly a place that is up for a laugh - they need to be judging the state of the karaoke singers!

The Picture House has some good tunes in the Juke Box but watch out for karaoke on weekends. Live…read morebands on Fridays and Poker each Sunday from 7pm. The best night is Alicia's open mic night. It seems that anything goes from music to poetry. It gets really busy "full chock" when the football is on - you will be lucky to get served. The locals say that the Picture house is "Boss" a proper Scouse pub. During the week you can get a pint from £1.55 and they have a selection of popular beers from around the world. 3 Cocktails for £10 and a bottle of wine for the price of 2 large glasses.