Lively, full of charm, home of good football, good music and a gastronomy that leaves you stunned by the variety of dishes it offers on the tables of chic restaurants, pubs and more informal venues. If you want to get to know Liverpool (the Fab Four's homeland) better, start exploring not only the wonderful attractions the English city has to offer, but also its cuisine, through the top ten must-try dishes of the city.
SEE ALSO: What you must see in Liverpool
1 - Scouse
It's not just any old dish, but THE dish par excellence in Liverpool. We're talking about the scouse, a meat dish (beef or lamb) with a side of potatoes and vegetables: you won't be able to leave the city without tasting it.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €10.15
Main ingredients: lamb (or beef), potatoes, various vegetables
2 - Fish & Chips
A crispy and delicious portion of fish & chips, a British culinary 'heritage', could not be missing from this exclusive top ten of Liverpool dishes. Liverpool is one of the British destinations where this cod and potato dish is best cooked.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: breaded cod, potatoes
3 - Pudding
Whether it's bread and butter, rice or Yorkshire (in its most popular 'savoury' variant) there's only one important thing to know: Liverpool is one of the 'undisputed capitals' of the luxurious pudding, a spoon dessert to be enjoyed as an after-meal treat or as the crowning glory of an unforgettable dinner. Hard to resist!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner or dessert after a meal (in its sweet version)
Average cost: from €6.00
Main ingredients: wheat flour, meat (savoury version); sugar, butter, sultanas, eggs (sweet version)
4 - Bubble and Squeak
This is one of the most popular'recycle' dishes in Liverpool households, a bubble and squeak (or a single, large fritter-like one) to be made with any kind of vegetable. Restaurants offer it as a side dish to main courses of fish or meat or as a key element of the typical English breakfast. We are talking, of course, about bubble and squeak, one of Liverpool's simplest but tasty dishes.
Recommended for: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Average cost: €3.35
Main ingredients: potatoes, Brussels sprouts, butter
5 - Wet Nelly
Another confectionary delight that was essentially born as a way of reusing waste products, such as stale bread, to make an iconic dish of the city is the wet nelly, served with a nice portion of custard, as is the Liverpool tradition.
Recommended: snack
Average cost: €6.20
Main ingredients: stale bread, butter, brown sugar, dried fruit
6 - Potted Shrimps
Photo by Kai Chan Vong. Even the creator of the famous James Bond loved this simple but delicious shrimp dish. Potted shrimps are flavoured with nutmeg and served on their own or, as usual, spread on a crusty slice of bread.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €7.40
Main ingredients: shrimps, butter, nutmeg
7 - Cupcakes
Originating in the United States, cupcakes (also known as fairy cakes in England) are one of Liverpool's most popular treats. The main ingredient in the evergreen cupcake recipe is the famous frosting, the buttercream used to decorate the cupcakes.
Recommended for: snack or breakfast
Average cost: €2.80
Main ingredients: flour, sugar, butter
8 - Pie
There is not only the famous apple pie, the undisputed star of a comedy film a few years ago. In England, pies made with meat, vegetables and cheese are all the rage, and Liverpool is no exception in bringing this British delicacy to its tables in various formats.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €7.00
Main ingredients: puff pastry, meat (chicken or beef), eggs, onions
9 - Hamburger
We can't close the top ten must-eats in Liverpool without touching, not even for once, on the junk food chapter. The burgers, of foreign derivation, are offered in the city's pubs and clubs in an alternative key, with unique ingredients and unmistakable spices, without forgetting the evergreen Anglo-Saxon sauces, such as the very red Leicester. We recommend the soft sandwich with crispy breaded chicken!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: from €11.00
Main ingredients: bread, breaded chicken, Leicester sauce
10 - English Breakfast
In closing, an honourable mention goes to the most popular, satiating and energising dish of the day. The main meal for the English has always been breakfast. That's why English breakfast in its entirety has to be in the top ten dishes to eat in Liverpool, for an energy boost that lasts all day... or, at least, until the next club!
Recommended for: breakfast
Average cost: €6.20
Main ingredients: egg, bacon, toast
Where to eat in Liverpool: best restaurants, cafes and street food
Liverpool, like the whole of England, lacks a real culinary tradition.
In fact, these cities are not famous and known mainly for their cuisine. Among the most typical dishes you can find things that are also found in other English cities, for example the famous fish & chips, pudding and sausages & mash.
But a dish that belongs to Liverpool does exist, and you cannot fail to try it: we are talking about the Scouse, a dish of beef or lamb with potatoes and vegetables.
For the rest, you will really find plenty of restaurants with international cuisine from all over the world: Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Mexican and even Italian, French or Spanish. You really will be spoilt for choice on where to stop for lunch or dinner.
1 - The Art School Restaurant
Description: small, cosy and elegant restaurant; innovative British cuisine, which bases its dishes on organic products and their seasonality; many vegetarian choices and wide choice of wines
Speciality: Tasting Menu
Average price: from €60.00 per person
Address: 1 Sugnall St, Liverpool - Get directions / Facebook page
2 - Barley and Beans
Description: cosy and informal American style place, great for super breakfasts, brunches and open until late.
Speciality: pancakes with bacon and maple syrup
Average price: from €15.00 per person
Address: Hatton Garden 17, Liverpool - Get directions / Facebook page
3 - Fazenda Liverpool
Description: bar & grill restaurant, specialising in meat and steaks, but there are also menus and options for vegetarians and vegans
Speciality: Brazilian Feijoada
Average price: from €30.00 per person
Address: Horton House, Exchange St E, Liverpool - Get directions / Facebook page
4 - Roski Restaurant
Description: modern and bright restaurant; innovative British cuisine, the dishes are not only a delicacy to the palate but also to the eye; reservation recommended
Speciality: Tasting Menu
Average price: from €30.00 per person
Address: 16 Rodney St, Liverpool - Get directions / Facebook page
5 - Yanni's
Description: A quick lunch spot, they serve excellent fish & chips, one of the best in the city, as well as other traditional English dishes.
Speciality: fish & chips
Average price: from €5.00 per person
Address: 31-33 Lord St, Liverpool - Get directions / Facebook page
