Forget slumming it outside – these bars and restaurants offer all the views and none of the crowds.
On Sunday 4th November, the Titanium Fireworks pyrotechnics team will light up the Mersey with their long-awaited River of Light display. Tens of thousands of people will watch from the waterfront as fireworks are set off from atop huge barges, up and down the length pf the river - but you don’t want to be with them, do you? In the interests of keeping warm, fed and cosy, here are a few of the bars and restaurants around Liverpool that’ll guarantee you a great view of the display.
Liberté
Liberté's cocktail bar is located high up in the Bentley Building on Brunswick Street. It's the perfect place from which to watch those fireworks for three reasons in particular: it's high up, so your view won’t be beleaguered by all those pesky tall buildings; it's located right by the waterfront, where the bulk of the display is likely to be; and it serves a long list of cocktails, which is obviously never a bad thing. If it’s busy, you might have trouble getting one of the window booths that look directly onto the river, but it’s always worth a shot – there’s nowhere quite as well-positioned by the water as this.
50 Brunswick Street, Liverpool L2 0PL - Facebook
Matou
…Except Matou, that is. This, in fact, is about as good as it gets. Matou is a Pan-Asian restaurant which sits on the second floor of the Ferry Terminal Building, right on the edge of the waterfront. They’d be worth visiting for the food alone (heck, it’d be worth going just for the mussel d'crème Thai) but the combination of large windows, an outdoor dining terrace and an utterly unobstructed, up-close view of the river means that you’re only going to get a better spot if you actually climb on board one of the fireworks barges. Which we do not recommend.
2nd Floor Ferry Terminal Building, George Parade, Liverpool L3 1BY - website
Marino Lounge
Marino Lounge offers casual, laid-back dining and drinking right on the tip of Marine Point in New Brighton (hence the name, duh). Their menu offers a range of burgers, salads, tapas and other classic mains, along with a decent list of vegan/gluten-free options and a more-than-decent list of beers, wines and cocktails. More importantly, although Marine Point tends to face northwards, Marino Lounge is situated on the north-western tip - meaning it faces towards Liverpool and the Mersey. Throw in an outdoor terrace and a few floor-to-ceiling windows and you’re laughing.
5 Marine Point, Kings Parade, Wallasey CH45 2PB - website
Panoramic 34
Panoramic 34 could make a decent claim to being Liverpool’s highest restaurant. Far up the West Tower (34 floors up, don't cha know), this fine dining restaurant isn't exactly going to be your cheapest option if you're just looking to kick back and enjoy the fireworks. What you'll lose in raw cash you'll gain in culinary excellence, however - Panoramic 34's menu includes dishes such as truffle-infused polenta, Cornish Coast halibut and spiced apple rice. It’s also located right in the city centre, meaning you’ll be dining from practically inside the fireworks display. Don’t clutch that glass of Bolly too tight.
West Tower, Brook St, Liverpool L3 9PJ - website
Marine Street Social
Marine Street Social is another New Brighton option for anyone not quite up for braving the crowds of the east bank. One of the area’s more recent openings, this trendy bar serves a whole host of cocktails and other drinks, and regularly serves street food from a number of guest vendors. Just like Marino Lounge, they’re located on the right end of Marine Point to be able to see the city – but have the added bonus of their own roof terrace on which you can enjoy the display. Just don’t forget to wrap up.
Unit 5, Kings Parade, Marine Point, New Brighton CH45 2PB - Facebook
Miller and Carter
Although the relatively obstructive nature of the buildings which line the Albert Dock might not make the area ideal as a vantage point, a decent table at Miller and Carter should – thanks to the dock’s position by the waterfront – be enough to get a decent view of the display. Getting to enjoy a good steak and glass of wine at one of the city's most popular steakhouses, though - that's a strong enough incentive in of itself, isn't it?
Atlantic Pavilion, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AF website
Chung Ku
Chung Ku has a few good things going for it. Firstly, the restaurant offers a wide range of Chinese classics (you know, your spring rolls; your crispy duck; your dim sum platters) at great prices as well as a few more inventive dishes that you might not find at your run-of-the-mill takeaway. They’ve also got an unimpeded view of the river, and some nice, big windows from which you can look out at it. Sadly, it’s a little too far south to quite catch the full force of the fireworks, but get a good seat and look north and you should still be able to enjoy the best of them.
2 Riverside Dr, Liverpool L3 4DB - website
