Going Down to Liverpool

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The hotel's own website makes the place look rather grand. Something of an over-statement going on I think . . . yes, the rooms are nicely decorated, comfortable, and clean, but don't go by the pictures. My single room was tiny! This hotel has 75 rooms, word is that even the "deluxe" rooms are a bit of a squeeze.

Nevertheless, for a city centre hotel, it's good value. All rooms have private facilites and there is 24-hour room service. Breakfast is great -- a hot and cold "all-you-can-eat" affair and in its own kitschy way, the Beatles-themed bar isn't too bad, with prices being more reasonable than most hotel bars.

I'd recommend this place if you're only staying one or two nights and if you haven't got too much luggage to fall over!

Breakfast costs around £5 and for this you are given a token when you check in. If you don't have breakfast, remember to hand in the token at reception when you check out and they will deduct the cost from your bill.

Breakfast is served in a small open plan dining area in the corner of the reception hall. Not great, unless you don't mind people coming and going aound you as you eat, but then again, this really is a budget hotel.

Bathrooms are tiny but clean and adequate; all rooms come with TV, telephone and tea/coffee making facilites. For something a little stronger, there's a bar in reception and they don't mind you taking drinks to your room.

We didn't eat here, but there are snacks and light meals available at the bar and round-the-clock snacks from room service.

If you've come by car, there's a secure, gated parking area.

An excellent deal for a city break, prices are the same at weekends as weekdays although prices may be subject to slight increases when there are major events going on in the city.

We paid around £46 for two people in December and thought it very good value.

Check-in is at 5 on weekdays and 3:30pm weekends. You get a printed receipt with a code on it - this is for the front door and for you room door. Don't lose it!

Rooms are on the small side and each has a double bed with a single bunk above it at a right angle. There is a washbasin and vanity shelf in the room along with a colour TV with remote control. There are three hangers which cannot be removed and a blind that it attached firmly to the window - there are no curtains and our blind did not work.

Everything is designed so that it cannot be stolen or is hard to break. Quite clever really. No rooms have private facilities. At the end of each corridor there are three or four toilets and opposite these, some individual showers. Water is always piping hot and they are in good condition. There is even a built in hair drier. When you have finished using the toilet or shower, the door locks and a red light indicates that the room is being automatically cleaned. The toilets and showers have always been spotless on the three occasions I have stayed here.

Breakfast is an extra £2.00, pets can stay for £1.00 extra. There is a very small guests carpark at the front and another at the rear.

Guests are welcome to use the restaurant and bar and room service facilities provided by the Ibis Hotel next door (they are both part of the Accord chain).

A word of warning. There can be noise from people chatting in the corridors - lots of young people tend to stay here and weekends are very busy. Rooms can be booked up to three months in advance, this is recommended for weekends.

For the sum of £29.95 for a room (regardless of whether it be one person or three) this is a bargain. We always stay in winter and find that the rooms are warm and comfortable.

The brightly coloured walls are adorned with bold modern paintings, but here and there you can't help noticing that it's a little shabby in places. A fresh coat of paint wouldn't go amiss.

Tables around the edges of the room are close together so if you want a bit of privacy (and the extra room) ask for a central table.

The food changes on a regular basis but is basically a modern fusion of global tastes and styles. Some traditional favourites have been given a modern twist - I had duck as a main course - the duck came beautifully pink in the centre and with a delicious fresh fruity sauce, with mild oriental flavours, but was accompanied by traditional vegetables. My partner had the "Seafood Plate" which came in a subtle pernod tinged sauce and contained the most succulent scallops as well as chunks of white fish, squid and a good helping of shellfish. The menu usually offers a couple each of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes for mains, and the same type of variety for starters.

The puddings are great but to really finish off your meal, I suggest the cheeseboard. A good mix of local cheese, a nice French soft cheese and a good chunk of blue cheese, served with little slices of speciality breads and crackers.

Service was friendly if a little stilted. At times we seemed to wait ages for minor requests even though the place didn't seem very busy.

This would be a great place to go with a group of people because there's sure to be something to please everyone.

The friendly staff are only too happy to explain anything on the menu. We were going to order the meze (basically a selection of all the Greek dishes, a bit like tapas) as our main course and were picking starters when the waitress arrived to take our orders but she advised us that we shouldn't have starters if we wanted the meze - how right she was. We got a huge bowl of Greek salad, calamari, pita bread, several dips, courgette fritters, chickpea fritters, a green bean salad, butter beans in a rich tomato sauce griiled halloumi cheese . . .

No room for puddings, but there seemed to be a good choice for those who could manage.

Caters well for vegetarians and has a good range of variously priced wines, including a great Greek red.

We loved it!!

We visited in October 2006 and took advantage of the early doors special £10 for three courses if dining between 5 and 6:45pm. All food is organic and from named British farms. The early doors menu offers about six or seven choices for starter and main and dessert; fish dishes and vegetarian dishes appear on the menu as well as meats like wild boar and rabbit. For mains I had the duck which was beautifully tender and my partner had an impressive portion of red snapper.

Drinks are very reasonably priced and you can drink in the bar area even if you are not eating. You can have your bar drinks added to your tab if you then go to eat. Three pints of lager, a sherry and a red wine came to only £9 - surely some mistake!

Decor is nice and doesn't intrude; the pub has kept some traditional touches though it is much improved on its former life. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly and service was suitably quick for the pre-theatre crowd.

Great value, great food, nice surroundings.

Christakis is a cosy family run affair housed in a listed building, and serves homecooked traditional Greek fare. It is particularly popular with groups and when we visited there were several large parties though this did not slow service for our party of two nor did it spoil our intended quiet meal.

The staff are friendly and very helpful, describing the dishes and recommending the specials. Starters range from £2-4, mains from £8-12; plenty of vegetarian choices and loads of superb fish dishes - the halibut is to die for. All the well-known Greek dishes are here kleftika, dolmades, scordades. Try the sardines to start - beautifully marinaded! They have a large selection of wines including some excellent Greek bottles. For around £15 a head you can enjoy superb food and for £20 you can get yourself a veritable feast.

My only negative point is that the decor is a little dated and tired-looking. It would be nice to see the place smartened up a bit. It tires to be quite authentic but vast swathes of wall are left bare and need more decoration. At the end of your meal you'll be given a discount card which gives you 10% off on future visits (not for early evening specials) and a free shot of ouzo. Early evening special consists of three course for £8.95 - what a deal!

Inside it's all mosaic floors and Vistorian tiles in rich shades of green, rust and claret. There is a fantastic horse-shoe shaped bar, behind which are highly ornate mirrors. The chandeliers are something else! Everywhere you look you spot something new, baley twist wooden pillars holding up tables, cut glass decanters gleaming against the mirrored bar, stained glass fanlights.

The toilets are out of this world and have been voted time after time the best public toilets in Britain. The women's toilets, while clean and fresh, are not what you come to see though. It's the gents' toilets with immensely high ceilings, brass fittings, ornate taps and mazing ceramic tiles that are the highlight of this pub.

Ladies -- if you want to see, ask the staff and they will try to let you have a look at a convenient time when there are no customers using them.

The clientele is mixed, but, of course, being so near the Everyman Theatre and The Philharmonic Hall itself, there are a lot of artsy types having a drink pre-performance.

The music isn't too loud and it's a great place to go and spend time chatting with friends.

The beer . . . well it could never match the toilets, but there's a good range of local and non-local beers, the usual spirits and acceptable wine available. Prices aren't too bad for city centre pubs and there's a good choice of standard pub fare (sandwiches, fish and chips, salds, ploughmans, bugers, chilli con carne, jacket potatoes, etc.).

If you find yourself needing the loo in Liverpool, see if you can last out until you get to the Phil!

The first element is the land tour: the tour takes in the major sights with a commentary from the driver, but unfortunatley when in busy traffic this can sometimes be hard to hear. The tour is confined to the city centre so you'll not get to all of the Beatles related sights and has, to stick pretty much to the main roads but as a general overview of the city it's quite useful.

The real fun starts as the Duck comes back round to the Albert Dock, You can leave the plastic windows down here, but for the most excitement, roll them up and prepare for a soaking! The vehicle turns sharply into the dock, speeds down the ramp and before you know it you're chugging happlily round the dock. After a minute or so the driver invites any willing would-be sailors to have a try at steering. The kids love this; I was too nervous (I'm a liabilty on a bike!) -but there's hardly any other traffic and it's pretty easy to steer. It's a great way to see the Docklands area and check out the new penthouse apartments spreading along the Mersey.

Not fantastic value for money but a bit cheaper than comparable trips in London or other big cities and the novelty factor swings it. It's over a bit too soon but you'll be talking about this for ages! You can get a small discount on the price by buying a ticket for all the major dock attractions (including the Beatles Story and Tate Modern Liverpool.)

Since Carling Academey venues are redevelopments of former cinemas and bingo halls or older concert venues, no two are alike. The Liverpool venue is tucked away behind Lime Street Station, making it quite easy to get to although parking is very limited in the immediate vicinity of the Academy. The main stage is quite large - about two thousand people capacity perhaps mostly standing, although there is a Small balcony - however, the balcony is a long way back and I would imagine the view isn't great and you must feel along way from the stage.

The bar is along the wall on the left as you look at the stage. There are always loads of bar staff so you never need to queue too long. Drinks aren't cheap but by no means the most expensive in town - a pint and a gin and tonic will set you back just over £6. Downstairs a smaller venue plays host to lesser bands; this is an atmospheric venue and the clever design means even shorties like me should be able to see even if its busy. The toilets are a let down - even early on the evening they look like they've not been looked after for days with soaking floors and no loo paper. The box office is situated in a doorway and is easy to miss - keep your eyes open.

Hearing that John Lennon and his girlfriend at the time (Cynthia) used to drink here, you might be tempted to go and have a look. if you do you'll probably be disappointed for Ye Crack is nothing more than a back street local that, whilst it is perfectly acceptable for what it is, is not a major part of the Beatles legacy in Liverpool. The pub looks interesting from the outside and still retains some of the original features such as leaded glass from the mid-19th century when it was built. Sadly, bits have been added on and the place is now a hotch potch of styles. The best room is the "War Room" so-called because drinkers used to drop in for a pint and to discuss Britain's military overseas operations.

There are some quite interesting and atmospheric prints and photos of local scenes dating from mainly the 1960s but there is nothing else to speak of in the way of interesting decor. To be honest the pub is more than a bit shabby and grubby with old wooden benches to sit on and rickety formica topped tables. It's a real working man's pub not much changed from the way it would have looked when the art student, Lennon, used to drink here.

On a positive note drinks are cheap - there's nothing unusual or exciting in the way of beers but some might be interested in the "trebles for £1" offers! Lovely place, eh? Avoid the gloomy back room - I reckon that's for the serious drinkers- stick instead to the lively main room as you enter. I have to admit, I like it. But then, I like industrial cities in Slovakia so my tastes aren't conventional!

Immortalized in song, the Mersey Ferry is one of the best known attractions in Liverpool. Early morning and early evening it operates a direct commuter service from one side to the other which takes ten minutes. However, it is more fun to take the fifty minute River Explorer tour which comes with an interesting commentary pointing out buildings on the shore (Birkenhead Priory, Wallassey Fort, The Liver Building) and some of the history of the River and the part it has played in the city's economy. The ferry leaves from the Pier Head in Liverpool (near the ALbert Dock and the Liver Building) and then stops at Seacombe and Woodside, before making its way back to the Pierhead.

Disembark at Seacombe for the Aquarium or for Spaceport (a new attraction) or at Woodside for a coffee and a cake in the wonderful Edwardian cafe which overlooks the river, providing a superb spot from which to look at the impressive city skyline. You can also pick up busses from the ports to other destinations on the Wirral. In summer the cruise is slightly longer as it sails right down to the mouth of the Mersey, almost to the sea. One downside is that it can be quite fumey and although the water is not rough, I have seen people feeling nauseous because of the fumes.

The boat and the entry points are 100% wheelchair accessible, as are the toilets on the ferry. A family ticket costs £13.20 (Autumn 2006) and admits two adults and three children. Adults pay £2.50 single, £4.95 return and children (5-15 years) pay £1.45 single, £2.75 return. Direct ferry crossings are cheaper  £1.35 single and £2.15 return for adults and £1.05 single and £1.60 return for children. River Explorer tours operate on the hour from the Pier head between 10am and 3pm weekdays and between 10am and 6pm weekends. Summer timetables vary, check at the time of travel at www.merseyferries.co.uk  And if you enjoy it as much as I did, you have to drop in at the gift shop at the Pier Head where you can buy all kinds of kitsch Mersey Ferry related souvenirs.

I challenge you to take a river cruse and not sing the song; altogether now "Ferry 'cross the Mersey ..."

The Dock is well sign-posted from the city centre and is barely 10 minutes walk from the centre. Many of the city's bus services terminate at the pier-head too from where it's a five minute walk along the river.

The Albert Dock was built in 1846 to store newly arrived cargoes from all over the world. When you look at the waterfront buildings on the river it must have looked awe-inspiring for sailors arriving from the West Indies and the Americas with their exotic treasures. The Dock buildings themselves are no less impressive - tall, sturdy and practical red brick buildings bordering the dock; in fact these buildings make up the largest collection of Grade 1 listed buildings in the UK.

So what do these buildings house now? Well many of them have been converted into luxury apartments. And who wouldn't want to live here? Opening the doors onto your balcony each morning and looking out onto the Mersey, or walking down to enjoy an evening at one of the nearby restaurants . . .

The main cluster directly around the main compound of the dock house tourist attractions and shops selling souvenirs, etc., as well as the studios for Granada from where "Richard and Judy" used to be broadcast. You can even see where Fred the weatherman used to give his reports from the floating weather map.

The visitor attractions include the Beatles Story, the Tate Modern Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum. The shops tend to be of the general tourist-aimed UK shops. You know the ones that think that tourists will by tartan anywhere! However there is alot of Beatles related merchandise on sale but for the least tacky stuff buy from the Beatles Story - the stuff is much better there, and there are some nice limited edition prints.

Eating places cover all possibilities: a traditional pub with a good range of food, a couple of high-quality restaurants and a couple of cafe-bars which serve interesting tapas-type dishes.

I would say though that if you have quite young children you may find a lack of child-friendly places to eat. Also bear in mind that many of the places on the dock have terraces overlooking the water and you should take care to watch young children at all times. There are railings but a child could easily climb through.

I would say there is more to entertain adults than children here but I would recommend the Yellow Duck Marine Tours (see separate entry) for families.