please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Grapes is just about the best pub in this part of town at present. They often offer a real cider, which gets my vote. Although having said that, there was none on our visit yesterday. The ale selection was Melwood Moon Dance & Big River, Parker Barbarian Bitter, Ad Hop Endeavour & Liverpool Pale, Beatnikz Republic Smash Mosaic, Neptune Devil's Hole & Salt Velveteen Cocoa Porte. Gibberish Pineapple Upside Down was one of the craft beer offerings. The drinking environment is quite pleasant with a number of different drinking areas and it always seems friendly.
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If it was somewhere else the new art and ecelectic drink mix would make it a rae for hipsters but this is mainly your average Joe Ragarse (albeit ragarses who wannabe David Baileys but are more Baileys No Ice) hangout. Some unusual brews on and in good nic too.
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After a disappointing visit to a new bar called the Beer Engine, my final port of call for the evening was the Grapes. This is always a reliable venue for a drink after 11pm in Liverpool. It was fairly busy at this time last night, as usual. The interior has been expanded and tidied up. It creates a bright and pleasant drinking environment. Service is quick and the bar staff are knowledgeable. Last night, the ales were Melwood Marmalade Skies, Red Star Grapes IPA, Hawkshead Chapter 11 That Old Rope, Neptune Tatha, Rock The Boat Faith Hope & Charity, Castle Rock Factory No. 6 & Cwrw Ial Pothole Porter. In addition they have a real cider. This is normally Seacider Medium Dry. But they did apparently have a couple of other varieties of Seacider waiting in the cellar. This is fast becoming one of my favourite pubs in Liverpool, as it is consistently good.
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A fairly big place with a G-shaped bar with a few seating areas, most of them right in the bars vicinity. The bar itself has a bit of a weird theme, almost a bit of a tropical feel. Behind the bar they also have old beer clips. On the bar the beers when I was in were- Salopian Atonement, Binghams Vanilla Stout, Agnes by a Cornish Brewery, Habour Cornish bitter, Pithead Porter by Big Hand brewery,Hafod Sunrise, Neptune Mermaids Purse. I went for the Pithead Porter, a pretty decent beer. The bar man was friendly and the punters seemed decent. Worth a return trip and a visit to anyone who hasn't been.
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I agree that the Grapes has improved further, with the new extension. It still maintains its traditional feel, whilst simply allowing more customers. This is one of the late night establishments in this area. So it was busy when we arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning. The atmosphere was lively and bar staff were friendly and efficient. Ales were Neptune Riptide & Aegir, Salopian Bulletproof & Far Side, Hopcraft Dead Man Calling & Heavy Industry Pigeon Toed Orange Peel. They also had Seacider Medium Dry on handpull. Now possibly my third favourite pub in Liverpool after the Ship & Mitre and the Dispensary.
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Friendly back street pub which has survived the test of time, and a nice fire to warm me up from a chilly April night. The Bragdy Heavy Industry porter is a heavy, treacly brew that will warm you up even further. Well recommended.
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Always good and interesting ales, and the friendly staff behind the bar, is happy to tell you a bit about the ales (if you ask)
Friendly atmosphere too, a "must visit" for ale lovers. An inspiration for homebrewers , to get good ideas.
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My first visit for 2 years. If anything this pub has improved! A new seating area is now available and there is an upstairs smoking area. Still a great selection of ales and a good mixture of customers. Well worth a visit.
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After a visit to the unheralded Black Lodge Brewing in the Baltic Triangle (I have requested for it to be added), I moved on to the Grapes for a swift visit. The ale range wasn't quite as good as on previous visits. But The Grapes is still a place any ale lover should search out when in Liverpool. The outdoor courtyard at the rear is currently closed whilst works are undertaken. The gents toilets could do with a refresh too. But this small corner pub has plenty of charm and knowledgeable staff. They also serve Thai/Lao food. Ales on this visit were Red Star Lakota & Samba, Liverpool Organic Liverpool Pilsner, Robinsons Trooper, Sandiway Hop Schism & Hop Sepia & Rock The Boat Liverpool Light. The cider was Orchard Pig Explorer.
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Bustling and sociable are an apt description. Well worth a visit and a drink or three.
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Corner plot pub a short walk up Duke Street from the Baltic Fleet.
The things you notice as you enter is the strange décor and eclectic nick nacks, this is in stark contrast to the stained glass windows & hanging chandeliers!
The bar has 9 hand pumps with 9 ales on. A great choice and after a bit of deliberation I opt for a pint of the local Melwood Beer Company’s Life of Riley - 4.5%. This is a great pint and is kept very well.
It’s pretty busy with a mix of punters from a group of Camra tickers (like myself) to a group of tourists to a lone local worker.
The wife and I only stay for 1 drink as I want to tick a couple more in the area and she want’s to look in the shops before they close!
The Grapes is a decent pub and a good place to spend the evening, the next we’re in Liverpool we will work out instead of working in.
Worthy of a visit and get's 8/10 from me
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Small street corner bar, sporting several hand pumps and a bustling, sociable atmosphere. It's main clientele seemed to be connected to the college next door, but this was not intimidating as can happen with similarly placed hostelries. My only gripe would be that my Oceanic Steam beer was the most innocuous at 4.5% which put paid to anything like a prolonged session. The bar staff were commendably attentive though. 7/10.
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The Grapes has increased its real ale range within the last year. I've also seen a real cider stocked sometimes. Yesterday, they had Brimstage Oyster Catcher, Oceanic Steam Pier 59, Peerless Full Whack, Liverpool Craft Damson & Oatmeal Stout, Melwood Liberty, Tetleys Gold & Waen 54-46. Service is generally friendly and Thai food is still advertised. I've never seen anybody order it though. Much improved.
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First visit for a couple of years. The customers were a mix of office staff, students and hippy/punk types. A good selection of ales. There was a strong smell of skunk coming from the smoking area behind the pub when I went to the toilets. A lady was cooking Thai food in a tiny kitchen and regularly bringing it out to customers. The two barmen were pleasant and helpful. I forgotten about the narrow bar area and having to continually move out of the way of people. Not a pub I could spend all night in but well worth a visit.
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Congratulations, this pub not only slopes it leans too, which didn't seem to affect the Rhode Island Red or the Shropshire Gold.The young man who served us seemed a very convivial sort and everybody seemed to be getting on with the business at hand, which was drinking and nattering. Great selection of university magazines to browse through and no telly.
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Went back to the Grapes after a couple of years without a visit on Saturday. There is still a good beer range - Purple Moose Snowdonia, Thwaites Wainwright, Liverpool Craft American Red, Morland Old Speckled Hen, Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Castle Rock Harvest Pale, Wychwood Hobgoblin & Tetleys Gold. I still find it disappointing that they don't stock a real cider and there were no dark beers either. Opening hours still seem very unpredictable. Despite supposedly having had a refurb, the interior still seems very worn. It was fairly busy on our Saturday evening visit. But I'm still not fully convinced by the Grapes.
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Been here a couple of times earlier this year in April and May on weekday evenings, beer very good quality (especially the Liverpool Organic brews) and friendly staff.
Called here last weekend (Saturday 27th July) at 5:45 - it was closed. A couple of locals were outside looking puzzled, I gather it's supposed to be open from 3:30 on Saturdays. Fortunately for us, Ye Cracke, The Pilgrim, The Roscoe Head and The Dispensary are all within strolling distance so we went there instead. A pity to have missed what I was hoping would be a regular addition to our pub list at that end of Liverpool, a nice cluster of ale-houses as mentioned.
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Another very crowded pub last night. Pity it is so narrow, I found myself continually moving against the bar in order to let people pass.
However, some decent ales available. I had Castle Rock "Harvest Pale", one of my favourites.
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Staff and beer in this bub are great, the only problem seems to be the managment, If i am correct it is run by a husband and wife team, who i have seen on numerous ocassions bring there sreaming matches into a very busyl pub, creating an akward feeling wich prompted me and my freinds to leave.
On sundays there is a very good Jazz band that play in a small alcove, but sadly i did not get to see them on my last visit as the husband shut the pub early, drunkinly telling anybody that would listen to him that it is was his wifes fault as she was not there to her shift. This also left the poor barman looking very embarrased.
Sadly to say i have given this pub far to many chances and shall not be returning.
Please Little Grapes sort it out.
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Since the Community College has opened up next door it's undergone a little revamp and now looks quite nice. Fairy lights and tatty chandeliers is the look they've gone for. They usually have at least four local ales on tap as well as a few odd things in the fridge and the bar staff are dead friendly.
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Finally got in here for a second time yesterday. Previous visits have found it closed on a weekend lunchtime. According to the friendly landlord, they are planning to open earlier in the future to attract the local student crowd for breakfasts. The first time I came here, there were a number of Liverpool Organic beers on. This time there were none. Ales available were Tatton Blonde, Higsons Bitter, Deuchars IPA, Jennings Cumberland Ale, Tetleys & Greene King Old Speckled Hen. There are still no real ciders. This time, we chose to sit outside in the enclosed 'garden', which is actually more of a yard. This seemed to intrigue the locals who also came out to discover the yard. Apparently none of them knew it was there!
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First time I have left a beer in a longggg time. Maybe it was just an off night.
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Herd to find - Roscoe Street extends both ways off Hardman Street - but worth it. Sunday night Latin Jazz from 9PM is very popular, beer has improved from Cains & Deuchars (always running out) to a proper range.
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Have managed to pop in here a few times over the last couple of months. Always empty when I've been here in the afternoon mid-week and they always have at least one well kept Liverpool Organic Brewery ale on tap.
Good place to come if you're doing a crawl in this part of town as it's only a short walk from Ye Cracke, Philharmonic, Fly In The Loaf, Roscoe Head and Dispensary.
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Was at one time a street corner Higgo's house populated by old miseries but has been altered inside to give it a more continental bar feel to it. Plenty of ales on, mainly from the Liverpol Organic Brewery, and I tried their Autumn Gold. Found it a pleasant enough small street corner local which is a rarity these days when most small pubs tend to be shop conversion 'Irish' bars.
anonymous - 27 Nov 2010 13:07 |
Had a day off work a couple of weeks ago and thought "where can I go? I know - The Grapes!"
I hadn't been there for over a year and was looking forward to seeing what ales they had on - but when I got got there at 2pm it was closed!
Does anyone know what the opening hours are?
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Not likely to be a pub you would stumble across at its in a quiet part of town. Outside it is very neat & tidy, however inside I suppose the kindest description would be it has a "distressed" look. High Georgian ceilngs, bare floorboards, tatty paintwork & couches that look like Freddie Krueger has been let loose tearing them up. There is no doubt that all expense has been spared in maintaining the interior. The main reason for my visit was to try Liverpool Organic Brewery - Pale Ale which didn't disappoint & was well served. My only irritation was the barman who decided to take his own tip without being invited - very poor.
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This pub was recommended to me and didn't disappoint. We were the only customers. But I'm convinced that soon word will go round and this pub will become extremely popular. It has been sensibly restored and the construction of a new college building nextdoor is sure to help its fortunes. There are 6 handpulls. During our visit, these were dispensing Deuchars IPA, Jennings Cumberland Ale and 4 beers from the Liverpool Organic brewery - Liverpool Pale Ale, King John's Ale, William Roscoe & 24 Carat Gold. My only criticism was the lack of a real cider. Comfortable place. I'm fairly positive I'll be back.
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I'm glad to report that THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN LIVERPOOL has gone from 3 cask ales to six.
The grapes is a great little pub with great beer, great music an great staff( the 2 lads with curly hair are great entertainment). Sunday nite jazz is fantastic nite out if you have the monday off to recover, with a cool smoking area out the back and chilled mellow lighting inside its brill place to meet friends and take it easy in the laid back atmosphere, defintly never miss a visit when am in liverpool.
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Back street city-centre pub that has recently increased its selection of real ales. It's a basic, L-shaped place around a bar, modern but with some pleasing original features, including the outside signage and brewery mirrors. It has a gas fire and is generally pretty smart, although one couch is in dire repair and is severely ripped, which is incongruous and you wonder if its a deliberate style statement? Beers now include Deuchars, Everards Tiger plus a range from the Liverpool Organic Brewery. I tried the IPA from here which was pretty good. Moderately busy on my visit, a pleasant atmosphere prevailed. With so many outstanding neighbours for pubs I have often overlooked this place, but it's improving and I'll probably be popping in again.
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fantastic back street boozer with a good selection of real ales including one from the liverpool organic brewery, well worth a visit if your in liverpool
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Sympathetically modernised old pub with some of the more interesting details left untouched. Bare boards, tongue and groove wainscotting and some nice floor tiles. A bit tatty in places but with some novel art work to enjoy. Three handpulls serving Cains, Deuchars and Jennings on my visit, fairly average beers in fairly average condition maybe even a touch too warm. San Mig and Becks Veir among the more usual kegs. Friendly efficient american barman, there were only a few customers in and those were a fairly mixed bunch. Probably gets a lot more lively later in the evenings with music etc.
anonymous - 20 Feb 2009 10:06 |
Good food, and a very good smokers area.
Many pubs have something to learn from The Grapes
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Must agree with all the other reviews on this pub- definitely a superior watering hole!
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This is a nice friendly old fashioned pub with decent beer.
anonymous - 29 Oct 2006 19:05 |
Lovely little place.
anonymous - 15 Mar 2006 11:51 |
Fantastic interior, the windowless room at the back is 'a blast from the past.'
anonymous - 30 Nov 2005 01:01 |
Definitely the best kept secret in Liverpool!
B. Maid - 17 Nov 2004 21:40 |
The best kept secret in town!
Bethan - 30 Oct 2004 12:47 |
