Moose Coffee Liverpool
Christina McDermottSometimes you just need pancakes. Big, fluffy, American-style pancakes, smothered in maple syrup and butter, with a stack of bacon on the side and a large cup of coffee to wash it all down. If that sounds like the kind of breakfast that floats your boat, then you should seriously consider paying a visit to Moose Coffee on Hope Street.
Situated in Liverpool’s beautiful Georgian Quarter, Moose Coffee was born out of a desire to capture the American (and Canadian – hence the Moose iconography) attitude to “the best meal of the day”. You’ll find authentic North American diner food set against a tasteful and elegant interior – high ceilings, leather booths, formica tables and an amusing array of moose-themed ephemera on the walls.
While Moose Coffee’s pancakes are a definite draw, the rest of its breakfast menu is impressively extensive, taking in everything from the ‘New York Moose’ (its take on Eggs Benedict, served on top of a toasted bagel) and the ‘Grande Bouche’ (a pimped-up version of French toast, featuring two pieces of brioche griddled in an egg and vanilla batter, served with bacon and maple syrup) to the ‘Manolito’ (a Huevos Rancheros-style dish containing homemade refried beans, eggs, salsa, grated cheese and a large dollop of sour cream). If you’re after something slightly less calorific, it also serves simpler fare in the form of porridge, granola and toasted bagels.
Indeed, bagels are a definite theme here and are pretty much what Moose Coffee does best. Its substantial sandwich menu is chock full of the things, alongside a wide selection of salads and burgers. We’re a big fan of their Reuben, a delightfully messy concoction of salt beef, melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, dill pickles and mustard mayonnaise, which is arguably one of the best bagels in the city. For something slightly lighter, try the ‘Nova Scotia’, a seemingly simple combination of smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers smothered onto a toasted bagel, which works mainly because all of the ingredients are well sourced, plentiful and utterly delicious.
While the coffee here is perfectly decent (you can even buy bags of beans to take away), we’d suggest going the whole American hog and opting for a milkshake. Whizzed up with Dime Bars, Oreos and all sorts of other sugary delights, and vying for attention alongside huge slices of Red Velvet Cake, they pay apt homage to the American appetite for the sickly sweet.
This mighty Moose Coffee Liverpool is on Hope Street but they also have a branch on Dale Street in the city’s business district. If you’re looking for somewhere to sit, relax and enjoy a long, leisurely brunch with friends, you’ll not find a better place to do so.