Waterfront, Liverpool

Creative Tourist

The waterfront, which takes in the Albert Dock and the Pier Head, is an integral part of Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage Site – and is the best place to get a feel for the city’s former grandeur. It features The Three Graces, a trio of buildings that were designed to illustrate Liverpool‘s immense wealth, the Baroque Port of Liverpool Building and the iconic Royal Liver Building, topped with two its cormorant-like Liver Birds. The female is said to look out over the sea for returning sailors, while the male looks over the city, to check the pubs are still open. 

The Albert Dock right on the water boasts the largest group of Grade I listed buildings in the UK and is home to numerous shops, restaurants and hotels in its red brick warehouses – as well as Tate Liverpool. This superb gallery is not a lone cultural highlight here, however; the waterfront also features the Maritime Museum, the International Slavery Museum, the Museum of Liverpool and Open Eye Gallery, a small photography gallery with a big reputation.

Our top picks

Tate Liverpool

Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock, Liverpool Waterfront, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 4BB - Visit now

On Liverpool’s Albert Dock, The Tate Liverpool houses an impressive collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, and Andy Warhol. The museum’s collection also includes a range of British art from the 20th century, including works by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and David Hockney.

Tate Liverpool from across the docks

Maritime Museum

Maritime Museum, Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 4AQ - Visit now

The Royal Albert Dock is home to the Maritime Museum, the perfect place to get a feel for the small inlet that grew to become the gateway to the world. Maritime Museum tells the story of the Port of Liverpool, which has been graced by some of the finest ocean cruisers and transatlantic liners that made this a global trading city.

Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool, image courtesy of venue

Maray Albert Dock

Maray Albert Dock, Unit 4, Britannia Pavilion, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AD - Visit now

The ever-popular Maray’s third site, based at the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool, has beautiful views and flavours in equal measure.

Museum of Liverpool

Museum of Liverpool, Pier Head, Liverpool Waterfront,, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 1DG - Visit now

Wedged between Royal Albert Doc and the Three Graces, The Museum of Liverpool  exists to tell the long and winding tale of Liverpool’s past through the 6,000 objects displayed on three floors. Visitors are given the chance to get under the skin of a city that was for 200 years one of the world’s most influential.

Open Eye Gallery

Open Eye Gallery, 19 Mann Island, Liverpool Waterfront, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 1BP - Visit now

Open Eye Gallery is an independent photography space and archive in Liverpool with a 35 year-plus history. As well as a regular programme of changing exhibitions, featuring both national and international photographers, Open Eye also runs courses, workshops and talks for serious photographers

Open Eye Gallery, 2013. Image by Mark McNulty.

International Slavery Museum

International Slavery Museum, Albert Dock, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 4AQ - Visit now

Set within the same building as the  Merseyside Maritime Museum, the International Slavery Museum looks over the docs whereby Liverpool was responsible for half the British transatlantic slave trade, and her ships carried perhaps 1.5 million enslaved Africans into slavery.

Merseyside Maritime Museum & International Slavery Museum

Panoramic 34

Panoramic 34, West Tower, Brook Street, Liverpool, L3 9PJ - Visit now

Panoramic 34 is one of the UK’s highest restaurants and sits 90 metres above Liverpool’s Brook Street. With spectacular views of Liverpool, Wirral and out to the Irish Sea complete with an extensive cocktail menu and bar snacks., Panoramic 34 should be top of your list for fine dining in Merseyside.

A table with a view of Liverpool at the fine dining restaurant Panoramic 34
Panoramic 34

RIBA North

RIBA North, 21 Mann Island, Liverpool, L3 1BP - Visit now

At the heart of RIBA North is the City Gallery, which houses a permanent display about Liverpool’s architectural past, present and future, and the processes involved in urban development and the evolution of the built environment. The gallery includes the Digital City Model, an interactive 3D model which recounts stories about Liverpool and the surrounding area. Younger visitors are invited to become architects themselves in the centre’s Lego city; RIBA North’s own in-house, child-friendly construction site.

Where to go in Liverpool

Maldron Hotel Liverpool
Baltic Triangle
Hotel
Maldron Hotel

The Maldron Hotel is perfectly located on the edge of the Baltic Triangle and offers comfortable stays and luxurious breakfasts.

hotel4
Liverpool
Hotel
The Halyard

The Halyard is one of Liverpool’s newest hotels, with top floor suites offering sweeping views of the city and delicious treats in the restaurant.

shop
Liverpool
Shop
COW Liverpool

Cow Liverpool is one of the city’s favourite vintage shops, with clothing, accessories and homeware in a spacious shop on Bold Street.

Liverpool
Shop
Pop Boutique Liverpool

Pop Boutique houses Vintage, clothing, homeware and vinyl. This bold street shop is in the centre of the ropewalks area of Liverpool which is fast becoming the indie centre of Liverpool.

cafe
Lark Lane
Café or Coffee Shop
Press Bros

Press Bros is one of Lark Lane’s best coffee spots, with coffee made from locally roasted beans and delicious breakfasts.

food and drink
Liverpool
Restaurant
Manifest

Manifest is a casual fine dining restaurant and wine bar in the Baltic Triangle, serving seasonal dishes and delicious wines from small scale producers.

food and drink
Liverpool
Restaurant
Sanskruti

Sanskruti is a vegetarian and vegan Indian restaurant, serving an array of fresh, brightly coloured dishes in Liverpool’s Business District.

food and drink
City Centre
Bar or Pub
Brass Monkey

Brass Monkey is a quirky bar with swings serving delicious drinks, tucked away down a quiet street in the centre of Liverpool.

food and drink
Liverpool
Restaurant
The Botanical Gin Garden

The Botanical Gin Garden is a seasonal outdoor gin bar, open six months a year, serving a wide selection of delicious gin drinks.

food and drink
City Centre
Bar or Pub
Cafe Tabac

Cafe Tabac is the longest running café bar in Liverpool, serving food and drinks to arty locals and curious newcomers.

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The Spa at Carden Garden
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Vegan Food in Liverpool
Vegan Food in Liverpool

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Croxteth Hall and Country Park
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Casual dining in Liverpool

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Ego Death
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Take me there

Culture Guides

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Theatre in the North

Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.

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Tours and Activities in the North

Boozy tours, art workshops and a 'hobby house' that champions all things DIY, get the creative cogs whirring with our latest batch of tours and activities.

A large sphere floats in a dark room with an ornate wall pattern, flanked by two arched windows and a checkered floor.
Exhibitions in the North

From precarious ceramics to photography festivals, spring is here and brings with it a breath of fresh air in visual art and exhibitions.

Okechukwu Nzelu
Literature Events in the North

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the artist
Music in the North

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A woman sits in a car with hands holding the steering wheel.
Cinema in the North

Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.