Freida Mo’s

It doesn’t get more charming than Freida Mo’s, the colourful and lovably ramshackle cafe on Liverpool’s Lark Lane. Named after owner Sally Ayres’ grandmothers, Freida and Maureen, it’s an intimate space with outdoor seating and a couple of tables inside, plus a small but perfectly-stocked vintage clothing section towards the back.

Cynical types might grumble at the bohemian aesthetic, but it’s a delight to find a place so unashamedly leftfield, especially when it’s backed with such friendly staff and an excellent soundtrack (wall-to-wall classic Bowie on my visit). But more than this it’s quietly welcoming to all comers, from old age pensioners who simply want a chat and a cup of tea, to nearby shop-owners and cheerful locals.

The menu is short but sweet, with everything you could want from a daytime cafe, but with a flourish. You’ll find crumpets, scones, pancakes, and more savoury options, all at an eye-openingly low price. (All those chains masquerading as independent venues in places like Manchester’s Northern Quarter should take note.)

Alongside a cup of tea, complete with dainty cutlery, I begin with a savoury dauphinoise pastry – a combination of pastry intermingled with thin slices of soft potato, plus three types of cheese and a delicious side salad. It’s the ideal pick-me-up for these long, cold post-Christmas months.

But the star of the show is today’s funfetti vanilla cake (the range on offer changes daily), which couldn’t be more eye-catching if it tried – all vivid colours and polka dots. It tastes exquisite, impossibly sweet but with a satisfying texture, chewy and crumbly, with a faint hint of apple, plus a top layer of silky smooth buttermilk icing. Halfway through, I’m amazed to find out it’s entirely vegan, using a form of apple instead of eggs to bind it all together. This cake alone is worth the visit, particularly if you’re yet to be convinced by vegan food.

And it’s worth noting that it’s not merely another profit-making business, Freida Mo’s is designed to serve the local community, putting on regular meet-ups to help people feeling lonely at this time of year, as well as quietly dishing out supplies to people down on their luck. ‘Labour of love’ is an overused phrase, but it’s hard to describe this cafe as anything else.

With such an upbeat, friendly atmosphere, it’s the kind of place that’ll make you wish you lived nearby so you could head over every day. Freida Mo’s isn’t just one of the best locations on Lark Lane, it’s one of our favourite places in Liverpool, if not beyond.