Liverpool: what this city has to offer outside of their 60’s music fame and over rated football teams?
Whilst we are constantly reminded of the negatives that the 2020 pandemic has brought to us, in typical style, I always try to think of the positives that the situation as brought my family.
We’ve spent a summer discovering some of the most amazing places that bless our doorsteps both inside and outside of Yorkshire, we’ve swam more in the UK waters in the last 6 months that I have in a lifetime and more importantly we’ve spent more time together this year than a year would normally allow.
So it seems only fitting that we see out the summer in a similar fashion, with the style that has blessed our entire adventurous summer.
Liverpool is not a city I’m hugely familiar with, there’s a chance that my hatred for their red football team may have blurred my vision, so I’m keen to discover just what this city has to offer outside of their 60’s music fame and over rated football teams.
Our hub for the weekend could not be situated better, directly on the high street on the edge of Liverpool One is Quest, a brand new name to the UK, established ‘Down Under’ Quest delivers the perfect mix of Apartment & Hotel all in one.
Think luxury and connivance of a hotel with the addition of a fully functional kitchen as well as washer & dryer, you should have witnessed my wife’s excitement at the washer dryer, if only that passion was displayed at home, did I just say that out loud?
The quest to locate a luscious lunch was high on our agenda on arrival to the mersey streets, I’d heard great things about Duke Street Food & Drink Market, what I hadn’t realised is the scale and level of the food here, the word market in my mind doesn’t do it justice, this isn’t like any market I’ve been to, this is more an amphitheatre of culinary delights.
The array of food available from the individual stalls is vast & let’s be clear this isn’t street food, this is food to the highest level, let the description of just one of my dishes, Lamb Croquette, Goats Cheese Yoghurt, & Salsa Verde, play testament to that.
I’d go as far as saying that Duke Street Food Market is simply the finest all-round dinning experience I’ve had the pleasure of for some time, you must check the place out!
After a brief tour of the Albert Docks & an insistant child demanding we all go on the merry-go-round it was Liverpool One that stole our attention, the array of shops on offer is a shoppers delight, especially in the times we found ourselves in, it’s kind of a shopping centre in similarity to say the Trafford Centre but the beauty is it’s not covered, it’s what I guess we’ll see more of in the coming years, Leeds as something similar yet smaller in size in Trinity Leeds.
Equally impressive is the variety of bars and eateries, although mainly chains on the dinning side, we find ourselves drawn to an outdoor funky bar with DJ that has formed on the lawn area situated above the shopping arcades, the vibe and style of the pop-up was exactly to our taste.
All shopped out and with daddies wallet considerable lighter than it started our room at Quest awaits us for a night in front of the TV.
The absolute beauty of quest is that even without an on-site restaurant they are able to offer dinning experiences, whilst you can cater for yourselves, Quest give the added convenience of ordering food in for you (via Deliver00) or a charge back service from a number of local restaurants.
We opt for the dine in experience and tuck into some incredible seafood and pasta from a local restaurant, utilising the oven to keep things warm, it gives the feel of a restaurant but in the comfort of your own space, allowing for us all to dine in our comfy cloths.
Whilst we forget to complete the grab and go breakfast form, we do manage to pick something up and again enjoy a family dinning experience in our room allowing for me to grab a quick hour in front of the laptop to catch up on a few things that can’t wait.
Having been totally blessed by the foodie delights of Liverpool thus far there’s room for one more indulgence before we head off to Formby for a day at the beach.
Baltic Market is located on the fringe of the city, and this place really is a market, the vibe is felt the moment you walk in and the high warehouse ceilings create a stunning hustle bustle feeling.
The food here is pure unadulterated street food of the highest quality, the table delivery service via the Uber Eats app is clever and the quality of food and drink available is outstanding.
In conclusion, love or hate their football teams, Liverpool as something for everyone & especially if you are a foodie like me, some awesome delights.
And our quest? Well Quest made it the perfect end to the perfect (ish) summer!
