North West England
Cheap date ideas in Liverpool
Updated
Liverpool’s best views and buildings cost little or nothing. Walk the Royal Albert Dock and the waterfront to the Three Graces, calling in at the free Museum of Liverpool, or take the Mersey Ferry for the city’s skyline from the water. On William Brown Street, the Walker Art Gallery and the Picton Reading Room’s great dome are both free. Liverpool Cathedral is free to enter, with a small fee for the tower’s view, and Sefton Park’s Palm House is a warm stop on a long walk. Take the train to Crosby Beach for Antony Gormley’s iron figures at sunset, then share plates at Baltic Market or have a pint among the mosaics of the Philharmonic Dining Rooms.
Our picks
Royal Albert Dock and the waterfront
Royal Albert Dock and the Pier Head, waterfront
Address: Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AF- Outdoors
- Free
- Romantic
Walk the colonnades of the Royal Albert Dock's red-brick warehouses, then carry on along the river to the Pier Head and the Three Graces, calling in at the free Museum of Liverpool on the way.
Why it's a good date: It's the Liverpool everyone pictures, and it's lovely as the sun goes down over the Mersey. If it rains, duck into the Museum of Liverpool or the Maritime Museum, both free.
Photo: Humphrey Bolton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Mersey Ferries River Explorer Cruise
Pier Head Ferry Terminal, waterfront
Address: Pier Head, Georges Parade, Liverpool L3 1DP- Activity
- Cheap and cheerful
- Romantic
- Outdoors
Take the ferry from the Pier Head on a circular cruise across the Mersey, calling at Seacombe and Woodside, with the city's skyline laid out across the water.
Why it's a good date: Stand on deck with the wind in your faces and the best view of Liverpool there is. Wrap up, even in summer, and go at the end of the day for the light.
Walker Art Gallery
William Brown Street, city centre
Address: William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EL- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Wander the free city gallery, with everything from Tudor portraits and Pre-Raphaelites to David Hockney, plus changing exhibitions.
Why it's a good date: One of the best collections outside London, right by Lime Street. Choose the painting you'd each hang at home, then talk the other round to it.
Photo: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Picton Reading Room at Central Library
William Brown Street, city centre
Address: Central Library, William Brown Street, Liverpool L3 8EW- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
- Cosy
Climb up through Central Library to the Picton Reading Room, a round Victorian reading room lined with books under a great domed ceiling.
Why it's a good date: It's free and quiet, and you'll look straight up at the dome the first time you walk in. Pair it with the Walker Art Gallery next door for a whole afternoon on one street. Keep your voices down.
Photo: Michael D Beckwith from England, CC0 (resized)
Liverpool Cathedral tower
St James' Mount, off Hope Street
Address: St James' Mount, Liverpool L1 7AZ- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Romantic
Wander Britain's biggest cathedral, free to enter, then take the lifts and stairs up the tower, past the world's heaviest ring of bells, to the views from the top.
Why it's a good date: The scale of the place takes your breath away, and so does the view across the city and the river. Pick a clear day for the tower, and check it's open before you go.
Photo: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Sefton Park and the Palm House
Sefton Park, south Liverpool
Address: Palm House, Sefton Park, Liverpool L17 1AP- Outdoors
- Free
Walk round the lake and through the trees of Liverpool's great Victorian park, and warm up among the plants in the Palm House, its 1896 glasshouse.
Why it's a good date: A long, easy walk with somewhere warm and green in the middle of it. The Palm House is closed some days for weddings and events, so check before you go.
Photo: Paul White, CC BY 2.0 (resized)
Crosby Beach and Another Place
Crosby, north of the city, near Blundellsands & Crosby station
Address: Mariners Road, Crosby, Liverpool L23 6SX- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Out of town
Walk the beach among Antony Gormley's Another Place: 100 cast-iron figures standing along the sand, all looking out to sea.
Why it's a good date: A short train ride out and you're on a wide, windswept beach with a hundred silent companions. Go for sunset, and stay off the soft sand near the figures furthest out: the tide comes in fast.
Photo: habiloid, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
The Philharmonic Dining Rooms
Hope Street, Georgian Quarter
Address: 36 Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BX- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Have a pint in one of England's grandest Victorian pubs, all mosaics, stained glass, carved wood and famously ornate marble gents' toilets.
Why it's a good date: A drink somewhere this beautiful costs no more than anywhere else. It's across the road from the Philharmonic Hall, so it's the natural place to start a concert night.
Photo: User:Hassocks5489, CC0 (cropped and resized)
Baltic Market
Cains Brewery, Stanhope Street, Baltic Triangle
Address: Cains Brewery, Stanhope Street, Liverpool L8 5XJ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share plates from a line-up of independent street-food traders at long tables in a former brewery warehouse.
Why it's a good date: Each of you orders from a different kitchen and you swap halfway. It's relaxed and lively, and a good start to a night out in the Baltic Triangle.
Bakchich
Bold Street, Ropewalks
Address: Bakchich, 54 Bold Street, Liverpool L1 4ER- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share Lebanese street food and mezze at a bright, friendly spot on Bold Street.
Why it's a good date: Generous, good value and run with a real family welcome. Easy to drop into before a film at FACT or a wander down Bold Street.
Duke Street Market
Duke Street, Ropewalks
Address: Duke Street Food & Drink Market, 46 Duke Street, Liverpool L1 5AS- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Pick from a handful of independent kitchens and share at the long tables of a food hall on Duke Street.
Why it's a good date: Each of you orders from a different counter and you swap. It's relaxed and no booking needed, a good start to a night in the Ropewalks.
Bundobust
Bold Street, Ropewalks
Address: Bundobust, 17-19 Bold Street, Liverpool L1 4DN- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share Indian vegetarian street food and a craft beer in a first-floor beer hall overlooking Bold Street.
Why it's a good date: Small plates made for sharing, bench seating and a lively, casual feel. It's a short walk from Lime Street, so it works before a gig or a train home.
Rudy's Pizza, Albert Dock
Royal Albert Dock, Waterfront
Address: Rudy's Pizza, Unit 6, Britannia Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AD- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Share Neapolitan pizza at Rudy's on the Royal Albert Dock, then walk the waterfront.
Why it's a good date: Quick, cheerful and good value, with the dock and the river right outside for a stroll afterwards. Book at weekends.
The Italian Club
Bold Street, Ropewalks
Address: The Italian Club, 85 Bold Street, Liverpool L1 4HF- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Share pizza and pasta at a homely, family-run Italian on Bold Street.
Why it's a good date: Warm, busy and reasonably priced, the kind of place that feels like eating at someone's kitchen table. Book at weekends.
Mowgli, Bold Street
Bold Street, Ropewalks
Address: Mowgli Street Food, 69 Bold Street, Liverpool L1 4EZ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share Indian street food on swing seats at the Bold Street original of Mowgli.
Why it's a good date: The first Mowgli started here, and it's still colourful and fun, with small dishes that are easy to share. Book ahead at weekends.
Pho, Castle Street
Castle Street, Commercial District
Address: Pho, 22a Castle Street, Liverpool L2 0SU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Best in Autumn, Winter, Spring
- Cosy
Warm up over bowls of Vietnamese noodle soup on Castle Street.
Why it's a good date: Fresh, filling and quick, good for a low-key weeknight before a wander down to the waterfront.
Quick answers
Is Liverpool Cathedral free?
It's free to enter. The tower, up past the world's heaviest ring of bells, has its own ticket, so check it's open before you go and pick a clear day.
How do we get to Another Place on Crosby Beach?
It's a short train ride north of the city, near Blundellsands & Crosby station. Stay off the soft sand near the figures furthest out: the tide comes in fast.
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