Travel: Cultural capital is transformed

Jun 16 2010 By Christina Savvas

I HAVE to confess that I’m a little biased when it comes to Liverpool.

After all, it’s a city full of special memories for me, having lived and studied there for four years and being a Liverpool FC fan.

But on a recent visit I arrived with fresh eyes excited by the prospect of a city which has changed enormously since landing the title of European Capital of Culture in 2008.

We arrived on a cold and wet Friday evening (nothing has changed there then) after a two-hour drive up the M6.

First stop was our base for the weekend, the chic Hope Street Hotel. Billed as Liverpool’s first boutique hotel, it is within the city’s cultural quarter where you’ll find an abundance of theatres and restaurants, as well as the art deco Philharmonic Hall and two amazing cathedrals either side of Hope Street.

The hotel building dates from 1860, but it’s all contemporary inside. Immediately, the extra touches were noted – Egyptian cotton sheets and touch light switches.

In the evening we dined in the hotel’s renowned restaurant, The London Carriage Works. The atmosphere was relaxed, the wine list never ending, and the food incredible, delicious, fresh and organic.

It doesn’t hurt that chef Paul Askew’s cosmopolitan flavours are served in a grand property built at the end of the 19th century in the style of a Venetian palazzo.

Apres dinner, we made our way into the hotel’s trendy bar. The atmosphere was energised yet relaxed, with a clientele that we guessed was a mixture of locals and hotel guests.

We finished off the evening at Alma de Cuba, an old church converted into a carnival-themed venue where dancers entertain on tables in a shower of falling petals. It offers a great party atmosphere.

After a fantastic night’s sleep and a delicious full ‘Liverpool breakfast’ it was time to take in some of the city’s sites. First stop, the Anglican Cathedral – the country’s largest, just a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.

It offers amazing architecture and incredible panoramic views of the city.

Setting foot inside you enter a wonderful great space, so vast that it could keep you occupied for hours.

After a wonderful start to the day we headed to the Pier Head for the Beatles Story’s Fab4D experience which takes you on an exciting multi-sensory 4D journey through the music of the Beatles. The attraction offers one of the world’s largest collections of official merchandise and there is a dedicated area showcasing special exhibitions.

From the Beatles to real life creepy crawlies at Bugworld located at the Albert Dock.

This is the first insectarium of its kind in the UK and shows visitors the world through a bug’s eyes. On arrival, we were treated to ant canapes and I admit, unlike others, I wasn’t brave enough to tuck-in.

I was relieved to be whisked away by tour guides to be shown around the simulated environments from a rainforest to a savannah to the everyday British home. This was a unique and interesting experience, an ideal day out for kids.

I was keen to make my way further down the docks to Tate Liverpool, home of the national collection of modern and contemporary art in the North of England.

It has an impressive permanent collection and special exhibitions by the world’s most famous artists. This was something I never fully appreciated during my time in the city.

The Albert Docks are a wonderful place to spend the day. We enjoyed a hearty lunch of fish and chips in the dining room of the Merseyside Maritime Museum and then strolled around the docks before moving on to the newly-built Liverpool One Shopping Centre – it is lucky this wasn’t around when I was a student!

In the evening, we dined at Delifonseca in StanIey Street – a fabulous little independent restaurant on the mezzanine level above a bustling delicatessen. It provided high quality food and excellent service.

We ended off in the evening in style, enjoying the nightlife in the trendy Newz bar – a popular hang-out for footballers, wags and soapstars.

Liverpool has changed a lot since I lived there. It is still the same stylish city I came to love but with more great restaurants and much better shops.

Websites

http://www.hopestreethotel.co.uk

http://liverpoolcathedral.org.uk

http://www.bugworldexperience.co.uk/static

http://www.delifonseca.co.uk/