The Ultimate Guide To Liverpool's Hidden Gem Lark Lane
A Lark Lane Guide is a must for any students living in Liverpool. It is a local gem, one of the oldest streets in Liverpool, built back in the 1800s, it has the look and feel of a Victorian village, one of the best spots for a wander.
A long street with plenty of cafés, restaurants, bars, and quirky shops, old independent stores and eateries that have been there for decades, mixed in with newer, trendy spots for a drink and some food.
It is charming, different, and not like anywhere else in Liverpool, a real treat for the senses and a bohemian spot that is welcoming to all types of people.
Whether you’re after a Sunday stroll and some brunch and to walk off a hangover, a big night out with a few drinks, or a place for a meal and a celebration with friends and family, Lark Lane offers something for everyone, a popular location for locals and students alike.
How To Get To Lark Lane
No matter where in the city you live, getting to Lark Lane is really easy.
If you’re coming from town or the South of Liverpool, just hop on the Northern Line and get the train heading towards Hunts Cross (if you’re coming from town).
Or, Southport (if you’re heading from Hunts Cross/Liverpool South Parkway or anywhere else along the southern line of the network).
The stop for Lark Lane is St. Michael’s Station, and it is a simple 10-minute walk straight up the road until you come to Aigburth Road, and the bottom of Lark Lane is the other side of the pedestrian crossing.
Alternatively, you can get on an 82 bus (both Stagecoach and Arriva have a bus route along Aigburth road).
This runs from the Liverpool One Bus Station and there is a bus stop right at the bottom of Lark Lane (the stop is in front of Churrasco Steakhouse, which is housed within the old public toilets!).
An Uber out to Lark Lane from the city centre would be on average anywhere between £6 and £10 depending on the day and time you want to go.
Whilst a walk would take around 45 minutes from the edge of the city centre.
Lark Lane Guide – Food & Drink
There are some fantastic places to eat on Lark Lane, from the long-established places for a good Sunday roast to casual lunchtime small plates, a cup of coffee and a pastry, or dinner from a choice of world cuisines. Lark Lane has something for everyone.
There are far too many places to list them all, it’s that wonderful a jam-packed street, so we’ve selected a few of our favourites.
Minna
A family run café that serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch until 4pm, along with a range of pastries on the counter, there is a lot of veggie and vegan options on the menu, and everything is delicious.
There’s also some booze if you fancy a drink during the day, and a great taste of coffee too.
Minna is a dog-friendly paradise, with plenty of outdoor seating in the sun out front and a beautiful, rustic garden out the back.
There’s a charred leek and potato dish that we love at Minna, so check that out!
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The Old School House
A gastropub on the site of a 19th century church, The Old Schoolhouse is always buzzing, and you’ll likely need to queue to get in, but it’s always worth the wait.
There’s also a nice conservatory area to one side and outdoor space when needed, and the menu is full of brasserie-style dishes, sourdough bread, wood-fire pizza, to be eaten in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Sunday Roast Dinner’s here are unreal too.
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Marantos
An Italian American restaurant run by the Maranto family, this is a Lark Lane institution, active on the Lane for nearly 40 years.
It has a unique architecture and design, but what you’ll experience most is that family-feel customer service, a large and modern space that feeds into a relaxed environment.
There are regulars who have been coming here every week for its entire lifespan, which shows you what the locals feel about the place.
We’ve been for a few Sunday roasts here down the years and it always delivers, whilst there is also a vegan and gluten-free menu.
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Press Bros.
For brunch and some good coffee, Press Bros. Coffee is one of the most popular coffee shops on Lark Lane since opening in its own physical store alongside a spot in the Baltic Market.
It’s going from strength to strength, with a deceivingly large and comfortable indoor space, great coffee (as you would expect), beer, wine and spirts, as well as a large and delicious brunch menu.
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Milo Lounge
Part of the Lounges group, the Milo Lounge is the Lark Lane version at the park end of the lane.
It’s cosy, casual, great for a big breakfast or a relaxed lunch with friends, and all within a decent price.
You know what you’re getting with a lounge, they are all the same, and that familiarity is something that is comforting at times.
The food menu is also great for veggies and vegans.
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Lark Lane Guide – Pubs & Bars
Drinking in the sun on the lane is something that all scousers love to do, and as a student in the city it is the perfect chance to become a local.
There is no such thing as a quiet one on Lark Lane, with some bars and pubs here an institution that goes back generations.
The beauty of this place is that every night is different, you can have a few pints and test your brain with a pub quiz one night and have a madcap adventure with complete strangers well into the early hours the next.
It’s always an interesting place to go out for a drink, here’s our favourites…
The Albert
A great, old local pub, The Albert has maintained its place as the heart and soul of Lark Lane over the years, somewhere to down a few pints with the old guys who have been coming here for decades, hear some too-notch scouse stories from the past, watch some football on the TV, and not break the bank with a round of drinks.
They also do open mic nights and live music shows!
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The Lodge
The Lodge is a down to earth pub with a good menu of pub grub, a wide selection of beers, ciders, and spirits, a good crowd of locals and students, and always a lively time at weekend.
The fantastic beer garden and great playlist makes it a great place to hang out until kicking out time on most nights.
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Keith’s Food & Wine Bar
The food on offer at Keith’s is hearty and homely and well worth a try (especially the fry-ups), but it’s the late night and the drinks that interest us here.
Keith’s is a left-leaning bar that welcomes the artsy, counter-culture crowd.
You’ll get into friendly discussions about all sorts in this place, make friends with strangers, and carve out your own personal space within this eccentric bar like no other in Liverpool.
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The Green Man
A relatively recent addition to Lark Lane, The Green Man has been designed like a good old-fashioned pub from yesteryear.
This conversion to a traditional pub theme is warm and welcoming, a cosy place to sit for a few cask ales and talk the world away with your mates or whoever happens to be sat at the bar at the time.
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Lark Lane Guide – Shops
On the other end of the scale, Lark Lane is also full of quirky shops and independent boutiques that make it an interesting place for a stroll on the weekend, looking through trinkets and hidden gems.
Freida Mo’s
Vintage independent fashion in a quirky boutique and event space, Frieda Mo’s sells fashion dating from a century ago through to today, old vinyl records from far flung times, herbal teas, but it also has a lovely little bakery inside too.
So, you can stop for a cuppa and a cake whilst you look through the racks of vintage clothing.
A special place on the lane.
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Larks
This quirky, colourful boutique is where you can find costume jewellery next to contemporary gifts, arts, and crafts next to vintage clothing.
You’ll get lost in the rabbit hole at this vintage emporium, and even better there’s a sister shop on the corner opposite (Number 13), with an even greater feel of a treasure trove, houseplants, incense, and gift ideas for you to search through!
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Nature & Walks Close To Lark Lane
Lark Lane is also the perfect location before or after visiting some of the most beautiful areas in Liverpool, with Sefton Park, Festival Gardens, and Otterspool Promenade all close by.
Sefton Park
A jewel in Liverpool’s crown, Sefton Park is a Grade I listed park by English Heritage, a 200-acre park that is an oasis of calm and tranquillity within the city.
It is one of the largest parks of its kind in the entire country, with a large boating lake, a palm house, distinctive curved pathways, and large greens. There are also replica statues of Peter Pan and Eros.
Lark Lane sits beside Sefton Park, so it is a wonderful place to go for a stroll after exploring!
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Festival Gardens
Just a 10 minute-walk in the other direction, just past St. Michael’s Station you’ll find Festival Gardens.
This is a beautiful spot, a calm space that has pagodas, Oriental gardens, small lakes, waterways, and water features, all on the site of the 1984 Garden Festival.
Walking through Festival Gardens you will quickly come to… Otterspool Promenade!
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Otterspool Promenade
The promenade is one of the most beautiful places on the whole of Merseyside to go for a walk, covering a stretch of nearly 5 miles from Grassendale in the South of the city all the way to the Albert Dock in the city centre.
You’ll see plenty of walkers, cyclists, dog walkers, especially on a warm day.
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Have you been to Lark Lane? Or are you new to the city and looking for the best of Liverpool to go out and explore?
We love Lark Lane, it’s quirky and different to other parts of the city, an oasis in the south of the city that is removed from the bustle of the city centre and has all sorts of people from all backgrounds in the wide variety of cafés, bars, restaurants, boutiques, and independent stores.
For those wanting to find the tastiest pizza in the city, our post focuses on the best 8 places to get pizza in Liverpool.