Liverpool is full of beans, quite literally, as it's home to an array of pretty independent cafes ranging from Bahama-inspired haunts with dangling foliage to places nodding to the Ethiopian tradition of serving a fresh brew with popcorn and other nibbles. If you're stuck for a place to grab your oat milk latte while wandering around Ropewalks or looking for a long black to pair with a hearty brunch (at a place that's been around since the late 1990s no less), we've got you covered. You'll find it all in our guide to the best coffee shops Liverpool has to offer.
Switch CoffeeBar
Get yourself a cafe that can do both: a buzzy hangout serving cappuccinos during the day that seamlessly transforms into a cocktail den at night. Switch CoffeeBar is a unique concept that draws inspiration from New York City's drinking scene, fronting a menu that features innovative coffee concoctions. They use Dead Good Coffee beans to make a mean latte which you can pair with a strawberry croissant or Nutella cruffn. And for a little tipple? Head to this neon-lit, glowy pink space to get your lips around a white Russian, or create your own espresso martini.
This cool spot really likes to switch things up.
Bold Street Coffee
Bold Street Coffee Liverpool can be found in the heart of Ropewalks, with five locations across the city and Manchester, including this central spot established in 2009. The multi-award-winning cafe is a local favourite and it's easy to see why; it provides a platform supporting and showcasing local artists' work in its space while thirsty passers-by enjoy their morning brew. It doubles up as a vibrant event space and a cool place to chill with friends - all you need is a bacon butty in one hand and an iced latte in the other, followed by a fluffy slice of cake.
Head to Ropewalks to find out why Bold Street is a much-loved Liverpool hangout.
Mother Espresso
You've heard of me espresso but how about Mother Espresso, the aesthetic cafe in Liverpool? You can locate its cute whereabouts at The Tea Factory, where batch brews are going for £2.60 and real hot chocolates for £4.25; it even serves Apocalypse Now, a house Vietnamese coffee with orange bitters. And from the counter? Think everything bagels filled with schmear and salmon, sausage rolls and cinnamon buns: all the good stuff, basically, fresh from a minimally designed cafe in the heart of the city, touting dainty lattes decorated with fine precision.
You'll be thinking about Mother Espresso every night after you try its coffee.
Moose Coffee
Moose Coffee's Liverpool locations span Dale Street, Hope Court and Plaza 1821 (pictured below), each sporting ranch-themed decor and sleek wooden panelling in their own right. The company has been around since 2006, taking American breakfast culture and marrying it with the hospitality of this maritime city. You would be correct in thinking that it's moose-central here, with antlers on the walls and a menu packing big flavours like signature pancake stacks topped with apple and homemade salted caramel. Enjoy a coffee made with Arabica beans and choose from a long list that features macchiatos, espressos, and Americanos.
Get a taste of American breakfast culture at this good-looking gaff.
Rococo Coffee House
Wander up Lord Street and you'll stumble upon Rococo Coffee House, a quirky hidden gem in the city that's complete with exposed brickwork, leafy plants and bold signage on the walls. It's the ideal place to stop by if you're in the market for the classics done right, with pretty plates of poached eggs and smashed avocado for breakfast, and soups or toasted paninis (tuna melt, anyone?) for lunch. Pair your food with a Bailey's latte (a firm favourite if you ask us), a cortado or latte.
Rococo is one of the most wholesome cafes in Liverpool.
Lucy In The Sky
Bright, neon lettering adorns the wall with 'Lucy In The Sky' lit up in a fluorescent fuschia, beaming down at coffee sippers in the independent cafe on Exchange Street, named after the iconic Beatles song. It's a cute walk-in spot with palm tree wallpaper and baby-pink walls, offering a traditional full English breakfast called 'The Scouse' featuring two Pat Blood thick-cut sausages and black pudding, as well as all-day dishes like poached eggs and hollandaise, or 'The 1989', which is not a Taylor Swift reference but a toastie that's been served the same way since then, filled with two choices from cheese, ham, onion, tomato, falafel, mozzarella, or tuna. Order a flat white with two shots of Neighbourhood Coffee espresso and you're set for a great start to the day.
Lucy In The Sky with... brunch? Yes, please.
92 Degrees Coffee
As Liverpool's original roastery and coffee shop, 92 Degrees Coffee focuses on bringing communities and people together via delicious beans. You'll find its iconic monochrome logo popping up all over the city, from a modern-looking kiosk at Lime Street Sation or a trailer at Everton F.C. Stadium to permanent stores in LIPA, Myrtle Street, Jamaica Street and Harman Street. The cafes are all minimal by design and warm by nature, with pops of greenery, contemporary art and wooden tables perfect for working at while sipping a long black, flat white or cortado - you name it, it's got it, including seasonal blends, and ones with notes of toasted almonds and fruit, fresh from its HQ in Liverpool.
Is it us or is it getting hot in here? 92 Degrees, specifically.
Coffee & Fandisha
Perched on Brick Street in the creative quarter, Coffee & Fandisha has been open since 2014 and is based on the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony where it's served alongside popcorn and other little nibbles. From the outside, you'll be met with a graffiti-laced building then, as you wander through to the cafe, you'll be able to cast your eyes on a 'yellow wall', a space dedicated to local creatives displaying their art. Check out sweet treats like crumbly cookies or brunch plates of acai bowls and smashed avocado paired with pretty latte art, espressos and cold brew.
This creative space is a cool spot to catch some art (and cookie crumbs on your lap).
Cafe Lucaya
Cafe Lucaya is the little sister to the locally adored Rococo Coffee House, perched on Water Street in what was once an old banking area. The bright and airy space has been transformed into a cafe in Liverpool city centre with grand windows and large palm trees which nod to an area in Freeport, the Bahamas, where it gets its name from. There's plenty to get excited about on the menu here, from croissants to poached eggs, grilled cheese on sourdough bread, and steamy, fluffy jacket potatoes with crispy skins. Open every day from 8am, it's one of the friendliest coffee shops with fabulous hospitality and delicious food to match.
Fun fact: Cafe Lucaya is pronounced like 'look higher' without the 'h'.
Hardware Coffee
You know a cafe means business when its name sounds like an industrial store, and Hardware Coffee is no exception - nor is it messing about when it comes to its brews and food either. It stands as a tribute to Rapid Hardware, the local DIY and home improvement shop it's taken over, and embraces the history of its location by marrying tools fixed to the walls with culinary goodness. Priding itself on being the best breakfast cafe in Liverpool, its mouthwatering plates of French toast drizzled in white chocolate, stacked corn fritters, baked eggs and more are a must-try paired with hot or iced coffees.
Go hard on decadent dishes like glossy French toast or pancake stacks topped with peanut butter.
Looking for some brunch inspiration? Check out our guide to the prettiest in Liverpool and sign up to our newsletter for all the latest.
