Things to do in Liverpool for couples

Whether you’re looking to splurge on designer clothes and jewellery, browse the best of the high street, or seek out one-of-a-kind antiques in quirky vintage stores, Liverpool delivers when it comes to retail therapy. There’s a reason this is one of the most popular shopping destinations in the UK, and one of the most couply things to do in Liverpool. The opening of the behemoth Liverpool ONE shopping centre in 2008 changed the face of the city centre, bringing every department store and designer fashion outlet you could think of to within a short walk of Liverpool’s central train stations. Bold Street in Ropewalks has some less mainstream offerings and is a great place to browse for one-off finds in independent vintage stores and dig for rare second-hand vinyl records.

Even by the lofty standards of Britain’s big cities, Liverpool does drinking and nightlife well. There are cosy pubs where you can curl up on a winter’s evening with a local craft beer, elegant wine and cocktail joints perfect for kicking off a classy night on the town, and rooftop champagne bars affording unrivalled views over Liverpool’s ever-evolving skyline. If you’re after an unashamedly cheesy club night, all gummy carpets and chart tunes, there are plenty of them to choose from too. Increasingly, though, Liverpool is coming into its own at the opposite end of the spectrum, with an expanding array of arty venues which play the joint role of bar, music venue, and events space. The best of these can be found in the converted warehouses of the Baltic Triangle If you like a good night out, hanging out in the Baltic Triangle is one of the most fun things to do for couples in Liverpool.

Boasting the largest collection of Grade I-listed buildings in the country, the Royal Albert Dock encapsulates the regeneration of Liverpool and the Waterfront better than anywhere else. It was here, in the nineteenth century, that many of the valuable tobacco, sugar, silk, tea and other commodities that passed through Liverpool’s port were stored. By the early twentieth century, however, things had slowed down significantly, and in 1972 the dock was closed and allowed to fill with silt and sewage from the River Mersey. The 1980s saw a drive to redevelop the docks, and in 1988 Albert Dock was reopened along with the unveiling of the new jewel in its crown, the Tate Liverpool.

To the north of Anfield is Stanley Park , a large, picturesque open space overshadowed by its association with football, but well worth a visit if you’re in the area - even if you’re only walking between the two great stadiums. Built in 1870, the park is home to an attractive fishing lake in the northwest corner. Enjoying a picnic here is one of the most romantic things to do in Liverpool. Nearby is the park’s most famous feature, the Isla Gladstone Conservatory, a beautiful Victorian glasshouse which houses a café and the superb Kemp’s Bistro.

Liverpool’s booming food scene makes it one of the most exciting places to eat in the country right now. This is another area in which Bold Street scores highly; in between the vintage boutiques and record shops are some of the city’s very best restaurants, making a cosmopolitan scene with Indian, Middle Eastern and Italian cuisines all well represented. Liverpool also excels in high-end modern British cuisine, a concept which some foreigners may scoff at, but is establishing itself a position on the international scene which is too strong to be ignored. Mention must also go to Liverpool’s Chinatown, which as the oldest in Europe also has one of the best-established food scenes, whether you’re after Cantonese or Szechuan.