Bold Street Food Guide: Liverpool’s Independent Food Street

Bold Street runs uphill from the Lyceum, near Liverpool Central station, to St Luke’s, the church left roofless by bombing in 1941. In between are a few hundred metres of independent cafés, restaurants and shops that has made it one of the best-known food streets in the North of England.

The street began as a ropewalk, a long straight lane used for twisting rope for the port’s ships, before becoming a fashionable merchant street in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Old Town Liverpool documents Bold Street’s history from ropewalk to food street.

Restaurants on Bold Street

• Mowgli Street Food — the Indian street food group opened its very first restaurant at 69 Bold Street in October 2014. Founder Nisha Katona was still working as a barrister at the time; the brand has since grown into a national chain, but Bold Street is where it began.
• Bundobust — Indian vegetarian street food paired with craft beer, at 17–19 Bold Street.
• Maray — a small-plates restaurant with Middle Eastern influences, one of the names that helped build the street’s reputation.

Cafés and coffee

Bold Street is as much a café street as a restaurant one. Bold Street Coffee and Leaf are two long-established names, and the lower end of the street near the Lyceum is busy with coffee shops from early morning. Old Town Liverpool keeps a guide to cafés near the Lyceum and Bold Street.

When to go

Weekday lunchtimes are the easiest time to get a table without booking. Weekend evenings are busy, particularly at the smaller restaurants. The top of the street connects to Hope Street and the Georgian Quarter, which makes Bold Street a natural first stop before a show at the Philharmonic Hall or the Everyman.

Frequently asked questions

Where did Mowgli open its first restaurant?

Mowgli Street Food opened its first restaurant on Bold Street, Liverpool, in October 2014.

How long is Bold Street?

Bold Street runs from the Lyceum near Liverpool Central station up to St Luke’s Bombed Out Church at the junction with Berry Street and Leece Street.

Is Bold Street walkable from Liverpool Lime Street?

Yes. It is around a 10-minute walk from Lime Street station, and Liverpool Central station is at the foot of the street.

More from Liverpool: Beacon Worth Liverpool — eat and drink, shows and nightlife, neighbourhoods, and business across the city.

Disclosure: Old Town Liverpool, referenced in this article, is a partner publication of Beacon Worth. Venue details change, so check opening times and bookings directly with each venue.