JD Wetherspoon pubs seem to be particularly popular in the Liverpool area with 16 located within the boundaries of the ‘L’ postcode. The highest concentration is in the city centre, where the ratings vary greatly.
Loved by some and loathed by others, Spoons are widely known for reasonably priced pints, traditional fayre, trademark patterned carpets and toilets tucked away in the farthest reaches of the pub.
And while we generally like to champion independent pubs and CAMRA award-winning establishments, Weatherspoon venues have become something of a cult in the region.
So, we have put together a guide of how each Spoons pub with an ‘L’ postcode ranks based on Google reviews and how each one got its unique name.
1. The North Western, Lime Street
⭐4.2 from 4,003 reviews. 📜 This grade II listed building was originally the North Western Hotel. The 330-room hotel was built by the London and North Western Railway to serve Liverpool Lime Street Station. It was designed by the renowned Liverpool-born architect Alfred Waterhouse. The North Western Hotel closed in the 1930s. It stood empty until 1996 when the upper floors were converted into halls of residence and the ground floor became a public house which now has its original name. 📍 The North Western, Lime Street Station, 7 Lime St, Liverpool L1 1RJ Photo: The North Western, JD Wetherspoon
2. The Lime Kiln, Concert Square
⭐4.2 from 2,172 reviews. 🍺 Casual British fare & ales are provided on an airy former warehouse site with TVs & a large patio. 📜 There was once a Victorian warehouse on the site of this pub, occupied by manufacturing chemists, from the early 1900s into the 1950s. There was also a sizeable chemical factory next door. The chemical industry in Liverpool began in nearby Lime Street, originally called Lime Kiln Lane. The site of this bar occupies a car park where there was once a Victorian warehouse. In the 1890s, it housed brass founders and the Montserrat Lime Juice Company Stores. 📍 The Lime Kiln, Concert Square, Fleet St, Liverpool L1 4AN Photo: Calflier001/WikimediaCommons
3. The Captain Alexander, James Street
⭐4.2 from 2,192 reviews. 📜 On 23 May 1819, Scottish-born sea captain Alexander Allan advertised that the 169-ton brig Jean would shortly set sail for Canada. It was the forerunner of the Allan family’s large North Atlantic fleet of sailing ships. By the 1830s, the shipping-line company had offices in Glasgow, Liverpool and Montreal. Its Liverpool office closed in 1917. 📍 The Captain Alexander, 15 James St, Liverpool L2 7NX Photo: Google Street View
4. The Queen’s Picture House, Waterloo
⭐4.1 from 1,743 reviews. 📜 Until 22 August 1959, the premises had been the Queens cinema. Converted to show ‘talkies’ in 1930, the cinema was purpose built in 1913 as the Queens Picture House, opening its doors on 17 March 1913, with His Western Way, a silent black-and-white film, directed by Romaine Fielding. 📍 The Queen’s Picture House, 47-49 South Rd, Waterloo, Liverpool L22 5PE Photo: Google Street View