A port city on the north west coast of England, Liverpool stands where the River Mersey meets the Irish Sea. Historically one of the most significant trading posts and maritime centres in the country, Liverpool has since transformed itself into one of the UK’s most vibrant and welcoming cultural hubs. If you’ve never been – or you haven’t been for a while – it is well worth a visit. The people of Liverpool are notoriously friendly and both you and your four-legged friend will be greeted with open arms.

Old and new buildings are reflected in the canal along the Liverpool waterfront
Source: Flickr

Dog Friendly Liverpool Must Sees

The Waterfront

One of the most famous sights in Liverpool is the area around its old dockyards. The most famous of these, The Royal Albert Dock is a fabulous place to visit, even if it is just to walk around and take some photos – the backdrop, composed of a patchwork of buildings old and new, is an extraordinary sight. Also, don’t miss Liverpool Pier Head. It’s a great place for a view of Liverpool’s most famous building, The Liver Building, as well as looking across the river and out to sea. You will also find a larger-than-life statue of the city’s most celebrated sons, The Beatles.

Ferry Cross The Mersey

Another thing you can do at Liverpool Pier Head is hop on a ferry for one of British culture’s most celebrated boat trips, across the Mersey to Birkenhead and the Wirral. Your furry friend will never hear the song again without wanting to tell everyone that they’ve done just that.

A tree-lined pathway in Liverpool's Wavertree Botanic Gardens during autumn
Source: Wikimedia

Wavertree Botanic Gardens

Liverpool is as fast-moving and energetic as any city in Britain, so why not take a break in this green oasis that stands in the centre of the city? This 11-acre plot was first opened to the public in the middle of the 19th Century and remains one of Liverpool’s most beautiful public parks.

Beatles Tours

The popular 1960s beat group The Beatles were all born and raised in the city of Liverpool. You may very well have heard of them. In Liverpool you can scarcely move for Beatles Tours, museums and exhibitions. Any of these which feature going inside museums are unlikely to allow dogs, of course, but if you ask around you are likely to find a more tour-based itinerary that will. Ideal for dogs who are keen musicologists.

A waist-up shot of a bronze statue of The Beatles, with Liverpool's cream buildings in the background
Source: Wikimedia

The Best Dog Friendly Walks in Liverpool

Sefton Park

A 235-acre park in the south of the city centre, the impressive Sefton Park has plenty for both you and your dog to discover. In addition to the Palm House conservatory with its three glass domes, there’s a memorial obelisk, fountain and an old Victorian bandstand thought to have inspired Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. You won’t be able to miss the boating lake, but be sure to also visit the Field of Hope: every spring it is awash with daffodils, a million bulbs having been planted there by Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Calderstones Park

This 126-acre park is located a few hundred metres from John Lennon’s childhood home and is an ideal place to go with a dog or a family. You’ll find a playground, a botanical gardens, a lake which is home to ducks and geese and woodland. There are also some places of historical importance, including a thousand year oak tree and the eponymous Calder Stones themselves, six neolithic-era sandstone boulders which indicated an ancient burial mound.

Rupert Lane Recreation Ground

At the centre of the Everton area of the city, the hilly Rupert Lane Recreation Ground takes you over the top of Everton Brow for some matchless views across the city, while your dog can investigate the trees and undergrowth. It is also home to the Everton Lock-Up, sometimes called Prince Rupert’s Tower, the strange cylindrical Georgian-era tower with a conical roof you will see depicted on the badge of Everton Football Club.

Crosby Beach

Having ferried across the Mersey and seen so much open water, by now your dog will be desperate to spend a day playing on the beach. Your best bet is to hop on a train for a 15-minute ride to Crosby, just northwest of the city. Here you’ll find dunes, groynes, a traditional British seaside promenade and a wide open expanse of sand for your dog to gallumph around on. It is also home to Anthony Gormley’s statue, Another Place.

Formby Red Squirrel Walk

A few miles up the coast from Crosby you will find Formby, home to a variety of National Trust-administered walking routes and nature trails. In some ways it’s a strange place to find such an abundance of rare wildlife, as much of it is made up from the old waste dumping ground of a now-defunct British tobacco company. Nevertheless, this 1.8 mile trail through sand dunes and woodland is one of the best places to see native red squirrels on the British mainland. Maybe they’re all heavy smokers?

Stanley Park

If you follow English football, you’ll already know about Stanley Park. This 110-acre park famously divides the stadiums of Liverpool’s two great clubs, with Everton’s Goodison Park to the west and Liverpool’s Anfield to the east. Your dog is more likely to be impressed by the lake, woodland and wide areas of grassland for running around.

A spaniel puppy runs along a grassy bank next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal
Source: Flickr

Dog-friendly Cafés and Restaurants in Liverpool

Cafe Tabac

126 Bold Street, L1 4JA

Not far from Liverpool Central Station, Cafe Tabac is an intimate fully-licensed cafe specialising in American-style breakfasts and burgers.

Moose Coffee

Another cafe inspired by American breakfast culture, Moose Coffee are similarly keen to recreate their deli/diner experience with stacked sandwiches, brunch options and a wide variety of coffees. Beatles fans will be interested to note that their Dale Street location is near the Cavern Club.

Thoughtfully Cafe

15 Cleveland Square, L1 5BE

Thoughtfully Cafe is a relaxed, independent coffee shop in the city centre, specialising in coffee but also serving up hearty breakfast and lunch options.

Brasco Lounge and Milo Lounge

Let’s celebrate the Lounges. They are starting to pop up all over the country, eclectically decorated and always friendly cafe-bar-restaurants, serving up a wide variety of food and drink (including excellent vegan options, which will please Paul McCartney). Dogs are welcome and in our experience always look forward to a visit. Liverpool has two Lounges: Brasco, near the Waterfront, and Milo, which is near the south side of Sefton Park, on Lark Lane.

Sugar and Dice

33a Cornhill, L1 8DP

Located close to the Royal Albert Dock, Sugar and Dice combines cafe culture and hearty, homemade food with hundreds of board games. Your dog is bound to find their favourite in there somewhere.

The Crosby Tea Rooms

12 Endbutt Lane, L23 0TR

Having spent the day yomping around Crosby Beach, your dog will be delighted to learn that Annie’s Tea Rooms at Crosby offers a doggy cream tea as a restorative. Their people will be similarly well accommodated, in vintage surroundings.

Down The Hatch

Basement, 62 Duke Street, L1 5AA

A brick-lined basement restaurant and cocktail bar, Down the Hatch specialises in some of the most spectacular vegan junk food you’ll find in the city.

Mowgli

We’re big fans of Mowgli here at UK Pet Guide, and the Bold Street restaurant is actually the first Mowgli location! Every Mowgli is dog friendly, meaning you can enjoy delicious Indian street food with your dog by your side.

Dog Friendly Pubs in Liverpool

Dead Crafty Beer Company

92 Dale Street, L2 5TF

A haven for beer-lovers, with a huge, regularly rotating array of craft beers on tap or in bottles, the award-winning Dead Crafty Beer Company also welcomes four-legged friends in its rustic and friendly premises near Moorfields Station.

The Baltic Fleet

33A Wapping, L1 8DQ

A Grade-II listed Victorian era building at the heart of the thriving Liverpool Waterfront area, The Baltic Fleet has got everything you could ever want from a traditional British pub: a mahogany bar, open fireplace, great drinks menu and a friendly welcome. Plus, of course, dogs.

The Dog House

15-17 Church Road, L15 9EA

Just off Penny Lane, The Dog House offers quality food and drink options in their immaculately decorated premises which includes an open fire.

Peter Kavanagh’s 

2-6 Egerton Street, L8 7LY

One of the oldest pubs in Liverpool, Peter Kavanagh’s maintains all kinds of desirable traditions with its warm, friendly welcome, traditional ales and antique furnishings.

Love Lane Brewery

62 Bridgewater Street, L1 0AY

Located in the city’s Baltic Triangle, Love Lane Brewery is a brewery, bar and kitchen which makes its own beer and gin all under its own roof. There are also an array of food options, as well as traditional favourites like pub quizzes and live music.

Dog Friendly Shops in Liverpool

The Baltic Market

107 Stanhope Street, L8 5RE

Liverpool’s first indoor street food market, there’s something for everyone inside The Baltic Market, from determined carnivores to the strictest vegans. If your dog can cope with the sheer onslaught of delicious smells, they’ll have a great time.

PINS Social Club

45-61 Duke Street, L1 5AP

A huge, spacious bar, PINS is a one-stop entertainment hub. As well as a bar and restaurant, it also offers shuffleboard, karaoke, board and table games and its own bowling alley.

Liverpool One

5 Wall Street, Liverpool

Liverpool’s most famous indoor shopping centre, Liverpool One happily also welcomes visitors with waggly tails. If your pooch finds themselves in need of a pamper, be sure to pay a visit to Dog One while you’re there.

A man rides a bicycle with a small dog on a leash through Liverpool city centre
Source: Flickr

Dog-friendly Liverpool: Where to Stay

If you’re looking to stay in a dog friendly hotel in Liverpool, here’s our recommendations:

Aigburth Hotel

3 Aigburth Drive, L17 3AA

Operated by Best Western Hotels, this centrally-located 4-star hotel overlooks Sefton Park. Your dog is welcome in the hotel’s restaurant, bar and lounge area and is also free to be left alone in your room. Accommodation starts from £49 per night, with one dog staying free.

Hope Street Hotel

40 Hope Street, L1 9DA

Sitting in the heart of the city centre, the luxurious Hope Street Hotel welcomes dogs with toys and suggested walking routes. Four-legged friends are also welcome in the hotel’s restaurant and bar. Accommodation starts from £210 per night with one dog.

Adelphi Hotel

Ranelegh Street, L3 5UL

One of the city’s most famous hotels, the Adelphi is near to both Liverpool Central and Liverpool Lime Street railway stations. The three-star premises offers affordable accommodation and a prime central location, from £39 per night.

Ibis Liverpool Centre Albert Dock

27 Wapping, L1 8LY

Opposite the Royal Albert Dock and just 350 yards from Liverpool One, this 3-star Ibis hotel is an ideal base to enjoy all the best the city has to offer. Rooms start from £104 per night.

Mercure Liverpool Atlantic Tower

Chapel Street, L3 9AG

Not far from Pier Head and the Liver Building, the 4-star Atlantic Tower offers views across the Mersey as well as a desirable central location, for just over £50 per night.

Travelodge

One of our dog-friendly city guides wouldn’t be complete without some recommendations for Travelodge hotels. They have two city centre locations in Liverpool that are pet friendly: