Motel Bar

Motel Bar is probably the most unassuming place in Liverpool. We visited earlier in the year and, after a heavy lunch and walk around the shops this weekend, we were desperate to find somewhere quiet and totally chilled for a drink.
Outside, there’s no real signage — just a red neon light, shining the word «motel» onto Fleet Street. If you’ve seen the episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia where they discuss removing the sign for the bar purely to get people interested, this set up might feel familiar.
There’s little else around it of note; to be honest, if you’re a regular in this part of town, you’ve probably walked past it without a second thought. Perhaps you even thought it was an actual Motel (as did a few people when we were sat having our drink…)
The bar is dark, completely disheveled, and totally impossible not to fall in love with. The guy behind the bar was brilliant, turning down the music to have a chat with us about the film that was playing — True Romance — and to see if we wanted anything else to drink. The art around the room, from more neon signs to scratchy illustrations, means there’s always something to look at, and the music on this occasion was a great mix of acoustic sets.
The menu is simple, with a wide selection of cocktails, a few bottle/​draught beer options, and some cider. They do food, though this probably depends on the number of people in the bar at the time, and give you two options; build your own tacos, or a hot dog with all the trimming. Perfect soaking up alcohol food.
Note that the minimum spend on card is £10.
There’s an upstairs area where The Anfield Wrap is sometimes filmed, and otherwise appears to be used for small gigs or private parties.
I’m guessing the place totally transforms when it comes to the evening drinking scene, but can imagine it’s just as laid back and friendly as it is during the day. Add it to your list.