Bold Street in Liverpool has undergone a significant shift, moving from a mix of independent shops and national retailers to a bustling area dominated by restaurants, bars, and cafes. Despite earlier concerns about decline, the street is now described as the busiest in the city centre, with business owners noting the change from a varied retail scene to a concentrated food scene that attracts students, locals, and tourists.
Walking down Bold Street, it’s impossible not to notice the huge range of bars, restaurants and cafés now proudly calling it home. But while Liverpool’s foodie scene continues to thrive in the city centre, some say shops are beginning to take a backseat.
The street was once home to the likes of Greenwoods, Rennies Arts and Crafts, Giancarlo Ricci and Mi Vida. National chains including Waterstones, HMV, The Body Shop and Argos could also once be found along the cobbles. But in recent years, aexamined concerns that the street could be set to “implode”. A year later, Bold Street tells a different story - one of packed restaurants, busy pavements and an ever-growing food scene.
Nikolaos Fylladitakis, from Crete, is the owner of Laros, which recently celebrated five years on Bold Street. What began as one small independent restaurant has grown into a successful regional chain serving authentic Greek cuisine. : “Bold Street has had its ups and downs. It’s changed a lot.
Back in 2021 it wasn’t full of food shops, takeaways and restaurants.
"There were multiple things to do. Now I’d say 90 to 95 per cent of it is restaurants and takeaways. So it has changed, but it’s also got busier. A couple of years ago it was looking like it was going downhill, but now it’s back to being the busiest road in the city centre.
”He said: “Being on Bold Street for so long has been an amazing experience, especially given how much the area has changed over the years. When we opened, Bold Street was considered a risky location, particularly as Liverpool ONE was seen as the main food destination at the time.
“However, Bold Street made sense due to its diversity. It attracts people from all backgrounds, including students, locals, and now tourists, and has developed into an independent food hub offering something unique to Liverpool.
”Since opening in 2016, the restaurant has welcomed a number of famous faces including Jamie Carragher, Tony Bellew, Paddy Pimblett and Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who visited ahead of his side’s game against Liverpool atBold Street is also home to Great British Doner, created by Turkish-born restaurateur Mehmet Nezir Korkut, who has more than 25 years of hospitality experience. The business specialises in what it calls “next-generation” kebabs, offering beef, chicken, vegetarian and vegan options, alongside its popular chocolate doners.
Mehmet said: “Bringing Great British Doner to Bold Street was the perfect next step for us. ” At the opposite end of the street to Great British Doner, House of Caesar also adds to the growing international food scene. Owner Mohamad Abbar, from, opened the £600,000 restaurant despite having no previous hospitality experience. Based inside the former bank building at 103 Bold Street, the venue focuses on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.
New arrival Deco Lounge has quickly settled into life on the street after replacing long-standing Liverpool venue Leaf earlier this year. Operations manager Rosie Bexon said: “Liverpool is obviously a major city, but Bold Street itself has such a strong sense of community, not just for local residents but between the businesses too, and that's something we felt straight away.
“It feels like we've been part of the street for years rather than months, which is a real testament to the people here and the atmosphere Bold Street has created over time. “Every venue brings something slightly different and we feel Deco Lounge fits naturally into that mix. It's such a fiercely independent and diverse neighbourhood which we're proud to be a part of.
" Despite the changing landscape, the remaining retailers on Bold Street insist there is still demand for shops alongside the growing number of eateries. Earlier this week, large queues formed outside vintage clothing store COW during a £10-per-kilo sale, highlighting the continued appetite for retail on the street.and Shared Earth also continue to attract loyal customers. News From Nowhere, the radical bookshop founded in 1974, has been a fixture of Bold Street for decades.
Staff member Maria Ng said the shop has no concerns about being outnumbered by restaurants and cafés and in fact, the shop’s presence is “more important” than ever on the street. She said: “In general, it continues to be the case that society and the world isn’t as fair and inclusive, there’s so many ways in which people aren’t safe, in which people are living under violence, living under injustice, the literature and a lot of the books that we sell reflect the movements and struggles against that inequality, oppression and injustice.
”Shared Earth, which has traded on Bold Street for 20 years, believes balance is key to the future of the area. Jenny Harland, who has worked at the fair trade gift shop since it opened, previously said: “We’ve lost so many great shops, both chains and smaller independents. The shopping footfall has changed and so have people’s habits.
“I think the influx of restaurants was a good start, but for either to survive, as a vibrant, healthy high street, you need a healthy mix of both. " Regardless of the past, and even present, Bold Street’s reputation continues to attract new arrivals despite the changing retail landscape. London-based restaurant Smoke and Pepper is set to open on the street, while alternative fashion retailer Blue Banana will also move in.
Opened in 1995 by husband-and-wife team John and Susan Lea, Maggie May’s became one of Bold Street’s longest-running cafés, known for its tartan tablecloths, warm lighting and traditional atmosphere. The site has now been taken over by Rob Gutmann’s 1936 Pub Company and will reopen as The Angel Inn.
Emilia Bona, from 1936 Pub Company, said: “Bold Street is such an important part of Liverpool’s cultural landscape, and we’re so excited to open our first pub on such an iconic city street.
“We’ve got big plans for the site, and we will be respecting the wishes of long-time former owners John and Susan to reimagine the venue as something completely different to their beloved café.
Bold Street Liverpool Foodie Scene Restaurant Hub Retail Decline Urban Transformation
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