Ma Boyle's Alehouse & Eatery

Another one of Liverpool’s hidden gems, Ma Boyle’s has that enchanting feel down a side street between the bottom of Water Street and St Nick’s Church. The history of the pub goes back to 1870, and it has been a bakery and an oyster bar, before becoming the amazing pub it is today. It feels like an exclusive club to be a regular at Ma Boyle’s, and whether you are popping in for a pint, here for their cracking Sunday Roast, or just to watch the regular jazz band performances, this tight and cosy pub provides a heart-warming affair.

The Vibe

Especially when it is busy, the tables are full of happy diners, and there is a small band playing at the front of the pub, between the bar and the front door, it really does feel like a proper magical place to be, Ma Boyle’s. Walking down the steep steps into the pub is like walking into a different time. There is something really satisfying about that feeling of activity and the buzz of a busy crowd when you are in a small pub like this, but then there is also the elevated seating just for dining to the left and in front, and more seating downstairs (both perfect if you are booking dinner for a large group). In the summer months, there is nothing quite like taking the steps back out to the tables outside, with the fairy lights above, as you watch the evening come in, with St Nicks Church just next door. It is a calming part of the city centre. Once a month, Ma Boyle’s is also host to the famous Neil Fitzmaurice pub quiz – an event not to be missed!

The Food

There aren’t enough proper pubs that serve proper pub food in Liverpool. Not in the city centre at least (which you should expect really, we suppose). If you fancy a big pub burger, a pie full of gravy and steak, or a massive Sunday roast that you would find in a country pub, Ma Boyle’s is the place to go. The lunch menu has some light bites and sandwiches, soups and salads, and the evening menu has those big pies (handmade butter puff pastry and delicious fillings that spill out the moment you break the crust), and big juicy burgers. On a Sunday, the menu comes alive though, with a range of traditional roast dinners with all the trimmings, big joints of meat and a pretty massive Yorkshire pudding on your plate. Ma Boyle’s has cornered the market in the Sunday Roast Fondue though -  where you choose beef brisket, roast chicken, pork, or veggie, all served up on a platter with your usual seasonal veg, perfectly crispy roast potatoes, and a tear and share Yorkshire pudding to dip into the rich red wine gravy.

The Price

The famous Sunday Roast Fondue is just £15 per person, with the traditional Roast dinners £12 to £13.50 depending on your choice of main. As you would expect from hearty pub grub done well, the starters on the normal menu are around the £5 to £8 price mark, and the mains on average around a tenner – with some dishes cheaper and some a bit more expensive.