There’s hardly any need to travel when everything is right on your doorstep. With cosy pubs, excellent Thai restaurants, florists, cheese shops, and charming cafés all within a five-minute stroll, it’s easy to see why Woolton Village draws so many visitors.
Tucked away in south Liverpool, Woolton was also named one of the best places to live in the North West last year. After a relaxed walk through the village, it quickly becomes clear why it has earned such affection from both locals and national critics.
As you walk down Acrefield Road and enter Woolton Village proper, the first business you’ll spot is one of the oldest – The White Horse – a historic pub that has no trouble keeping its regulars.
A brilliantly old-fashioned pub dating back to the middle of the 19th century, its wood-panelled bar and various snugs make it perfect for winter. During my visit, I was forced to interrupt its landlord, Jeff Ainsworth, who was locked in conversation with his customers, just to give me the lowdown.
He told the ECHO: “The pub’s always full of people. We don’t get walk ins – we have walk-outs because we can’t fit everyone in. It’s predominantly people aged 45 and up but we get a few kids from time to time. You have to speak to your regulars because that’s the only way to make money. They have to like the pub and people who are there, or else they have no reason to come.”
The White Horse in Woolton(Image: Google Maps)
Woolton has plenty of pubs and beer gardens. A stroll along Quarry Street will take you to The Grapes Inn, found next to the now-closed Woolton Swimming Baths. It is a compact, cosy, classic street corner pub with its fine traditional bar at the centre of proceedings – and a jukebox with many great tracks. Just further down is The Victoria, a friendly pub with live music, perfect for a game of darts. There are also The Cobden Vaults, The Gardeners Arms and The Derby Arms if you fancy turning your stroll into a pub crawl.
Wandering further down Woolton Road will take you to The Coffee House, which, despite its name, is another reliable pub with a great outside area. If you’re lucky, you’ll be greeted by bar lady Lindsey Hughes who is a pleasure to talk to.
She told the ECHO: “The beer garden at the back gets really busy, especially when the weather comes out. Last Saturday, there were more people outside than in! We have a real mix of people. We get a lot of regulars but also passing trade coming through. Everyone just wants a nice place to enjoy themselves, and everyone here is always in high spirits. There’s never any trouble, and everyone’s always lovely.”
Annetta Florist in Woolton village(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Annetta Florist has been a permanent fixture since it opened in 1966. You are greeted with an explosion of colour as you walk through the doors of the shop, which sells a variety of fresh flowers for different occasions. The store’s Emma Jones previously told the ECHO: “There’s a lovely feel to [the village], I know people who moved away from here who have come back from abroad and said it’s still the same.”
Foodies also have their hands full with a fantastic range of restaurants to sample. Tathastu, run by couple Ekta Rai and Digamber Sing, “brings Thai to the heart of Woolton”. The restaurant opened in 2024, and the village’s response was a dream come true.
The modern pioneers of Liverpool’s Italian Quarter in Williamson Square have also established themselves in the village. The Cillo family, originally from Potenza in Basilicata, began building their empire more than ten years ago and brought their famous hospitality to Allerton Road with the opening of the first Botanico site in 2023.
Owner Donato told the ECHO: “I just got the feeling that it should be a local place where people will enjoy. I’ve said it before, it’s for any occasion. [Customers] want it to feel like home and they want it to feel special. We had such a special welcome in this community from day one.
Donato, owner of Botanico in Woolton(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“We are proud to share our passion, our experience and our family identity. It’s a fantastic feeling – it’s beautiful. Before we even opened, people were knocking asking when we would open. It has been fantastic. It’s a lovely village.”
The Elephant has welcomed guests since it first opened as a public house in 1934. With its hearty menu of traditional British classics and international dishes, along with its famously warm welcomes, the pub has become a cherished favourite visited by generations of families.
General Manager Paul Harrison joined the venue in July after witnessing firsthand just how valued the venue was to its community. He told the ECHO: “I thought the pub was stunning. It was clear there were a lot of regulars who valued the venue.
“Everyone from the customers to the bar staff seemed to be getting along better than I’ve ever seen anywhere else, so it was a good sign. It’s just the right level of friendly and professional, with a lot of untapped potential.”
Staff outside The Elephant pub in Woolton(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A new arrival will be The Cheese Cellar, which is relocating from its long-established home in Garston. The business is a joint venture between friends Lynne Murphey and Michelle Hunt, who teamed up to bring more colour to the area and encourage more people to visit.
Although The Cheese Cellar recently left its Garston home, an exciting new chapter is about to begin in the village, where it will once again offer its fantastic range of delicious cheeses. Lynn and Michelle will be in very good company with Vickie Anderson and Ian Tomlinson, who helm Woolton’s Liverpool Cheese Company.
Established in 2006, people travel miles for a bounty of over 200 types of cheese. Speaking previously with the ECHO, Vickie said: “People come from all over. During our cheese schools we have had people from Wigan and Ormskirk. Woolton is the shopping area for quite a large geographical area – for Hunts Cross and as far away as Rainhill.
“A lot of people come here; we have customers that come for a day out from Bolton, Bury or Birmingham because people like a cheese shop – we’re a bit of a destination.”
Vickie Anderson from the Liverpool Cheese Company(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Although it may sound like there’s no possible space for another business to move in, you’d be mistaken. The long-lost Coast Café Bistro building will soon reopen as Black Cat Bar & Bottle Shop.
Serving a wide range of craft beer and real ales, Black Cat started on Smithdown Road and expanded onto Rose Lane in Mossley Hill in 2024. Announcing the Woolton Village opening on Instagram with a video, the team can be seen removing letters from the Coast Café Bistro sign to spell “cat”.
The Ying Wah is one of the longest-established restaurants in Woolton Village, having first opened its doors in 1974. The popular Chinese restaurant was taken over by Richard NG four years later and has been in his family ever since.
Another business standing the test of time is the Scotch Beef Shop – a staple of Woolton Street for more than 25 years. The butcher prides itself on its award-winning sausages and beef, which is done “the old-fashioned way”.