Things to do:

As busy at lunchtimes as it is in the evenings, The Railway offers plenty of real ale choices – Deuchars and Robinsons are usually on but local microbrewery Mad Hatter has been a recent visitor – and decent pub grub throughout the day.

Opposite Liverpool’s old railway terminal, Exchange Station, The Railway public house still boasts a Victorian charm and is a popular post-work hang-out for workers from the nearby business district. There’s often live music via open mic nights on Thursdays and in summer there’s a free barbecue on Friday nights offering a barbecue grilling burgers and snags.

The large central bar means there are plenty of little surrounding cubbies and snugs around the pub to nestle in on a cold night – and there’s some rare outdoor drinking space for the far side of town outside.

If you go on a Friday night expect it to be rammed with the city’s journalists, solicitors and accountants, all bumping shoulders at the bar. Go to the Railway on Sundays and you can tuck into their excellent Sunday roasts, but there are breakfasts, curry nights on Tuesdays and more besides. The Railway’s Sunday meals are three meals for eight quid – unbeatable value this side of a Wimpy.

If you fancy a change of scenery The Lion is next door – and three or four other real ale pubs within staggering distance.