There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern.
– Samuel Johnson
These establishments of social gathering are part of the fabric of life in Great Britain, dispensing food and libations along with providing a venue to watch their beloved English Premiere League football matches. You see, the EPL has been behind a paywall since 1992, so unless you subscribe to one of the pay TV services which can run upwards of $50 a month, you visit your local pub to see the matches.
Since we were in Liverpool for ten weeks, we visited quite a few. If you’re down at the Royal Albert Dock’s check out Ma Boyle’s which opened in 1860 and try Scouse, the local dish of the city. Closer to the University? The beautiful Victorian décor of the Philharmonic Dining Room is a lovely spot to grab lunch or a quick pint. And if you are staying in the city for a while do yourself a favor and pick one that you will visit on a consistent basis like we did. You’ll get to know some of the regulars and more than likely make some new friends.
Willow Bank Tavern was just a short walk from our apartment in the Toxteth neighborhood and we made it our regular spot to catch EPL matches on the weekend. We got to know locals like Dave and his sweet dog Blue, and a great guy from Romania whose name I could never pronounce but we had interesting discussions about world politics and the pros and cons of socialism. We met Tom, who like Reid and me is an Arsenal fan and the other, older Tom who sat in the corner quietly nursing his pint and lending friends a few quid to get them through to the next paycheck.
The pub experience is one you won’t want to miss no matter where you are in the U.K.
