Leaf

If you’re looking for something informal and affordable with a relaxed contemporary feel, this mid-city café-cum-teashop and bar offers all-day eating at competitive prices.

Casually strewn with chesterfields, old-fashioned standard lamps and other retro furnishings, it’s just the job if you fancy soaking up the sociable, canteen-style vibe while enjoying the company of friends or family. The Moto of ‘where there’s tea there’s hope’ comes from the original ethos that the owners, a group of friends, wanted to instil in their site. As one of the first places to bring loose leaf tea to Liverpool, their ethos and idea was obviously popular, as Leaf now has two other sibling sites in the city serving up similar menus and good times.

Food wise you could find yourself tucking into hearty brunch sandwiches of pork and leek sausages with caramelised onion, fresh Greek mezze sharing platters or bigger helpings of rich braised ox cheek with olive, wild mushroom and rosemary ragù. The food is decently cooked and wholesome, with back-up from a great selection of cakes to go with more than 30 different teas. If something stronger is required, there’s also a decent list of beers, wines and cocktails.

If you happen in outside of ‘tea and cake time’ then there’s a regularly changing rota of events, from ‘First Listen Mondays' (where they play a new favourite album from start to finish from 7pm) to life drawing classes. In line with this extra curricular offering there’s an additional bar, restaurant and live music venue upstairs.

Leaf in Liverpool also hire out their cafe, which is great if you’re looking for a laidback space for a party or get-together. The first floor is available daily from 7pm on a private basis, a place lots of people use for things like book launches, city centre weddings or small-scale gigs. 

Leaf first opened back in 2007, with a space in Liverpool City Centre Gallery that was just a small tea shop owned and run by a group of friends and family. Since then, the brand has evolved, and Leaf is so much more than just tea – although they do that pretty well.

Brunch at Leaf is served all day, and includes cinnamon brioche toast with banana mascarpone, pecan crumble and toffee sauce, along with a homemade nutty granola and grand English breakfast. This whopper is served with two smoked back bacon, two butcher’s pork sausages, black pudding slice, home fries, herby grilled field mushroom, roasted vine tomato, baked beans, two slices of buttered granary toast and two free range eggs your way. For something a bit different, try the Leaf bread and butter pudding. This dish is made with layers of brioche bread buttered with herb butter, covered in mature cheddar and caramelised white onion, baked in the oven and topped with a mushroom ragu, chilli jam and a soft poached egg.

From the all-day menu at Leaf choose some small dishes, including loaded hummus with pomegranate, roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds, smoked paprika and toasted flatbread, or the sharing fish platter with haddock goujons and tartar sauce, crisp fried squid, ginger and chilli king prawns, smoked salmon, crispy capers, aioli and toasted focaccia.

The sandwiches sound divine, including a speciality of calabriania bomba vegetable ciabatta with chargrilled veg, roasted red peppers, rocket, baby spinach and pesto. Pan fried chicken thighs, flat iron steak and a Northern pie of the day are all on the main menu, along with a selection of burgers, flatbreads, hearty pastas and salads. At this Bold Street location, you’ll also find an evening menu along with a kids menu, so the whole family can get involved.