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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Black Cat, Liverpool
Wavertree
Postal town: Liverpool
L15 3JR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Black Cat
I was last here in 2018 when it was still the Craft Taproom. Little has seemingly changed inside, but this bar is now one of 2 Black Cat bars in the city. I would say that the main change is the improved range of beers.
A couple of cask ales at the end of the bar immediately next to the entrance were Wigan Brewhouse California & Black Lodge Tick Followed Tock, a nice dry stout. Keg beers were Farm Yard Oui Chef & Gulf, Tiny Rebel Clwb Tropica, Northern Monk Northern Spirits, Black Lodge Ch-Ch-Ch Cherry Bomb, Glen Affric Black Cat Goes To Smithdown & Camden Off Menu IPA. All beers are listed above the bar. Coffees and teas are also available and there were also cakes for sale on the bar.
The Craft Taproom sign can still be seen on the right-hand wall. A main seating area at the front overlooks the Smithdown Road. There is a TV in the front corner. To the rear right is a raised area split into two parts with another big screen TV in the front part and some book shelves on the rear wall. Off to the rear left is more seating on the way to the toilets.
TVs were both showing rugby on mute, with some rather annoying music playing instead. Quite a few customers were working on laptops and iPads giving it more of a cafe/coffee bar feel, but I guess this changes in the evening.
As with the previous reviewer, I was asked if I had or wanted a card where you could buy so many pints and get one free. I explained that being from London, I don't get to visit that often and that it was a bit pointless for me. But that did get us engaged in a long conversation about why I was there!
Not a destination pub, but perhaps one to do along with the excellent Handyman Supermarket a little further along the road.
On 18th March 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3040 recommendations about 3038 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about Craft Taproom
now called the Black Cat… a really nicely done multi roomed bar that initially seems quite small but actually stretches back a bit with some pleasant wooden booth seating areas. Two real ales on from Tatton brewery plus a load of keg that I overlooked. A bit of a faux pas in here as I thought the barman asked if I had a CAMRA card… in fact he was asking for a Cat card (the bar’s own loyalty scheme). He was a pleasant chap though and quite enthusiastic when I explained what CAMRA is. It’s worth a visit, though yet another student dominated place.
On 18th February 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1174 recommendations about 1136 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Craft Taproom
Fairly standard craft ale pub. Not much to add to Rays review though there were 3 handpulls on on my visit.
On 26th November 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Craft Taproom
Work in progress as this bar has only been open for two months and some minor finishing needs to be done. This is a good sized high street bar, which was formerly a car spares shop. The interior is urban in style with painted red and black walls, an undressed brick fireplace and grey tiled floor, a couple of booths down the far end and timber cladding here and there. The furniture, including a couple of the settees, which were basic and worn, was just the ticket for the large number of students who frequent the place. The main bar is situated along the left hand side, which had two handpumps, eight keg taps and a comprehensive range of canned and bottled beers. There was a small wooden ladder attached to a rail, which is pushed along the back bar to retrieve some canned beers from the high shelving. I went for the Cross Bay Halo, which was excellent. The young barman was also friendly and informative.
On 6th July 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]