The Futurist, Liverpool

This pub has a narrow frontage but goes much further back than you'd expect. The rear area is used for dining only whilst the kitchen is open. The front part of the pub is the main seating area and has leather seating, books by the yard and display cabinets filled with plates, figurines etc, there are also old photographs of the pub in it's previous incarnation as a smart dining room. Three handpumps on the bar but only two were in use selling Cains bitter and Deuchars. I tried a pint of the Cains, it was OK, but not really great. As this pub is within the shopping area it attracts a mixed bunch, in fact all human life is here. Mature couples having a quiet drink loaded up with Primark bags, 6 lads just starting off on a stag do, three girls out for a post work drink and a couple of scruffy and rather smelly drifters. Not a place for a long session but it's OK for one on the way past.

A deep, narrow pub in a victorian building, a little anachronistic amidst the glass and concrete of the Liverpool One development opposite. Some nice victorian fittings remaining in the front portion, mainly the architraves, the woodwork and a splendid barback. The front area is given over to seating, with button back leather benches, Britannia tables and some book and nic-nac laden shelves. There are some interesting pictures, notably some of the pub pre-first world war when it was Walkers Grill. The large TVs are there but are fairly discreet. The bar counter runs down one side in the middle of the single room with a drinking shelf on the other wall. At the back is a dining area which is only open when the kitchen is. Beers from Wells and Youngs, Youngs Bitter and Courage Directors with guest Black Sheep Bitter on the third handpump, full range of UK kegs along the rest of the counter. Quality of the ale was reasonable but Youngs Ordinary isn't as good as the Special of course. The staff were pleasant and attentive, with a reasonable mix of straggling early evening shoppers and some young and middle aged drinkers setting out for a night on the town providing the customers during my visit. The Eagles were playing on the PA and there is an outside drinking area where you can watch Liverpool's hard core of shoppers going by.