robably the most famous pub on the planet, primarily due to the fact that the Beatles used to down a pint or two here between their gigs at the Cavern. In those days the Cavern was an alcohol free venue and you could only be served with the soft drink of your choice. In those early days there was only one traditional pub on Mathew Street and that was the Grapes. The White Star was the next closest pub being located just around the corner on Rainford Gardens. Of course the only club on Mathew Street, at that time, was the Cavern. On many occasions the queue from the Cavern would stretch to the Grapes, no matter what weather conditions prevailed. Needless to say, the Grapes, being the only pub, was always crowded until closing time around 10 o'clock, if they were lucky. Those were the days when the local police used to enter the pubs and turf out any underage drinkers. The Cavern was basically a teenage scene with a scattering of older fans depending on who was playing at the time.

The Beatles made the Cavern world wide famous and they performed there many hundreds of times during the early years of the sixties. The crowds were always huge on Mathew Street during any of their performances and it was the overflow of the crowd that filled the Grapes.

Nowadays the Grapes has become a quasi shrine to the Beatles, not unlike the Cavern. The snug backroom of the Grapes is filled with memorabilia, photographs and the like. There is one particular photograph of the Beatles that was taken of them while they sipped a beer at the Grapes. The photograph is prominently displayed and shows the "four lads" sitting on a bench which still exists in the same location from the early days. Even the wallpaper shown in the picture remains preserved on the wall above where the Beatles once sat and is covered with a protective glass. The photograph is accompanied by a small plaque on the wall describing the event.

There is always a great selection of drinks to choose from at the bar, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic. We also have a smoking room at the rear of the pub which is very well heated and provides benched seating. So you can still puff away in comfort and enjoy your pint. The new smoking laws govern smoking inside the pub area and of course smoking is banned inside the pub.

Traditional food is on offer during the day and our menu includes down to earth dishes, nothing fancy, but very good. During the evenings we offer good entertainment, 7 days a week, with many varied artistes performing until 2 a.m.The Grapes is a doubles bar all day and of course every evening. We offer live music, karaoke, fruit machines, quiz machines, served food, Sunday roast with real ale. Also wireless internet service.

Mathew Street Webcam # 3 is hosted by the Grapes and we have an extensive photo gallery listed on the Mathew Street Forum. As you can see, we also have this website, in order to keep our patrons informed on a daily basis. Our website manager and photographer,Tom Ryder, will gladly include your pictures on the website photo gallery, which now exceeds more than 1,000 pub photographs. Lots of memories.

If you like a home from home atmosphere in a pub, then the Grapes is the place to be for that traditional cozy feeling.

A truly friendly staff in a pub famous for its great atmosphere.

Open at 12 midday until 2am everyday, drop in for a beer.