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 traditionall
pub on Mathew Street and that was the Grapes.The White
Star was the next closest pub being located just around
the corner in 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.
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, above the fireplace, describing
the event. Of course you can still sit on the same seats
that the Beatles sat on and take a break, with a well prepared
meal and glass of your favourite wine or beer.
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 covered
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 strictly 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 4 a.m.on most days. 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 and this website. As you can see, we also have
this website and listings on Facebook, 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
4,000 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 noon until 4am everyday. Drop in for a beer.
..... OR TWO