The Ivy Liverpool: What’s it Like?
There was a time when The Ivy was one of London’s most exclusive venues. Located on an unassuming backstreet, close to the theatre where millions of people have been to see Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, it was founded in 1917 and became one of the main haunts for celebrities who were looking for some privacy.
In the years since, however, it has branched out, no pun intended, by adding numerous different locations around the country as part of The Ivy Collection.
Liverpool is one of the cities that has seen its own version of The Ivy open up, so what can visitors expect?
A Brief History of The Ivy
When The Ivy first opened its doors in 1917, it did so as an unlicensed Italian café in the same building from proprietor Abel Giandolini. According to the venue’s legend, the name came from when an actress called Alice Delysia heard Giandolini apologising for noise caused by building work and said, “Don’t worry – we will always come and see you. ‘We will cling together like the ivy’.”
The latter was a line from a song popular at the time. The café expanded to open its restaurant in the current site in 1929, offering late-night opening for those that wanted to enjoy its exclusivity.
@ibrahimography London # 1 The Ivy Breakfast #مطاعم #لندن #london #breakfast #تغطيات_بوجنان #travel #فطور #لندن🇬🇧 ♬ Good Morning London – Emma Taylor
Before too long, it became something of an institution for stars of the West End, welcoming the likes of Sir Laurence Olivier, Marlene Dietrich and Noël Coward through its doors. In 1950, Giandolini sold The Ivy to Barnard Walsh, owner of the Wheeler’s Group.
It changed hands numerous times in the years that followed, briefly closing in 1989 before being bought by the owners of another restaurant, Le Caprice, in 1989. Soon, the design of the venue was changed by the new owners, incorporating commissioned artwork and opening a private dining area on the second floor.
Liverpool’s Version of The Ivy
In 2011, the company behind The Ivy planned to open The Ivy Café in Mayfair. Although this didn’t happen in the end, it did give them the idea of starting The Ivy Collection, a series of spin-off restaurants that made use of the name of the original location, with the first one opening in 2014.
The various locations are known as Ivy Cafés and Ivy Brasseries, with Liverpool’s falling into the latter category. It opened in the November of 2024, seeing a wealth of celebrities and the city’s great and good descending on the location in order to take part in the celebrations and enjoy the food and drink on offer.
Spent the day Christmas shopping so obviously me and @jackebryan.bsky.social had to treat ourselves to a drink. We tried the new ivy in Liverpool and it didn’t disappoint……I need this floor throughout our entire house
The main dining area has room enough for up to 180 people for food, whilst there is also a private dining room that can seat 16. The menu has a selection of regular offerings as well as specials throughout the week. From linguine to steaks, you can head along each day of the week and experience a new meal on offer from the chefs.
The original restaurant has always boasted a deep green colour theme, including a canopy above the entrance, which is the same for the members of The Ivy Collection, including a green carpet rolled out when special guests are heading in for a drink or a bite to eat.
What to Expect if you Visit
If you’re hoping to rub shoulders with the stars in the same way that you might when attending The Ivy in the West End, the likelihood is that you will be disappointed. Instead, Liverpool’s Ivy Brasserie is much more laid back and a lot easier to get a table at. It is located inside a Grade-I listed building, which has been impeccably restored to ensure that it looks and feels worthy of the name.
Whether you’re looking to get along and enjoy some breakfast or you want to be there as the sun sets and the cocktails start to flow, you’re promised an excellent menu and top-class drink choices.
The sorts of dishes that you can expect to feast upon include the whiskey barrel-smoked venison tartare, the turkey Ballotine and the turkey and duck shepherd’s pie, although they will change with the season. That is because the chefs try to ensure that you’re always eating the freshest ingredients.
If you want to get along to check the place out, you can head in for a drink at the bar at the back of the restaurant, which doesn’t need a booking. The location is such that people will make a beeline for it, so don’t be surprised if it gets quite busy towards the end of the day as shoppers look to rest their weary legs.
