The Jacaranda

Fun place filled with a great vibe. Stopped in to check out the upstairs. Loved browsing thru the records. Very eclectic mix. Booths have record players on them and wish we would have grabbed one but they were full. Drinks reasonable and music was good both main floor and upstairs.

Also known as The Jack, this is yet another of those pubs in Liverpool that lays claim to links with The Beatles. Full of memorabilia and nostalgia, this is a nice chilled pub both day and night. It consists of a basement, ground floor and upstairs, none of which are particularly spacious, but it's one of those places that no one minds rubbing shoulders with the next person.

There's not a massive choice of drinks, but enough to cater for everyone. The music ranges from 60s onwards, and there is a jukebox that everyone seems to make use of, as well as some old fashioned sweet and nut machines - 20p for a handful of pistachios and then you can cause murder throwing the shells at people!

Not somewhere for a lively night out, but at the same time, not always the best place for a quiet chat, especially as they tend to have the music quite loud. Still, if you want your Beatles fix and you're nowhere near Mathew Street or the docks, this is a good alternative.

Known affectionately as the Jack to all who regularly sail in her, this bar is simultaneously one of the most and one of the least cool places you could drink in Liverpool city centre.

Upstairs the place has the look and feel of that place at the end of Trainspotting where Begby beats up a guy for spilling his pint. A hazy soporific atmosphere, a black painted bar, the walls decorated with Liverpool regalia a cast of regulars who seem, either, to be about stick their fingers in your beer or fall asleep.

Downstairs has a caverny feel with nooks and hollows filled with little benches and a jukebox filled with post-punk and alternative 80's classics. The clientele are mostly students and in the know young locals and are a generally friendly bunch. You might even feel - if the £1 beers go down the right way and should the Cure keep flowing from the speakers - that you should do a little dancing and you will be welcomed and maybe other people will even join in. Nice.

I've been to the Jac so many times I could recount every detail of its layout from scratch, although you wouldn't want to hear me do it as it'd be brain-meltingly boring. Go and do something else.

Feeling like seventeen buildings knocked into one, the Jacaranda is notorious for not lining up at all. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to squirrel yourself away in and argue the trivialities of life as visceral rock classics blast from the speakers like elephants. Two of the more entertaining corners are the underground alcoves downstairs, where the jaundiced walls are covered in graffiti that takes hours to read and/or contribute to.

On the ground floor, the walls are filled with Beatles memorabilia which isn't that surprising as this is the pub they played their first gig, although back then they were called the Silver Beatles (hence the sneaky reason the sign says 'the place the Fab Four first played'.)

Even though it can get packed at the weekends and has prices that increase with glacial fearsomeness, the Jacaranda is still one of the best pubs to sit in with a pint. What you want the pint to be of on the other hand, is up to you.

You can't help but love The Jac with it's history in popular culture, cheap drinks, good music but really I'm not sure why. The Jac is pretty smelly for one thing but so are most pubs so that's not a big issue I guess.

Cheap drinks can't be the only factor that appeals because if that were the case then Slater's Bar opposite would be the best pub ever - and event if they do call themselves 'the college of knowledge' it's not.

Then finally there is the music. The jukebox is pretty legendary round here and most will consider it the best in town. The problem with that is you NEVER get to hear your own tunes! Unless of course you start drinking at 11am on a monday morning and stay there till 10pm on Tuesady night - true story, a mate of mine actually used put tunes on Saturday night with their first drink, have night out and party, return for Sunday afternoon session and hear the songs from night before. Great Jukebox but everyone knows it.

It's also a pretty uncomfortable place to sit and have a drink as most of the hard wooden chairs get taken pretty quickly only leaving the even harder wooden windowsill.

After all this The Jac is generally a safe place to meet mates and start a night out. It's right in the middle of town and it's not pretentious.

It would do the whole of the Liverpool beat scene proud. A rock bar with a record store attached and solid brews.

Everyone who comes by this place seems to say the same thing. 'That's the Jacaranda? THE Jacaranda?'

Yes it is indeed. The intricate Beatles history woven into the venue makes it popular with true Merseybeat die-hards. The boys have played there several times and it used to be owned by their former manager. The walls are entirely plastered with images of the Beatles - photos, memorabilia, the works, and there's plenty to entertain your eyes with a drum kit above the bar, the stage the Beatles themselves played on downstairs and the ears will soon be soothed with the sounds of the 60s onwards from the jukebox.

There are three floors to enjoy here, so it's something of a Tardis with its misleading exterior and its somewhat weather-worn furniture adds to its charm and character. The bar staff are particularly friendly and the punters are all pleasant, from young students to tourists and some loyal regulars who sit at the bar. You'll find some of the cheapest drinks in the city here, with unbelievable prices including bottled beers for £1 and a great range on tap. This is quintessential Liverpool with all its local nods and quirks, and it's a very memorable bar.

The interestingly named Jacaranda has been part of Liverpool's night life forever, the Beatles even met here all those years ago.

The Jac is like no other pub Ive been to. Upstairs is decorated with wooden panels, wooden floors and coordinating tables. There are booth-like seats, bar stools and tables and chairs. The jukebox is excellent.

Downstairs is filled with long tables and benches mainly. There are also 2 tunnels in which to sit in, the like of which I have never seen elsewhere. These can be a quiet although very warm haven away from the rest of the pub. The decor downstairs is a mix of modern art and artwork which has been here since the seventies.

Upstairs is a newer bar which is light and airy and available to hire out. At the busier times all 3 floors will be open.

The drinks served here are inexpensive but are of a high quality. The beer always tastes good and is never flat. At certain times of the week they serve shooters for £1 and there is always pints of bitter available for £1.

The staff are friendly and work hard to ensure that customers are served quickly. The pub is cleared of glasses regularly and the tables are kept clean. This is a definite gem.

At first glance I wasn't taken with The Jac' mainly due to the smell that hit me like an iron bar round the chops as I walked in, and the crazy old guys that were huddled round a table at the side, however, this was the afternoon after the night before and it does draw quite an odd mix of people.

After finding my mates and taking a window seat I quite got into the atmosphere, looking inquisitively at Paul and John's School Year photos and all the memorabilia and mellowing out to the tunes that were echoing from the Jukebox.

I've also been when it's been busy and been downstairs crammed into one of the cavern-esque burrows which had a table shoved in it; a great little spot to huddle with some mates and read the grafitti when you can be arsed pushing your way to the bar. A grower and a charmer!

The Jacaranda is the perfect pub as far as I'm concerned and it embodies Liverpool! Unfortunately it is flanked by a couple of less attractive bars, but don't let that put you off!


The combination of a quality jukebox, cheap drinks, quiz machine and atmosphere make this a must-visit Liverpool pub. The walls are lined with musical memorobilia and you can imagine John, Paul, Ringo and George banging out a few tunes downstairs in the cave-like bar! In fact, The Beatles are said to have played the Jacaranda cellar bar on a number of occasions back in the 60s. What a sight it must have been to see them there!


In terms of regulars, there's a healthy mix of locals and students who happily mix and chat away. The best nights are usually wednesday and thursday but you're pretty much guaranteed a lively night whatever day you choose!


You HAVE to experience the Jac!