Now you might associate Hardman Street with a beloved chicken shop and a club you’re only aware you’ve entered when you see the stamp on your hand the next day but we promise, that is all about to change.
Say hello to Buyers Club, one of Liverpool’s newest and exciting spaces. Given the nature of our job, it can now and then feel a bit samey. It has been a while since we’ve been blown away at first impression and the second we walked into Buyers Club it felt different. A breath of fresh air, an incomparable space and completely on its own with what it’s doing and what it’s trying to achieve.
Buyers Club is the definition of a hidden gem. So much so, that Google Maps didn’t even have a clue what we were on about. It is just beyond the Old Blind School, a narrow corridor of nothingness that doesn’t look like anything special. But, how often we’ve found that down these unassuming roads we come across the most special of spaces. Healthy slabs of bright orange and yellow tables break the mirage. They look like the kind of tables where one drink turns into five and strangers turn into friends. Norwegian green plants and canopies surround your every being and it feels as if you have stumbled upon a secret. Not just any secret, one worth keeping. Upon first entering the dining hall you’re confronted with a library-like bookcase behind the bar towering with bottles of wine. Much like books, each wine tells a story and we’re so aware of how easy it’d be to get through a chapter in there.
As far as a combination of people go, this new space is a tour de force and represents Liverpool’s potential, innovation and passion within an intimate complex. Sam Tawil of Bold Street Coffee, Miles Falkingham of Camp and Furnace, Dan Heffy and Michael Harrison from The Secret Diners Club & Andrew Hill, founder of Abandon Silence. The cherry on top is a big helping hand from the wine connoisseur Devin Stewart, who owns R & H Fine Wines, a beautiful boutique wine shop just off Dale Street. The accolades these individuals have racked up of their own accord is beyond impressive but together, they’re a forced to be reckoned with.
What we really like about Buyers Club is how kaleidoscopic it is. Through the eyes of one person, it is a completely different being to yours and absolutely anyone can have fun here. Whether you’re here for a bottle of red in their beautifully illuminated beer garden, to see the latest gig or have come down for some fine dining. It is versatile, it’s fresh and it’s exciting. As mentioned in the former, the food is taken care of by the two chef’s behind The Secret Dining Club. They ooze passion, they bleed the lifestyle and every plate of food contains a part of them. For research purposes we thought we’d get a few things to share. We went for the octopus pil pil, a far cry from the menu norm that was stupidly delicious. Fresh and spicy with hints of garlic that was perfectly executed. We also tried the pig cheek hash with fennel sauerkraut, shallots and a fried egg. It came in a skillet and if it wasn’t for the waitress taking it off us, we’d have licked it clean.
Liverpool is evolving. It’s the biggest small city in the UK and we’re growing at Formula 1 speed. We’re a tribal bunch and we like to hear about our own taking risks and them paying off. The ecosystem of risk taking needs supporters and we implore you to go and spend an evening at Buyers Club. Food, drink and music alone, we know you’ll have a fantastic time but go for much more than that. Go for the people making this city exciting, for the people changing archaic stereotypes and for the people making Liverpool, well, Liverpool.
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Address:
24 Hardman St, L1 9AX