The Bombed Out Church Garden Bar opens at St. Luke’s Liverpool

Not everyone feels comfortable drinking in bars at the moment, which is fair enough. Not many people want to be stuck inside a crowded bar with everything going on – even with social distancing. But what if I told you that you can go and enjoy a drink in a venue where you don’t have to worry about all that? It’s outside, social distancing ain’t a problem and, in fact, it doesn’t even have a roof. Yep, the bombed out church – otherwise known as St. Luke’s – has opened up a bar in their lush gardens.

Plenty of businesses have had to find a new source of revenue in these trying times and the bombed-out church is no different. The money they received from hosting events as well as charitable donations from their visitors (both locally and from all corners of the world) has dried up thanks to the quarantine restrictions in place and the tourism industry basically grinding to a halt.

Thanks to a little quick thinking, though, they’ve pivoted onto hospitality to make some of the money needed to finance their overheads and keep up maintenance of their lovely venue. It’s lovely to look at even when walking past, so imagine how good it looks when you’re sipping on cocktails through the afternoon on a hot summer’s day.

About the Bombed Out Church

Set in the heart of the city, at the top of Bold Street, St Luke’s Church is Liverpool’s last remaining relic from the Blitz. The building was hit by an incendiary device dropped by the German Luftwaffe in May 1941 and resultant fire stayed ablaze for three days.

Since then, the Bombed Out Church has remained one of the Liverpool’s most iconic venues, host to a wide range of music, arts and culture across the years, (who says you need a roof for a rave?)

The Bombed Out Church’s Garden Bar

With plenty of wooden tables – each of them sporting a nice parasol to keep you out of the sun… or  the rain, most likely – the garden is perfectly suited to daytime drinking and is even rumoured to have some events lined up in the coming weeks. The bar is stocked with drinks from the Liverpool Brewing company, serving some fine craft ales, as well as plenty of Budvar and a wide-ranging list of spirits to keep you topped up. 

For those worried about Covid-compliance, they’ve stepped it up to make sure everyone feels safe. The venue accepts only 6 people at a table, to comply with the current regulations. Everyone has to sign in when they enter – but this can easily be done through scanning a QR code on their phones. Even the toilets on-site automatically sanitise themselves after each use – which is a feature I hope lasts the entire pandemic. 

Food can also be ordered via the QR codes you find on your tables, with the wide selection of drinks on offer as well as something to nibble on from Turncoat Pizzas – who offer a great selection of freshly made pizzas in a proper pizza oven. 

Bombed Out Church Garden Bar opening hours:

The bar is open every day except Mondays, from 12pm every day till 8pm – except on Fridays and Saturdays when they are open till 10pm. You can visit the St Lukes Bombed Out Church Garden Bar website here to check out the menus or even book a private hire.