Knockout Nosh At Liverpool’s Radisson Red

Former boxer Sean Callaghan may still be fairly nifty when it comes to going the distance, however, it is at one of Liverpool’s newest hotel properties where he is triumphing as a knockout restaurant manager.

The Radisson RED on Lime Street, next to the railway station and, currently, one of only three in the UK, is a more contemporary, funkier alternative to the Radisson Blu brand, more targeted at the corporate sector, and a place where style and art take centre stage: ‘a playful twist on the conventional’ as the blurb describes itself.

Just opposite the Grade I Listed neoclassical landmark, St George’s Hall......where the next Eurovision Song Contest will take place – and surrounded by museums, galleries and live music venues…..….. the hotel is not only situated in a 19th century building with 24/7 food and drink, but is the perfect place to dive into art, architecture, and music.

And with a superb restaurant – Stoke – adjacent to reception, open to the public and a focal point for this 201-bedroom property, there is little doubt that the Callaghan crew at one of Liverpool’s newest hotels, is already pulling in the passing trade as well as keeping overngiht guests fed and watered.

Like one of Jilly Cooper’s kinky novel covers, photographs of stunning models adorn various parts of the hotel and restaurant, with some sporting period ruff colours and dress, others holding riding crops with faces suggestively covered by sun visors and the like! They are arresting images, interspersed with local iconic art concepts, designed to arrest your gaze.

Staff levels seem at an eerie minimum. You get a key card at reception where there appears to be just two or three people at best, and the rest is ‘swipe’ your card, press a button and things seemingly happen as you float through the hotel’s quiet, red and black themed corridors, lights appearing to rise and dim as you walk along!

Bold, red contemporary rooms feature statement design with smart touches like personal device streaming to the TV……but WE had a mission.... and Liverpool was calling!

It didn’t take long for the Beatles music to start.

We had just joined the 90-minute City and Beatles Tour at the Royal Albert Dock, and were on our way to visit some of those classic spots that inspired many of the Fab Four’s iconic tunes.

The ‘Blue Route’ tour was named 10th in TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice awards as among the Top 10 Experiences in the World for 2022, sitting alongside climbing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and, as the only tour of its type in the rankings, Liverpool City Sights was deemed operator of the ‘best bus tour in the world’!

It also came second in the Top 10 Experiences in the UK last year, beaten only by the High-Speed Thames River RIB Cruise in London.

All tours have live commentary from a charismatic and knowledgeable local guide who brings the story of the Beatles to life with music throughout the journey. The enthusiasm, knowledge and passion of our man was undeniable!

“That’s where Paul lived. It’s run by the National Trust now,” said our pony-tailed cheeky chappy guide with a grin, “and you’ll all know this place….you can get off for five minutes.”

Like out of control schoolchildren we were off the bus at Strawberry Fields eager to snap photos of street signs or anything resembling Beatles memorabilia, but, more importantly, determined not to return home without being able to boast that we’d been to Penny Lane!
A full-on day in the iconic port city had left us with an appetite.

We were back in Sean Callaghan’s restaurant where a female vocal guitarist was playing on a small stage. “Hi!” said a young woman at the entrance before taking our room number and showing us to a half-moon window seat just across from two white colonnades that disappeared into the room’s far away ceiling.

Blondie, Pink Floyd and then John Denver’s Country Road permeated the air as an exquisite array of dishes arrived at our table. There were party celebrations happening around us which served to add to the vibrant atmosphere: the food was excellent.

We mused to ourselves how the hotel reception looked like something straight out of an Austin Powers film with its scooter and sidecar adorned in Union Jack colours.

Suitably satiated, we waddled our way back to our room!

Beautifully appointed there were a few minor issues which will be blown out as the hotel gets into its swing – the Radisson RED only opened a little over two months ago – but nothing to worry about: getting the aircon to behave and the sticky curtain rail to close, neither being determinantal to an overnight stay.

We were soon asleep!
It was the following day and we were ‘back on the road’, this time on shanks pony!

The guide on our Beatles Tour had said it was known locally as Paddy’s Wigwam: he was referring to the beautiful Catholic Cathedral, which is a sight to behold, and, a few minutes walk away, the equally impressive Anglican cathedral, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott and, both, as our discerning guide had been keen to point out, “joined by Hope Street!”

There is so much to see in Liverpool which has come such a long way since those depressed days of the 70’s.

The Royal Albert Dock is now a major draw on the waterfront with its myriad of shops, restaurants and coffee outlets, there’s the Pier Master’s House and the Maritime Museum – both free entry and truly excellent - and thousands of people meander across the sprawling waterfront to reach the bronze Beatles statue located close to Liverpool’s Three Graces: better known at the Royal Liver Building, Port of Liverpool Building and The Cunard Building, each said to have been named after one of Greece’s mythological ‘Three Graces’: the goddesses of charm, beauty and creativity.

In days gone by Liverpool was once the hub of the British slave trade, something it makes no attempt to hide in the Maritime Museum, but, these days, it is a powerhouse of tourism with the annual Beatles trade netting the city somewhere in the region of £100m a year.

Radisson has made a smart move – intentionally or otherwise - opening a new property bang opposite the next Eurovision Song Contest venue.

Whether Britain can go the whole hog this year and top Sam Ryder’s second placing in 2022, remains to be seen but, one thing is for sure, Liverpool’s new Radisson RED is well on its way to being a big hit and ex boxer Sean Callaghan is at the front punching his way to culinary victory!

Key Facts
City & Beatles Tour: www.liverpoolcitysights.com
Radisson Red www.radissonhotels.com