The Pen Factory in Liverpool

1st time visiting since changed owners. The surroundings and atmosphere are unchanged but the food … oh dear . We had the 2 starters/small plates plus drink for £14. We had 2 of these so we could share . Soggy calamari , tough chorizo and burnt black pudding. In a very oily sauce. Mushroom pate and belly pork were ok. The main courses were very basic and more like posh pub grub ! The noticeable difference is that there are no salad or sandwich options which I really enjoyed previously. Very few options if vegetarian . The desert options were like something you might order in a pub The small plate options were underwhelming and not a patch on previous options . Not sure if we will visit again and that’s a shame .

Decided to try the new Pen Factory for food as under new owners. The staff are lovely and very down to earth but knowledgable. The food was outstanding. We tried the two types of Croquettes chorizo and a mushroom variety. Both were lovely, followed by mains of braised short rib. This was stunning, melt in the mouth and the sauce was in a league of its own. Thanks guys for a lovely few hours in a great atmospheric place. Great selection of drinks too!

After reading in the local press that the new owners were going to keep everything the same we were absolutely gutted to find that they’ve removed every ounce of character from the building and the menu. What was once a cool, vibrant restaurant with amazing seasonal dishes is now a posh Wetherspoons with a deep fried menu. The staff were amazing as always but The Pen Factory has lost its soul, which was its food and its arty vibe and is now a sea of brown vinyl, beige food and is utterly charmless. The new owners obviously haven’t a clue about running a restaurant in this part of town and should hang their heads in shame. We won’t be back until it changes back to its former glory. Two stars are for the staff. They seemed as gutted as we were.

Visited after seeing the menu as had something for everyone on it! Wasn't disappointed either! Place itself is lovely inside with good selection of beers and great atmosphere .... no scallies ! Food was lovely. All served nicely and good portion sizes too. The wet Nellie was to die for !!!! I'd come back for this alone!!! Great place for couples , families and friends ! Will deffo be back !!!

What a lovely place! Great atmosphere. Very friendly and helpful staff. The Scouse was beautiful! The beer was too!

Apparently this place has just changed hands from the original owner Paddy. We thought we would give it a try to see if standards had been maintained. We went for the early doors 3 course menu, good choices and food was very good but not hot enough by the time it got to us which took forever. They seemed to have one waitress trying to take orders and deliver food although a second waitress did appear later who then messed up the bill and tried to overcharge us on the food and the drinks. The manager seemed to spend his time making cocktails behind the bar instead of sorting out the mess that was the food service. Think they need to look at staffing or they will be losing customers rapidly.

Excellent to have The Pen Factory open again. Wishing the new owners and staff all the luck in the world as they bring this valuable bar back to life. Lovely to see Matt and his staff as they spoke to every customer and made us feel very welcome. ☺️

Lovely food and great atmosphere. Turned up hoping they had a free table for food and luckily there was one spare. We had the pork chop and cheese and onion pie and there wasn't anything left on the plate. Cocktails and beer selection fantastic. Will definitely be back

Really nice place, Super friendly staff and great atmosphere.

Very disappointed. The food was adequate. Not fantastic. Service was non existent. Rather than embarrass my colleague. I paid the service charge. Or should I say. There was no service. No call back. Nothing. The two staff spent most of the time laughing and joking worth each other. I watched my food appear on the serving counter. One was pulling her hair out for about a minute. Right by my meal. They then joked with the chef. I timed how long it took from when my meal was placed on the serving counter to when I received it. That was exactly two minutes. Sitting there. Waiting to arrive at my table. Appalling to say the least. Let’s just say. I won’t be returning.

Atmosphere good and staff very friendly but the food was disappointing. The food is overpriced for what you get. The portions are small, even for the ‘large’ plates and the sides are charged extra. Food was very ‘average’. Although we pre-ordered, at the restaurants request, we waited a long time for the food to be served. Will not be returning.

Didn't have food, but the beers are good, outside area is lovely, and staff were fantastic. Definitely would come again

The food is proper tasty 😋 from soup, to meatballs to peach cobler

The food was ok, nice and simple

the place is beautiful and the serive is great.

Great beer and wine. Excellent atmosphere. Still great!

Paddy's place after the bistro closed. Really really nice meal and staff and constantly full of brilliant people

Pork fillet was very good and my teenage kids loved chicken rissoto.meatballs starter very good along with pea thyme, lemon pasta.cod main was slightly sloppy(whole dish swimming in sauce) but generally a very good experience and would go back.

Was here because attending a social event, but arrived early so we had some food while waiting. Food were great, but portions were a bit small for the price. Staff was friendly and service was reasonably fast. Can be a bit loud when there are lots of people.

Good quality food well presented in interesting surroundings amongst an eclectic clientele served by very polite friendly staff who go the extra mile to make your visit the best they can. I'll definitely be back. Excellent value for money.

Mistimed my visit here as the kitchens are closed between 14:00 and 16:00. Not to worry as there’s a large selection of cask ales on sale and there’s some great staff on hand if you want to learn more about the neighbourhood which is definitely worth spending some time exploring.

High quality and very tasty food in great atmosphere.

Served by a lovely young man with short hair and glasses, was very attentive and is a testament to this great bar !

Lovely place to eat and drink a lovely courtyard to catch the sun. Food was fantastic. Loved the menu, the service was great definitely will be back. When I'm next in Liverpool.

Lovely little pub tucked out the way with a nice courtyard.

To be curtly told when you walk through the door " i'm sorry we re fully booked" before you ve even had an opportunity to say you have booked is not a great start. To then be shown to your table and ignored for 15 mins whilst waiting for someone to come and at the very least take a drinks order is not good either. To then have to go and find a member of staff who grudgingly appears at your table a few minutes later to take your food and drink order ( with no explanation of specials until you re told that there isn't the one you wanted to order on the menu any more ) just seems like a daming continuation on a theme. In fairness . the starters and the two mains we had were very good so the kitchen certainly deserve thanks for their great efforts but a new low was hit when our starter plates were cleared when we were asked " did we just want to keep our cutlery to use for our mains ?" I was so taken aback i didn't actually know what to say until my partner made it abundantly clear that we would indeed not like to keep the same cutlery. i have NEVER been asked this and considering you re expecting a bill of 3 figures for 2 course for 2 plus wine and this is not a street food or quick in and out type of place i am genuinely flabbergasted this question was asked. If you are the owner of this place and you dont know this is happening , then i 'm sorry to say it is.and i strongly suggest you remedy with immediate effect as i cant help but think this is not an isolated incident of stratospherically bad customer service Your front of house is shambolic, dis -interested at best- which seems at complete odds with the lovely physical environment - noisy and busy but that's fine - and the food we had was very good but my God, in 2024 in a city with many food options your front of house offering is woeful and light years away from the other first class offerings we had whilst in Liverpool

Out for jazz and a few drinks. Great atmosphere and bevvies

Avoid. This happens to be the most expensive ham sandwich and chips I have ever had, and the worst. The bread was so hard I had to eat around the crusts. I could have made better myself. I won't be visiting again!

The mussels were absolutely spectacular, best I have had in years. If you are a mussel fan here is the place to be. The chefs are absolutely insane at what they do. It’s been a long time since I had food that good. The waitresses were great too, especially Kiran xx

As with every single time I eat and/or drink here, its always noisy, far too loud & noisy for my liking. There were 8 of us and could only hear what the person next to me were saying. We had to rotate around the table to ensure we all got to speak to eachother. There was live music too which didnt help. I have eaten lunch, popped in for a coffee & early and mid evening meals and each time very loud! A lot to with having just hard surfaces and nothing to soak up the noise! Food was okay, nothing special and even though we HAD TO pre order, a few days before, there service wasnt great - we waited over an hour for our mains after our snacks.

Went in for a couple of beers with a mate. The staff were friendly and had a good selection of ales and bottled beers.

Great place, incredible food, service and atmosphere!

A nice bar with a great selection of beers and ciders. Usually not too loud so it may be worth checking out if you're looking for a quiet drink around the Hope Street area.

The food was ok with a fairly decent selection on offer. The service was shocking.

Has a good dinner. Food was tasty and very creative. Service was good and atmosphere nice. Portions are big. We shared starters.

probably one of my favourite restaurants in the city. the wine and beer selections are always on point. food is always guaranteed experience. i don’t think i can actually fault this place, it’s just great.

It's a long walk up Mount Pleasant from the town centre to get to the Pen Factory in Hope St. I always need a pint after that walk. This place always reminds me of my old school canteen for some reason. It has a very good range of real ales and beers that you won't see in other pubs. Very pleasant staff.

Absolutely fabulous food and excellent service. Super choice of great wines to go with meal too. Beautifully presented, highly recommend and will definitely come back, thank you!

Service here is extremely good but sadly the food doesn’t match. It’s not bad food but for the price it should be better. I had the beef which was tasty but tough & definitely gave my jaw a good workout . We were seated next to the kitchen & on a few occasions the head chef used the f word !!! I am not a prude but maybe he should concentrate on the food

Wonderful food and prompt service makes for a great dining experience

Really good environment. Nice & lively with a friendly crowd

Came out stinking of the kitchen. This place really needs to get their extractors working. The whole place smelt of fried food and burnt oil - something that leaves its mark on your clothes, your coat, your hair. Not a pleasant experience.

Excellent food & service…great menu choices & food totally met our expectations…will def be coming back

The Pen straddles fantastic eatery and a fantastic bar in the best meld I know. The setting, staff and beer (especially cask) and small plates are amazing!

We were the last customers and the server was as grumpy as all get out. Not my sort of food but the rest of my party enjoyed it. Very expensive.

Lovely spot in Liverpool, outdoors area for warmer or dryer days and indoors is spacious. Nice vibes and regular music/jazz.

Good food, atmosphere, vibe, surroundings, perfectly placed for pre-theatre meal. Varied and interesting food choice. Highly recommended.

Truly superb tasty well presented meal with service to match. We were all thoroughly delighted. I went a bit off piste from my usual choices and was not disappointed. Delicious in the mouth and delightful on the eye. It's been a while since I've been inspired to write a review but the Pen Factory deserve the praise.

A must-visit when on Liverpool's Hope Street. Great selection of ales, cocktails, and much more. I am yet to try their food out but, if everything else is something to go by, I am sure I will not be disappointed!

Wow! I visited the Pen Factory years ago for a drink when it was new but haven’t eaten there til last night. I have been missing so much!! We were going to have small plates but my friend saw the hake and clams with smoked aubergine and a bisque sauce. I saw the belly pork with Caulifliwer purée. Cider jus, pickled celeriac and mustard seeds. I ordered chips with aioli and my friend Chantey Carrots it was totally delicious! They recommend drinks with each dish and I had the cider to go with the pork. We are coming back to Liverpool for my husbands birthday. We are eating here!!

Wow! I visited the Pen Factory years ago for a drink when it was new but haven’t eaten there til last night. I have been missing so much!! We were going to have small plates but my friend saw the hake and clams with smoked aubergine and a bisque sauce. I saw the belly pork with Caulifliwer purée. Cider jus, pickled celeriac and mustard seeds. I ordered chips with aioli and my friend Chantey Carrots it was totally delicious! They recommend drinks with each dish and I had the cider to go with the pork. We are coming back to Liverpool for my husbands birthday. We are eating here

Lovely building, friendly staff and good coffee.Lots of history within this building. The food looked really nice and a well stocked bar available too

Slow but good service Nice staff and friendly Cool and fun place with older sophisticated crowd going on to theatre shows earlier and mixed cool crowd later Food menu limiting if you have dietary requirements Good drinking into the late hours

One of the nicest meals I've had in a while. A friend recommended and it didn't disappoint. I had the special slow cooked beef, my wife had the hake. Both of us were blown away by our dishes' flavours! Lovely staff as well. Would very much recommend

Look forward to coming back soon everything was excellent 👌

Had some amazing food in here and a sensational pint too pre theatre. Honestly can't believe I've not been here before for food. Great veggy options too.

The food is lovely if a little pricey. The room was freezing! I don't normally feel the cold but sat there eating my meal wearing my coat.

Really nice and comfortable service and food is indeed tasty. Going to be back soon!

Visited prior to a concert at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Wasn’t expecting anything special. We all chose different meals and all of them were really good. Service of both food and drink was friendly and quick. We returned there after the concert and again service was friendly and atmosphere really good. It made a welcome change to restaurants being just ok, I Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this place.

Lovely chilling place, awesome service with a smile. Food delicious, delicately prepared. X

We found the menu to be very limited and far too expensive. We ordered olives, mackerel, cold meats, rosemary focaccia bread, chips and a cheeseboard. The cold meats had no taste whatsoever, the cheese was limited to three small portions and bread was very doughy and difficult to digest. In fact, the only enjoyable foods were the mackerel and the olives. As for the larger plates, the only meat on the menu was venison! There was quite a wait at the bar but the table service was very good. The waitresses were attentive and solicitous. However, we will not be returning.

Really nice place for a drink 👍

The food, specifically the hummus is amazing, the service is meh. You have to order at the bar and can be stood for over 5 minutes just waiting for a member of staff to come and serve you. The person with lots of facial piercings is particularly rude. After making us wait 5 minutes just to order he was extremely flippant. They asked what table we were sat on, the tables do not have table numbers and there were only 2 other tables busy in our section. They proceeded to have quite an attitude for no reason

Lovely food great atmosphere. Friendly staff especially Emily. Great vegan salads.

Great place to eat - lovely wine and food menu

Delicious food ! We got small plates to share. The fire was lit and welcoming. Can’t fault our afternoon at the Pen factory.

We absolutely love the atmosphere at the Pen Factory and have been coming since it opened. However, the food just lets it down. When the Pen Factory first opened, the food was excellent, nothing too fancy, just good and suited the environment. However, on several visits now we have found it over priced and disappointing. Mussels and panna cotta recently were possibly the worst we’ve ever eaten. They don’t need to do anything extraordinary here, just keep it simple and do it well, you have a captive audience with its location but we are tempted now to just come for drinks rather than food, particularly with the high prices. Added to this, no one asked if we were happy with the food, service needs improvement, a shame.

Ok but menu not huge, but am sure its designed around demand and trends . Beautiful presented, I has Bavette which was a bit to rare for me, but am sure I could have asked for it to be cooked a bit more, my friend enjoyed the Pork belly dish . Its apparent all raw ingredients are of excellent quality.

Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Food is very disappointing and over priced (the gnocchi in particular is to be avoided). Style over substance unfortunately

Great beers, Great wines, lovely well cooked food. Olives, Whitebait, a large salad, cod with hassleback potatoes and a great sauce, 3 homemade Icecreams to share. One pint real Ale, a great bottle of Raix Baxas Albariño . £95 including 10% tip. Difficult to beat in Liverpool for us.

Great place for a drink Great staff and beers

Thanks so much to Lucy see made our night she shouted us from across the road to say we've had a cancellation see made our night beautiful food we will be back xxx

Iconic Liverpool social hub that has remained contemporary thanks to innovative chef patron and local legend that is Paddy.Instrumental in the 70's for establishing small plates/bistro dining in the basement of the Everyman Theatre,we owe this man a debt of Scouse gratitude.💖

Beautifully presented and cooked food using seasonal products. We shared 4 of the smaller plates between 3 of us and we were all happily full (including my 6'2" 19-year old son). Really friendly staff, lovely atmosphere with some live jazz in the background, and perfect...

Amazing food in a great ambience and excellent service. Imaginative veggie dishes too. Staff are geared up for theatre goers so, whilst we didn't feel rushed, nor were we anxious about missing curtain up at the nearby Everyman Theatre

QUALITY WONDERFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE

Laid back and full of characters. Great variety of beers, gins and wine served by pleasant staff. A good selection of food is also available. The outside area is a sun trap well stocked with bee attracting flora.

cool place to hang out. nice outdoor area

Great place, great food, great atmosphere, great staff, simply GREAT!

Lovely, busy restaurant/bar. Excellent service by friendly staff. We had three courses... first bread and butter, which was delicious and very filling, but of the choices for the snack starter, 3 were bread. Way too much for me! I had the cod for mains which...

Very disappointed at the limited choices on the menu, only soup and one main on the special board no green vegetables available only chips carrots or salad, would expect more seasonal veg

My wife and I visit often and it’s always good. Visited with some golfing friends, and again excellent food, great wine, and highly unusual for a good restaurant excellent real ales. Decent service

We loved this place, from the very warm welcome and the lovely decor and the friendly staff. AND THE FOOD. Wonderful - my daughter (17) said it was a 15 out of 10. She had a superb cod loin and salad and then the coconut...

My last visit ... very busy and noisy . no food available for those eho wished to sit in beer garden with our dogs . We were offered olives . Not many staff on a busy graduation night !! Impacted on service . Usually a very atmospheric place . Needs more floor staff to improve customer experience. Bar staff man was very friendly and and helpful.

Nice place, nice food and some vegi food. Staff very nice but very busy so you have to be assertive to catch their attention!

Rien de spécial en ce qui concerne la nourriture. Poisson très salé, gras, et portions très pauvres pour 12£. Soupe...

Attended a wedding here yesterday and it could hardly have been a better experience. From the initial greeting it was superb. The canapés, meal, service and the venue in general were all top class. Perfect.

Spent a great Saturday afternoon here while it poured down outside, great beers and really nice ambience

Great bar. 2nd best beer garden in town (just beaten by Ye Cracke). Recommended.

Spotlessly clean lovely courtyard garden good drink food menu couldn't ask for better service

A touch quiet tonight, but our waitress, an amazing person from over the hills in Bradford, made our night, beautiful person, beautiful smile, thank you,

Great local venue with generous high quality food servings. Best hand cut chips! Friendly people.

Amazing Monkfish with Thai curry sauce, Pak Hoist chilli!

A great place to meet up for a drink after work. Good selection of bites to eat too. Nice staff good selection of drinks and great atmosphere.

Best place in Liverpool for chilled drinks and food. The garden is a welcome escape from the city when the weather is nice.

A lovely restaurant where the food, service & ambience is wonderful. While we have this glorious sunny weather sitting in the courtyard & sipping a nice cold drink is nice to do.

Gorgeous spot. Hope street is great and this is a fantastic hidden gem. Well done guys will be back for food as only had drinks in the sun on Saturday. Thanks

Found this place on Google maps and decided to stop for lunch between the 2 cathedral's. What a delight! Did not realise that they had a courtyard which was perfect given the weather. Staff are lovely and really helpful. Food was delicious,we opted for several...

Found this place on Google maps and decided to stop for lunch between the 2 cathedral's. What a delight! Did not realise that they had a courtyard which was perfect given the weather. Staff are lovely and really helpful. Food was delicious,we opted for several small plates which were all excellent. Good range of beers and wines. Waiter even cooled my wine glass before serving the wine. Definitely worth the visit.

The service was not good. I ordered a sandwich and they didn't even bring me napkins. Probably because my order was simple. In the end, they got my bill wrong and made me charge almost triple what I had consumed on my card. Luckily, I noticed and asked them to cancel the transaction.