The Pen Factory in Liverpool

Friendly place with good food and staff helpful and friendly. But when we arrived they seemed overwhelmed and it was a bit haphazard. Food service was slow, but good when it arrived. If you're going to a show afterwards, give yourself loads of time if you don't want to be watching the clock!

Absolutely amazing meal. They were rushed off their feet but still managed to get our meal in reasonable time. The food was delicious, ample and moderately priced. The craft beer selection was brilliant. Staff very attentive and welcoming. Loved this place and will return again. Thanks for a fantastic experience.

Waited over an hour for first course to arrive, it was very good when eventually arrived. Second course very disappointing. Very small portion of overcooked chicken in overcooked batter, no trace of paprika. Perhaps could have advised walk in customers that they were extremely short staffed in the kitchen and focused on booked in customers.

The food was absolutely incredible—some of the best we’ve ever tasted. However, the service let the evening down. When we arrived, it was unclear where to go to check in for our reservation, so we ended up awkwardly waiting at the bar. The restaurant seemed short-staffed, as our table wasn’t ready despite us arriving ten minutes late, and there was confusion about where we were meant to sit. We placed our order with the manager but weren’t informed of any out-of-stock items until after ordering. This happened again with our wine selection—we had to choose multiple times before finally being given a different bottle at a discounted price, which we appreciated, though it wasn’t our first or second choice. We had to ask the server for cutlery for our mains and also for our desserts we had to ask for utensils. One annoyance was the clashing music. The restaurant played slow chilled out songs, while loud drum and bass and techno music blasted from the open kitchen around 7:30pm likely from chefs cleaning down after service. It created a strange and disruptive atmosphere but the food was sooo good we let them off :D Overall, the food was outstanding, but the service and ambiance could use improvement, I think they need more staff as everyone seemed to run around. I will definitely be returning for the food and the lovely beer garden

Love it here - the garden is a sun trap!

Visited last night with two friends. Table booked for 6:00, three main courses ordered at around 6:15. Food arrived at 7:20 over the course of 10 minutes which meant we were all eating at different times. Two of us had finished before the third dish had arrived. Can’t speak for the others, but my risotto was nowhere near the quality I would have expected, couldn’t see or taste the Gorgonzola and the mushrooms were few and far between. Extremely disappointing.

The service was Dire last night. There were 2 people serving- at 5.30. we could see they were stressed but we had to ask at every stage - for the menu- for our food, for the dessert menu, for extra drinks, for our bill . It was a really awful experience. The food was tasty but not much of it! We wanted sticky toffee pudding which was on the menu and were told they only had what was on the board - ice cream or brownie! Would never go back - The ladies toilets stunk of poo! There was graffiti on the walls- not our sort of place - would go to Free State Kitchen in future!

The staff were pleasant and apologetic enough as there was a large group in, but it took an hour after we were seated for our fish and chips and sausages and mash to arrive. They ate hardly complex meals to prepare. People ordering after us, were served their food before us. The batter on the fish and mushy peas were really poor. The sausages and mash were tasty. We were seated next to a huge, single glazed window and it was absolutely freezing. We were frozen by the time our food arrived. Get some curtains or turn up the heat - we had coats on the whole time. First visit, on recommendation - maybe it was a one-off but wouldn’t rush back.

We’ve been here many times and love the set up. I gather they’ve got new owners, which explains why it’s gone down a notch. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still good but it was exceptional. The small plates are minuscule; they used to be just about enough if you weren’t particularly hungry. One was cold. They took a very long time to come out too. The main we shared was pretty good but to be frank I came for the large array of small plates with the menu updated daily. Overall I’m disappointed, but that’s compared to what it was, what it should be, what it could be again. It’s lost what made it special. Bring back the daily menu!

Our first time for food...Understaffed, long wait to order food, staff overwhelmed and not a great experience. We ended up ordering our drinks at the bar. Disappointing

Tuvimos este restaurante recomendado por un amigo. Y nos alegra haberlos escuchado. Gran servicio, comida y ambiente. Mi espinilla de carne fue absolutamente fantástica. Queso y galletas uno de mis favoritos, absolutamente delicioso y el Guinness estaba en el lugar. Cuando volvamos a Liverpool sin duda volveremos a visitar.

Very good food and a great selection of drinks. A nice basement bar restaurant - a little loud when it's busy but the service was very good

Visited this great place after seeing a post on Facebook Lovely building , great food & a great pint of Guinness also thanks graham for playing the Lathums ……. We will be back

1st time at this venue and we absolutely loved it ! Very friendly welcoming staff and lovely food. Would deffo recommend thank you

Pre show bite to eat. It wasn't busy, lots of space, nobody waiting to be served at the bar but not acknowledged by barman as he was tapping on his till. Did get 2 tasters of beers and they were fine. Asked for food menu and sat down. 10 minutes later as neither of the waiting staff had been to our table my partner approached them at the kitchen and they took our order of 4 small plates. We were advised it would be served when ready. Around 30 minutes later the meat and fish dishes were delivered but no potato sides. We started eating as we didn't want it to go cold, we had both put our coats back on as it was rather chilly in there. After another 20 minutes the potatoes arrived, we had already finished our meat and fish. We did raise this with the waitress that we would have expected all the food to be served together, nothing was difficult one would assume that chips are already part cooked yet the kofte meatballs may have taken a little longer but arrived first along with calamari, another quick dish to cook. Another table nearby told us they had been waiting since before we even arrived and that was for 2 bowls of scouse. Yet a larger group seemed to get excellent service and had their meals very quickly after ordering. The food was tasty but the service and kitchen needs to improve dramatically. I also understand that Paddy no longer manages this establishment so the description is rather misleading . This used to be a great place. We won't be returning,

Good food once it eventually arrived. Visited during an unbusy Thursday evening. Went for meatballs, calamari, Welsh rarebit potatoes and some chips. Initial reception was less than marvellous as the bar staffer was tap tapping on his device rather than acknowledging us. He did produce two good real ales. I had to go and find someone to take our order which took half an hour to offer some food. Meatballs arrived without the chips and the calamari arrived in advance of the potatoes. Seems a disconnect between the kitchen and waiting on staff. Restaurant was so cold we had to keep our coats on. Hardly ideal

Really lovely meal. Quality of food was excellent and very reasonable prices. Would definitely visit again.

Great food, great cask ales and great value. Downside was that service was very slow on this occasion.

Great expectations but let down by a kitchen not up to the task! Service was fine but to wait an hour and 45 minutes for a main course of a rare Baber’s steak is taking the mickey! Must do better

We had a light lunch at The Pen Factory with friends. I had the hummus with fried chick peas and spices with sour dough bread. Best hummus I have ever had. Went nicely with the Merlot we shared. Two of the party had the tomato soup which they enjoyed, one had the Scouse which was pronounced excellent and one had the croquette of the week which I think was cheese and ham. Attentive staff. Nothing to criticise. Going back in the spring for the beer fest as we were told the garden was being refurbished and they intend to serve bbq food in tbe garden as well.

Lovely cosy atmosphere, service was great and the food was lovely . Great place for getting together with family and friends , really enjoyed it sat next next to the log fire

Rename the bar if you’re going to take it over and ruin the vibe. It’s no pen factory

Love this place for drinks but booked a meal. Food used to be fabulous but it was awful. Waited ages just for the server to take our drinks order. Missed drinks and in the end we went to the bar ourselves. Very long delay in food arriving. No apologies or updates. And food was very poor. Unfortunately won’t eat here again until it improves

Used to be fantastic food. But frankly awful. Oily, uncooked. Such a shame definitely not eating in there again. Beer remains great

Nice vibe, great food and service, pork belly tho 👌

Amazing Christmas lunch for the work crew, couldn't recommend more!

Went for evening meal food was absolutely beautiful staff were lovely, we had the prefix option £25 person for a small plate, main meal and dessert. Christmas dinner was lovely, ham hock terrine was amazing a meal on its own everything was fresh cooked beautifully, fish and chips was one of the best I have ever had would highly recommended this dish and the homemade ice cream is the best way to end. Atmosphere was great will be going in the summer to sit in the court yard

Absolutely brilliant place!!! Such a gorgeous venue, amazing and friendly staff and a great menu. Will 100% be coming back, can't recommend it enough!

First time last Wednesday jazz night loved it ,will be going again

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!

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 .

Great upmarket bar, amazing wide drink selection.

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.

Booked a table of 16 for a work night out. Despite some last night changes, the staff absolutely nailed the service. Everyone loved the food, and the great drink selection. Theyve only made a few changes but its made a real difference, and the place looks great. Thanks, everyone!

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 !!!

Great beer and wine. Excellent atmosphere. Still great!

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.

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.

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

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

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!

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

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.

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