Woodwards Wine Bar in Sefton

This used to be a good bar but is now just a high priced dog compound. 9 dogs in this very small bar. Wouldn't order food given the smell of dogs and lack of washing of hands by bar staff after feeding treats to the dog. Don't bother, there are better alternatives in Formby.

On route to the Red squirrel walk as we are keen walkers, stopped at the delightful little wine bar, greeted by 2 very friendly ladies who couldn’t have been more helpful, both the food and drink was excellent.

We called into Woodwards as part of our anniversary celebrations. The staff were wonderful and topped off our day. Would highly recommend this cosy, friendly wine bar. 😉

My Sister & I go to Woodwards many times a week, we love meeting up with people who we have met whilst having a coffee, the staff are wonderful, my Brother in Law who has Alzheimer’s loves going there, they’re all so kind. Thank you Girls for all our lovely coffee’s. Ann & Sue

I've just been reading the previous reviews and wondered if it was the same place!! My sister and I called in for lunch and a drink but as we walked in there was no warm welcome for us! There were 3 staff members behind the bar and not one of them said hello, smiled at us ....or even acknowledged us....so we found a spare table and sat down. We them waited for someone to come over and ask us if we wanted a drink....or a menu...but neither was forthcoming! Anyway we found the menus in a box on the side......and as nobody still came to take an order (or even acknowledge us!) my sister went to the bar to order (and to pay as it turned out!) After about 10 mins one of the staff members came to say they had no potatoes (I'd ordered a jacket potato) so I changed it to a toastie.......and that duly came after another 5/10 mins......but no sign of my sisters sandwich! We waited a bit longer and as I didn't get a napkin, I went to the bar to request one...and to see where my sisters meal was. Anyway it was obvious they'd forgotten it.....so we waited another 5/10 mins for that to come......and was duly plonked on the table with no apology whatsoever! Or any mention of a refund (as my toastie was cheaper than a jacket potato). Overall it was a disappointing visit and I really struggle to comprehend not having a warm welcome or to be shown any friendliness in a small independent place!

Visited today for the first time. Staff gave us a lovely welcome - especially our little dog! Really friendly atmosphere with a varied well priced menu. Will definitely return.

A fantastic place to stop. Just stumbled on it after cycling 30miles in the cold and rain and looking for a quick refuelling stop. Such a warm welcome, invited inside and even allowed to bring our bikes in so we could relax while we tucked into tasty coffee and bacon rolls. Will definitely be back.

Fabulous and friendly bar always get a good welcome. Pat and Louise run this great bar. Weekends are buzzing with Live music. Cocktails are knockout. Afternoon sport on TV. Coffee and tssty snacks available

Have always enjoyed my visits to Woodwards. Been many times over the years in groups, singly or with my partner. Today however we popped in for coffee and a soft drink. It was Half term so was busy and the only seats left were stools at the bar. We ordered and sat down and were chatting when the waitress banged down dirty cups and saucers next to us. Her colleague swiped them across us and put them in what I assume was the dishwasher. Whilst I can see that this would be the sensible way to dispose of crockery as it means avoiding walking the length of the bar, I would have thought having patrons sitting at that end it would’ve been more polite and much more pleasant for us, if she’d carried them round? Even a murmur of ‘excuse me ‘ or a sympathetic smile would’ve been nice. Just a niggle but after doing it a second time we didn’t linger as we felt very much in the way and paying for expensive coffee should be a pleasurable treat rather than feeling you are seated in the kitchen! Shame.

Tried others in Formby but always seem to come back to Woodwards. Lovely pleasant smiling staff, friendly atmosphere. Newspapers to read in comfortable seating area. Toilets clean. Good menu.

Me and my sister decided to go in for one drink we ended up staying the entire evening, there was a great vibe both with both young and old all mingling together,great music and the staff were absolutely great nothing was to much trouble for them!

Called in for a quick coffee, staff are always pleasant & greet you with a smile. Coffee was lovely & the biscuit is one of my favourites.

We love Woodies. My wife and I moved to the area two years ago and have been regulars ever since. It has a fantastic atmosphere on the weekend, especially on Fridays when a live band are on. The quality of live music here is exceptional without fail. It's our favourite place to have a drink in Formby. All I would say is it would be even better if there was live music on on Saturdays as well and it is only small so can get quite crowded on weekends. But that's a by product of its success. The drinks are fairly priced for Formby in my opinion.

The atmosphere in this bar is almost indescribable, friendly, welcoming and has so much character. From regular customers to new customers, the staff always make sure an individual is attended to. Customer service is something that woodwards can say that they thrive on, they offer table service, great cocktails, great wine, multiple gins, a good range of larger and have a good choice of bands on a Friday night.

Great bar with a pleasant atmosphere, however we found the drinks really expensive. We only had a lager & a prosecco topped with chambord which was around £13-50. The staff were lovely though and we will return here.

Fab bar, staff lovely, atmosphere great. Well worth a visit. When not too busy they offer a table service, thanks Abbey for looking after us.

A small but busy bar. Very stylish with great selection of wines in beautifully presented glass wear. Friendly bar staff and great atmosphere to catch up with friends.

You can enter woodwards wine bar for a very enjoyable time,it could be for a quick cake and coffee or a long afternoon or evening with your friends for a few beers (very good selection available here).A very comfortable and relaxing time will be had here There is also live music on most weekends and bank holidays,Go and try it for yourself and you will always return, and then tell your friends.

I've had coffee and wine here a few times at lunch and it's a pleasant and cosy place. The staff don't customer service training and are not friendly. In the evening the place changes and on the times I've come here in the evening, I've been attacked by drunken and abusive women, had my drinks knocked over and not replaced by the bar staff and been shouted at by really drunk and awful women. Stay away in the evening.

Yet another lovely start to the Bank Holiday Weekend at Woodwards! We have had a smashing 'al fresco' lunch of kettle chips and toasties, washed down with cocktails! Staff are so nice - pleasant and helpful - and the service is always given with a smile!

Hate this awful place , poor service and would suit being in a city centre for over aged wannabees who get louder as the night draws on

Lovely place, small, but lots of choice of drinks/coffees. Friendly staff. Small seeing area in front perfect for summer. Music nights great too.

Called in for a coffee , not surprised this place is busy. The staff are very friendly and helpful , the coffee and toasted tea cakes were an absolute delight and reasonably priced. Made the visit into Formby Village a pleasant day.

Can't believe how rude the staff are in here - AWFUL customer service. The only reason why this place can be popular is because there is nowhere else to go. Overpriced drinks and terrible staff with seriously poor attitudes. Avoid!

i regularly to woodwards leadership the well estbalishment hygieny place . i would appeicated the well natural staff friendly for advsier and pleasing making good contibrites to scoety.

Happy hour para cócteles fue un comienzo perfecto para una velada muy agradable, multitud de personas encantadoras de todos los grupos de edad, cantante en era muy buena, una decoración preciosa y muy trabajadores personal del bar

Nos visitan regularmente para cócteles - ojalá que sirven hasta las 8 pm! ! Estupendo para el café, un lugar agradable.

Nice atmosphere. Small little place but very nice and cosy. Love the cocktails!!! Shame they didn't do Happy Hour NYE and Valentines Day, both times they weren't very busy at that point. On a busy night if you get there later in the night you can struggle to get a seat which I'd say is the only downside. Nice beer bottle selection. My favourite place to drink in Formby!

Woodwards is a great bar in the centre of Formby Village. They have live music on a regular basis which is great! There is also a big selection of lovely wines, craft beers and cocktails. Would definately reccommend this place.

Go too woodwards ( woodys ) often,lovely friendly staff, coffee bar/breakfast/lunch of a day then come early evening turns into a great wine bar with lots off atmosphere,live music at weekends. All age groups from 18 - 70.

Good bands and great drinks, at a welcoming bar. Staff are great, and always make us feel welcome. We get there several times a week and love it

We just love Woodwards, it is very small but that is part of the attraction because of its atmosphere. The covered seating area is a big improvement

Not very big, but very friendly from morning til night. Coffee's, tea's, snacks, wine's, beer's. cocktail's and music nights. A part of the community and particularly with the 'blues'.

very small venue, bigger venue would be better, as it was very busy, quite expensive. would go again but not when it would be busy

I've been here before and it hasn't been great but thought we'd give it a go, I was starving and there were queues in other nearby places. The menu is very limited, I don't think they have facilities for cooking meals; maybe just a microwave and toaster perhaps. We had been for a long walk and had worked up an appetite so I was disappointed with the portion size of my jacket potato and tuna. The 'snack' came with a side salad but the meal was unimaginative and boring. The staff weren't unfriendly but they weren't friendly or welcoming either; no smiles or eye contact. There was nothing that would make you want to return.

I am a regular at Woodwards, it is a very friendly, professionally run wine/coffee bar. Always great well trained staff and the surroundings are immaculate. A really cool place. Well done Woodwards !

Poor quality, for a chef to plate this up and then get staff to serve it, means they don't care. Paid but sorry won't be going there again, tried to support local business now that parking charges are in place and this is what you get.

Visited Woodwards bar in a Friday evening ordered three cocktails which were all very weak could hardly taste the alcohol in any of them.Also they were more or less thrown at us and spilt everywhere,when asked for a cloth to mop up was thrown one serviette!Usually staff in here are quite nice but on this occasion really quite rude.

Been here a couple of times and thoroughly enjoyed both occasions.Both visits they had live music with a good atmosphere.you can just sit and listen or dance the night away.Being recently widowed after 40 years married it was strange going out on my own but i have met some nice people here and the staff are very friendly.I thinka lot of my Friday nights will be spent here amongst good company.

Top quality service and drinks with a friendly staff and proprietor highly recommend it fresh live music at the weekends

This is a peaceful coffee venue, the toast is delicious and newspapers freely available. The staff are particularly good. Its also a great venue later for a light lunch and a tipple. Has a bit of class.

Lovely clean place. Pleasant staff. Food was perfect and presented lovely. Only problem was it was a but dark in the corner and could have done with another light

Two of us came for coffee/cakes. The staff were welcoming and professional. They were happy to chat with us while we decided what we wanted. Having ordered and told them we would sit outside they said they would bring our food and drinks to our table which they did promptly. When ordering again they brought our drinks out, again promptly. Unlike many bars when I asked for a coke without ice they actually brought it without ice (bar staff everywhere please take note!) The prices are very good-I was expecting to pay quite a bit more, so well done all round to whoever runs this place.Even though it was quite busy we never felt they wanted us to hurry in any way. As in the review title the toilets were amazing: spotlessly clean, a choice of soaps, doors that lock and those hand driers that you put your hands in and they dry in seconds (can't remember what they're called but I think you know the ones I mean).The staff received a significant tip from us and we will definitely be returning!Note - although I have labelled it as 'Cheap Eats' there is nothing 'cheap' about this venue. I am recommending it to my friends, and some of them are very fussy about the standards of places to eat - they will not be disappointed!

Lovely little bar, nice atmosphere with a good selection of beers. Staff were all polite and helpful. Would go back that's for sure.

I visited Woodwards for an early lunch mid week. It was surprisingly busy given that it was before midday, most of the tables were occupied but we managed to find somewhere to sit. Initially we sat at the bar and requested a menu from staff only to be told 'they're on the tables you know'. No offer of staff getting a menu for us! We then moved to a table which had just become vacant and ordered toasted paninis. Service was quick but the food was only adequate, my tuna Panini was quite dry. Nice pot of tea though. The food and hot drinks were reasonably priced, and there was a good selection of teas.

Always love going here for my morning tea and toast Thick doorstops butter jam or marmaladeHelpful and attentive staff

Woodwards are consistently good on service, the cocktail hour is great, nice mix of people. Can be a bit chilly if sat by the door.

Lovely during the day to meet friends for coffee, cakes and snacks. Good quality coffee and teas.Either Pat or Louise are usually around in the evening and mingle with the bar goers. They are committed to providing live music, particularly at the weekend and also regular open mic nights which are well supported. They are also involved with community events. The staff are friendly and efficient and there is a varied selection of wines, beers, spirits, champagne and cocktails.

I was attending a business networking meeting in the Bar which is why I didn't give it a 5* rating as my visit didn't involve sampling many drinks and was of a relatively short duration. However, joint owners Pat & Louise and their staff were very welcoming and although small, the place was buzzing for a Tuesday night!

Love this place , always busy nice atmosphere, best coffee in Formby, can be difficult to get a seat, its popular

Small and very atmospheric welcoming , polite staff , good range of beers cocktails clientele tends to be varied but mostly tends to suit the more well heeled of Formby this is a bar that has become really established over the last couple of years long may it continue !

What can you say about woodies, the team led by Pat and Louise are the best that have ever been at Woodies, the bar is well run and I am sure it will around for a long time to come, unlike other bars that come and go because they just can't offer what woodies have got, it is a nice small bar staffed by great friendly, welcoming team that also offer excellent service no matter what time you call in.

Excellent bar, albeit small, excellent bar staff, and the best Long Island Iced Tea I've had in the UK

Do love meeting friends and catching up over a drink at woodwards.Always great staff and a great little bar

This is a good place to meet for coffee during the day or an early evening glass of wine (outside if sunny). At the weekend there is always live music. Due to its size it gets very overcrowded at the weekends.

Good food at good prices served by friendly efficient staff, in a clean environment. What more could you ask for ?

Love Woodwards it's small with a great sense of style right down to the glasses you drink from. Great choice of wine and live music at weekends.

This is a night time review of Woodwards.My partner and I have been visiting Woodwards over the last eight months or so, usually on a Friday night.More often than not there is good entertainment to get you in the mood.The bar CAN get very busy, and this is when the MAGNIFICENT bar staff come into their own.They are always pleasant, nothing is too much for them, and they are always cleaning the bar surface and are very quick to tidy up any spillages on the floor of the bar.Whoever has trained the bar staff has done a great job.Good at making cocktails as well.

If your looking for a nice place to meet up with your girlfriends, wood wards has a great selection of wine and cocktails and lovely comfy seating. My only complaint is this place is so so so small and as soon as it gets busy you are not likely to get a seat nor get to the bar anytime soon. It's a pity this venue isn't bigger as it is obviously popular and needs more space. There is a small area to sit out front, but even if your meeting someone for an afternoon tipple this is usually taken. The live music makes for an incredible atmosphere and the venue is clean and modern. So get in early for a few drinks with the girls on a Friday night and move on after the crowds arrive and it becomes too squishy.

What ever time of the day you visit Woodwards whether it be for coffee, beer, wine or cocktails .. the atmosphere is fantasticRegular live music from Thursday to Sunday and sometimes on a Tuesday giving various local talent a chance to impressThe staff are attentive, professional and friendly and offer table service for drinks also the joint owners Pat and Lou are always around for a quick chat to which is niceThe management also regularly organise activities for the village which we like to supportGo there and enjoyJay n Magz, Formby

Went to Woodwards to watch Anna Corcoran, a brilliant vocalist who has played the best venues all over England. Lovely harmonies with her pal on guitar and her on piano. She finishes and then WHAM. The barman puts on the music and you literally could not speak, genuinely could not speak, to someone on the same table. Simply awful. All seven in our group had left within 5 minutes. Nice bar, just need to think abit more about their own clientelle.

I don't come to Formby often but I love Woodwards. I meet up with the boys here before we head around the village and in to town. It's a great little bar and the food is ideal for a snack. Staff are nice too which always helps and they've got a nice little beer garden to sit out in. Such a shame Formby doesn't have more places to drink.

If you are fed up with the chains such as Costa or Café Nero, I'd recommend Woodwards on the main street in Formby.It's not perfect - quality of service does depend on the individual staff member, and the menu is limited and of the 'toasted sandwich' variety - but the wine and coffee are usually of good quality and reasonably priced.(One point though - we've noticed that if you go there of an evening, the coffee machine sometimes gets turned off way too early - probably due to some lazy member of staff/manager not wanting to clean it near the end of the shift).The atmosphere and décor is better than average for the area however, free newspapers are provided and you are not rushed. If you are shopping in the area and fancy a bite to eat and a leisurely drink, Woodwards is definitely one to try.Note that on certain evenings live music is featured.