Thomas Rigby’s

Of humble beginnings, Alderman Thomas Rigby came to Liverpool in 1830 – a wine and spirits dealer, he made quite the fortune from his hostelries and his name now adorns one of the city’s oldest pubs, loved for its Grade II-listed building and historic multi-roomed pub interior.

Describing itself as a “beer and food emporium located in the heart of Liverpool city centre”, Thomas Rigby’s shares a large, enclosed outdoor courtyard, perfect for open air drinking, with its sister pub The Lady of Mann next door. Regular pours on offer on the handpumps include Okell’s Bitter, and come from the pub’s owners Okells, who brew beers on the Isle of Man according to purity laws established in 1874 by Dr OKell. The other pumps are regularly changing guests, and there’s a range of up to eight cask conditioned beers and an extensive range (40+) of world beer in bottles. No wonder CAMRA rate it. The food is a basic but solid pub grub offer, with good value favourites such as our pizzas, pies and lighter bites, specials and, of course, the traditional Scouse stew. Sunday roasts are popular, with a set price for one or two courses, and the roast of the day (week?) is served with roast and mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese and seasonal vegetables. Burgers are also a big deal here, with six in total to choose between, including a homemade vegetarian burger topped with vegan cheese, a chicken and chorizo burger, and a beef reuben burger with pastrami, Emmental cheese, dill and cabbage pickle and Russian dressing. They all come with fries or chunky chips and there are “loads of extra toppings”, if you so desire.

There’s also a lorra lorra live sports, apparently a winning combination, popular with locals and visitors to the city alike. If you need to see the latest Liverpool or Everton match on the big screen, perhaps a bit of rugby and horse-racing for good measure, this is the place to seek out.

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