01/11/2026
Peter Kavanagh's is one of Liverpool's most extraordinary pubs. From the outside it's unusual enough, but nothing quite prepares you for what you'll find through the door.
The pub dates back to 1854, when it was known as The Liver. It later became The Grapes before eventually taking the name of the man who transformed it.
Peter Kavanagh became landlord in 1897 and stayed until his death in 1950. That's 53 years running the same pub, and he certainly left his mark on the place.
Kavanagh wasn't your average landlord. He was also an inventor, businessman and local politician, and much of what you see inside came from his own imagination.
In 1929, Kavanagh set about redesigning the pub. Nearly a century later, much of his remarkable interior survives, including the original drinking rooms.
The two old drinking rooms are covered in murals painted by Scottish artist Eric Robinson. One features scenes from Dickens, while the other takes inspiration from Hogarth.
Then there's the stained glass, created by William English. The windows feature everything from sailing ships to Stephenson's Rocket, and they're still remarkably colourful.
Look closely at the carved wooden seating and you'll find faces staring back at you. They're believed to be caricatures of Peter Kavanagh himself.
Even the tables have a story. Kavanagh designed them with built-in ashtrays and water bowls underneath, allowing smokers to extinguish their ci******es without leaving their seats.
Those tables originally had electric bells for ordering drinks, along with revolving holders for pipes and ci**rs. Kavanagh really did think of everything.
The walls and ceilings are absolutely covered in curiosities. There's an old bicycle, radios, an alligator skin and all sorts of things you wouldn't normally find in a pub.
The pub expanded into neighbouring properties during the 1960s and 70s, but thankfully the original rooms and Kavanagh's extraordinary designs were preserved.
In 2020, the building was granted Grade II listed status. CAMRA also recognises its interior as being of outstanding national historic importance.
Then there's Rita Smith, who's been running the pub since March 1992. That's more than three decades looking after one of Liverpool's most unusual drinking establishments.
Rita has been fiercely protective of the place. During refurbishment work, she made sure the pub's enormous collection of memorabilia went back exactly where it belonged.
There's even a mosaic in the entrance bearing Rita's name. She once joked that she's becoming an antique herself and might end up hanging on the wall with everything else.
Rita describes the feeling of walking into the pub as being like a hug. After spending some time looking around, we can understand why she's devoted so much of her life to it.
