Thomas Rigby's, Liverpool

Thomas Rigby's in Liverpool

Just around the corner from Moorfields railway station in Liverpool is the Thomas Rigby's on Dale Street. The impressive exterior of this pub was clearly visible in scenes in the 1985 film, Letter To Brezhnev, a romantic comedy made in Liverpool. The interior is very atmospheric and is divided into three rooms: a dining parlour, a large bar and a room to the rear, all wood-panelled. The main bar has beams supported by columns, and the rear room which features an impressive old fireplace is called the Nelson Room, after a local legend that the naval hero supped in the pub.

At the back there is an enclosed courtyard, very pleasant on a warm day, which Rigby's shares with its sister pub, the Lady of Mann, more of which in a future column.

The pub has six handpumps serving regular beers, Okell's Bitter and Okell's IPA, and four guests which on my visit were Banks's Sunbeam, Bowland Pheasant Plucker, Brass Castle Tail Gunner and Okell's Ale Smoked Porter. The IPA had run out when I called in with a new cask waiting to go on. The pub has been awarded Cask Marque accreditation for the quality of its beers.

The main bar

The pub also offers more than 20 bottled British and foreign beers, a choice of gins, a menu of 26 gin balloons, garnished with a range of fruits, and even a variety of tonics. Two craft beers on offer are Pint from Marble Brewery and Shipyard American Pale Ale.

Food is available 11:30am to 6:45pm Sunday and Monday, and 11:30am to 7:45pm Tuesday to Saturday. Children are allowed in the dining parlour. The pub has free WiFi, Sky and BT Sports (they will be showing the David Haye fight on Saturday 4 March). Accessibility: the toilets are down a flight of stairs. 

The pub opens between 11:30am and 11:00pm every day. It is at 23-35 Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 2EZ, on several bus routes; tel: 0151 2636 3269. Rigby's is on Facebook. Sorry: no dogs.

This is part of a series of articles that I am writing for the CAMRA column in our local paper, the Southport Visiter. Previous reviews are here.