The Benidorm Bar

You know that slightly surreal feeling when you stumble into a bar that feels like someone's fever dream of a Spanish holiday? That's exactly what hits you at this Stanley Street spot. The name gives it away, but the execution is brilliantly committed – think kitsch Mediterranean touches without tipping into full theme park territory. The weekend-only opening hours make every visit feel like a proper event. Friday and Saturday afternoons roll into late nights with a crowd that appreciates the absurdity of drinking sangria in Liverpool's city centre. The atmosphere builds as the evening progresses, helped along by decent drinks and the kind of unforced fun that happens when a venue doesn't take itself too seriously. It's the sort of place that makes perfect sense after a few pints, but somehow works just as well stone cold sober.