Liverpool's Egg Café, tucked away on the top floor of a Grade II-listed Victorian warehouse off Bold Street, has been named among the UK's best restaurants for 2026 by Time Out. The café was one of seven Liverpool venues to make the list, which celebrates the country's best dining offerings.
The café is known for its vegetarian and vegan food, with a menu that includes traditional fry-ups, omelettes, pasta, pitta sandwiches, pancakes and stir-fries. Its expansive, open-plan space also doubles as an art gallery, while regular music events have helped establish it as a long-standing favourite among students, artists and creatives.
Owners delighted by recognition
Current owners Trevor Green, 70, and Janice Egerton, 64, have looked after the business for the past seven years. Janice, who lives in Prenton on the Wirral, said: "We were very excited, obviously. It’s fabulous to be in the top. We’re very pleased that we’ve been chosen for Liverpool."
She added: "We get a lot of international visitors and people from out of town, so I think that fits really well with the Time Out demographic. It gives us a broader audience. We still have our regulars, and we still have a lot of students. It’s still got a really lovely ambience, which is what everyone says when they come. They can come in here and relax. It’s still very popular, but it’s really great that we still get new custom as well."
Keeping a Liverpool institution alive
While several of the city centre’s oldest establishments have closed in recent years, The Egg has continued to serve generations of customers. The café was originally run by Jane Pinion, who helped establish its reputation as a popular meat-free eatery. Over its four decades in business, it has changed hands several times, but its core appeal has remained the same.
Trevor and Janice took over in 2018, bringing with them backgrounds in art and design rather than hospitality. Trevor said: "We both have an art and design background. I was the head of graphic design at St Helens College for many years and Janice was head of art and design at Hope University. Essentially, our background wasn’t in hospitality, but we were around students for all of our careers and that helped in the transition. When Janice decided to retire from working at the university and wanted to continue working with people, we decided to invest in a café."
He added: "I know people have said this before, but we only see ourselves as caretakers of something of an institution in Liverpool. The Egg Café’s impact is quite far-ranging in Liverpool. The number of people over the years, artists and writers throughout Merseyside who we’ve crossed paths with — it was part of that that we wanted to buy into."
A space unlike the high street
The café’s appeal extends beyond its food. Its loft-style setting, distinctive interior, gallery space and music have helped it stand apart from more conventional high street cafés and restaurants. Trevor believes that much of this has been key to the restaurant's longevity.
He said: "Quite often people will mention in emails and on social media, they say, ‘I was in Liverpool and I went to this place and it was just so different from the usual high street cafés and restaurants.’ A lot of the cafés and restaurants have become gentrified and look quite similar. Our café looks different. It’s a loft for a start, and it is such a different and special place that people actually remember. There aren’t many places in Liverpool that are like that anymore."
For Janice, the atmosphere and the people who work there are just as important as the menu. She said: "Because it’s kept its unique vibe and atmosphere, that is one of the things that customers will quite often say they like about it. The fact that it is relaxed, it’s a pleasant place to be, and the music that we play has contributed to that. Also, the team of staff that we have here — they’re a really great team who actually care about the place. Some of them have been there a long time."
The Egg among Liverpool’s best restaurants for 2026
Time Out’s list celebrates the variety of Liverpool’s thriving food scene, from Middle Eastern sharing plates and authentic Italian dishes to Scandi-inspired cooking, vegetarian favourites and proper fine dining. The global media brand offers expert guides and recommendations on the best things to do, see, eat and drink in cities around the world. Its restaurant picks are made by local editors and expert contributors, who assess restaurants based on factors including food, service, atmosphere, value and the overall dining experience. The recommendations are editorial choices, rather than rankings based on customer reviews or paid placements.
