It’s time to admit it: Kelly’s is the best pub on Smithdown

It’s far better than the Brookhouse


Kelly’s Dispensary is undeniably the best place to socialise this side of ASDA. The gem of a pub hidden in plain sight halfway up Smithdown Road is homely, inviting and you can always be certain there will be a friendly atmosphere inside.

There are vintage posters, old beer adverts and general cute decorations all around the pub adding to it’s homely feel. It’s independently run which means you’re not giving money to evil corporations, but actually helping run the Gaelic football teams at Hope University which Kelly’s sponsor. There’s also a cute dog that always seems to be around:

Drinks are still as cheap as Wetherspoons but you’re not contributing to the mass redundancy of independently owned pubs. A pint of bitter is £2.50, double vodka or gin is £3.35 and a pint of strongbow is £3. Beer options include some solid ales, the likes of J.W. Lees. No fancy craft beers but the kind that will get you through. You won’t find Carling here, and at least the shield for ales actually contain what they say and aren’t just there for decoration – like the Brookhouse.

Kelly’s has different rooms and crevices with different kinds of seating. Couples can slouch on a sofa with a cider or you can bring the whole of your Gresford Avenue gang to sit around the long tables.

What’s best is, freshers haven’t discovered it yet. Meaning it is mostly safe from the noise and stench of a puking first year. The rabble are satisfyingly far away from the bliss of Kelly’s, stowed away up in Mossley Hill or on campus halls. Instead of freshers, students can share this gem of a pub with friendly and less ordinary locals. Being Irish, the pub often has a mixture of Irish and scouse accents – a welcome change from the same bland, often southern, ‘uni’ accent which overpowers every other uni related space in Liverpool.

Most importantly, you can get hammered in Kelly’s and leave discreetly as its only about two minutes from any student house on Smithdown. Its nothing like going to concert square, paying £6 for a double and spending the rest of the night trying to hail taxis that drive past because of the puke down your clothes.