Roots - Liverpool

Roots’ Liverpool incarnation is a fresh player on the city’s small but undeniably burgeoning African dining scene, building on the success of its older brother in Manchester, and set to become a landmark for lovers of pan-African food (with not a few international dishes, too), drink, music, and the good life. With a crucial Liverpool city centre location on the corner of Victoria Street and Old Haymarket, Roots is going to pick up some serious foot traffic attracted to the buzzing atmosphere inside. At once a restaurant, bar, and late-night club, Roots is the taste and sound of Africa under one roof.

Established in the summer of 2015, Roots has hit its stride in Liverpool with its unique blend of African culinary culture and club nights. It’s a lively city centre spot that’s hard to miss, prominent on the corner of Victoria Street and Old Haymarket, and undoubtedly one of the leading African restaurants in Liverpool. The food here is larger than life, with a selection of authentic African dishes focusing on West African cuisine supported by a long list of international dishes culled from the annals of Anglo-Indian, West Indian, and even South African culinary traditions.

Before you hit Roots dancefloor for their Exuberant Fridays or Saturday Ladies’ Night Out – featuring a host of local Liverpool and imported talent on the decks – you’re going to need some fuel for the long, light night of the soul, right? Tuck into African classics like jollof rice, Moroccan tajine, South African boerwors, or go West Indian with some escovitch fish doused in a fiery Scotch Bonnet chilli sauce or jerk chicken. Signature Roots dishes include Mama’s Curry Goat and the Roots vegetable curry served with couscous, while bloodthirsty appetites might want to opt for the sirloin, ribeye, and T-bone steaks, cooked to your liking. As for the African specialties on offer, Nigerian nkwobi, egusi with crayfish or meat, and eforiro are clear winners, bringing in a homesick West African crew most nights of the week. Remember to reserve at this popular Liverpool city centre spot if you want to get back to your Roots.