HotShots is located in Cains Brewery and has created a real spark of interest in a part of Liverpool, the Baltic Triangle, which has an authentic sense of ‘there’s something happening here’. So well worth visiting for a really fun time.
Feature by Jean Hill
This area of the city has grown organically over a surprisingly short time. It seems really fitting for there to be a sports bar in its midst. HotShots comes complete with AR and interactive darts, arcades, a spacious, outdoor, covered space with a stage for live bands and DJ sets. And… this is my new favourite way to spend an hour or two on a lazy Sunday afternoon: shuffleboard! Incidentally the bar has a great sound system and I loved their evocative playlists.
It is a stately space, lovingly restored that has retained its industrial foundations in a beautiful new setting. This is no small undertaking: there are 13 lanes of darts. You can start with the Spike Island bar and work your way upwards.
I am old enough to really appreciate the nostalgia that is show-cased on each level. Loved the Chopper bikes, the roller-blades and Kermit the Frog in pride of place. It is a one of a kind experience and must have taken a great deal of planning, care and creativity to fully realise. There are private rooms, special offers (drink tokens – terms apply) where groups can gather to play darts. Lane 12 is named Luke Littler. He is legend and hopefully will inspire other up and coming darts players.
We arrived, in leisurely fashion, to a warm welcome on a lazy Sunday afternoon that was about to become much more lively. We decided to leave the darts for our next visit and chose to play a game or two of shuffleboard, before lunch. We totally loved it. It does take some skill to play well, but you can have so much fun just dabbling.
Our editor had opted for a chargrilled veggie pizza, which she attacked with serious intent and really enjoyed. I was presented with a board full of loaded fries and a cheeseburger that tasted as good as it looked. Definitely something to get my teeth into: 2 smash burgers with lettuce, tomato, red onion and burger sauce. Delicious. There are small plates too on the menu, food that fits the sports bar vibe.
There is a fine cocktail menu: a jammy dodger comprises Baileys and Chambord. Tequila rose sounds really tempting.
We were really well looked after by Nicole who gave us a conducted tour to show us all the attractions and obviously loves her job. We had a lovely time and left with a contented, chilled out vibe. Felt really relaxed and we took a walk along the waterfront back into the city centre. It was raining gently but that did not spoil the mood.
Here’s to the next visit.
