10 Restaurants That Were Once Frequented By The Beatles

Despite breaking up over 50 years ago, The Beatles still have a larger-than-life presence in music and pop culture. Their legacy lives on in the form of dozens of top hits, political activism, and a superfan phenomenon that spanned the globe. Suffice it to say that The Beatles are — and likely always will be — the ultimate rock-and-roll group. But while the music was so revolutionary that it's been exhaustively dissected, some aspects of the band's experiences off the stage or outside the recording studio are still shrouded in mystery, including their favorite pubs and eateries.

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Back in the '60s, it was rare to spot John, Paul, George, and Ringo casually enjoying a meal without swarms of crazed fans yucking their yum. But, on occasion, they managed to find time to enjoy a bite and a tipple away from the limelight, if only for a few precious minutes. During their formative years — before Beatlemania engulfed the world and the band still had their anonymity — they were known to go out and enjoy Liverpool's bar and restaurant scene, establishing regular status at a few homey pubs. Today, those establishments stand as relics of life before the Beatles; before music as we once knew it was transformed forever. So whether they were hiding from Beatlemaniacs in a kitschy American diner or enjoying life before fame at a dive bar during their school days, let's explore some of The Beatles' most beloved haunts — most of which are still around today.

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Ye Cracke

Before the Beatles gained worldwide notoriety for their music, they were very much like the average city-dweller; just some art school yuppies who could often be found sipping on a pint at the nearby dive. John Lennon, specifically, was one of these art school kids, along with original Beatles bassist Stu Sutcliffe. The pair were often found congregating over a pint at Ye Cracke, an old-school British pub located just around the corner from the Liverpool Arts College where they went to school.

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Many of us have our favorite dive bar, where there's always a familiar face to be found and the bartender knows your drink order by heart. Ye Cracke was that bar for Lennon and Sutcliffe, who allegedly came to Ye Cracke for mid-day black velvets and stimulating conversation. Legend has it that Lennon went directly to Ye Cracke for comfort when he learned that his mother was struck and killed by a car, and he brought his first wife, Cynthia, on a date to the bar just after they met.

Today, Ye Cracke is still cranking out cold ones — or, rather, flogging a few pints — in the same building Lennon and Sutcliffe once sat in, practically untouched by time. It was originally called the Ruthin Castle, but its new name suits it better. Like most British pubs, you'll find many rooms inside, where folks can cozy up and chat without disturbing other patrons. The pub is also home to an expansive beer garden out back, where the bar's customers can relax on a warm, sunny day, appreciating Ye Cracke's historical ties and its charming vibes.

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The Philharmonic Dining Rooms

Close your eyes and picture an English pub — I'm almost certain you're not picturing anything close to The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, often described as a cathedral among pubs. It almost feels insulting to call it a pub, because the grandiose, 150-year-old Liverpool establishment is like something out of a Klimt painting. The restaurant — from its entrance gates to its notably ornate restrooms — is famous for its eye-catching, art nouveau architecture, designed by renowned architect Henry Bloomfield Bare. Massive ceilings, colorful artistry, and intricate woodwork draw the attention of tourists and Liverpool locals alike, who stop into The Phil for classic British eats and expertly crafted cocktails.

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The Philharmonic Dining Rooms was originally created to refresh concert-goers going to or from The Philharmonic Concert Hall, so it comes as no surprise that the bar would be the preferred haunt of musicians as famous as the Beatles. It's most closely associated with John Lennon, who favored the pub more than the other Beatles and allegedly once said, "The price of fame is not being able to go to The Phil for a quiet pint." In more recent Beatles history, Paul McCartney performed a small secret show at The Phil in 2018 while back in his hometown to film for an American television show.

The Jacaranda

One of the most iconic spots in Beatles lore — and a must-see stop on any Beatles-themed tour in Liverpool — is The Jacaranda. The Jacaranda is first and foremost a music venue, but also acts as a quiet bar, where one can enjoy an elevated pint or cocktail on a calm afternoon and then pop back in for live music in the evening. It looks like any old Liverpool pub — slightly modernized and stylish but still charmingly old-fashioned — but it stakes claim in being the first venue to host the Beatles, making it one of the most significant Beatles sites in the city.

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In August of 1960, the Beatles — then Ringo-less with their original five members, which included Pete Best and Stu Sutcliffe — played their first show at The Jacaranda. It's also said that Lennon wrote the final lyrics to One After 909 at the club, a song that would — a few years later — become a hit on the band's final album, Let It Be. Allan Williams — the band's first manager and owner of The Jacaranda — went on to play a pivotal role in the band's success, securing their first major tour and introducing them to Ringo Starr. Williams would allow the band to rehearse in the pub's basement, as long as they paid for the rehearsal time by painting the basement's walls. Today, Beatles fans visit the Jacaranda to see these murals, painted by Lennon and Sutcliffe, while enjoying a pint and soaking in the music history.

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Mr. Chow

Mr. Chow is an England-based chain of upscale Chinese eateries founded by one of the most famous restaurateurs in the world: Micheal Chow. The first Mr. Chow's restaurant opened on Valentine's Day, 1968 in Knightsbridge, London, and was an instant hit with the Fab Four at the height of their fame. The chain has since expanded to include restaurants in the U.S., but none are as famous as the flagship location where The Beatles, The Stones, and other rock-and-roll icons would regularly gather.

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The flashy Mr. Chow restaurants look exactly like how one would imagine a glitz-and-glam, celebrity-packed spot to look: flashy, pretentious, with a menu that's overhyped and Westernized (although Mr. Chow's specialty chicken satay is reportedly top-notch). Chow would often lean into his restaurant's star-studded reputation, never shying away from divulging that celebrities get preferential treatment.

Today, you can enjoy some of the restaurant's hand-pulled noodles at the same table where Lennon and McCartney once dined in style. It's even said that Lennon's final meal was a dinner at Chow's on 57th Street in New York, although this story is apocryphal; others claim his last supper was actually a corned beef sandwich from Stage's — a renowned Jewish deli in New York City.

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The Scotch of Saint James

You can't talk about the '60s rock-and-roll scene without bringing up The Scotch of Saint James — more often dubbed just The Scotch. The distinctive London pub and venue is still open for private events and as a late-night club, surprisingly modernized and not as archaic as its age would suggest. Its coveted status makes it nearly impossible to get in, so be sure to have a backup plan if you're going to attempt a brush with the greats here. The top floor acts as The Scotch's pub, with a more laid back and casual vibe, but still stylish with remnants of its storied past lining the walls. The party happens downstairs, where an electric nightclub bumps tunes until the sun comes up.

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The Scotch of Saint James is steeped in Beatles history, and music history in general. Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton started their careers at the Scotch, but its most noteworthy contribution to rock-and-roll legend is that it acted as the first meeting palace of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Another notorious meeting took place when Paul McCartney met Stevie Wonder for the first time, when Wonder was a mere 15 years old, at the Scotch and snapped some now-iconic photos. It's said that the Beatles had their own table here, adorned with a brass plaque bearing their names, as true rock-and-roll legends should at such a legendary joint.

Bob's Big Boy

Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, California, is the epitome of tacky American diners, so it's no wonder that a couple of chaps from Liverpool wanted to stop in to see firsthand how the Americans dine. Legend has it that the Beatles ate at Bob's Big Boy while on their 1965 U.S. tour, and the restaurant won't let us forget about it. It's dubbed one of its booths "The Beatles Booth," denoting where The Fab Four sat, so Beatles fans can snag a commemorative photo and feel like they're a part of Beatles history without having to travel across the pond. Bob's Big Boy claims customers — from world travelers to local regulars — have waited in line for hours to sit and dine in The Beatles Booth.

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Bob's Big Boy was built back in '49, and while some may find its antiquified design corny, its architecture perfectly encapsulates the vibe of the times. Funky, asymmetrical design with wide canopies defined 1950s diners, and Bob's Big Boy — now a chain with over 50 locations — never updated the style to keep things looking groovy, daddy-o. The restaurant still offers old-school car hop service and warps back in time with archaic car shows in the parking lot on weekends. Unfortunately, its menu is pretty modern, excluding all the weird yet quintessential '50s foods of yesteryear — but perhaps that's for the best.

The Bag O' Nails

The Bag O' Nails was a Soho, London, pub, music venue, and restaurant that — like The Jacaranda and The Scotch of Saint James — was home to performances and appearances that immortalized '60s musicians. Paul McCartney was witness to one of Jimi Hendrix's most legendary performances here, although it's unclear if McCartney himself ever played The Bag O' Nails. McCartney would often eat with his manager at the restaurant-venue, where he achieved regular status and — as expected — had his own table. But, his most noteworthy visit to The Bag O' Nails wasn't a garden-variety lunch or casual show; McCartney famously met his future wife at the restaurant.

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On May 15th, 1967, The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, invited 24-year-old McCartney to a dinner party to celebrate the release of the Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" at none other than McCartney's favorite watering hole, The Bag O' Nails. Linda Eastman  — a prominent photographer with her finger on the pulse of the rock-and-roll world — also attended the gathering, and it was love at first sight for McCartney. He would go on to teach her to play the keyboard, where she would play for the post-Beatles band Wings and co-write "Ram," the only album accredited solely to McCartney and Eastman. But, most importantly, Eastman became McCartney's cherished wife, until her untimely death from cancer at the age of 56.

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Today, The Bag O' Nails is no more, and in its stead is a members-only club called The Court. However, the building's history and its original signage remain, albeit shrouded by overgrown shrubbery. But Beatlemaniacs still know where to find it; they often stop by on Beatles-themed tours to see the fabled site where Paul met the love of his life.

Gretel and Alfons

Adorned with maritime-themed decor and kitschy knick-knacks, Gretel and Alfons of Hamburg, Germany, is a quintessential neighborhood pub that's always packed to the brim with the same familiar faces, just as it was back in The Beatles' heyday. The pub and restaurant stays open late into the evening to serve drinks and snacks to concert-goers in Hamburg's St. Pauli quarter — an area that was once the place to be for authentic rock-and-roll culture and is still one of the city's most popular spots for food, drink, and nightlife.

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The Beatles were known to frequent and play in the city of Hamburg in the early '60s, and would often stop by Gretel and Alfons after playing at The Star Club — a famous Hamburg venue that's still heavily associated with the band. The Fab Four definitely had an affinity for the city and the small, homey bar, in particular. On one infamous occasion, the boys racked up a hefty bar tab and ditched, knowing they'd be returning home to England the next day. Paul eventually returned to the bar to pay off the band's debt — only it wasn't until 1989 that he decided to pay his dues. But, in honest-to-goodness Paul fashion, he paid off the debt with interest.

Beso (FKA Star Steakhouse)

When The Beatles were craving a steak dinner with the works, they'd always stop into Star Steakhouse in London for a bite to eat and to escape the fame for a bit — although I imagine that didn't work out too well for them. Beatles fans knew all about the band's love of the restaurant, mostly thanks to a famous photograph snapped by a Daily Mirror photographer depicting the four bandmates enjoying casual conversation over a fancy meal. The Beatles — like many incisive, artistic minds of that time — were known to jot down song lyrics on napkins, and many of those famous scribblings were done on Star Steakhouse napkins, now frozen in time in museums and The British Library.

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Today, Star Steakhouse is known as Beso, a much more modern establishment. But despite its contemporary updates, it still holds fast to its rock music heritage, offering customers a chance to sit at the table where the famous photograph of The Beatles was taken. Beso also has a Beatles-inspired drink menu, which includes corny cocktails like the John Lemon, Paul Martini, George Fashion, and Ringo Grinco. There's no doubt that this bougie steakhouse is enthralled with its claim to fame.

The Grapes

The Cavern Club is the venue most frequently associated with The Beatles (they played the club a total of 292 times from 1961 to 1963) so it's only natural that the next-door pub would become their choice haunt. The Grapes is a quaint Liverpool watering hole and is one of multiple bars with the same moniker, brazenly showing its age. Way back when (when most folks couldn't read), the names of local establishments were all pictorial. Bars that specialized in wine would usually display images of grapes, and throughout the years, the names stuck. This particular Grapes is certainly the most famous thanks to its ties to music history, specifically because of The Fab Four. The Beatles — trailed by a swarm of teenage fans — would congregate at The Grapes after a show, in need of a stiff drink after playing The Cavern Club, which was then an alcohol-free venue.

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Today, The Grapes hosts musical events of its own, and stands as one of the most sought-after establishments in Liverpool, especially for Beatle-crazed tourists. Folks stop by for a quiet drink, karaoke, or to enjoy local music on weekends. Some patrons come just for the bar's vinyl jukebox; a rare relic of the simpler, bygone years when rock music was at its peak.

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