This bustling bar is a relative newcomer to the scene - not that you'd know it. A mix of understated cool and infectious friendliness has made The Peacock an essential part of the weekend. Oh, and they do a free barbecue.

The Venue
Situated in St Peter Square and Seel Street, along with other various trendy venues, lies this up and coming hotspot which is very difficult to resist during a bar crawl.

It's spread over two floors and there's an obvious divide. Downstairs is a laidback, classic bar that's smartly laid out with plenty of seating and large tables. The floor is made from reclaimed oak, walls are painted pale green and there's distressed brown leather seating as well as a few contemporary quirks.

Take a trip upstairs and the mood shifts up a gear. It's filled with funky interior including chandeliers, leather studded walls and booths surrounded by red light boxes. On the walls there's cityscapes of Liverpool and graffiti artwork by Scott Jones, who has done the album covers for The Artic Monkeys, Last Shaddow Puppets, The Coral and The Zutons.

The lack of VIP areas shows this isn't another pretentious Liverpool bar. Instead the atmosphere is comfortable and welcoming and it's perfect for catching up with friends.

If you decide to take your night up a notch, the first floor is considered to be the party floor and the understated DJ is situated away from the open space, encouraging you to dance and fully enjoy the music. Deep funk, electro and the occasional taste of indie flows through the night.

The People
Anything goes! Expect a varied crowd, from older, sophisticated socialites, to the more alternative crowd and cool young art students. Upstairs you're likely to find trendy and eccentric characters floating around.

Bar staff are extremely outgoing and welcoming, with a great manner of professionalism, particularly if you order a cocktail or any other adventurous beverages. All of this variety, underlined by the amiable atmosphere, makes The Peacock a very pleasant place to sink a few.

The Food
There's a free barbecue every Friday from 6pm to 8pm with marinated chicken wings, homemade burgers, salty ribs, butchers' choice sausages and a vegetarian soup. Depending on what theme they're running with (which includes everything from Hillbilly to Latino) they also serve a slow cook chilli or a stew, or fajitas.

On the last Friday of every month, presumably to celebrate pay day, The Peacock serves up a free hog roast as well as the barbecue. These free feasting sessions were held on the roof terrace but due to overwhelming popularity they moved it downstairs to the outside seating area.

Posh pizzas will also soon be available, priced at around £5 a pop. They'll apparently be thin and healthy (yes, you read that right folks, a thin and healthy pizza) with toppings such as artichoke, onions, olives, parma ham, crab and truffle oil, and black pudding and caramelised onion.

Despite the move towards food, eating at The Peacock is going to stay a resolutely laidback affair and pizzas will be served on a slab of wood with no cutlery. You'll also place your order at the bar rather than being waited on.

The Drink
A satisfactory list of novel cocktails are waiting to be discovered, and at £4.50 you can actually consider having one without having to consider your finances. However, The Peacock is not a cocktail bar, it's a boozer. It just happens to have the know-how and the ingredients necessary to make a good cocktail which, let's face it, is more than some cocktail bars.

The Last Word
Buzzing vibe as well as contemporary and sleek, The Peacock caters to all. A different and impressive addition to Liverpool's nightlife.

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