On a beautiful sunny day this little corner of Liverpool feels like being on holiday
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Pastries from Gran Caffè
Pastries from Gran Caffè
When the sun starts shining and the temperatures begin to rise, it's natural to start dreaming of a summer holiday to somewhere sunny and warm. But there are plenty of places in Liverpool where you can get the feeling of being abroad without having to find your passport.
One such area is something of a hidden treasure close to Liverpool's docks and the new Everton FC stadium at Bramley-Moore. Until recently, neither locals nor visitors to the city would have had much of a reason to venture down Jesse Hartley Way - but that's all about to change.
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With Everton FC preparing to kick off the 2025/26 season at the club's new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, and with a number of test events planned ahead of the new Premier League season, the once-quiet area surrounding the stadium has already started to see a number of businesses choosing to open new sites in anticipation of the huge new footfall that will be passing through each and every week.
I've lived in Liverpool for a decade now, and thanks to my job at the Liverpool ECHO I've had the pleasure of visiting most parts of the city to write stories about what's going on in every postcode. But until today, I'd never ventured down Jesse Hartley Way. I'm familiar with the wider area, having attended a number of gigs at the nearby Invisible Wind Factory - but this quiet street was new to me.
Gran Caffe offers its usual coffee menu
The new Gran Caffe store offers its usual coffee menu
The area is home to some new developments, which are set against a backdrop of more industrial architecture and the dominant presence of Everton's new stadium in the distance. Taking the short walk from the ECHO's city centre office to the waterfront street, I enjoyed basking in the spring sunshine - which is set to continue for the rest of the week, and for the Grand National Festival.
Making the most of the clear skies and 16C temperatures, it's the first time so far this year that I've truly felt like summer is on the way, and the holiday spirit that started stirring within me on my walk to Jesse Hartley Way was cemented when I reached my destination -Gran Caffè.
Paolo Cillo (far right), owner of Gran Caffe, with staff Tom Costain (far left),and Giuseppe Verde
Paolo Cillo (far right), owner of Gran Caffe, with staff Tom Costain (far left),and Giuseppe Verde
With its blue and cream striped canopy, beautiful floral features and ample outdoor seating, the newly opened café looks like it's been plucked out of an Italian piazza and plonked on Liverpool's dockland. Like all of the Cillo family's venues, it's typically Italian and has the truly authentic feeling of a family-owned business.
Brothers Paolo and Donato Cillo launched the site as their fourth Gran Caffè business. Paolo and Donato launched their first coffee shop more than 10 years ago, becoming a staple of Williamson Square's famed Italian Quarter. Originally opening as P&D Deli, the venue is now known as Gran Caffè and houses independent businesses by different members of the same family.
Cakes line the shelves at the new Gran Caffe store
Cakes line the shelves at the new Gran Caffe store(Image: Andrew Teebay)
Following multiple expansions, the Lark Lane and Duke Street establishments opened their doors in 2023. The Jesse Hartley Way site opened on March 23, and when I visited a little more than a week on, it was buzzing with people enjoying expertly made coffees and dishes from the cafe's brunch menu.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Donato said: “Paolo and I are incredibly proud to open our fourth site in Liverpool and be part of the development of the surrounding area around Jesse Hartley Way and Bramley Moore Dock.
"It’s a fantastic time for this part of town and we’re very excited to be part of it. Gran Caffè is renowned for its quality coffee, signature croissants and brunch dishes and award-winning gelato, and we’re very much looking forward to welcoming familiar faces as well as new guests to our latest site."
Giuseppe Verde hard at work at at Gran Caffe.
Giuseppe Verde hard at work at at Gran Caffe.(Image: Andrew Teebay)
Taking a seat outside the café in the sunshine, you could almost forget you're in Liverpool and be transported to an Italian city break, enjoying an espresso and a pastry from behind a pair of oversized sunglasses. But the sight of the huge new stadium on the horizon reminds you that you're still very much at home.
Anyone who's visited one of the Cillo brothers' sites will know they take their coffee seriously - each cup is expertly poured and it's one of the best brews you'll find in the city. Accompanied by one of the mammoth filled croissants (in pistachio, raspberry cream and Nutella), it's an ideal spot to while away a few hours on a sunny afternoon.