African and Caribbean Food, Restaurants and Shops in Liverpool City Centre (2026)

Walk down Bold Street on a busy Saturday and the smell drifting from the doorways, scotch bonnet, jerk seasoning, dried fish, tells you this city has long made room for African and Caribbean food. Matta's has stood there for 40 years, and around it a whole small world has grown, from the braiders and barbers of St Johns to the cargo firms packing boxes bound for home. It is a scene built by families and kept alive by regulars, the kind of place where the shopkeeper knows what you came in for. That sense of home, close enough to reach on your lunch break, is exactly what these few streets offer.

Food shops and grocers This is the heart of it, and you will find more African and Caribbean food shops near you through African Stores if you are travelling in from outside the centre.

1. Matta's International Food If you buy your groceries anywhere in the centre, make it here. A Bold Street institution, family-run since the 1970s and celebrating 40 years on the street, Matta's holds a 4.6 on Google from more than 1,100 shoppers, which is a lot of goodwill for a shop of this size. Expect African, Caribbean and world ingredients under one roof, plus produce, spices and store-cupboard staples you will struggle to find elsewhere in town. You can browse online at mattas.co.uk. Find it at 51 Bold St, Liverpool L1 4EU.

2. Golden Butchers For halal meat close to the centre, this London Road butcher is the one locals point you to, with a 4.4 on Google across 29 reviews. Handy if you are cooking for a crowd or want your cuts done properly for a stew or a grill. You will find it at 83-85 London Rd, Liverpool L3 8JA.

3. International Food Store A smaller London Road grocer that quietly does the job, carrying a 4.3 on Google from a modest 12 reviews. Worth a look for everyday African and Caribbean staples when you are on that side of town. It is at 42-46 London Rd, Liverpool L3 5NF.

Restaurants and takeaways When you want it cooked for you, the centre has more range than you might expect, and you can also find African and Caribbean restaurants near you through African Stores.

4. Yahusha Palm Catering and Takeaway Run by Nocketa, this Caribbean caterer and takeaway holds a perfect 5.0 on Google, though from just 5 reviews so far, so it is early days. Alongside the food, Nocketa runs a meal support programme for the community, which tells you something about the heart behind it. See yahushapalmcatering.square.site for more. Find it at 8 Westmorland Dr, Liverpool L3 6LR.

5. Jerk Junction Liverpool ONE A Manchester-born Jamaican chain whose Liverpool ONE branch opened in 2025 to local press, Jerk Junction has quickly picked up a 4.7 on Google from 214 reviews. Expect jerk chicken, wraps and Caribbean plates in a bright, central spot. More at jerkjunction.com. You will find it at 14 Paradise St, The Terrace, Liverpool L1 8JF.

6. Kimos Restaurant A Mount Pleasant fixture that has been trading well over a decade, Kimos holds a 4.4 on Google across 811 reviews, a real body of feedback for a long-running independent. See kimosrestaurant.shop for the menu. It is at 38-44 Mt Pleasant, Liverpool L3 5SD.

If you want a reliable, well-known sit-down option, the national Caribbean chain Turtle Bay also has two city-centre branches, on Victoria Street and Hanover Street, both rated around 4.8 on Google.

Hair, barbers and beauty St Johns is the hub here. You can also find African hair salons near you and beauty supply shops near you through African Stores.

7. Braids_By_Candie A braiding specialist over on Waterloo Quay with a perfect 5.0 on Google, from 10 reviews, so word is clearly getting around. Worth a booking if braids are what you are after. Find it at Waterloo Quay, Liverpool L3 0BT.

8. Silk Sundays A beauty supply spot carrying a 5.0 on Google from 4 reviews, newly on the scene and handy for picking up what you need in the centre. It is at Fl 5, Liverpool L2 3PF.

9. African Queen Hair by Fatima Run by Fatima inside St Johns Shopping Centre, this African hair salon holds a 5.0 on Google, though from just 2 reviews so far, so it is one to watch. You will find it at St Johns Shopping Centre, 31 Dawson St, Liverpool L1 1LJ.

10. Romeo's Barbershop L1 Romeo's is the highest-reviewed barber on this list with real numbers behind it, a 4.9 on Google from 79 reviews. A proper city-centre cut, with the shop active on Instagram at @romeosbarbershopl1. Find it at 19 Brick St, Liverpool L1 0BL.

11. Citrus Cosmetics An afro cosmetics shop in St Johns Precinct with a strong 4.8 on Google from 61 reviews, good for skincare and cosmetics made for melanin-rich skin. Browse citruscosmetics.co.uk. It is on the first floor, 140 Great Charlotte St, St Johns Precinct, Liverpool L1 1NA.

12. Liverpool Hair & Cosmetics The big all-rounder in St Johns Shopping Centre for wigs, hair and cosmetics, holding a 4.6 on Google across 509 reviews, by far the most feedback of any hair or beauty name here. See liverpoolhairandcosmetics.com. Find it at 31 Dawson Way, St Johns Shopping Centre, Liverpool L1 1LJ.

13. YME Hair Salon Run by Yvonne in St Johns, YME carries a 4.5 on Google from 68 reviews, a steady, well-used salon right in the centre. You will find it at 136 Market Square, St Johns Ln, Liverpool L1 1EY.

14. MG Outfit For fashion and clothing rather than hair, MG Outfit trades from St Johns Market with a 4.5 on Google from 2 reviews. Worth knowing if you are after an outfit while you are in the centre. See mgoutfitltd.com. It is at Unit 20/21, St Johns Market, Elliot St, Liverpool L1 1NR.

Shipping When you need to send a box home, the Queens Dock Commercial Centre is where the cargo firms gather.

15. Fast Trac Services (UK) A Nigerian-run shipping and cargo firm established in 2010, Fast Trac holds a 4.7 on Google from 35 reviews, the most of the shippers here. See fast-trac.co.uk. Find it at 67-83 Queens Dock Commercial Centre, Liverpool L1 0BG.

16. County Cargo UK Another Nigerian-run shipping and cargo firm at the same Queens Dock hub, carrying a 4.7 on Google from 30 reviews. Browse countycargo.com. It is at Unit G6, 67-83 Queens Dock Commercial Centre, Norfolk St, Liverpool L1 0BG.

17. W-Shipping A shipping and cargo firm on Rumford Street that is newly listed and has no rating yet, so we cannot point to reviews, but it is included here for completeness. You will find it at 1-3 Rumford St, Liverpool L2 8SZ.

How we put this together We hold data on the African and Caribbean businesses across Merseyside and pulled out the ones in Liverpool city centre, keeping only places that are genuinely trading and reading the reviews so the strengths we mention are the ones people actually value. Because this is an area roundup, we include the smaller and newer places too, and the ones with no rating yet, so everyone gets a mention, not just the big names. Ratings move and small places change their hours, so it is always worth a quick call before you travel.

Where to find African and Caribbean shops near you in Liverpool city centre Everything here sits within a short walk. Bold Street and London Road cover the food, St Johns Shopping Centre and Precinct hold most of the hair and beauty, Mount Pleasant and Liverpool ONE cover the sit-down food, and the Queens Dock Commercial Centre is where you go to ship. If you are coming from further out across Merseyside, or you simply want the closest option to wherever you are, the near-you finder will point you to the right door.