Old menu from lost city-centre café that was 'famed for its fry-ups'

An old menu from a lost city-centre café that was 'famed for its fry-ups', has been unearthed.

Through the 90s and 00s, many headed to Richie's Butty Bar on Paradise Street for a hot drink or something for breakfast. Welcoming commuters from the nearby bus station, office workers from nearby and more, many will remember the faces of the business such as Richie Jones and Richie Jones junior.

Once one of the best-known names in the city's culinary circles, the café was built when Paradise Street was expanding at the close of the 18th-century, giving them a strong link with Liverpool's early growth, the Liverpool Daily Post previously reported.

"Famed for its fry-ups," Richie's Butty Bar also welcomed many well-known faces through its doors. In 1997, the Liverpool Daily Post reported: "Justifiably nicknamed the 'Bar of the Stars' and 'Stringfellows of the North', Richie's proximity to Radio Merseyside, Granada TV and Paradise Bus Station means that you never know who you'll be rubbing shoulders against in the all-day breakfast queue.

"Glenda Jackson, Emma Thompson, Eric Sykes, or Edie Prendergast of Wavertree. Breakfast is terrific value at £2.30 with a huge steaming mug of tea, 'tramstopper' toast slices and an option of either baked beans or tomatoes - a full half-tin in the latter case (Where else serves tinned tomatoes these days?).

A menu from Richie's Butty Bar, Paradise Street, Liverpool, circa 2000s — A menu from Richie's Butty Bar, Paradise Street, circa 2000s (Image: Trinity Mirror Copyright)

"With décor determined to make avocado this year's black, maps showing 'Trendy downtown filthy old Liverpool', a false ceiling of garden trellis and squidgy, worn-out carpet tiles that are determined to stop your feet from leaving, there's only one word for the place: Atmospheric."

The Paradise Street café welcomed many through its doors, offering everything from tea and coffee to English breakfast, toasted sandwiches and more. And an old menu from the business has since been rediscovered in the ECHO archive.

Does this awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.

The image, taken in the 00s, shows a green, yellow and orange menu up on the wall - and the prices will surely leave people feeling nostalgic. The green section of the menu focuses mainly on hot drinks, with tea priced at 25p, coffee at 60p and hot chocolate also for 60p.

Soft drinks were 50p and you could also get a toasted teacake for the same price. Whereas scrambled egg was £1.70 and beans on toast was £1.20. The yellow section of the menu offered a range of large rolls, barms and sandwiches with fillings, most at a cost of £1.20.

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Fillings included ham, beef, tuna and cheese and for £1.50 you could get a jacket potato. And in the orange section of the menu, you could get a full English breakfast - consisting of bacon, egg, sausage, beans or tomatoes, black pudding, tea and toast for £3. Toast on its own was 15p and most toasted sandwiches, like bacon or sausage or cheese was £1.40.

These prices reflect the time, but it does give us an insight into how things used to be. And while many will have seen Paradise Street transform in recent years, many will remember days heading to Riche's Butty Bar.

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