Wake & Cate

Wake & Cate is the closest thing to a contemporary city-centre Mediterranean café in Liverpool. With loads of Greek-treats and a busy, metropolitan-vibe, it is a thriving example of modern coffee culture that should be celebrated. Hidden down one of the side streets between Church Street and Williamson Square, Wake & Cate is the perfect respite from a busy day out shopping in town.

The Vibe

The location is actually perfect for many different reasons. If you are in town shopping, it’s a side street off one of the busiest parts of town. If you are a tourist looking to take a break off your feet, it’s an easy walk from the Albert Dock and the waterfront, and close to the museums and cathedrals at the other end of town. It is also a late afternoon/early evening haunt for a cup of tea or coffee and a slice of cake for theatre-goers waiting for The Playhouse or The Royal Court to open.

The relaxed Mediterranean vibe is the perfect way to live your life, stopping off for a cup of coffee and a relaxed pace to the day. Wake & Cate definitely feels like those delightful coffee and cake shops you find in European cities, and in our personal experience on the side streets of Athens in particular. Nothing is rushed, the food is delicious, and we always want to go back.

The Food

There are three main areas that Wake & Cate cater for; the light breakfast and brunch crowd; the relaxed coffee and refreshments crowd; and the gawp in amazement at the cakes and savoury treats from the patisserie crowd. We are firmly in the last camp. There is a great selection of light breakfast options, as well as cheese toasties and the like, and some good sandwiches and bagels on the lunch menu, but for us we can only talk about the cake.

On the counter and in the cake cabinets along the side of the café, there are over 25 varieties of rich gateaux inspired by French and Italian desserts, tray bakes, homemade biscuits, macaroons, and Greek desserts and savoury bites. It is pure culinary luxury, indulgence, and a real treat to the senses. There are few pleasures in the world more enjoyable than taking a break from a day out to sit with a cup of coffee and a big slice of cake. 

Of particular note in terms of savoury delights behind the counter are the filo pastry pies with flavours such as spinach, cheese, ham and cheese, and spinach and cheese. A flaky, flavourful treat. 

The Price

For the range of tea and coffee, smoothies, iced drinks in the summer and all other drinks you can expect to pay between £2 and £4. The food menu for breakfast and lunch is around the fiver mark on average, with slices of cake and the huge range of sweet and savoury treats on the extensive counter and side cabinets can range quite a bit in price depending on what you are looking for. The last time we went in, we had a thick slice of chocolate cake and paid £3.50 for it (just for reference), and it was worth every single penny.