The legendary pub has shut for a “make over and some conservation works”
11:27, 05 Aug 2025Updated 12:22, 05 Aug 2025
The Philharmonic Dining Rooms on Hope Street, Liverpool.(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
A historic Georgian Quarter pub has closed its doors for refurbishment. The Philharmonic Dining Rooms is a Liverpool landmark, but it still has some secrets. Built by brewer Robert Cain around 1900, the Grade I-listed pub is one of the grandest in the country.
Found on the corner of Hope Street and Hardman Street in the city centre, the Phil’s Victorian grandeur attracts local drinkers and plenty of tourists. Whether it is the ornate flourishes, mahogany features or stained glass windows, a feeling of class runs through the pub. Having a drink in its opulent surroundings “takes you to a bygone era”.
However, not everyone passing through its door is after a drink. The famous urinals were Grade I listed before the pub itself, and plenty of people come in just to look at them.
In recent years, the pub’s draw has increased after it hosted a surprise performance from Paul McCartney as part of James Corden’s ‘Carpool Karaoke’. The Beatles were said to drink in the Phil frequently as youngsters, placing the pub firmly on the agenda for fans visiting the city.
The Philharmonic Dining Rooms on Hope Street, Liverpool(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
However, as of Thursday, September 4, customers can expect a new look to the pub when they visit. The venue is still accepting bookings online, allowing you to be “one of the first” to see the new look.
An email sent to customers reads: “We’re closing for a revamp. We’re closing our doors on Monday, August 4, for a short while whilst we undergo refurbishment work. In the meantime, you can still enjoy classic British pub dishes and seasonal specials, alongside an unrivalled collection of cask ales and premium gins at your nearest Nicholson’s.”
Another post online added: “So its a wrap. We are closed till the 4th of September for a make over and some conservation works, if you need to make a booking from September onwards please do so at our website.”
One of Liverpool’s oldest and most characterful pubs, the ECHO, previously delved into the archives to rediscover brilliant photographs of The Phil from years gone by. Unseen for years, the 21 images were unearthed from our archives, Mirrorpix and capture life at the famous pub from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Philharmonic Pub, Liverpool, Friday 7th October 1994, manager Phil Ross.(Image: Mirrorpix)
The photographs are bound to stir some memories, from what the building was like, frozen in moments in time, to customers and staff from years gone by. You can see them in full here.
The temporary closure for a refurbishment comes as Ye Cracke, which has stood on its site on Rice Street, also in the Georgian Quarter, for more than 150 years, is also preparing to reopen with a new look
Originally called The Ruthin Castle, Ye Cracke was established in 1862 when the landlord of the Ruthin Castle extended the premises by buying the cottage next door. Historian Ken Pye’s book Liverpool Pubs revealed that the venue was only nicknamed ‘Ye Cracke’ at that time, perhaps because of the narrow entrance alongside it.
Ye Cracke closed to the public in April(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
The pub is perhaps most famous for being John Lennon’s favourite spot for a beer as an art student. The Beatles’ drink of choice was a black velvet, made from Guinness and sparkling wine. It’s also where he took his first wife, Cynthia Lennon, on their first date after meeting her at a college dance.
As well as Lennon, Ye Cracke can count another celebrity among its fans – Liverpool actor Jodie Comer. The pub is one of the Georgian Quarter’s most popular, so it’s no surprise people were gutted when they found out it was closing, claiming it was the “end of an era.”
Thankfully, the devastation was short-lived, as the pub was bought by new owners who have promised the venue will reopen sometime at the end of August. For now, fans can get a peek into what work is being done by Liverpool-based building firm Bauen Projects to bring the legendary space back to life through the venue’s Instagram account.