The Philharmonic

Best Pub. Anywhere. Ever. I love this place. Cask ales. Beautiful and comfortable. Crazy bathrooms. Pub Food. Liverpudlians. What else do you need?

One of my favourite pubs in the ‘pool! Order yourself a beer at the main bar then find yourself a little snug to hide in, there’s plenty of corners to sit in. Everything is very ornate and oldie-​worldy, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back into a Victorian boozer!

Great interiors. Check out the toilets. Food is ok, discrete value for money but you’re mainly paying for the internal sightseeing.

Mon pub prefere a Liverpool ! Je commande toujours du fruit cider et mon compagnon prend des bieres, j’apprecie enormement le cadre qui est tres authentique. Il parait que les toilettes des hommes sont classees monument historique, je n’ai pas encore eu l’occasion de voir ca ! La terrasse est tres agreable lorsqu’il fait beau. Cependant comme tous les pubs ca peut devenir vite tres bruyant. Ils font un burger vegetarien que je n’ai pas encore eu l’occasion de gouter mais qui a l’air tres prometteur !

A lovely pub to visit in Liverpool. I’ve never been to a pub. This is exactly what I had imagined it would be like. Great décor… the lady’s loo is not to be missed!
We had fish and chips which were quite good. Not crazy about peas, but that’s just a personal preference and they let me choose a substitute. The staff was friendly and efficient. I would be a regular here if I lived in Liverpool.

The Philharmonic is unique in it’s right, anyone visiting Liverpool needs to hit here. The first thing that you notice when entering is the vintage motif, I’ve seen many pubs trying to hang on to this style and ⁹⁄₁₀ it really doesn’t work, but for The Philharmonic it just isn’t the case. The interior is spacious and beautiful, as for their drinks the selection is wide, and the ales are great but they are slightly pricey (from a students perspective). In conclusion this pub is a must see… especially their toilets.

I don’t get the hype. I came in for a beer and it was uncomfortably busy — it took forever just to get one beer, and then no place to even set it down, let alone sit.
Drink choices are average. Prices are slightly above average. Service is poor. The space is lovely, but might as well just walk in and out. With it being so busy, that may take 10 minutes anyways.
So many better pubs in Liverpool. And even nearby.

Great pub opposite the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
This is a great place to hit after a concert at the (admittedly mediocre) Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, or ahead of a concert. Comfy seating, very pleasant dark wooden interior with a bit of a musical bent (there are opposing «Brahms» and «Liszt» rooms, alluding to the feuding late-​19^th century schools of classical music. Decent selection of hand-​pumped ales, plus the usual roster of lagers. Generally nice staff. Beer prices okay.
Warning: Does get very busy on concert nights.

I’ve been here several times when I’ve been in Liverpool. This pub is gorgeous and spacious. They have a good range of drinks. Have only eaten here once or twice bit the food has been great, traditional pub food.

We’ve walked by the gorgeous Philharmonic at least a dozen times and said «we have to try that sometime.» We’re glad we finally did.
We wanted dinner, and headed to the restaurant upstairs. We were immediately impressed with the quiet, living room-​like surroundings, with table spacing you’d expect from an upscale restaurant. The servers were prompt and friendly.
My burger was dry, overcooked, and a little lacking in the flavor department, but the patties were hand-​pressed and grill-​cooked, and the chips were very nice. My partner’s chicken & mushroom pie was above average. Our chocolate brownie dessert was, again, a little better than your standard pub. Altogether, the food was great value for the price. We’ll be back to try the Sunday roast sometime.
What boosts my rating to a 4, however, is the excellent cask ale and by-​the-​glass wine selection. If you’re having trouble choosing, they even let you choose 3 mini-​pints for £3! Why don’t more places do this, I wonder? This feature alone warrants a return visit. All in all, highly recommended for ale enthusiasts, oenophiles, and architecture buffs. Well done!

The Philharmonic Dining Rooms is located in Hope Street in Liverpool, opposite the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. A few yards down the road from the Liverpool Metropolitan RC Cathedral, John Moore’s University & Everyman Theatre.
It was recommended to my friends and I by a fellow guest at the Days Inn, on a recent trip to Liverpool (to see Neil Young and Crazy Horse in concert in the Liverpool Echo arena).
It has been described as one of the most ornate pubs in Liverpool and it does not disappoint in its Victorian splendour. It is beautifully preserved and is Grade One listed, the building was commissioned in 1898. The pub I am led to believe is a former gentleman’s club too.
It is a traditional pub with ornate period details. The walls have very ornate polished and carved mahogany wood panels. It also boasts a mosaic faced serving counter. It has a high plaster work ceiling, copper panels featuring musicians and stained glass windows featuring Boer War heroes. Two side rooms or snugs called Brahms an Liszt (no rhyming slang there then).
One of the must see «tour attraction» is the original gentleman’s toilets, which is an original 1890s Adamant lavatory with its mosaics & pink marble.
There is choice of between 8 – 10 real cask ales, with tasters available (x3 half pints for £3). I tried a Leeds Brewery Dark Beer called Midnight Bell on my visit.
The food seems reasonably priced with a pub lunch and a drink for £7 or something from the main menu from £10 to £15 I.e. Venison & Sloe Gin Pie.
Seemed a very busy pub on my visit even more so with graduates from John Moore’s University (with their caps & gowns on).
I cannot recommend this place highly enough and I am looking forward to my next visit there.

Seven of us had an exceptional lunchtime meal here. Very cool looking old authentic interior design. Fascinating mosaic tiling throughout the place. Great looking bar too.

The Phil is such a good pub to look at. In fact so
many Nicholson’s pubs are, but this may well be the most impressive. In fact is
probably a bit too grand for my taste, which just shows how hard I am to
please.
Cherry Porter Dark Angelor some other combination of those words? Whatever
— it made for a decent pint.

The Phil has twice been my local and during those periods I seemed to live in either the dining hall or one of the hidden side rooms.
The Phil is a CAMRA approved pub so the beer is always worth trying out and the wine, cheap plonk as it is, is well priced. Food is good value and a bit more interesting than the normal pub fayre of burger and chips (although I think you can get burger and chips) and service has always been good. There are set times for serving food so worth a check if you are making a special trip.
As with every other review about The Phil, the men’s toilets are fantastic. The staff will let ladies in for a peek if you want to look.

Ein must-​have-​seen bei einem Liverpool Trip. Sicher eines der schönsten Pubs Englands. Hier hat auch schon John Lennon seine Pints gekippt.
Service normal und zurückhaltend. Gut.

This place has history and is reflective in a way of Liverpools’ structural and musical history. The décor is grand and inviting and it really is an experience to stop off and grab a drink here especially if you have never visited before. Despite all its’ grandeur and pomp the prices are reasonable too meaning the ordinary person can feel a little more important for the duration of a pint which is a nice touch. There is a good variety of ales ect on offer which is exactly as it should be with regards to an historical old building.
The crowd is a mixture in here and changes day to day but it is always a nice spot to drink before heading to the theatre providing you don’t get carried away by the pleasant atmosphere and have one too many.
The Philarmonic pub seems to be an ordinary pub in extraordinary surroundings and I hope it never changes.

It’s always good when a pub becomes a landmark in its own right and if you were going to jot this very sentence down in a book of quotations, you’d be a fool to not have an illustration of the Philharmonic next to it… and not because I mention its name just there.
John Lennon once complained that the price of fame was «not being able to go to the Phil for a drink» and it’s not hard to see why. From the outside it has all the stone grandeur of a Munich beer hall and inside its rich, dark wood-​panelling and brass ornaments continue the effect. If you just got rid of all the people cluttering up the place, this would be like Prozac for the eyes.
The obligatory toilet mention may disappoint you. I just don’t think they’re such a big deal. The rest of the pub is so much nicer, and not just because it isn’t consistently doused in urine.
On an odder note, I once met Aled Jones here. After building up the courage to speak to him, he invited us across to the quiz machine where we managed to lose him three quid on stupid football questions. When he asked us for any good chippys we told him to go to Shiraz round the corner. For a bloke whose flown with a magical snowman and drank in Liverpool’s most opulent pub, that must have been a bit of a come-​down.
Plus, he swore like a docker.

The only place I’ve ever deigned to visit the men’s toilets on recommendation (The most ornate urinals known to man!) The Phil is a true piece of Liverpool heritage. From the gold gilded entrance, the grand and ornamental traditional fixtures and fittings, down to well, the loos, it is the business.
Real Ales selection? Exceptional.
Food? Perfection in pub gastronomy if I ever did see-​saw it. And relatively cheap, (of course this is slightly biased, their speciality is pies and I am a Wigan girl at heart.)
You need to experience The Philharmonic pub for the sheer grandeur in which you can enjoy the simple pleasures of eating and drinking. It turns out that with all this class it’s not a bit condescending or snobby. So kick back and enjoy a pint of their best in glorious surroundings and comfort and don’t forget to pop to the loo for a gander, I know it sounds odd, but I’m serious!

Another of Mr Lennon’s supposed favourite pubs, and how. Quick bit of trivia for you here — Liverpool has the most listed pubs in of any city in the UK. You know what that means, don’t you. It means that the majority of the pubs here are staggeringly beautiful, and this piece of architectural splendour is perhaps the most impressive of all.
Famous for its ornate marble toilets and absolutely incredible interior, the Liverpool Phil is without a doubt worth a visit. It’s near both the cathedrals and if it’s sightseeing you’re after, this isn’t just a place to grab a drink, it’s a place to drink in. From the gorgeous chandeliers to the cosy snugs and the grand room which genuinely takes your breath away, all chockfull of original features and stunning finishes, it’s complete and utter eye candy from start to finish.
Looking past the stunning visuals (it’s difficult, granted), there’s a range of real ale to choose from and a restaurant upstairs which serves really lovely pub grub. Even if you’re not planning on having some food or even a drink, just pop your head in to have a look. It’s incredible.

Mention the Philharmonic pub to a scouser and I guarantee you they will mention the toilets. I’m not joking, the toilets are even mentioned in pub guides or tourist information about the city — that has to make you wonder what the place has to offer when you highlight the loos.
The talking point about the toilets are the ornate, marble features of the gents but I’ve been many times and they’re not that special — makes me think maybe it’s the ladies and I’m missing out? — at the end of the day you only spend a couple minutes in there and I’m not shifting my mates and all our drinks in there for the night.
The rest of the pub is quite a grand venue — overlooked and often with all the hype around the toilets — and has a gentleman’s club feel to the wood paneled walls and chesterfield chairs of the lounge. It’s a good starter to a night at either The Everyman theatre or Philharmonic concert hall situated nearby.

This is a review of the restaurant rather than the pub.
Yes, that’s right — the Philharmonic Pub also has a restaurant. I don’t know how long its been there but to be honest, it’s more like somone has decided to convert the flat above the pub by sticking a few chairs and tables in it. No, I’m being overly harsh because of a recent bad experience there. You see, I went there over the weekend with family, having already made a reservation that afternoon. After battling through the busy bar to get to the staircase to the restaurant (which is conveniently situated right next to the famous Gent’s toilets and you’d have no hope of finding if you didn’t know it was there) we were met with a less than enthusiastic welcome:
«We’re fully booked for the rest of the evening» After explaining that we had a reservation and watching the poor lad who must’ve been duty manager run around like a headless chicken for two minutes, we established that our table had been double-​booked (as we could see by casting a glance around the room full of people eating) and that we could come back in half an hour but they couldn’t guarantee a table. On that occasion, we went elsewhere.
However, the only other time I’ve been the food was lovely but limited, the service slow but polite, and the atmosphere lacking but pleasant enough. Their speciality is pies, and it is well worth sampling them as they do seem to be of the homebaked variety that you see that chap doing on the lurpak ad. The Phil’s saving grace? According to my friend, the chocolate cake. The portion was enough to feed a family for a week and it was so nice apparently that she wouldn’t let it defeat her and we all had to order copious amounts of coffee while she polished it off over the space of, oh, lets say half an hour.

This amazing pub is an essential place to see on any week-​end visit to Liverpool. In a city full of astonishing Edwardian pub interiors, the Philharmonic’s takes the first prize. It is a Grade II* listed building, features in CAMRA’s National Inventory of Pub Interiors, and is regarded by many as Britain’s finest pub interior.
Built in 1898, there is a central bar, with four main rooms: a small front lounge; a pair of small lounges (called ‘Brahms’ and ‘Liszt’ in best Cockney Rhyming slang) and through a short passage, the former billiard room, known as the Grande Lounge. (The present dining room is on the first floor).
Everything — and I really mean everything — is heavily decorated. The entrance, with its partly gilded ironwork screen, sets the tone. The floors have mosaics, the glass is etched and stained, the mahogany woodwork is carved, the bar fronts have more mosaics, the ceilings have elaborate strap-​work plasterwork, walls feature panelling or glazed encaustic tiling, and there are Tiffany-​style lights and chandeliers everywhere. An unusual feature is the series of beaten-​copper reliefs set in some of the wall panelling, especially in the main dining room.
But perhaps the most famous room is the Gentlemen’s lavatory: the urinals are set in beautiful polished red marble, as are the sink surrounds, the walls feature yet more glazed tiles and the floor is covered in delicate art-​nouveau mosaics.
Thankfully, it’s also a decent pub — there is usually a choice of half a dozen real ales, and they also do food (although I’ve not eaten here). Service is OK, although it can get frenetically busy at week-​ends.
If you’ve not seen it before, you have to go.