When Paul McCartney returned to Liverpool in xx to film a small suprise gig in his home city, it was the Philharmonic Dining Rooms he chose to host it. Of course he did. Built in the last two years of the 19th century, this xx was built using the expertise of craftsmen from Liverpool’s School of Architecture and Applied Arts. An ornate ‘gin palace’. The metal gates are Art Nouveau. Five storeys. Mahogany fireplaces. ‘The Phil’ has been Grade I-listed since 2020, it has cathedral-like status. The men’s loos are a thing of beauty, though you are interrupted by women taking a peek. John Lennon was asked the worst thing about being fmaous, he famously replied: “No longer being able to have a pint in the Phil.”

The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, 36 Hope Street,
Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 9BX

Tel: 0151 707 2837

Photo: Damian Entwistle, CC BY-NC 2.0, Flickr