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Detail Pages
Philharmonic Dining Rooms, Liverpool
Liverpool
L1 9BX
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
Dire selection of real ales here compared to how it used to be, just a few national standards yesterday. Several of the pumps had 'cleaning in progress' clips so maybe I just visited at a bad time. amazing pub architecture - does it really need the pop music and the wall mounted TVs? Nicholsons need to get a grip here, it should be so much better.
On 25th July 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
A must do pub when in Liverpool. The interior really is something else and we managed to bag a couple of the large comfy sofas in Liszt. So full marks to Nicholson’s for maintaining another piece of wonderful British pub heritage. But marks away from the management of this place for having a fairly pedestrian beer offering available. A pub of this quality deserves a strong beer range to support it and compared to what is available from the current Nicholson’s seasonal offerings, six beers only on the ten available pumps which included Sharps Cornish Coaster, Old Golden Hen, Black Sheep Bitter and Nicholsons Pale Ale really was a poor offering. Fortunately one from Liverpool Organic and one from Broughton Hopopotamus were also on and the latter was a decent enough pint to sub whilst reclining in the Liszt room. But I’m not going to penalise the pub for some inept thinking from its management team..
On 30th August 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
A must visit pub to anyone with an interest in pub heritage and architecture.
Simply wonderful inside.
Decent pint of Landlord and food was very good and quickly served.
Photos at my blog - http://bit.ly/2csv7Qs
On 5th September 2016
- rating: 10
[User has posted 277 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
This place has also, like Peter Kavanaghs, recently reopened after a spruce up. Exactly as before but now a bit shinnier (or is it shinier? Who cares? Its all pointless anyway apparently.)
On 30th October 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
This is a truly grand pub but please please please don't fall for the "you've got to see the gents" rubbish that's spouted about this place. They're not that great.
On 19th September 2015
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
This pub surpassed my expectations in terms of grandeur, and that's saying something. I reckon that this is the most magnificent pub I've been in, and that's also saying something. This place has been well and truly described previously, and there are enough photographs on the site to show just how special the interior really is. The City tour bus stopped outside and when I dropped in at around 11.30 AM the place was fairly busy with non-drinking visitors. But they soon dispersed leaving the place pretty much to me and Mrs R, so that I could enjoy a quiet pint in one of the rooms (Liszt I think). I can't recall what beer I had, but I do recall that I enjoyed it.
This pub is an absolute must for any pub enthusiast visiting Liverpool.
On 19th September 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Jillings left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
A sumptuous interior, good food friendly staff and above all, a fine selection of well kept ales. A well deserved 9 out of 10.
On 4th April 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 59 recommendations about 54 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
Many words have been typed describing the interior of this magnificent heritage pub so I won’t add too many extra. In short, an entrance lobby to a main island servery, Brahms and Liszt side rooms off that with a grand high-ceilinged room beyond, all ornately decorated in a Victorian/neo-classical style like a lavish gentleman’s club (which it originally was) – carved dark wood, mosaic flooring, ornate glasswork, coloured tiling, brass plaques – it’s a riot of style. Ornate red marble toilets in the gents (which are pretty small in size given the capacity of the pub). Not a brilliant ale selection on and the resultant beers were so-so - Liverpool Organic was middling and Great Yorkshire Top of the Hops which was awful ("smells of ladies knickers", commented the lady I was drinking with). Uncleared tables, surly staff, crap piped music - on it went. Quiet for a Friday night and it’s not hard to work out why on this showing. Lovely pub, terrible management; which given it’s a Nicholsons is even more perplexing. Go see it by all means, but I'd be seriously thinking twice about visiting next time.
On 15th January 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
The pub looks like it is something special as you walk up to it, stepped gables, turrets, unusually for the location, built of stone rather than brick, the ornate gate to the bar room entrance is a sight to behold however none of this really prepares for what is inside. The interior is simply spectacular, the bar lobby has a mosaic floor as does the bar front, above the bar is a stained glass screen, the ceiling is of a highly detailed moulded type, a tiled corridor leads through to a front room, also with bar access and well lit by natural light. The bar area has beaten copper panels, lots of dark stained woodwork and a fine inglenook fireplace with an arch over. Framed portraits of Lord Kitchener, Baden-Powell and Field Marshall Earl Roberts look down. Two carpeted side rooms bear the unseemly monikers of "Brahms" and "Liszt", beyond, down a corridor, is the largest area, the Grande Lounge, once a billiard room and still retaining two ornate stained glass rooflights, a framed portrait of Robert Cain, dark wood panelling and a tremendous upper wall and cornice plasterwork frieze. The gents' toilets are of legend, red marble urinals, cistern and basins, essential to look in, even if you don't need to go. Ladies are welcome to look if empty, the staff are willing to check. The ladies' were added much later, in the 40s I understand, this place began life as a gentlemans' club.
Nicholsons' look after the place these days, so their usual menu, plenty were eating, in fact although I thought the bar service to be fine, I was delayed by a group of four older customers who thought nothing of ordering their food individually, one by one and paying separately. Ten handpumps, six operational at the time, Deuchers IPA, Landlord, Bath Ales Forest Hare, Nicholson's Pale Ale (St Austell), Exmoor Gold, and By the Horns something, my note is not clear.
An essential Liverpool visit, certainly for the architecture but the beer is not too bad either. I was in fairly early lunchtime and I couldn't find a seat and had to perch on a shelf so I'd advise an early if you want to appreciate the pub at its best.
On 31st October 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1708 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Rydings left this review about Philharmonic Dining Rooms
Yes its in the Nicholson chain worth a visit just to see the toilets
On 8th August 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 948 recommendations about 917 pubs]