The directors behind two of Cardiff’s most successful bars have started a £750,000 refurbishment of one of the City’s most iconic nightspots.
The lease for The Philharmonic, a grade II listed building, has been bought by independent bar owners Craig Davies and Simon Little. The directors already run two successful city centre venues – Brewhouse, the live music venue situated in the Brewery Quarter and Retro, home of the nineties vibe on Mill Lane, and are proud to add The Philharmonic to their portfolio.
The building was bought by Curzon Real Estate earlier this year and Craig and Simon saw an opportunity to bring The Philharmonic back at a time when there are big development plans for that part of the City.
Director Simon Little explained that having such a prestigious office development like Central Square right on The Philharmonic’s doorstep was a significant factor in their decision to take on such a project, and added: “It’s nice to be able to retain and reinvigorate one of Cardiff’s old historic buildings, particularly as there is so much new development in the City and so many are being replaced with new office blocks.
“Anyone who has lived or worked in Cardiff over the years can’t deny the love affair the City has with this venue and we are very privileged to have been afforded this opportunity to bring it back.”
They plan to link the building’s Victorian features and architecture into one large integrated venue with a stylish bar and restaurant, rather than four separate venues as it had been in the past. It will reopen in November.
Co-director Craig Davies explained: “It is such a beautiful building and is a venue which is synonymous with Cardiff and its nightlife. Generations of clubbers and music lovers have cherished this bar and we can’t wait to bring it back to life later this year.
“We have big plans for the refurbishments and want to keep as many of the original Victorian features as possible. Construction work has only just started but we uncovered so much already, including a hidden lane which once ran between the original Philharmonic Hotel and the Philharmonic Hall. We are also exploring creative ways of opening up the back elevation onto Great Western Lane, which will both flood the venue with light and open up the building directly on to the new Central Square development.”
The Philharmonic will be open seven days a week from 9am until 4am, will serve food all day and will be managed by Nick Newman. Nick has managed some of Cardiff’s most successful bars and his many years’ experience of running some of Cardiff’s top nightspots will be invaluable in bringing The Philharmonic back to its former glory. Nick is also the Chairman of Cardiff Licensees’ Forum.