Phase One Liverpool

Phase One is a bar and arts space on Seel Street that has been one of the more interesting creative venues in Liverpool since opening in the mid-2010s. The building has a rooftop terrace, a ground-floor bar and a variety of spaces that get used for art exhibitions, live music, film screenings, comedy and the kind of hybrid events that do not fit neatly into conventional venue categories. The rooftop is one of the better outdoor drinking and events spaces in the city centre.

The programme reflects the building’s genuine commitment to arts activity alongside its commercial bar operations – the two functions inform each other rather than competing, and Phase One has developed a reputation as a venue where interesting things happen alongside the straightforward business of serving drinks. Local artists use the gallery spaces for exhibitions and the events programme is curated rather than simply booked.

Phase One represents the aspirations of the Ropewalks area in contemporary Liverpool – creative, independent, commercially aware without being commercially led, and connected to the city’s arts community in a way that has substance behind it. The rooftop terrace alone would make it worth visiting on a clear evening, but there is usually something else happening too.