As part of the phased transformation of the former Revolution site in Low Row, Victoria’s Loft opens its doors to the public from 7pm tonight, August 6.

Featuring a complete revamp of the upstairs bar and terrace at the site, it follows the successful opening of its sister bar downstairs, Street Bar, earlier this summer.

Named after the official name of the building, the Victoria Buildings, the city’s newest bar has a heritage colour scheme with panelled walls and a Victorian Curiosity Shop theme with artworks and objects sourced by Sunderland-based Inn Place, who provide memorabilia for bars around the world, as well as East Boldon’s O’Brien’s Architectural Salvage.

The new bar also makes the most of the roof terrace with a Cafe Mambo-style DJ window, a percussionist platform and a new all-weather canopy with heating.

Victoria’s Loft is the third bar to be opened in this corner of the city by Theatre Leisure, who also own the neighbouring Rabbit bar, which will also undergo a £200,000 facelift later this year.

All three sites now provide 50 jobs, with more in the pipeline, and are part of a major investment to boost the night-time economy.

Lee Robson, company director of the hospitality group along with David Guy, said: “Street Bar got off to a great start downstairs with the Euros and the atmosphere has been fantastic. In the meantime, we’ve been quietly getting on with transforming the upstairs. We wanted to take our time and get it right, using local tradespeople.

Victoria's Loft bar general manger Lee Smith

"Both bars have a completely different look and offering, and we feel like people who enjoyed Revolution will enjoy this as we’ve really improved it. There’s nothing else like this along this strip.”

The bars have been receiving some welcome trade since restrictions have lifted with The Rabbit, on some nights, doing double the trade it was pre-pandemic.

Lee says it’s great to see a buzz back in the city centre.

Speaking about the Empire reopening after 18 months on September 2, he said: “It’s fantastic that the Empire is reopening, once we have that, the Auditorium, the Engine Room and Dun Cow open, the football season starting, there’s going to be a real boom in the town.”

Victoria’s Loft has an extensive wine menu, as well as traditional cocktails given a modern twist and plenty of draught and spirit options. Food-wise it will be serving Prosecco afternoon teas and gentlemen’s afternoon teas, which need to be booked in advance. It will also be catering for baby showers, hen parties and other functions.

It’s the latest new addition in the Low Row / Green Terrace area of the city centre which in recent weeks has welcomed Halo in the former Bud Bigalow’s site as well as a new home for Hidden in the former Varsity site.

This Autumn The Cooper Rose will also open a new £2million roof terrace after a major revamp of the site.

*Victoria’s Loft will initially be open Thursdays to Sundays.