Alma de Cuba is situated in the former St Peter’s Catholic Church on the south side of Seel Street in Liverpool. The building is itself an iconic destination as it is the first church in Liverpool to be turned into a social venue.
The church was opened on the 7th of September in 1788. It served as a Catholic building for 188 years until 1976, after which it served the local Polish community for a short time. For this reason it is still today affectionately referred to as ‘The Polish Church’.
Until its closure in 1978, St. Peter?s was the oldest surviving Catholic Church in Liverpool. After a period of disuse, the building was taken over by Urban Splash and is now the internationally acclaimed ultra stylish restaurant and bar, Alma de Cuba.
1788 7th September – St Peter’s Church opened
1788 28th September – First baptisms performed
1817 – One of the earliest catholic elementary schools in the country was opened at the
1818 – The Chapel was considerably enlarged
1903 – Six stained- glass windows were installed at a cost of £330
1904 – The Baptistery and West end were renovated for £150
1908 – The Lady Chapel was renovated for £100
1920 – Electric Light was installed for the first time and the Church was redecorated in. Funds for this refurbishment were raised by sources including a Grand Bazaar held 14th-16th October 1920
1976 – The church was transferred to the Polish Community and for a short time was known as ‘Our Lady of Czestochowa’
1978 – the parish was closed
Late 90’s – Mother Theresa attended mass at St Peter’s Church
