Fantasy-Themed Cauldron Pub, Inspired by Wizard Tales, Planned for Washington Square West

A fantasy-themed bar and restaurant where patrons put on wizard robes and concoct their own cocktails is aiming to open in Philadelphia this spring. The Cauldron Magical Pub is slated for a two-story space at 1305 Locust St. in Washington Square West.

The venue is the project of Matthew Cortland, a South Jersey native who is based in London, and his partners. It draws on the works of J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Philadelphia will be the second U.S. home for the concept, following a New York City location that opened in 2019.

The Cauldron will offer two distinct experiences. One is a walk-in cocktail bar and gastropub serving food alongside what the owners call molecular cocktails, drinks meant to showcase science. Cofounder David Duckworth designed the menu, and each drink is meant to be interactive, with effects such as fire, ice, smoke, spherification, expansion, color change, and clarification. One drink, The Wizard of Menlo Park, is a ginger cocktail inspired by Thomas Edison that sends plumes of smoke into the air. Another, Damiana's Charm, is garnished with sprinkled raspberry and Damiana, which is purportedly a natural aphrodisiac.

The food menu leans into the theme as well. Fish and chips are served with sea-salt vapor that bubbles and smokes. The cauliflower cheese is set on fire and then extinguished with liquid ribbons of Cheddar. Elven Bread is a warm, string-tied loaf of sweet bread wrapped in banana leaves and presented on a wooden log with a lavender-honey yogurt dip.

The second experience is a ticketed "potion making" session lasting one hour and 45 minutes, with prices starting at $39.99 per person. Participants receive a wizard robe and a working magic wand. The wands use Internet of things technology, with sensors that keep track of the bar tab.

The session opens with a class called Spellcasting 101, in which guests pour a welcome cocktail or a nonalcoholic drink from the mouth of a glittering unicorn. They then move to a workstation with a cast-iron cauldron and instructions for making two drinks. Cortland said the nonalcoholic options have become popular with families at the New York location.

Cortland said he chose Philadelphia for the second site because his family lives and works in the area. He also began his teaching career in the city, with Teach for America at Overbrook High School in West Philadelphia. The Locust Street space was formerly Nomad Pizza, and Joseph Scarpone of MPN Realty brokered the deal.

In press materials, Cortland and Duckworth stressed that although the pub is inspired by fantasy and science fiction, it is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or associated with Warner Bros. or J.K. Rowling. It is also not connected to Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, or any other specific book or movie.

"It takes ideas from literary and world history and brings them to life with science and technology," the owners said. They added: "We are but geeks."