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City Tavern

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138 S 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19106

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(215) 413-1443
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City Tavern - Philadelphia, PA
Reviews
( 19 )
( 14 )
( 2 )
( 4 )
( 8 )

Best

I have to say I had one of the finest meals ever at City Tavern. Pros: Exceptional service & a vast & delicious menu Cons: A bit pricey, but the portion sizes make up for ...

Worst

I went yesterday during lunch, I ordered the duck sausage for an appetizer, more like a duck hot dog and the sweet and sour cabbage was just a mushy mess. For my entree braised ra...

Eating our history! 3/9/2006

City Tavern was recommend by friends, so when I moved to Philly I could not wait to try it. From the moment we walked time, we were sent back in time. Our waiter could not have been nicer or more informative. Between the food, the 18th century costume, the historical stories it was a great time. Even my two children enjoyed having Martha Washington's turkey pot pie. It was a great experience and I cannot wait to take new friends! Pros: History, Great Food more
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Eating our history! 3/8/2006

City Tavern was recommend by friends, so when I moved to Philly I could not wait to try it. From the moment we walked time, we were sent back in time. Our waiter could not have been nicer or more informative. Between the food, the 18th century costume, the historical stories it was a great time. Even my two children enjoyed having Martha Washington's turkey pot pie. It was a great experience and I cannot wait to take new friends! Pros: History, Great Food more
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History that tastes good!!! 3/6/2006

Recently moved here from NYC, I have heard of City Tavern and Made this living Museum one of my first stops. I was not dissappointed and have returned many times. I am slowly moving down the menu and ordering new foods down the list. However I must admit I cannot refuse the crab cakes and the Matha Washington Choc Mousse cake. I have them every time. The service is always friendly, and the food is very very good. On several occassions, my guest and myself were treated to live Harpsichord and Harp music, which we were told perform quite often. When my friends and relatives now come to visit, there's only one place to make reservations. Pros: Ambience, entertainment, history more
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No Reservations 3/5/2006

My wife and I were staying across the street at the Sheraton and decided to dine here. We did not have reservations, but were accommodated quite quickly. The menu boasts a variety of choices. We had the crab cakes for an appetizer - served with a nice, creamy dipping sauce. My wife decided on Beef Medallions while I had Roasted Duckling. The medaillons were 'melt in your mouth' good! The duckling was savory, served with a sweet glaze. Try one of the specialty ales! I had the George Washington and a Thomas Jefferson. My wife also decided to try another special tavern drink called a shrub. Overall, we enjoyed our experience at the tavern. I will return the next time I am in the Philly area. I hope others have a 'historic' experience too! Pros: Great Food, Location, Ambience more
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A Night in the past 3/5/2006

City Tavern was recommended by friends from Philadelphia. When my family and I arrived we were greeted by a very pleasant girl dressed in an 18th century outfit. The restaurant was beautiful, it really felt like went back in time. We expected Thomas Jefferson to walk by at any moment. Although Jefferson was not have dinner this night I had the chance to try his ale, Washington might have been a great president but he was even better at brewing beer. Dinner was great, I had the venison and my wife had the duckling. Even our very picky children enjoyed a mini turkey pot pie from Martha Washington's recipe. Dinner was not only execellent but our friendly server made it a history lesson. (If high school would have been like this I would have higher grades in history.) Pros: Great Food, Friendly Servers, Rich History more
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History that tastes good!!! 3/5/2006

Recently moved here from NYC, I have heard of City Tavern and Made this living Museum one of my first stops. I was not dissappointed and have returned many times. I am slowly moving down the menu and ordering new foods down the list. However I must admit I cannot refuse the crab cakes and the Matha Washington Choc Mousse cake. I have them every time. The service is always friendly, and the food is very very good. On several occassions, my guest and myself were treated to live Harpsichord and Harp music, which we were told perform quite often. When my friends and relatives now come to visit, there's only one place to make reservations. Pros: Ambience, entertainment, history more
Reply | Report abuse |

A Night in the past 3/5/2006

City Tavern was recommended by friends from Philadelphia. When my family and I arrived we were greeted by a very pleasant girl dressed in an 18th century outfit. The restaurant was beautiful, it really felt like went back in time. We expected Thomas Jefferson to walk by at any moment. Although Jefferson was not have dinner this night I had the chance to try his ale, Washington might have been a great president but he was even better at brewing beer. Dinner was great, I had the venison and my wife had the duckling. Even our very picky children enjoyed a mini turkey pot pie from Martha Washington's recipe. Dinner was not only execellent but our friendly server made it a history lesson. (If high school would have been like this I would have higher grades in history.) Pros: Great Food, Friendly Servers, Rich History more
Reply | Report abuse |

No Reservations 3/5/2006

My wife and I were staying across the street at the Sheraton and decided to dine here. We did not have reservations, but were accommodated quite quickly. The menu boasts a variety of choices. We had the crab cakes for an appetizer - served with a nice, creamy dipping sauce. My wife decided on Beef Medallions while I had Roasted Duckling. The medaillons were 'melt in your mouth' good! The duckling was savory, served with a sweet glaze. Try one of the specialty ales! I had the George Washington and a Thomas Jefferson. My wife also decided to try another special tavern drink called a shrub. Overall, we enjoyed our experience at the tavern. I will return the next time I am in the Philly area. I hope others have a 'historic' experience too! Pros: Great Food, Location, Ambience Cons: None more
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A RIP-OFF; HORRIBLE EXCUSE FOR A RESTAURANT 12/9/2005

ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND PROFUNDLY DISGRACEFUL RESTAURANT EXPERIENCES EVER. Soup of the day the best item served beef barley). Romaine & Roquefort salad POOR with lousy dressing. PRIME Rib over 50% fat/grissle; cold, tastless, tough. Rack of Lamb a disgrace -""Frenched"" rack absurdly hacked into chops BEFORE cooking; ordered medium, arrived well done, fatty & dried out. Entrees to come with mashed potatoes & fresh veggies. Veggies literally thrown on top of ""mounded"" mashed; entree thrown over that. One big mess - looked like it was scraped from a discarded plate; No room to manhandle/cut the tough entree. ALL FOOD COLD. Desserts a joke - typical ""buy-out"" - cake with petrified whipped cream rosette & ""instant"" creme brulee. Server clueless. HORRIBLE for $100.00 PER PERSON. Pros: QUASI COLONIAL MOTIFF Cons: TOO NUMEROUS more
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A RIP-OFF; HORRIBLE EXCUSE FOR A RESTAURANT 12/8/2005

ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND PROFUNDLY DISGRACEFUL RESTAURANT EXPERIENCES EVER. Soup of the day the best item served beef barley). Romaine & Roquefort salad POOR with lousy dressing. PRIME Rib over 50% fat/grissle; cold, tastless, tough. Rack of Lamb a disgrace -"Frenched" rack absurdly hacked into chops BEFORE cooking; ordered medium, arrived well done, fatty & dried out. Entrees to come with mashed potatoes & fresh veggies. Veggies literally thrown on top of "mounded" mashed; entree thrown over that. One big mess - looked like it was scraped from a discarded plate; No room to manhandle/cut the tough entree. ALL FOOD COLD. Desserts a joke - typical "buy-out" - cake with petrified whipped cream rosette & "instant" creme brulee. Server clueless. HORRIBLE for $100.00 PER PERSON. Pros: QUASI COLONIAL MOTIFF Cons: TOO NUMEROUS more
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Nothing revolutionary, but a pleasant surprise. 8/5/2005

Having read so-so reviews a few locals tried the City Tavern for a weekend lunch out on the tree covered cobblestone back porch. It was a relaxing experience with cool breezes and pretty decent food. The meal started off with a selection of three breads including nutty biscuits and and molasses bread. Skip the cornmeal encrusted oysters, and steer away from seafood, particularly the non-lump crabcakes. You will fare better with more colonial fare including very good prime rib and probably things like pot pies and gamey things. Our son (lots of kids there so no problem with that) enjoyed chicken from the extensive kids menu. Desserts included a well-above average chocolate mousse cake and a raspberry almond torte. Servers were in colonial garb, our waitress was great and the service was not slow at all. Overall a great place for a stop between historic sites. more
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Nothing revolutionary, but a pleasant surprise. 8/5/2005

Having read so-so reviews a few locals tried the City Tavern for a weekend lunch out on the tree covered cobblestone back porch. It was a relaxing experience with cool breezes and pretty decent food. The meal started off with a selection of three breads including nutty biscuits and and molasses bread. Skip the cornmeal encrusted oysters, and steer away from seafood, particularly the non-lump crabcakes. You will fare better with more colonial fare including very good prime rib and probably things like pot pies and gamey things. Our son (lots of kids there so no problem with that) enjoyed chicken from the extensive kids menu. Desserts included a well-above average chocolate mousse cake and a raspberry almond torte. Servers were in colonial garb, our waitress was great and the service was not slow at all. Overall a great place for a stop between historic sites. more
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Good Entertainment 8/8/2004

I live in Philly, and have been here a couple of times. The food is pretty good - better than I expected given the touristy nature of the place. The service, as many others have mentioned, was poor. One of the meals was brought out cold and when we sent it back to be heated up, we never saw it again. The waiter was rude and indifferent. A recomendation I would make is to go here for desert or drinks. There is a lounge with period furniture and a harpstichord. We were there on a saturday - I'm not sure if they play every night. In other parts of the restaurant, there were other musicians. The beer (which is brewed especially for City Tavern) is excellent, although a little pricy ($6.50 a pint). The desert my wife had (chocolate mousse cake) was very good as well. more
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Good Entertainment 8/8/2004

I live in Philly, and have been here a couple of times. The food is pretty good - better than I expected given the touristy nature of the place. The service, as many others have mentioned, was poor. One of the meals was brought out cold and when we sent it back to be heated up, we never saw it again. The waiter was rude and indifferent. A recomendation I would make is to go here for desert or drinks. There is a lounge with period furniture and a harpstichord. We were there on a saturday - I'm not sure if they play every night. In other parts of the restaurant, there were other musicians. The beer (which is brewed especially for City Tavern) is excellent, although a little pricy ($6.50 a pint). The desert my wife had (chocolate mousse cake) was very good as well. more
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Great Place! 4/2/2004

I was suprised at the negative reviews. We ate here in mid-week in March with a 2 and 4 year-old. The staff was wonderful - kindly seating us away from groups of adults and interacting with the kids, while providing us with great service. The food was delicious. I loved the bread and lobster pot pie, while my husband especially enjoyed the beers! more
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Great Place! 4/2/2004

I was suprised at the negative reviews. We ate here in mid-week in March with a 2 and 4 year-old. The staff was wonderful - kindly seating us away from groups of adults and interacting with the kids, while providing us with great service. The food was delicious. I loved the bread and lobster pot pie, while my husband especially enjoyed the beers! more
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Adds to the city 10/8/2003

My husband and I ate here for Sunday lunch on our anniversary and really enjoyed our experience. The food was good-- particularly ""Martha Washington's Pot Pie""-- and the Thomas Jefferson beer was very unique. The food came a little too quickly as we would have preferred to enjoy each course at a slower pace, but our server was attentive. The overall experience was very pleasant and added to the historic charm of Philly. Pros: Unique charm, Good service, Fairly priced Cons: Somewhat rushed more
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Adds to the city 10/7/2003

My husband and I ate here for Sunday lunch on our anniversary and really enjoyed our experience. The food was good-- particularly "Martha Washington's Pot Pie"-- and the Thomas Jefferson beer was very unique. The food came a little too quickly as we would have preferred to enjoy each course at a slower pace, but our server was attentive. The overall experience was very pleasant and added to the historic charm of Philly. Pros: Unique charm, Good service, Fairly priced Cons: Somewhat rushed more
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History Lesson 5/19/2003

Paid first visit on Mother's Day. The building, although a replica, is impressive. The food was good, but not great. The service was friendly, but on three occasions servers came to remove plates from our table when we were clearly not finished. While I recommend this eatery just for the historical kitsch value, there are better restaurants in town. Pros: Beautiful building, Live music (of sorts), Historical atmosphere Cons: Rushed service more
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History Lesson 5/18/2003

Paid first visit on Mother's Day. The building, although a replica, is impressive. The food was good, but not great. The service was friendly, but on three occasions servers came to remove plates from our table when we were clearly not finished. While I recommend this eatery just for the historical kitsch value, there are better restaurants in town. Pros: Beautiful building, Live music (of sorts), Historical atmosphere Cons: Rushed service more
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Menu for City Tavern


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Owner Message

  • Established in 1773, City Tavern was the location where the nation's founding fathers dined, drank & celebrated. Join us for the most authentic 18th century dining experience in America.

Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Sun: 11:30am-9pm
  • Payments: Master Card, Visa, Discover
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