City Tavern

A wonderful 18th century experience without having to travel to Williamsburg, great food and service in a fantastic restored historic tavern. I have eaten here three times over approximately 7 years and have never been disapointed.

Excellent colonial fare. We went back the next day for lunch. Fabulous pot pie and the best fried oysters I've had in a long time (and we've eaten at "the best" from coast to coast). A "don't miss" for the historical Philly experience. Atmosphere reminiscent of Liberty Tree Tavern at WDW for you Disney fans.

We spent a bundle but it was worth every penny. The beer sampler is great. Scrumptous chocolate mousse cake ala Martha Washington.

I was suprised the other reviews were so bad. I regularly eat out and enjoy a wide variety of ethnic cuisines. German food is not known for its flair that you might expect from a place like Amada or Tequila's. Which are two of my favorite places in the city. If you want good comfort food this is a great place to go. The pot pies hit the spot and I thought the crab cakes where in the top ten I have had in the city with Lemon grass probably serving my favorite crab cake. The only thing I was disappointed with here was the bread that I think servers might pre-cut in the morning. If it was a little bit more moist I would have been very happy with the authentic bread recipes. If you aren't a real adverturous eater or just want some food that hits the spot on a cold day I would recommend this place as a "safe" restaurant to go to.

Party of 8 all felt the waiter to be unattentive and uninterested. Salads done very nicely, but $6 for a "cup" of soup that tastes like water? Beef medallions and Trout were nothing special, but the Pot pie undercooked, and filled with nothing but peas. Tenderloin tips in dijon sauce was overly "dijon" and after 2 bites, d unedible by everyone at the table. Mashed potatoes that were served with dinners tangy/borderline sour and vegetables served (zucchini and squash) oily and bland. A waste of time and $370.

Our first mistake was believing a review (on a different site that rhymes with "nitty-perch") that stated the City Tavern was romantic. Minutes into sitting in a brightly lit room in the hot, hot basement at a folding table covered by a threadbare tablecloth, with our server SWEATING over us to explain the history of the tavern and its gastronomical fare, we realized, oh no, this was not romantic at all. It was barely palatable. Still, we clinked our beer glasses. Plastic! The beer may have been the highlight of the meal... if you can call undercooked turkey pot pie and schnitzel soaked in butter and grease a meal. It was single-handedly the most disappointing dining experience in Philadelphia that we new locals have had. The fake costumes, the mediocre food, all a complete sham. Just look under the tablecloth!

This is a tourist trap! You know it's coming but you hope for the best only to be disappointed. We had a reservation, but finished touring the sites early so we walked over and explained the situation which appeared to perplex the hostess. What to do - it was 5:15, not many people in the restaurant. Finally got a table. Bread was good. Ordered the turkey pot pie - big mistake! Two tries and they couldn't seem to cook the crust - top layer of puff pastry was cooked but beneath was a mess. And this was priced at $19! Waiter disappeared. Manager agreed not to charge for something that was inedible - wasn't that nice. Mediocre food, expensive, couldn't really care attitude. The only "downer" on our trip to Philly.