09/21/09

More Than I Expected

by phillyeater123

I went for Restaurant Week this past week and was thoroughly happy. I really enjoyed the spicy gazpacho and my girlfriend's pork. I had the pate (something I had never tried before) and really thought it was good.

All in all the food was simple and well executed and our waiter was efficient and personable even though the restaurant was packed. I'm really looking forward to trying their brunch this weekend.

Can't wait!

• Pros: View, Service, Wine
• Cons: None

09/19/09

Nice view, mediocre everything else

by NicoleP

Despite living in Philly for 15+ years, I finally made it over to Bistro St. Tropez this week after being curious for many years. While my curiosity is now sated, I can't say I feel any strong desire to go back.

Admittedly, I went there with a friend during restaurant week, when quality and service of food can always be suspect. Nevertheless, we were intrigued as their choices seemed more interesting and varied for the week than most.

After some confusion and long wait at the front, we were seated at a decent if crowded, small table facing 30th Street Station. They were out of the sparkling sangria listed on the RW menu so we got the red sangria instead, which was very good (even if our waiter seemed intent on spilling much of it on the floor). We had to order our entire meal, including dessert, right away. All dinners started with a generous and spicy bowl of gazpatcho. I then had the tuna tartare, which was ok, not especially flavorful and the toasts had some kind of spread on them that looked almost like cheese whiz. My main was a paella which also was just so-so: it was only lukewarm and seemed to have just been prepared in builk and dished out as ordered. For dessert, I had ordered a Gran Marinier frozen souffle which quite honestly had the taste and texture of cool whip and little else.

All told, nothing about the experience made me want to rush back for another meal. Beyond the just-average food, the room was very noisy and the wait service not great - and smelly! Our waiter had quite noticeable body odor which was really unpleasant any time he reached over to fill my water glass! This place seems to be lasting on its location and little else.

• Pros: Sangria, view
• Cons: Food, service

09/18/09

Service is a joke, too bad it's not funny.

by Phil Sounds

This restaurant has hands down the WORST service I have ever experienced. I do not feel I am being too hard or overly critical as I have been in the food industry for over ten years myself. Judging by the other reviews on this site, my experience was also not a unique one. The restaurant had only three other couples eating dinner and the server came by twice over the course of two hours. All that was ordered were drinks and appetizers. The second round of drinks was made, the waiter walked past our table with the drinks on his tray, walked up to another couple, gave them their drinks walked back right past us still carrying our drinks, set them down on the bar, and then proceeded to disappear for a half hour. At this point you figure, ok maybe he's going to bring the apps out with the drinks and they're ready, or they weren't the drinks I ordered. Literally 34 minutes later, the waiter comes back, picks the same tray up off the bar and brings the same drinks to my table now completely watered down by ice without any explanation, as if the drinks had to be brought to room temp to be served right. I usually leave a minimum 15% tip regardless of how bad service might be, but I couldnt bring myself to do it for this guy. I never did get my appetizers. Terrible service. The food MIGHT be good, but who could know if its never served to you. The parking authority will give you better service than this place does, and they BLATANTLY dont give a F*** about the citizens of Philly.

• Pros: The view
• Cons: Ive had better service at the PPA.