10/20/08

Rude Staff, Snobby DJ

by everyonelovesaphillygirl

I never had a terrible time at L'Etage; it's a great place to dance and it's nice that it's off the beaten path. However, the staff can be rude. Since this place is kind of small, people seem to pile on top of each other when at the bar waiting for a drink or trying to close their tabs, and the bartenders become frustrated and overwhelmed, taking it out on the customers. The DJ (when I went it was DJ Opal Rock) played a good mix of music, but when I gave him a request he gave me a blank stare and went back to "spinning". The bathrooms are singles and one was broken so the line was outrageous, adding to the congestion near the bar.

If customer service is not a deal breaker for you, then give L'Etage a try.

• Pros: Location, Decor
• Cons: Size, Staff

08/14/08

Inexcusable

by addexm

I recently had an awful experience at L'Etage. While watching a Martha Graham Cracker performance, the waitress spilled an entire drink on my boyfriend.

So, I'm an adult, and I understand that these things happen, and upon receiving our bill, the waitress mentioned that she removed 4 drinks which is great and much appreciated.

However, much to our surprise, upon receiving the bill, we noticed that we were still overcharged by two drinks.

When we pointed this fact out to the waitress, she deferred to her manager who became quite argumentative. Then, the supposed owner came over, and made the statement "I will take one round of drinks off, but if you say another word, you'll never come back here."

Now, I'm not a big fan of confrontation, and I realize that these sort of disputes happen from time to time. But the attitude of the owner was completely out of line.

We have been patronizing L'Etage for several months, coming to see Martha. We've told others, and on this particular night, no less than 14 of our friends were also in attendance.

For an owner to treat us with that sort of disrespect, is frankly inexcusable.

I will never again patronize L'Etage or Beau Monde, due solely to his insolence, and I have advised my friends against it as well. As much as I love Martha graham Cracker, there is no room in my life for such treatment.

02/18/07

Change of pace

by anthonycbis

A exquisite draw away from the crush of Olde City and Rittenhouse with an overall ambiance that alludes to the consummate lounge. A spacious enough dancefloor, with cosy booths and tapestry inspired wallpaper gets its edge from the house dj on the 1s & 2s with throwback hits from every genre. The annoyances are generated from the usual lowlifes who hug the bar, nurse one drink and refuse to get out of the way. It wouldn't hurt to have the aid of a few more bar backs to allow the bartenders to concentrate solely on providing patrons with the contents of a very well stocked bar. Drinks, atmosphere and music combine to make this a wonderful getaway, that's a stonesthrow away from Lorenzo's ... the perfect afterparty snack.

• Pros: Ambiance, music, drinks
• Cons: service, crowded

Upstairs from Beau Monde is a nightlife nook that evokes Paris in the 1920s.

by Contributor

In Short
A beautiful dark-wood bar is at the center of this lounge and wine bar, while leather banquettes run the perimeter. The scarlet and salmon hues are softly lit by art-deco sconces; seating alcoves, draped with brocade silk and beaded-fringe velvet, are filled with young professionals sipping wine as DJs spin chill tunes nightly. A small menu highlights the kitchen's casual fare: a cheese plate, pâté, salads and an array of pastries.

04/05/06

I miss L'Etage!

by jbelly

The hardest part of moving out of Bella Vista was leaving L'etage. Beautifully decorated-- I like this spot during the week for a relaxing glass of wine or on the weekends for a party atmosphere. Oh L'Etage.... why can't you be in the Gayborhood? You're much better than Vallani--ugh!

• Pros: beautiful, intimate

03/23/06

Great place for big groups!

by sanwarsm

The first time I went to L'Etage was for a birthday dinner- they accomodated 20 people, no problem. (Clearly, a reservation needs to be made. ) The atmosphere is cozy and intimate; the decor is lovely. The menu consists mostly of crepes, took me a couple times to figure out which crepes I liked, but I'm happy with the food. The drinks are very reasonably priced, they have a great selection of beers and wine. This place is awesome for group gatherings- especially birthdays. After 10 L'Etage turns into a dance club- love it!

02/21/03

magnifique

by maura

this is what lounging in philadelphia should be like -- low lighting, a good wine list, and cheese.

02/10/03

Mixed Feelings

by eldondre

I recently went to try L'Etage with high hopes. I got there and was immediately happy with the decor. Very French with the curtains and wall paper. Getting a drink was slow but not painfully so. What got me was the loud and oh so typical music. It didn;t seem to fit the type of bar. there was no French theme for music nor anything special about it at all...could have been at the Danceplex. Second thing, the wine list was short and overpriced. While overpriced may be French, a short and non descript wine list is not. Personally, I will probably return in 6 months or so to see if anything has changed give this is new. It is a niche that definitely needs to be filled. We ended our night at O'Neals.