10/05/08

Best Lounge in Philly

by rservant

This place is gorgeous. The entire room just got remodeled and it looks beautiful. I went with some friends for cocktails before having dinner in the Fountain and I will be back soon. The drinks are great and everyone is very friendly. The chairs and couches are super comfortable and you won't want to leave. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a classy lounge experience in Philadelphia

• Pros: Staff very friendly, ambiance great, awesome cocktails

07/14/08

Best place to celebrate in Philadelphia

by remy4378

We recently celebrated our anniversary at the fountain. We had 7:30 reservations on a saturday night and were promptly seated at a table by the window that had a great view of the Swann fountain. I had made the reservation using open table and had requested a table that had a view. Initial impression was that the dining room was breathtakingly beautiful. The flower arrangements are tasteful and memorable, the space is split up into several rooms and the tables are well spaced and above all the noise level is very low. We had the 6 course tasting menu with wine pairing ($110 for the six courses, $190 with wine). This ended up being the best meal I have had in the city of Philadelphia. The food is not over the top but simple, elegant and consisting of the best ingredients. For example we had a squid ink pasta with gulf shrimp in a saffron sauce that was perfectly paired with a French Rose. The asian inspired pork tenderloin cutlet with wilted spinach was paired perfectly with a Beaujolais and finally the best pairing of the night was the filet of beef paired with a smoky/ earthy Rioja. We requested that we would like to pick our own desserts and they were more than happy to accommodate us at no extra charge. The chocolate souffle here is the real thing; baked in a ramequin with a good inch of fluffiness above the vessel that contains it's chocolaty center.

We enjoyed our dinner (& as we were staying at the hotel) so much that we returned the next morning for brunch ($68). The brunch consisted of a beautiful spread of appetizers & desserts nestled among lavish flower arrangements. You get to chose a main entree from six to seven choices that the waiter will fire upon your request. This was a great treat to end a perfect weekend getaway.

I would elaborate on brunch but I am running out of characters for this review. FYI while dinner requires a Jacket, Brunch is upscale casual. The service above all is completely devoid of any pretension.

• Pros: Ambience is the best in philadelphia for a special occasion
• Cons: Other than price (which is justified by the ambience, food and service), none

02/25/08

Nice night out

by foodstain

My husband took me here for our 4-year anniversary. (We also brought our 14-months-old daughter along.) The restaurant scenery was beautiful. We had reservations and didn't have to wait long to be seated. Our waitress was very courteous and attentive. The food is somewhat pricey (ranging from around 12$ - 50$) but is exceptional. I had the warm duck salad as first course and cleaned the whole plate! The salad is full of flavors like no other salad I've ever tried before. I followed with the crab cakes (which was good also) while my husband had filet mignon. His filet mignon was about the size of a fist costing 36$ but was very delicious. We finished our meal with creme brulee for dessert (they even wrote "Happy Anniversary" on it.) We enjoyed the whole dining experience & would love to come back again (except next time we probably would get a babysitter for our daughter..she would not sit still there!) If you're willing to spend the money & want to find a restaurant that endulges your senses, this is your place for a perfect date.

11/07/07

Don't Waste Your $$$

by iwant2know

I went to the Swann Lounge for a bridal brunch this past weekend and what a disappointment! Hot food should be hot, but it was luke warm. The meat was dry... tasted more like saw dust. Kitchen staff did not do a good job filling up food stations... many items were left empty. Not only that -- I found hair in my dessert! For $68 per person, it's inexcusable!

• Pros: Courteous wait staff
• Cons: Everything else!

07/22/07

One Fountain, Too Many Streams

by a_leeds

I've just returned from Sunday brunch at Fountain. The interesting thing about brunch at Fountain is that you cannot also take food from the Swann Lounge, whose own enormous and appetizing buffet is visible literally 20 steps away. Amusingly, I remember eating brunch at the Swann several years ago and finding it frustrating that I couldn't take advantage of the artful buffet in Fountain. The imaginary barrier between the restaurants does not work at all for me. Fountain is supposed to be the more upscale of the two restaurants, but this Sunday the Swann Lounge had a warmer atmosphere figuratively and literally (the temperature in Fountain was much too cold). The light in Swann Lounge was brighter, suiting a Sunday morning, and the live musicians were better placed for the Loungers.

Our food was good, though not stellar. I had the "celebration of flavours" special, whose cost, like that of the other entrees, was inclusive of any choices from the buffet (the Fountain buffet, anyway). Some personal opinions: The avocado base for my lobster tail was overly spicy. The sauce in the mash potatoes that came with the veal(?) tongue was a touch too strong. The servers were friendly and helpful. Assuming the room temperature is usually warmer, this seems a safe bet for a mid-to-high quality meal.

An elegant touchstone of modern French cuisine at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia.

by Contributor

In Short
Nestled in the back of the Four Seasons' lobby, this restaurant's muted golds, rich fabrics and warm woods swathe spacious, posh dining rooms. Here, upscale clientele feast on elegant dishes that mingle German flavorings with French cuisine: tissue-thin venison carpaccio with juniper-flavored grapes or a butternut squash soup. The salmon in cider vinegar sauce with apple and potato strudel also is a popular dish. For dessert, choose from aged cheeses or the chocolate souffle.

09/20/06

BAR NONE, BEST Restaurant in Philadelphia

by Craiggers

The Fountain is the top restaurant in Philadelphia, PERIOD. I have dined at all the fab spots (Le Bec-Fin, Pasion, Capital Grille, etc.) around town and find this to be the place that achieves near perfection in every possible way. Jim, our repeat server, is a master of recommending tastes that meld perfectly throughout the evening. The lobster is simply phenomenal. The soups here are impeccably mixed and especially fragrant. The desserts are out of this world! Prices are quite high, as one would expect at The Four Seasons, but for special occasions I would rather spend the extra cash than risk the event falling flat somewhere else. You will also encounter some of the most charming, interesting, handsome and well-mannered people in town (or visiting) sidling up to you at the bar. The Fountain is, for me, a dream come true for Philadelphia. Did I forget to mention that the flower arrangements both inside the dining room and the lobby make those at the Ritz and the Rittenhouse look like a 5-year old put them together? Take the extra time to smell the roses here... it's a multi-sensory experience you shouldn't miss!

• Pros: Incredible... period.
• Cons: Expensive... but soooooo worth it!

04/16/06

A Lovely Spot for Brunch or Drinks

by skatesandbikes11

The Four Seasons can not be topped for a lovely place in Philly to relax and enjoy, whether it is for brunch, lunch, or drinks.

• Pros: beautiful setting, comfortable seating, top notch service

The Four Seasons' swanky watering hole for well-heeled travelers and locals who value a good martini.

by Contributor

In Short
This posh spot features festooning luxury fabrics in peach and sea green, a fireplace and wood and marble decor. It provides a great view of Logan Circle's fountain, and people-watching is prime, too. Here, the fancy drinks aren't poured so much as they're presented, sometimes on a silver tray. Afternoon tea with trimmed-crust sandwiches also is offered at 3pm daily, while a Viennese dessert buffet is brought in to enhance the weekend indulgences.

10/19/05

Good, but...

by onthelamb

We had a good meal here, but it was not as good as we would have hoped.