Water Works Restaurant & Lounge

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Address:
640 Water Works Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Neighborhood:
Art Museum

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Cuisine:
Mediterranean

Price: $31 to $50

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Water Works Restaurant & Lounge Details

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Website: http://www.waterworksrestaurant.com
Email: info@waterworksrestaurant.com
Phone: (215) 236-9000
Hours of Operation: Lunch: Tuesday - Saturday: 11:30am - 2:30pm
Dinner: Tuesday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 9:00pm, Friday - Saturday:5:00pm -10:00pm, Sunday: 5:00pm - 8:00pm
Brunch: Sunday: 11:00am - 2:30pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Mediterranean, American, Steak
Dress Code: Business Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
Catering: Please contact us for details.
Special Events & Promotions: The Water Works Restaurant and Lounge is the perfect venue for special events of all kinds! This historic landmark offers unique options for both indoor and outdoor affairs of all sizes. Please email events@waterworksrestaurant.com for more information

Getting there

Cross Street: Kelly Drive
Parking: Valet
Parking Details: Complimentary valet parking for lunch & brunch. $10 valet for dinner. Public parking also available.

A word from Water Works Restaurant & Lounge

Nestled on the banks of the Schuylkill River, the Water Works Restaurant and Lounge is Philadelphia’s Landmark Dining Experience. Built in 1812, the Fairmount Water Works was an engineering and architectural marvel, pumping fresh water for Philadelphians until 1860. Today, this National Historic… Landmark is home to world-class cuisine, impeccable service and the magical dining experience that is the Water Works Restaurant and Lounge. Dine beneath the high barrel-vaulted ceiling of the Engine House or the glass enclosed Solarium boasting the most spectacular views in town. Relax with intimate dining in the Breezeway and cocktails in the Caretaker's Lounge. Our outdoor terrace and riverside veranda offer Philly’s best outdoor dining experience. Saveur Magazine proclaimed the Water Works as “One of the Top 100 Dining Experiences in the World.” Experience the Water Works Restaurant and Lounge and discover that this enchanting place that once made history now makes unforgettable memories.Continued

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerMediterranean
Diners' Choice WinnerScenic View

Diner Reviews

"Great dining experience. very good food, excellent service and fantastic view. would recommend this restaurant for all occasions."
Dined on 4/13/2014
"The scenery was beautiful, the food was exquisite and the service was outstanding. I will definitely be going back again. Loved it...."
Dined on 4/13/2014
"We celebrated our anniversary at the Water Works with an evening dinner, great service, and a spectacular view. It can't get much more romantic than this. We had lamb lollipops as our appetizer, duck for the main course, and naturally the waterwheel for our dessert."
Dined on 4/13/2014
"I have never been disappointed at the Water Works. This time I planned a luncheon event with four friends. Everyone enjoyed a great time with fabulous food and ambience."
Dined on 4/2/2014
"Hi, I made a reservation through open table for Water Works on 4/4/2014 for their Golden Anniversary. I specified that I wanted them to make it special for my parents. When my parents arriived they immediately said Happy Anniversary and seated them at a romantic booth close to the bar. My parents had the tomato bisque and Mediterrean Salad to start. They both shared the Mac N Cheese and Salmon. When their dessert came out they wrote Happy Anniversary on their plates. They said the service was excellent and made their night truly special. They thanked me because they would have not done this for themselves. I conveniently had purchased a WaterWorks gift card so my parents could be treated. Thanks again for making my parents night special!"
Dined on 4/4/2014
"Service and food are second to none. Always enjoy my time at Waterworks."
Dined on 4/6/2014
"I go here often for their Sunday brunch. Very good food, excellent service, and the ambiance and scenic view make it pretty special for a nice day's start in the city. Is located in a great location within walking distance to the arts district. --jm"
Dined on 4/6/2014
"I wanted to take my wife somewhere special for our wedding anniversary. The Water Works was just perfect for what I wanted. Quiet but not stuffy. Impeccable service and wonderful food. The location couldn't have been better and when it gets warmer, we will go there to sit out on the patio. Loved it."
Dined on 4/5/2014
"The Waterworks couldn't be better located for those attending the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A brief walk down a sometimes steep path will find you at the restaurant's front door. We were greeted by helpful staff offering to relieve us of our wet coats and umbrellas and seated in a small room, just to he right of reception, with a lovely view overlooking the Schuykill River. We ordered a flat bread, soups and salads, which were all okay, but not as nice as our view. On leaving, reception was once again quite helpful, informing us when our transportation had arrived."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"Unfortunately, there was a wedding reception taking place while we were there. The evening started out nice and quiets, but then we had a constant parade of people, appetizers, and waiters passing in front of our table. The guests kept walking back and forth from the bar while having their cocktails. It became very noisy, and more like a chain restaurant like Fridays, Chili's, etc."
Dined on 3/30/2014
"Very disappointed!! Celebrated our 26th anniversary and was looking forward to a delightful dining experience at a quiet table with a beautiful view... Instead, we waited for more than one hour at the bar with overpriced cocktails despite the fact I had made the reservation one week prior. When we were finally seated, we ended up at a corner table behind the wedding tent next to an open door where the electric cords were snaking through. It was a noisy, cold, extremely disappointing experience:( Will never come back again, and will certainly NOT recommend The Waterworks to anyone."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"The views and ambience at Waterworks are the best in the city. The food is also very good. I had a very simple meal - shrimp cocktail and it was truly the best I have ever had. The shrimp were not large (even though the menu said jumbo) - but they were really tender. Top ingredients. Also the bar selections are fun and generous."
Dined on 3/28/2014
"We were served two courses that were inedible: a lobster bisque that was thin and called to mind mixed shells of various seafood remains - none of them lobster - and grilled shrimp so heinous that I had to spit it out into a napkin. The shrimp had a rank flavor that was difficult to place but had a metallic feel. It was horrendous. Roast chicken was fine and the mesculan salad without the offending shrimp was ok. Bread was warm. Butter tasted like the refrigerator, but I ate it with the rolls because I otherwise would have had nothing to ea tin the absence of an appetizer. Restaurant manager, who had tasted the shrimp, offered his apologies and took it and the soup off the bill. Still, it was an unpleasant meal."
Dined on 3/25/2014
"Very disappointing Sunday brunch. Our server was fake-friendly and rude to the other staff members, asking them to do things for "his friends" ( all the diners in his area). The selection of items for the brunch was not as extensive as I would have liked. I ordered an omelet with spinach, peppers and cheese. I got an omelet with so much ground pepper, and no peppers, that I spit out the first bite. The crepes and the desserts were tasteless. The carving station ham was terrible. The two items that were fantastic were the sweet potato soufflé and the beef tips. This meal was not worth $40 a piece."
Dined on 3/2/2014
"This is my second attempt at Water Works and it's just "alright." The reason is mostly because this is the restaurant choice of tourists. This restaurant also has a very questionable staff. It seems they are far too comfortable and I would love to swap them with the staff from a similarly priced but more respectful restaurant like Butcher and Singer. It is honestly humerous how "fake friendly" they are. Each time the waiter left our area we chuckled to each other about his latest rant. Further, the guests are similarly odd in that they want to talk to each other like you are at an outdoor cafe and not a romantic historic restaurant. This restaurant could use a refresh in service and the food is dineresque."
Dined on 2/16/2014
"Long time friends were dying to go here, so we eagerly made reservations and looked forward to it. The Hostess Staff were very friendly and welcomed us kindly. We were a bit early, so we were greeted cheerfully by a very nice bartender and ordered drinks with no problem. We were soon seated in the covered porch section instead of the empty dining room, with a big, solid post as our only view, with no view of the river. Dinner was ordered from the rather high priced menu that offer promise and the waiter was very nice. It all fell apart when the food arrived. It was for the most part cold, rather bland, and not very enjoyable. Definitely not worth the price. They have a long way to go in the kitchen before I would consider going back."
Dined on 3/14/2014
"My fiancé and I went here for our anniversary. It was our first time there and requested a romantic booth with a view. They definitely obliged but it was also a Thursday and only 3 other tables were there so they kind of had to. I felt our server was on the newer side. The support staff was great though. The food was good, although one of my beef skewers was mostly fat. My fiancé and I both got steaks. They were cooked perfectly and the family style sides were definitely big enough for two. However, there was a creamy horseradish sauce that accompanied the steak but it didn't seem to really compliment it and the Brussels sprouts were not fully roasted. Overall, it was good but definitely not the best we've had for the price."
Dined on 3/13/2014
"We had a really great meal here, we have not been disappointed yet."
Dined on 3/12/2014
"We were disappointed in our celebratory brunch experience. The food was not very special, although abundant and varied. Omelets were small. Service stations for crepes and waffles were unmanned when we attempted to order them. Food in the "heating pans" was cold; bacon was long past its prime, as were the pancakes. Our server was disinterested; most attention came from the nice young lady who refolded our napkins every time we left our table."
Dined on 3/9/2014
"Very good service and diverse menu. The water view at sunset was beautiful. The noise level was low so conversation was easy. What would have been the only improvement would have been to not have a family with children seated next to us."
Dined on 3/8/2014
"Great food and pleasant surroundings make this a wonderful destination, especially for lunch."
Dined on 3/8/2014
"I appreciated the waiter and chef making substitutions so that my meal was gluten free since I really cannot eat anything with gluten."
Dined on 3/7/2014
"I think of this place as a venue for a large party, on a summer night, on back terrace. It just isn't inviting for a couple, in dead of winter. Plus, tough location with no foot traffic. With that being said, food was alright and our waiter was knowledgable. The Ono special was quite nice, with razor clams. My spinach salad was too large and over dressed. There are so many great restaurants in center city, this place just isn't on the radar."
Dined on 3/7/2014
"Had an excellent time at the Water Works. This place is best experienced at the early dinner hours. We went later in the evening and the night sky made the view harder to enjoy. Furthermore, it was winter, so the window seating was simply too cold to be tolerated. that said, the main dining room was beautiful and our service was well timed and excellent. The food was very good and the price point was somewhat average for a restaurant of this caliber. Definitely worth a return visit in the spring or summer months."
Dined on 1/18/2014
"Upon arrival seated immediately. The chef was not ready for me knowing I was responding. Service was slow at the start. Once the chef selected my options, all became smooth. Manager Mick was helpful."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"An imposing building and a stunning view make a trip worth it, but the inside is a bit Grecian and austere in winter, with the exception of the very sympathetic little bar. The food is good but there are plenty of better places in Philly, but few with a setting to rival this. A summer evening would be best for this place, but the experience is worth having any time of year."
Dined on 3/1/2014
"Great food,service. Always a great view even in the winter."
Dined on 2/27/2014
"Ate hear with my hubbie and enjoyed the quiet. Food was very good and excellent service. Manager was very welcoming."
Dined on 2/18/2014
"I had a great experience here at the Water Works. The service was exceptional, the staff knowledgeable, and the scenery was perfect. Some of the food pairings weren't quite to my tastes, but on the whole I would say they were solid. The wine pairings were close to perfect, I would have liked a slightly less strong wine with dessert though. A good, if not great choice none the less."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"This was the first time at Water Works as a) I've always wanted to see the view during the day, and b) I'm a big fan of brunch. The overall selection isn't mindblowing by any means, which is why the $40 pricetag still makes it worth it. I still don't understand how mimosas are included with the price, but regular OJ is not. Overall, the quality of the food is good, and the view is great. Saw lots of smaller groups/families at brunch which make me think that this is the place to go if you have some out of towners you'd like to entertain with the view and have a leisurely meal.."
Dined on 2/16/2014
"Brunch was $40, it was just okay. Not memorable. Mimosa's were just okay, if you could get your server to acknowledge you. Ours was too busy talking very LOUDLY to another table trying to impress them with his flamboyant style. He wouldn't even look our way unless we called to him, and even then he pretended he didn't hear us."
Dined on 2/16/2014
"The service was the only positive aspect of this experience."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"My first time here. Heard a lot of good things about this place. I was just a little disappointed. Although the restaurant wasn't very busy, I thought service was just a tad slow. My lobster was missing the lobster flavor...seemed more like tomato base. That was my biggest disappointment..it didn't taste bad just not lobster. Overall the meal was good ...not spectacular. We may give it another try but I'm not running back. Nice views of the river and boathouse row. Would probably lovely on a spring or summer evening."
Dined on 2/16/2014
"Had a reservation for 2-16-14, between snow days. We will return, but during better weather to experience more of the restaurant. It looks like the perfect place for outdoor dining. As it was, our evening could not have been better. The hostess seated us at a private table looking out to the river. Perfect. Our waiter was attentive without being overly so. Our dinner selections were great. Thanks to the chef. We look forward to our next evening at The Water Works."
Dined on 2/16/2014
"Coming from the suburbs, I would've never found this restaurant if it weren't for OpenTable. It was everything I expected from a five star buffet experience."
Dined on 2/16/2014
"I want to be as respectful as possible so I will say that my server and the staff were very polite. That is where the positives stop. The prices were outrageous for everything from drinks to food. No one informed me that Valentines day would be a Fixed Menu with a fixed price. My first course was salmon tartar which was o.k.. My second course was a stale half of a bread stick with a tiny piece of prosciutto and 2 tiny pieces of arugula. The main course was a "Filet" which looked and tasted a lot more like a piece of prime rib then filet. Finally dessert was a red velvet cake which tasted like it had been sitting in the fridge for well over a week. Including tax and tip for 2 it was $240. They should send me $200 back and keep the tip"
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Excellent restaurant one of the best in the city ....thank you."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"The food was great and the service was good. There were a few bumps in the service in that the waiter brought the wrong wine and forgot to bring the intermezzo so we never got it. The servers who tended to us were very friendly and accommodating. It was very busy since it was Valentine's day and we weren't very happy with our seat location, the end of a row close to the entrance door which made it busy. We were not able to enjoy the setting overlooking the river and were placed in a large open room. After dinner we went to the bar and the bartender was excellent and made us feel real comfortable near the window for a great view while we were enjoying our after dinner drink. We would return to the restaurant the next time we are in Philly."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Food was only ok and yet very expensive ($100 per person). Service was the worst I've had in a long time. We sat for over 10 minutes before our server made his first visit, then only made two more visits the whole night, even though we could clearly see him across the room doing nothing. We had to ask managers to get us drinks and anyone we could grab for silver wear. Will not eat there again."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Unfortunately, my husband and I made reservations for 9:30 and were not seated until 10:45. It took at least 20 minutes to be served at the bar while we waited for our table and then we felt rushed through the dinner experience. It's unfortunate because the atmosphere was adorable but we wouldn't go back."
Dined on 2/14/2014

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