Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Philadelphia / New Jersey Suburbs
  4. Philadelphia
  5. Old City
Franklin Social Kitchen & Bar, Philadelphia, PA

Franklin Social Kitchen & Bar

4.0
4
108 Reviews
$30 and under
Contemporary American
Franklin Social, at the Renaissance Hotel Philadelphia Downtown, serves up contemporary American dining in the heart of Philadelphia's Old City Historic District.
Gather with friends, family and colleagues, as Ben Franklin frequently did in his time – He was quite the entertainer didn’t you know and enjoy a meal showcasing an attitude that's all Philly. Join us for a craft beer from around the corner, or an award-winning wine from around the world.
Whether you're craving a quick bite or full meal, Franklin Social will bring you the best products and flavors from around the region to entice your taste buds. All of this Philly flair is brought to you by a friendly and engaging team that should make you feel right at home. Franklin Social allows you to take part in a piece of American history, while creating a piece of your own history all in a vibrant, welcoming environment.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 3 times today

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Cuisines

    Contemporary American, American

  • Hours of operation

    Breakfast Daily 6:30 am–11:00 am Lunch Daily 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–11:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (215) 931-4260

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress code

    Business Casual

  • Executive chef

    John A. Arney III

  • Catering

    Host Your Private Event at Franklin Social! Ben Franklin used to hold Community dinners for Americans living in Paris back in the day. Franklin social offers private space, including a lobby level lounge area. We can accommodate 12-100 guests and have several menus to choose from and are happy to customize menus with optional wine pairing from our extensive wine list or reserve list. Seasonal Menu changes may occur, so our team will provide current menus at your request. For Private dining and event inquiries, please contact fill out the form below or call 215.931.4260

  • Private party facilities

    Host Your Private Event at Franklin Social! Ben Franklin used to hold Community dinners for Americans living in Paris back in the day. Franklin social offers private space, including a lobby level lounge area. We can accommodate 12-100 guests and have several menus to choose from and are happy to customize menus with optional wine pairing from our extensive wine list or reserve list. Seasonal Menu changes may occur, so our team will provide current menus at your request. For Private dining and event inquiries, please contact fill out the form below or call 215.931.4260

  • Neighborhood

    Old City

  • Cross street

    4th and Chestnut

  • Parking details

    Valet

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 108 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0
4 based on recent ratings
  • 4Food
  • 4Service
  • 3.8Ambience
  • 3.8Value

NoiseModerate

Sort by

  1. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Mother’s Day Brunch at the Franklin Social was amazing, the was food delicious and endless mimosas, sangria so yummy. I loved the atmosphere and decor. The staff was friendly with great customer service. I will definitely be back.
  2. JaclynB

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall3food5service4ambience4
    Once we were seated upstairs, everything was wonderful. The food was outstanding, as was the service by all of the staff in the ballroom where brunch took place. The "check in" station was extremely disorganized and understaffed - there also was no mention (to my knowledge) that we would need to pay prior to being seated. Also, the restrooms were all dirty and the toilets were clogged. And not for nothing, maybe it's time to retire the Will Smith photo in the bathroom.
  3. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall3food3service4ambience3
    We celebrated Mother’s Day here. It was nice being that is was short notice for reservations for a party of 10 and it was a brunch buffet, I wasn’t disappointed. My family had a great time together staff was accommodating to our request and food was respectable. Bottomless mimosas was on point!
  4. SpaceCase

    Philadelphia

    7 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall1food1service2ambience2
    We went to Mother’s Day brunch buffet. It was awful, especially for the steep price tag. $75 pp (when including tax and automatic tip). The eggs were cold, slim offerings, and the omelet station had cheese, onions, and peppers. I think diced ham at the very least is standard. Really poor showing for the Renaissance hotel. 0/10 would highly NOT recommend.
  5. MaeganS

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 24, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Great drinks and tasty entrees- super quiet on a Monday so we ate at the bar
  6. OpenTable Diner

    Pittsburgh

    14 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on April 24, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience3
    It was a good place to catch up with a friend. Not much ambience and no view. Better lighting and open blinds would help a lot. Staff was great and food came quickly.
  7. SallieG

    Atlantic City

    36 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    36 reviews

    Dined on January 27, 2023

    overall2food3service3ambience3
    We were only offered the restaurant week menu, which was not expected since I had a choice during the reservation process to choose the regular menu. We had to be at the theatre at 8PM so we decided to stay. We informed the server that we only had an hour, but since he was the only server, our entrees took a long time. We never did get the dessert because we had to go. 15% was taken off the bill for the inconvenience. The food was ok, but not great. The salmon was dry and the meatloaf was strange. We were not at all happy and won't return.
  8. MichaelP

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 25, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great Drinks, food and service. Really nice time for date night

    Franklin Social Kitchen & BarResponded on January 27, 2023Thank you so much for joining us

  9. Sally

    Philadelphia

    125 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    125 reviews

    Dined on January 24, 2023

    overall3food2service5ambience5
    Was disappointed with the fried chicken sandwich on Rest. Week menu. Chicken practically inedible. Tough, chewy and appeared as it was under cooked or cooked hours before served. And Tatar tots?
  10. MoisesS

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We didnt have to wait long to be seated. Didn’t have to wait long to order and to receive our food. Portion were great. Wife and I enjoyed it
  11. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 20, 2023

    overall1food3service1ambience4
    Disappointing service. There was only one person there taking orders and running the bar. He did a fantastic job. It’s disappointing the management left all this work for one person to handle.
  12. Laroons

    Philadelphia

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great service and delicious food!

    Franklin Social Kitchen & BarResponded on January 21, 2023Thank you so much for joining us!

  13. PaulB

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 16, 2023

    overall1food1service3ambience3
    Went to Franklin Social for Philly Restaurant Week. At 6PM, they were already out of two dishes on the menu. The appetizers were good, but the main course was terrible. Salmon was very overcooked, maybe microwaved. Vegetables were equally bad, and the mashed sweet potatoes cold. Presentation looked like a high school cafeteria lunch. There was only one waiter for the entire restaurant. He tried his best, but clearly needed help. This was my first visit to Franklin Social. There will not be a second.
  14. Will

    Philadelphia

    8 reviews

    3.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on January 16, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience3
    We arrived at our scheduled time, had to wait to be seated, this took more time then it should have since the place was more than half empty. Once we finally got to our seats, 10+ minutes passed before we even had water or were addressed by our server. 45 minutes to get the appetizers. Now, if the place were busy, I can understand that much more easily, there were 5 total tables with people, so I can not for the life of me understand what took so long. Food was good, did not leave hungry, but overall, I can not recommend.
  15. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 16, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience2
    In total, for lunch, we were there for an hour and half. It was awful. We waited 30 minutes before we even got our drinks. Never again
  16. CassidyO

    New York Area

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 16, 2023

    overall1food3service1ambience3
    We waited an hour just for our appetizer which was just salads and wound up being there for a nearly 3 hr long lunch with how slow the service was.
  17. Dana

    Philadelphia

    16 reviews

    1.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on January 15, 2023

    overall1food2service1ambience4
    Service was awful. Food was cold when it finally arrived. Our burgers were over cooked. They were charred. We asked for medium. Took 2 1/2 hours to be served a three course prefix menu. Had to ask busboy for drinks. Our server was horrendous.
  18. Rosh

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 17, 2022

    overall3food3service2ambience3
    The service was horrible. The food was overpriced and not that good.
  19. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 24, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Thanksgiving was delicious!
  20. AmandaJ

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 24, 2022

    overall1food1service3ambience1
    Sadly we chose to celebrate Thanksgiving thinking there would be a festive time here. The ambiance was like any other night and the food was very disappointing. The service was attentive but the music they were playing and the subpar meal overshadowed it. I should have noticed other similar comments when booking this reservation.
  21. Night

    New England

    24 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on October 26, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    Breakfast meeting, typical cuisine and very on-trend decor …. Our reservation was at 7 am and the waiter did as good a job as someone can do as a single server for the entire restaurant
  22. SAUNDRAK

    Philadelphia

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 7, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    Lovely outdoor sidewalk dining. Food was good. No coffee served at lunchtime seemed a bit unusual. Overall, a nice lunch.
  23. niknik519

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    1.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 15, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    We had a hard time figuring out where it was. When we went in, it didnt seem like they were expecting customers, most of the sections were closed. They had a buffet on the bar and said that was the only option (I dont even know where we would have sat?) So we left and went somewhere else. We didnt realize it was a hotel bar/restaurant. The website totally threw us off.
  24. PaulusS

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 8, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    Only go here if you have no other choice. The wait staff was kind enough. But this restaurant is nothing more than an outdated hotel lobby with food on the bar. The cutlery and glasses was uniformly not cleaned well.
  25. Guest

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 20, 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    Understaffed. They did not honor our reservation made through open table and we had to go elsewhere. We waited and at one point the bartender told us sorry, no more tables. The restaurant was full of dirty tables and he didn’t seem to have any support in sight.
  26. GourmetWannabe

    Philadelphia

    15 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on November 25, 2021

    overall1food3service2ambience2
    The bar was not stocked, no Prosecco or equivalent, poor wine choice. Soup was watered down, could have used some croutons. The turkey was supposedly pan seared but should have said pan reheated, white meat was very dry. No sparking water available. I should have read the reviews instead of trusting Open Table.
  27. Molly

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on September 20, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We were one of the last customers of the evening and were treated as if we were the only ones 💫
  28. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    12 reviews

    3.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on August 31, 2021

    overall3food2service3ambience5
    Overpriced lean cuisine meal. Ordered cheesesteak eggs rolls for an appetizer and when bitten into, center was frozen. Main course arrived and looked like a premade meal from a frozen dinner box. Waiter was kind and inside the ambiance was swanky - overall great place to grab a quick drink but not so great for dining.
  29. JoeA

    Philadelphia

    27 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on July 13, 2021

    overall3food3service3ambience4
    For starters, telling people they open at 7, and then telling everyone to come back at 7:30 is not a nice way to begin. Temp was colder than it needed to be, server was obviously doing more than she should have and wore it on her sleeve. Food included one slice of toast on the plate, which is never expected.
  30. WendyW

    Minneapolis

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on July 10, 2021

    overall3food3service2ambience4
    We visited the restaurant at 7 pm on a Saturday night. We were stunned to see we were the only people in the whole restuarant for the first 10 minutes. The bartender almost seemed to be annoyed. Not a great experience.
  31. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    240 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    240 reviews

    Dined on July 5, 2021

    overall3food3service5ambience4
    It is a good hotel restaurant - the food was okay but not particularly well-prepared. The wait staff was great.
  32. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 20, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing experience and atmosphere
  33. PoppyS

    New York Area

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on June 19, 2021

    overall3food3service5ambience4
    Food was average, service was great 😊
  34. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 17, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great friendly service, interesting variety of menu items, food was delicious. Nice convenient location.
  35. MarianneW

    Atlantic City

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 6, 2021

    overall5food5service5ambience3
    We were there in the beginning of May. It was empty in the restaurant. The food was good and the service was very good. We found the music they were playing to be a bit annoying. It’s pricey. But as long as I have good food and good service I don’t mind.
  36. EllenD

    New York Area

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on April 1, 2021

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    Food was delicious and service was excellent. A hidden gem. Highly recommend!
  37. MargieG

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2020

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    The service was outstanding and the food was delicious. A mist enjoyable late lunch on a Wednesday afternoon.
  38. Food4Thought

    Philadelphia

    46 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on February 14, 2020

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    Braised ribs with barley risotto was yummy. Spicy shrimp was good not great. Brussel sprouts were over-cooked. Not sure what type of place this restaurant is really trying to be. Wait staff outfits didn't make sense in relation to the ambiance they seem to be going for. Hard to see past it being a hotel-restaurant. A bit pricey for what you get.
  39. GabrielleB

    Philadelphia

    17 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on February 7, 2020

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    This restaurant was amazing! It has ample comfortable seating options, great ambiance, and beautiful decor. The staff was extremely friendly and attentive. The food was spot on! We enjoyed the Mac and cheese, deviled eggs, and two different types of salads. Planning to go back ASAP.
  40. UWreckMe

    Charlotte

    1 review

    vip
    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 2, 2020

    overall3food4service1ambience3
    Nice place, with good food. Our waiter was very confrontational and not pleasant at all.

Safety precautions

  • Cleaning & sanitizing

    • Surfaces sanitized between seatings
    • Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
    • Common areas deep-cleaned daily
  • Physical distancing

    • Limited number of seated diners
    • Distancing maintained in common areas
    • Extra space between tables
  • Protective equipment

    • Waitstaff wear masks
    • Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
  • Screening

    • Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

Franklin Social Kitchen & Bar offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (215) 931-4260.

Franklin Social Kitchen & Bar is rated 4 stars by 108 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 3 times today
Google Map for Franklin Social Kitchen & Bar

401 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street

    4th and Chestnut

  • Neighborhood

    Old City

  • Hours of operation

    Breakfast Daily 6:30 am–11:00 am Lunch Daily 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Daily 5:00 pm–11:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Contemporary American, American

  • Dining style

    Casual Dining

  • Dress code

    Business Casual

  • Parking details

    Valet

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Executive chef

    John A. Arney III

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

  • Phone number

    (215) 931-4260

  • Catering

    Host Your Private Event at Franklin Social! Ben Franklin used to hold Community dinners for Americans living in Paris back in the day. Franklin social offers private space, including a lobby level lounge area. We can accommodate 12-100 guests and have several menus to choose from and are happy to customize menus with optional wine pairing from our extensive wine list or reserve list. Seasonal Menu changes may occur, so our team will provide current menus at your request. For Private dining and event inquiries, please contact fill out the form below or call 215.931.4260

  • Private party facilities

    Host Your Private Event at Franklin Social! Ben Franklin used to hold Community dinners for Americans living in Paris back in the day. Franklin social offers private space, including a lobby level lounge area. We can accommodate 12-100 guests and have several menus to choose from and are happy to customize menus with optional wine pairing from our extensive wine list or reserve list. Seasonal Menu changes may occur, so our team will provide current menus at your request. For Private dining and event inquiries, please contact fill out the form below or call 215.931.4260

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2023 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
Rentalcars Logo
OpenTable Logo