The Olde Bar
The Olde Bar, located in Philadelphia’s landmark Old Original Bookbinder’s, is a contemporary oyster bar and cocktail lounge steeped in the city’s nautical and culinary traditions. Serving oysters on the half shell, alongside a smart menu of modern re-imaginings of traditional bar snacks and a comprehensive cocktail and spirit list, The Olde Bar is at once a tribute to the city’s storied past and an updated version of one of our most beloved dining spaces.
Private Dining
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Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
Loved the ambiance and the friendliness + promptness of the staff!
This was our first visit. Service, food, and ambience were excellent. We’ll definitely be back often!
I always have a lovely time at The Olde Bar. The food is amazing and the staff is friendly. They are following COVID guidelines and made me feel safe and comfortable during my dining experience,
Great spots for dinner but for me it’s the happy hour! Great place to meet friends or take clients after a day of work.
Bad bloody mary and limited menu, surprised being a Garces joint and all
Great atmosphere, great service. Will definitely make this one of my regular stops.
My favorite city bar- food is delicious, and the staff can’t be any kinder.
We got a couple of bar bites that we’re very good. The crab fingers were melt in your mouth, the friend clams were slightly spicy which was great and fried to perfection, the lobster roll my husband had (it’s a mini) for happy hour he said he enjoyed it. We also got the seafood tower. The king crab was like butter, the oysters fresh, the shrimp and crab delightful it was all very good. If you don’t want clams they can be replaced with oysters (which we’ll do next time(not a huge raw clam person). We also got the lobster pot pie to share (it’s very good with a nice flaky puff pasty shell). We got the chocolate layered cake (9 thin layers more like a dulce and chocolate I think) anyway it was amazing, pecan pie to go was good too. Ohh we had the house punch many many times
Decided to dine for my birthday and I’m so glad we did! We went for lunch a little after they open and the entire staff greeted me for my special day. We sat at the Managers table which was a perfect seat. The sunlight provided the perfect addition to our meal. Evan our server was attentive and provided excellent service. We had the seafood tower, chowder, and shrimp cocktail and trust me had no room to spare! Definitely going back for the oyster happy hour soon!
I enjoyed my Valentine’s Day
We were here for Valentine’s Day. The menu that was offered was the tasting menu which sounded delicious and it was very tasty minus the desert which was very disappointing. My husband and I got one fish entree with shaved truffles on top (save your money next time don’t get the add ins totally NOT worth it) and the petite filet Oscar style. We were quite disappointed that we opted for the Oscar style as it was just about a tablespoon or less of crabmeat on top. For $15 Oscar style we would expect a decent amount of crab meat on top. The flavors were good but the portion size was quite small for the steak entree. The fish was very good however and the portion was good. My husband didn’t enjoy the salad course at All. I though the flavor was good but it was quite plain. Just arugula endive and house made dressing. Maybe some nuts on top or cherry tomatoes or something a little extra to complete the salad. The rolls were very good, warm, flavorful and delicious. THE DRINKS WERE FABULOUS! Honestly the drinks and the FRESH OYSTERS made our meal special and delicious. It was very cold in the bar area where we were seated but we had a great location. Just a little too cold maybe because closer to the front door.
Went for Valentine’s Day. The Valentine’s menu was awesome. It was delicious
Waiter forgot food that was ordered, never checked on us, did not refill water bottle, rushed in and rushed out. Food was undercooked and WAY over-salted. Huge disappointment.
The ambiance, service and food were all excellent at The Olde Bar. We sat at the bar table at the tail end of Happy Hour and we loved the music they played as well. The setting is so rustic and charming. All the food we had from the bar menus and raw bar were great. Looking forward to returning. If it was closer to where I lived, it would be my local.
They were only offering a prix fixe menu for Valentine's day weekend. The cost of $65pp did not feel appropriate for the amount of food received. The salad and dessert were to be shared, though, in my opinion, portioned for only 1 person. The seafood platter was also somewhat scarce. The entrees (only 2 options, steak or branzino) were sufficiently sized. For a ~$200 bill for 2 people (including only 1 drink each), we shouldn't have needed to go get a slice of pizza around the corner after dinner.
The food waste tasty, but definitely overvalued. I'm sure this is the restaurant trying to make back some of the margins they've lost due to Covid-19, but it was a pretty underwhelming date night. Hope things can get back to normal soon!
Booked 3 weeks in advance for Valentine’s Day. Upon being seated our waiter asked if someone had called you as tonight’s menu was fixed 3 course meal. With only two choices for an entree , Bronzino or a steak filet. Seriously? When we stated no, he was apologetic and stated someone had been calling customers and sorry we were overlooked.
While we were deciding to stay or go I heard make the same statement to two other couples that became seated nearby. Both stated neither had received a phone call. So what’s the deal?
We left and went elsewhere. When I mentioned this experience to a close friend who had been a chef for 15 + years. He said “ they did that because they didn’t get their food order/ shipment that day. Probably not doing well and that’s what they had in the kitchen... “
Anyway, my advice would be “try at your own risk “.
Hi Peter: Thanks for your feedback and taking the time to write a review. On historical busy restaurant days, like Valentine's Day, we offer a prix fixe menu so that we can better accommodate the larger numbers of guests that want reservations. This allows us to provide the best possible experience for our guests. We welcome you to come back to The Olde Bar and try out our Happy Hour (rated one of the best in the city!), it runs every Wednesday to Sunday from 4:00-6:00.
Great ambience, delicious oysters and crab cake. BF got the burger and would not recommend. Overall great but the high price point I wouldn’t say matched the food. Went for a special occasion but deff recommend the HH.
Me and my boyfriend went for dinner and it was amazing! Everything we ordered was fantastic and the service was perfect! I def recommend
Amazing experience and best lobster roll I’ve ever had!
This was my first time here. I really enjoyed the food and drinks. I was celebrating my best friends birthday! I would for sure be going back.
Best restaurant I’ve been to in a long time
How did I never know about this AMAZING happy hour & spot? I walked in and fell in love with the set up and old time feel. Went for happy hour and was so happy. Got the speciality drink and a few of the food items. The highlight were the crab fingers. I have never tasted something amazing!!!! They had so much flavor and were only $5! You HAVE to go if you are in Old City!
Fun for Happy Hour! Good food & Drinks! The “Rose Gold” drink, especially.
Candidly the food was simply not up to snuff. We enjoyed the drinks and service, but found the portions were very small for the prices and our plates were served cold.
We are never disappointed with a Garces restaurant! The food was amazing and so was the service
The crab app and fish/lobster dinners were very oily.
My wife and I were super happy......highly recommended!!!
The food and service is great. The staff is working hard and I am glad to support them. Altjought their seafood is great, their 'fried chicken' plate is fantastic.
My husband and I definitely did not have the best experience dining here. We made reservations in advance and when we got to the restaurant we were told they were overbooked for reservations and that we would have to leave and come back a half an hour later.
As far as the entries, they were very small in the crab cake had a lot of filling products.
Another great evening at The Olde Bar! We love coming to this restaurant. Amazing drinks, especially the Rose Gold cocktail. Our server, John, was excellent!
Excellent excellent excellent. Definitely recommend. So darn good!
The restaurant was on my bucket list from years ago finally made it there. Everything was good like I thought.
Our waiter John went above and beyond
Food was great and loved atmosphere. Will definitely go back.
Really good food, drinks, and service. Wasn't cheap but didn't feel over priced either. Good place to go with a few friends or on a date night.
This was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting and ok with down and dirty crab house. Place was new, very open, and pleasant atmosphere. Food was delicious. Service was excellent. I am definitely returning. Oh, oyster were delicious.
Had an amazing time...the atmosphere, vibe, & culture was really wonderful to be around. I don’t remember my waiter name but he was laidback, easygoing and showed sensational customer service !
Fabulous as always! Love Garces, thank you for everything !
All that I expected, having eaten at The Olde Bar a couple of times recently. Was most disappointed that your famous deviled eggs were not available, although on the menu. Please fix this, as I am returning soon!
Great happy hour menu. We love to get almost everything from the app menu and a couple drinks as well when we go. Fish house punch is always excellent, the bartender's selection is usually a good choice as well, and it's hard to go without getting the buffalo cauliflower, the fries, and crab fingers.
FAQs
You can order delivery directly from The Olde Bar using the Order Online button. The Olde Bar also offers delivery in partnership with Postmates and Uber Eats. The Olde Bar also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (215) 253-3777.
The Olde Bar is rated 4.6 stars by 747 OpenTable diners.
The Olde Bar does offer gift cards which you can purchase here https://garces.americommerce.com/.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.