The 13th Floor — Attraction in Baltimore

I went with my fiance for Valentine's Day dinner. It was a prix fixe menu.

Positive: The food was quite good. The atmosphere is lovely and the (new to me) renovations are a big improvement. The view, of course, is outstanding. Our water glasses stayed full, which is nice.

Negative: The service is bad and there were problems all along the process. First, they made "ladies" sit face the window. Huh? We thought the hostess was kidding, but she actually made us sit that way and even spoke loudly & seriously enough that a couple not sitting "correctly" overheard and went on to ask if they needed to move seats. Second, they served odd numbers of portions....3 bruschetta on a plate for 2 people? During an evening billed for Valentine's Day with a special menu? This occurred with a couple of items. Third, I got a very short pour for my glass of wine. I have worked as a server in nicer restaurants and am used the larger red wine glasses of which a 4-5 oz only fills less than half...I believe I got about 3 oz max in my pour and my fiance got a "generous" 4 oz. The wine was good and the prices were about par ($9 - 12/glass), but the pour was definitely short. The waitress kept asking us about getting another glass and we both kept refusing...not worth it. Fourth, they took my appetizer plate away with my fork literally in my hand, moving toward the plate, and another couple of bites on the plate because they, apparently, were ready to serve the main/3rd course. I was told to put my fork and knife on the plate so they could hand me new ones and put the next course down. Woah! Fifth, they took my fiance's 3rd course plate way while I was still eating. Not a big deal, but not appropriate in a restaurant billing itself as exclusive and fancy as the 13th Floor does. BTW - I do eat a little slowly, but am not that slow. I usually am not the last to finish in a group....Sixth, when the dessert came, our silverware was taken away and not replaced and the waitress never brought small plates - despite telling she was going to do so twice (without our prompting). My fiance grabbed some silverware off the table next to us and we just accepted that we may be leaving crumbs on the table. Seventh, we were never offered coffee, tea, cordials, etc. Who doesn't do that at a nice restaurant?

The waitress was quite prompt about bringing us the bill and charging the credit card...we were joking about that this would probably be the case while eating dessert and, well, we were right on.

We left a 15% + tip, although we are usually 20% tippers. We actually talked about leaving less, but neither of us felt...

My husband and I were so thrilled with this entire experience. We booked early because we were having a New Year's Eve wedding, but we were never made to feel like we couldn't write or contact the venue just because there was so much time until our event (Almost 2 years). Every email* was answered promptly. *(The only reason I gave this 4.5 stars versus 5 was that there were several staffing changes - from Logan to Nancy to Katie to finally, Lindsay - and while I understand staffing changes occur, Katie was not responsive in fast manner. Lindsay made up for that completely, however, I must note how great she was!) We had fun at our tasting, the portions are great, you really get a feel for the food, which was also true on the wedding day. Amazing plates, all of our guests commented on this. This team is so incredibly organized. Lindsay was literally answering emails at all hours of the night, she was so on top of the event. Any nerves of event planning or vendor issues were gone, everything was handled beautifully. They contacted our photographers immediately. Our rehearsal was nice and calm, everyone was able to ask questions and get a great feel for the big day. On the day itself, Lindsay was organized and in complete control, and Liz, our bridal attendant, was also perfect. Before, during, and after the ceremony was a breeze. We had no issues. I didn't have to think, I was able to just enjoy. The bartender was great, no one waited for drinks (we were a wedding of 50 on the 13th floor). It was a perfect atmosphere, great energy, excellent food; we had so many compliments, and I can't say enough good about this venue. If you are in Baltimore, host your wedding here. You will be able to enjoy and thoroughly appreciate your wedding, they handle themselves so well. They continuously check up on you and ensure you are happy and not in need for anything! Thank you, Lindsay and...

Disclaimer: I went here with a group for the 1920s new years eve party and have not been to the 13th floor any other time.

The view was really nice from both sides of the room where we got to watch fireworks at midnight in the inner harbor. The staff was friendly and helpful. The hotel itself is beautiful and I would definitely return for the charm of the location.

Regarding the actual new years event, the 13th floor was a bit smaller than I had expected and there weren't enough tables to sit down (this was remedied by the amazing staff later). The sound system wasn't great, the dance floor barely had anyone dancing, there was a photo booth advertised (it was just a wall with gold streamers, no actual photos) and the food was mediocre at best. While the night wasn't a complete bust I just didn't see the value in the price of the $125 dollar tickets.

That being said, the best part of the night was the staff and the view. I'd go back to the Belvidere, but might avoid...