The Library Bar — Restaurant in Philadelphia

The Library Bar impressed me from start to finish. Nestled inside The Rittenhouse Hotel, The Library Bar is a sophisticated, classy place, with soft lighting, and leather chairs that give it a modern old fashioned feel (Interestingly enough, they are known for their outstanding Old Fashions too!). The bartender I had was down to earth, and one of the curators of some of the drinks you'll find on the menu. One of the drinks I had, the "Man Made Miles" cocktail features Agave de Cortez Mezcal, strawberry, rosemary, cream, and rhubarb and absolutely won me over. The "Feelin Good" was a skillfully paired Maker's Mark bourbon, black tea, peach, lime, and mint combo that was as satisfying as it was refreshing. As mentioned earlier, the Old Fashioned was a hit! And finally, there was another aesthetically pleasing cocktail, I don't know the drink or ingredients, but the flavor profile was incredible. These carefully crafted cocktails (say that 5xs fast!) titillated the senses and made a lasting impression. A great place to catch up over drinks and a bite with friends.

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A somewhat low-key spot tucked behind the grand facade of The Rittenhouse Hotel. I came on a quiet Sunday afternoon towards the last hour of their 'happy hour' times- more on this later. The drinks were great, and the space was comfortable. It was a very dive / speakeasy environment, and the bartenders kept that mood throughout my time there. It really does give a sense of being in a library with grand bookshelves and polished wooden accents everywhere. I ordered two of their seasonal drinks, which came with complimentary bar snacks. Both drinks had a nice balance and a good spectrum of flavors and textures. The drinks themselves were at a higher price point, but that was expected for the quality of the space and hotel. I didn't realize until after I left, but they did charge me full price instead of their previously advertised happy hour prices. However, even at full price, I'd give it a chance for a spot on my bar rotation. I will definitely come by again for their signature old fashioned before the final say on this spot. Update: came back a few more times, definitely on my regular spot for a pick me up at the end of...

It saddens me to leave such a negative review for this bar, because it was one of my favorite places when I lived in Philadelphia. However, given how poor their management is, I feel that others should be warned. I tried for a week to contact management of this place to inquire if they’d be able to accommodate a post-wedding celebration, since my venue is across the street. I received ZERO follow up phone calls & emails. This is POOR customer service. When I finally reached someone, mind you a manager who ran a different portion of the hotel, I was told that I would have to go through their sales department, which at this point, would not produce a quick enough turnaround to accommodate the date I needed. Why wasn’t this told to me the first time I called? I was interested in bringing 20-25 people to their facility; that’s a fair amount of business for one party. Unless you enjoy being tossed aside and ignored, along with given the complete runaround due to incompetence, then I strongly advise to...