Butcher and Singer

This place brings bling and elegance to a new height, with a bit of whimsy thrown in too. The reviews characterized it as Hollywood glam, but to me it’s more New York Rainbow Room without the view.
The space is soaring with fine details everywhere. You’d think you walked into a 1940’s nightclub sans smoking. Huge drapes, comfy tables and chairs, booths, and soft lighting prevail. It’s apparently an old banking hall, now dressed up to the nines.
We had a very cozy two seat table, intimate yet diners not that far away either. A large party came to a neighboring table and that concerned me as that tends to lead to high noise volume, but that was not the case here. Perhaps the mood of the place, and the sombre atmosphere creates a better enviornment for conversation over screeching and screaming. The wait staff was very professional, organized. and paced dinner quite nicely.
I started with a specialty drink, essentially a high quality Manhattan disgused as a martini. Then had a house salad that was fresh and quite delicious. It turned out to be a great way to start the meal, although there were several tempting appetizers on the menu.
After a lot of trouble deciding on an entrée, as many appealed, I went with a Porterhouse steak, medium rare. I have to admit I don’t know much about a Porterhouse cut, and it was good. The only criticism I have is that some of it was grizzly, and that might be attributable to the type of cut. Anyway on that basis I took off one star from my rating, as it didn’t lead to the perfect meal. All of the side dishes were excellent and rounded out the meal quite nicely. We ended the meal with coffee and a slice of coconut cake, very reminiscent of the famous coconut cake at the Planters Inn in Charleston.
Butcher and Singer feels like an elegant steak house, but truly it’s a whole lot more.

When you are spending a small fortune on a meal you have high expectations and Butcher and Singer does not disappoint. There was not a single thing that was less than perfect.
We were greeted quickly at our table by our outstanding and attentive waiter. We neither had to wait for water or amazingly fantastic rolls. Our water glasses were never empty and we never had to find someone to refill our water glasses, clear the table or provide multiple cups of coffee.
We started with a fabulous Caesar Salad. The sever got brownie points for splitting the salad without asking.
The filet mignon was perfectly cooked, served at the perfect temperature and melted in my mouth. The swordfish was tender and scrumptious.
We ordered two side dishes. Brussels sprouts were good not great and the stuffed hash browns were tasty but very rich.
Come with a large appetite. You will enjoy everything about this meal.

Had my Birthday Dinner here (my husband has great taste!). The dining room is all old-​school, but in a elegant and beautiful way. I’m looking at the drapes (are they 25 feet long? longer?) and thinking those things must weigh a ton. .. the chandeliers are ginormous. .. you know they weigh a ton! This is a grand room! Service was very good as one would expect. Shared a Butcher Salad which was good enough. .. it’s a salad, but large portion so you want to share this unless it’s your entrée. I ordered the 8oz Filet and the Husband ordered the Porterhouse (I think it’s about 5 lbs of beef — «UGE»). Everything is a la-​carte so we added the stuffed hashbrowns (nothing like you image. .. just order it, your diet is a complete washout anyway)! We also shared a side of the Brussel Sprouts. My Filet was excellent, as were the stuffed hashbrowns and brussel sprouts. I made a few inquiries about the Porterhouse, but the response was just a big smile. .. I will say the Porterhouse was equally savored. We decided to share a slice of the coconut cake. .. good, but nothing too special. Let’s face it, by the time the cake arrived we were both in a Cholesterol Induced Coma, so who cares about dessert?
We still had to walk back to our hotel in the pouring rain. So we gathered ourselves together and headed to the front of the restaurant to claim our umbrellas. Two claim tickets, but only one umbrella. The young woman trying to locate our 2^nd umbrella was really distraught about the missing umbrella (as she should be, I think it was a 10yr old Totes travel umbrella, probably on it’s last leg). Then we played a game called «pick an umbrella, any umbrella.» Obviously I was not a big winner. .. I ended up with the Ikea umbrella, but hey, dinner was fantastic! So off we went into the wind and rain for the short walk back to our hotel. If you didn’t know, the wind will whip an Ikea umbrella inside out quicker than you can say «diet, what diet?» but then give that umbrella another flip and it’s an umbrella again! So, to the person with my 10yr old Totes travel umbrella. .. enjoy, I’ve got myself an Ikea inside-​out and back-​again umbrella (Reg price $ 5.99, family member price $ 4.49 — not sure how long the sale lasts).

The interior of this restaurant is BEAUTIFUL! It has gorgeous high ceilings and lots of space. Fantastic location in center city. It’s expensive but we came here for restaurant week once which is the best bang for your buck. The steak was cooked perfectly medium rare. The sides are extra. Overall it’s a great steakhouse and for the price of restaurant week it was awesome. Non-​restaurant week, the price of a steak is about $ 40 and that doesn’t include any sides. The service was impeccable. Dim lighting and very romantic.

I’m a big fan of butcher n singer. to me it’s the best steak I’ve had in Philadelphia. I try to go a couple of times year. I recently went and it never disappoints… actually my wallet was disappointed. tad bit overpriced imo.
i always end up getting the porterhouse for 2, of course shared amongst others but I really could eat the whole thing. for the price I do think the porterhouse for 2 is a little small. it’s always cooked to perfection. We also had the delmonico this time, which is a ribeye cut, and it was good but wasn’t blown away by it. The lobster Mac n cheese is by far the best side and the portion is generous with plenty of lobster meat. My Caesar salad was a little under dressed and nothing spectacular. Asparagus side was a little bland also.
the service is pretty good and the environment is great. really feels like an upscale old school steakhouse but definitely not snobby.
When people ask me where to get steak I always send them to butchers!

Now that I have been to almost all of the steak houses in Philly, I can definitely say this is the one I would most recommend! We’ve been there twice and had a great time both times.
Atmosphere is lovely and elegant. Though some people definitely wear more casual attire, the place makes you want to get dressed up and make a nice evening. Staff is on point — they make good recommendations and check in frequently. My only complaint is that their seats are too low for their tables so while the seats are comfortable, you feel like a small person trying to reach the table (I swear, I’m not!!)
The steaks are perfectly cooked and they offer a great selection. The Delmonico is amazing (although I cannot finish it). They offer some outrageous options (50oz) alongside the more traditional ones. Sides are delightful. Though we were not a fan of the hashbrown that they pushed a lot, the next time we tried the fries and were delighted! (More like homefries in their presentation, they were some of the best potatoes I’ve had.)
The sommelier was quite helpful when buying a bottle and their mixed drinks are quite good. If you are a fan of manhattans, definitely stop by the bar for a drink at some point.
The dessert list is very traditional but nice.
Clearly it’s a pricey dinner, but worth it for an occasional splurge.

Went in end of January of 2016 for their restaurant week menu.
Ambiance: Great! Huge colomns/​high ceilings/​chandeliers definitely give off that classy feel. Definitely a date night worthy place.
When I saw the menu for restaurant week, had to go! Filet Mignon was on the menu!
After talking with friends, I started having some reservations. A friend of mine did not have a good experience with restaurant week the year before (dry steak). So I came to Butcher and Singer with excited, but also reserved feelings.
My friends and I (3 of us total) came to our 5pm reservation. It was surprisingly empty (or maybe not so surprising?) and we got a nice seat towards the back. It was actually nice that it was a bit empty and quiet.
For the appetizers, since there were 3 of us, and 3 appetizers, we got one of each! The squash soup, beets salad, and the oysters. They were all delicious!
Ordered the Filet Mignon of course. Mashed potatoes as a side. Red wine pairing with the steak.
Filet Mignon: It was delicious. Exceeded my expectations. I got medium rare (what else would you get!) and it was done just as that. It was juicy and seared perfectly. My only wish if the steak was bigger :) The mashed potatoes were also delicious (creamy and not too buttery)
One of my friends got the salmon, which was also very good and my friend loved it.
For dessert, we also got one of each, the chocolate, caramel brownie, and ice cream. We all agreed that the caramel brownie was the best one.
Would love to come back again!

Really nice place in Philadelphia, it is pricey but well worth it. I had the filet salad which was excellent. Everyone’s food was good and they do things first class all the way. The rolls are excellent, the waiter is excellent and they sweep the crumbs off the table if there are any. The only complaint would be the menu could have a little more on it and i am somewhat disappointed they don’t have a special lunch menu. I mean I’m not sure anyone is eating a big steak for lunch with sides. For lunch I think it is a bit pricey and the menu is not diverse enough but the food is really excellent. I would definitely go for a nice dinner with the wife or friends. Overall, this place is a great place to go and I would highly recommend.

Almost 700 reviews. Stephen Starr. Restaurant king. His restaurant in DC (Le Diplomate) is already one of the Top 100 independent grossing restaurants in the U.S.
Star and Starr Power… this place is powerfully good.
The blow-​you-​away interior is a wonderful throwback to an era long ago. Just beautiful.
Group of 12. Let me say… our server… Brian…is one of those rare birds who was knowledgeable, friendly, engaging and just an excellent representative of Butcher & Singer.
As a vegetarian, I was a bit leery of what to expect in the seafood arena.
no worries: great crabcake & tuna tartare.
Sides…all around… loved the hash browns and the spinach.
Desserts: four for the table. Don’t miss the Baked Alaska or the Carrot Cake.
Impressive from start to finish.

Went here the week after Valentine’s day for dinner. This place is impressive, it’s so beautifully decorated like you’ve been transported to the old Hollywood era. The customer service is outstanding and is attentive without being overbearing. We had the bone-​in filet mignon which was the special. Out of this world delicious with the stuffed hashbrowns (you have to get these) and the brussel sprouts. I had heard rave reviews for the baked alaska and couldn’t pass it up. We were not dissappointed.
Special shout out to our server, Ricky. He was amazing! Great attitude, friendly, funny, charming and extremely helpful. Thanks for making our experience perfect!

My first Steven Starr restaurant lived right up to its expectations. From the start The timely décor brought you back in time with the dim lighting and paintings. We were immediately sat in a cozy booth and Matt introduced him myself as our server. I can’t remember the last time I had a server go through a menu so thoroughly from the cocktails to appetizers to steaks, seafoods and sides. We looked through the specialty cocktail list and I got the «bees knees» because, well, it’s the bee’s knees. And it really was, I loved it ! I usually just get specialty cocktails once to try something new but that is one I will definitely get the next time I go.
For an appetizer we got the small seafood platter which was anything but small. Oysters, mussels, clams, lobster, crab legs, shrimp cocktail, marinaded shrimp, and scallop ceviche– it was delicious but the 2 of us weren’t able to finish it because of the size and I wanted to be set for that steak. Matt recommended a wonderful Spanish white to pair with the seafood.
For dinner we both got the 12 oz. filet, green bean almandine, and stuffed hash browns. My filet was ordered medium rare and came out just as Matt described. Super tender super delicious. When we asked what almandine meant, Matt told us it was cooked with butter almonds and brown sugar. You didn’t taste brown sugar at all, which might have been a good thing because brown sugar and green beans is a unique combo. The hash browns were great! All of this went beautifully with a bottle of frank family Cabernet which Matt made sure our glasses were never empty.
Finally, for dessert I knew I wanted to try this baked Alaska because of the raving reviews and I’ve never had one before. Boy, am I glad I did! It is now my favorite dessert. The banana ice cream was delicious and the meringue topping was my favorite part. Paired with a great cappuccino and double espresso for my date, it was definitely a night to remember.

We had lunch at Butcher and Singer during restaurant week. I started with the Butternut Squash soup, followed by the burger and finished off with the carrot cake. The food was very good and restaurant was beautifully decorated. My medium rare burger had onions and mishrooms. It was a hefty sized burger, and tasty. The service and ambiance were above average. We really enjoyed our lunch.

Restaurant week: this place is a terrific deal for restaurant week. Make a reservation early, because it was packed. The restaurant week menu included appetizer, entrée, side, and dessert.
I started with the squash soup, which was creamy, tasty and well spiced. For the entrée I had the 8 oz fillet cooked medium rare. The fillet was perfectly cooked and supper juicy. I had the buttered green beans with almonds with my steak and tried some mashed potatoes as well. The green beans were cooked just the way I like them, still with a little bit of a crunch to them, and they soaked up all of that butter. The potatoes were a little thin for my liking, whipped potatoes without any sort of lump to them. The flavor was good.
For dessert, I was a little disappointed with the carrot cake. It needed more cream cheese frosting, and was a little dry.
Love the décor here, very old world without being cheesy. The leather booths were very nice.

Holy Yum. Awesome spot for Restaurant Week if you really want to get the most bang for your buck.
The salmon, chicken, filet, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, green beans and butternut squash soup were all fantastic. Dessert was a chocolate caramel tart and was pretty meh, but I was full by that point anyway.
Sidenote, the building itself is stunning.

I was delighted to come here with my boyfriend while visiting the city this weekend! We were celebrating his birthday and it also happened to be restaurant week.
Our server whose name escapes me was just «okay» but didn’t really provide us with the most exceptional service. Maybe things would have been different had it not been restaurant week, but he intentionally recommended THE most expensive items on the menu (it was quite obvious). The food and ambiance was what totally blew us away! This is a gorgeous place to dine in and you won’t be disappointed in the menu options. We really enjoyed the restaurant week offerings and our filets were cooked to perfection.
If I’m in Philly again I’d like to check out the bar scene here!

A very satisfying meal — went during restaurant week with a friend. Had the butternut squash soup and filet mignon with the carrot cake for dessert. Yum! My friend had the oysters Rockefeller, which I was not impressed by. The steak was perfectly cooked ask requested and the string beans were delicious! Tried the creamed spinach but didn’t love it. As a disclaimer, I’m not a fan of creamed spinach and their version has not changed my mind. Great ambiance and would be a romantic venue for a date.

Dining here during restaurant week was so much fun!
The two of us split the following and everything was so damn finger licking good.
First course: Fried oysters (3) and Beet salad
Second course:
Second course: 8oz filet mignon (medium) and Salmon fillet (crispy on the outside, perfection on the inside) with sides of creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, fried bananas and unlimited bread and butter.
Third course: Carrot cake and Chocolate cake
We also ordered the cheapest bottle of red wine which turned out to be a Pinot noir ($ 65) and 2 cups of coffee ($ 4 each) so unfortunately the bill ended up being pretty pricey.

Came here for lunch during restaurant week. I got the oyster rockefeller, burger, and carrot cake.
Oysters were delicious — you get four that are perfectly baked and crispy bread crumbs on top.
Butcher burger — huge burger that came with fries on a brioche bun. Comes with pickles, fresh lettuce, tomato, and fried onions. Tasty sauce that comes with it. I ordered medium, but came out medium well. I thought the burger was too dense — either packed too tightly or mixed too much.
Carrot cake — delicious — with a side of raisins, nuts, and cream cheese frosting.

This, in my opinion, is Philly’s best steakhouse.
I have dined here a few times now and have always been very pleased with the experience. Their steak tartare is a really special dish, after their (very friendly and conscientious) wait staff recommended it to me I have not strayed from it since.
I have had multiple filets that were always cooked to perfection and seasoned excellently in addition to a delmonico steak that was also tender and well seasoned.
Their stuffed hashbrown side is always a big hit and is more innovative a potato dish than I have seen at most steakhouses, and their asparagus and creamed spinach are classic and very good.
Additionally, their baked alaska is both very aesthetic and very delicious, and the chocolate fudge cake is rich and sensual.
A must-​go for Philadelphia steak connoisseurs.

3.5 stars.
I planned a date night for hubby and I during our stay in Philly. Prior to this, I had essentially been eating my way through the town alone since he got stuck working late daily.
Making reservations was easy and so was finding the restaurant. We were able to park in the garage around the corner, though mind you, parking anywhere in downtown is ridiculously expensive ($ 27).
The restaurant is beautiful, high ceiling, dim lighting, what you would expect from an upscale steakhouse. Service is good, not overbearing, but you definitely don’t get forgotten.
The bread that started our meal was just OK. Bit tough on the outside and the inside was airy, but lacked that warm softness that would instantly melt butter. I also ordered a ceasar salad, which was pretty good.
My hubbs ordered himself a ribeye, medium rare of course. I ordered a filet mignon, also medium rare. We also ordered creamed corn and the stuffed hash browns.
Filet mignon — tender, seasoned well, cooked to a medium rare
Delmonico — I unfortunately saw my hubby wrestle with his steak a bit, so it was tougher than we would anticipate from a high end steak house, seasoning and temperature were good, however
Stuffed hash browns– Just ok, I didn’t set an expectation for this, but I wasn’t impressed with it
Creamed Corn — meh, don’t get it, it was quite liquidy, too savory and lacked some sweetness
Overall, great service and ambiance, \though our actual meal was just on the slightly better than OK point on the scale.