Vesper

The ambiance and décor was retro in nature. The restaurant gave the feel of a prohibition erase juke joint. The staff was friendly but the water stained ceiling put a real damper on the evening.
Went her for restaurant week and while the food tasted ok, it was nothing to write home about. I had the bone marrow for my appetizer, braised short rib for my entrée, and the salted caramel cheesecake for dessert. The bone marrow was flavorful but not filling. The short rib was succulent and the Cheesecake was great.
The best part of the meal for me were the warm rolls served with a tasty herb butter. Unfortunately, this place will have to go on my one & done list.

Tried Vesper for the Winter Restaurant Week of 2016. Ticker away on a small side street the restaurant is not that easy to find, but that fits the theme of the restaurant. The walk to the main dining room takes you past the bar and a lounge area with a stage for live music. I’ve read there is a «secret» club in the basement as well. The décor seems to be going for an old style speakeasy type of feel. But the water stain on the ceiling in the dining room seemed to be going a bit too far to get that feeling of an old restaurant.
My 3 course meal consisted of the Duck Confit Ravioli, Braised Short Rib, and Burnt Orange & Chocolate Cake. The ravioli was OK, but would have been better with more ravioli and less spinach. The Short Rib was disappointing. I had to cut it with a knife, so it surely didn’t fall off the bone before it was served. I’ve had better at many different places. The cake was a good dessert. I also tried my girlfriend’s Roasted Bone Marrow, and was not impressed.
With so many good restaurants in the city Vesper will need to step up its game to compete. I would only go back to listen to music in the lounge, after having dinner elsewhere.

A great place to share plates of tapas-​like foods. Great drinks, fun atmosphere. Very quaint. Being from the south, I appreciate the live music! And also, the downstairs is bumpin!

I’ve heard the name Vesper mentioned a few times over the years, but never visited. Last Wednesday I went with a friend for dinner during restaurant week. We had a lovely experience. Our waiter, Alberto provided attentive and courteous service-​even going so far as to replace an appetizer for a a very minimal issue which was beyond anyone’s control. Alberto also had the bartender whip up a custom champagne cocktail just so suit my whim. I’m beginning to seem a little high maintenance., perhaps I am, but not once did the staff hesitate to accommodate our requests. I appreciate great service, I really enjoyed my cocktail, and each of our 4 dishes was wonderful. I absolutely loved the duck ravioli appetizer and found the short rib to be perfectly tender. The passion fruit purée that accompanied my Crème Brule reminded me of Rio! A classy dining room and live music rounded out a near perfect dining experience. I’ll be back on a regular basis.

The food was good but a tad bit too pricey for the amount. Alberto our server was EXCELLENT! Alberto was friendly, prompt, professional and knowledgeable. If you are going during Restaurant Week or happy hour it may be a better value. Nice for a romantic date.

So, I ended up at Vesper on a whim for a NYE dinner and it paid off. After arriving at another restaurant in which we had reservations, to find a sign on the door stating «Closed due to electrical problems», we Unilocaled to find another place within the near proximity. I have never even heard of Vesper but once I read a few reviews and saw the rating I decided why not give it a try.
Since it was not on one of the main streets in Philly, I was initially apprehensive. Upon entering the restaurant, there was a staff to greet you in a small vestibule area. They were pleasant and showed us to our seats right away. On this night they had a live local singer/​songwriter, Travis McDaniel who was a perfect accompaniment to the evening. Great vocals which seemingly blends jazz, with slashes of pop and funk. And I also could hear a modicum of soul pouring through those vocal chords hand in hand with his side kick guitar. Awesome, original, and fresh talent.
For dinner we dined on a selection of seasonal oysters, jumbo shrimp and the crab cake w/​beurre blanc and kale slaw. The oysters and shrimp tasted like they were plucked straight from the ocean. Succulent and plump. The crab cake was satisfying and filling and gets a solid 7.5−8÷10. It’s hard not to compare crab cakes to my beloved Maryland crab cakes but these were not bad. Less filler is always the best way to go. Dinner was gratifying and few complaints.
Vesper is multidimensional as its downstairs houses a club. It was not or shall I say had not opened while we were there but after reading the reviews and seeing people talk about the password protected door, it intrigued me. Maybe another time, depending on the age group it caters to.
The décor could be a bit more updated as the décor seemed heavy but it was not distasteful just seems a smig dated with the heavy curtains and wood elements and tray ceilings.
I like Vesper, I really did. It was just a fun and spontaneous evening which turned out to be a god one.

Enjoyed a lovely dinner. Food was delish and very reasonably priced. Service was a little slow, but not enough to ruin the evening. Drinks were great, loved the glassware. Spaces were big and we were there on the early side so it was a little quiet, which served my party well. But the piano made for a great atmosphere. Worth a visit for sure.

A good place for an evening of drinks, food, and music. They have a decent selection of drinks, and options for food as well (usually smaller portions, more expensive, but the appetizers were really very good). The upstairs is a bar area, but the bottom is more of a club-​feel with more mood lighting, club-​type music, etc. When I was there, a group had rented out the bottom for a private event, so they only let us take a quick look, but otherwise I believe that you can get a password from the bartenders, call downstairs on a telephone, and enter behind a «secret bookcase» to get downstairs. I’m not sure how much of a secret it is anymore though! It was an interesting crowd — some older folks, some younger ones as well. I think it is a little overpriced, but they have good options for live music if you’re into that for your evening scene!

My friend and I visited on a Saturday night when we heard that there was a good crowd. We got there around 1030 and there was alot of people but not too bad. We went downstairs to the speakeasy first and waiting about 10 minutes but could not get a bartenders attention so we went back upstairs. We were lucky enough to get a seat at the bar and stayed for about 2 hours. The specialty drinks were good and the service was good also. By 1230 the place was packed with mid to late 20’s crowd. Would most likely return.

We really liked our dinner + live music date. We weren’t up for hanging out at a bar all night but we did want dinner and a bit of a lively scene. We got both a solid meal and a fun atmosphere at Vesper.
We maneuvered through a bustling bar scene to get to our table. From there we listened to 20s music and watched amateur yet talented swing dancing on the dance floor.
We ordered several of the small (er) plates. The salmon was excellent — cooked perfectly and so were the scallops. We also really liked the mushroom risotto.
Since Vesper is more of a bar/​club the food really exceeded my expectations.

I did not have a wonderful experience at Vesper. The menu and the food were relatively good but the experience was not great. My waiter was just terrible and as a customer you just begin to feel trapped because you are at the mercy of when this person is going to come to your table. It seems like a fun place to get drinks or listen to music but I would not dine here again.

Not worth the time or money. Service was very slow, salad warm and entrees cold.
Ordered a Manhattan up w shaker rocks on the side– got a champagne glass w bourbon and a cherry, w a beer pint glass of ice on the side. Really???
Don’t waste your time– there’s a hundred better placed to spend your time and $.
Not the same as it was when the private supper club was here. Won’t be back

The epitome of «doing too much».
It’s a club, restaurant, and speakeasy?
We skipped the food which looked decent, yet small.
The basement lounge needs a password to get into — which is cute, but slightly tacky.
The bartender in the basement was excellent at half of his job — making drinks — but had a bit of a cocky attitude and ended up ruining what would’ve been a great bartender/​bargoer relationship.
Both cocktails were fantastic. The second one I ordered was priced at 20 $, steep by any reasonable standard. After ordering, I received the blunt question, «that one is twenty dollars, can you afford it?». Underdressed and relatively younger than the rest of the clientele, I couldn’t tell if he was kidding. I called him out on it. I could afford it, and I paid for it, but I left afterwards with a sour taste.

We had mixed feelings about Vesper. The positive: the atmosphere is cool and swanky, the food is absolutely delicious, the staff we encountered were all friendly, the service was decent, there is live music, the cocktails were delicious. The negative: prices are extremely high for what you get. Most appetizers/​small plates are around $ 14 and there are about 3 bites of food in each. The cocktails are all around $ 13 and are very small. I would estimate the glasses they are served in are 4 ounces. For $ 13 you should get a standard sized cocktail. The vegetarian pot pie entrée was delicious, but had no crust! It was just the filling baked into a ceramic container. As far as the live music, the night we were there they had a bluegrass band. Not exactly what we expected at a swanky, sophisticated supper club. Nothing against the band — they were good musicians, but we were not really in the mood for hillbilly music and didn’t feel it fit this venue.
All things considered, we are glad we gave it a try, but we blew a lot of money and it really wasn’t worth it.

Came into Vesper over the weekend, as I was looking for a cocktail bar near my house, that I haven’t been to yet. Unilocal shows Vesper, which my roommate said was a private club. However, they recently opened up to the public! To my surprise! Don’t be intimidated when you walk up to the door, there are several door-​men but they are all very friendly.
The main floor is a cocktail lounge, mixology type style. There’s a long bar, with several TV’s. The back room is also large, with a piano and small stage for a guitarist or small band. There was a single guitarist playing fun cover songs when I was there Friday. He was really good! The drinks were also very good, I had a gin drink from the cocktail menu, with lemon and champagne in it. My friends had a Manhattan style drink which they really liked. My only suggestion would be a larger cocktail menu. For the complex bar and ingredients they offer, there weren’t very many drinks on the menu, which kept me wondering what else they can make.
The downstairs basement is another story…
There’s a «secret» door in the basement with a telephone attached. You type in the passcode on the telephone for the door to open. Behind the door is a pretty big looking night club, with bumping music. I didn’t get a good look inside, but it was awkward seeing people waiting in line because they may or may not know the password. Awakward! Just let someone in why don’t ya?
The crowd was strange, a mix of everyone. It seemed like all the old «parents» were upstairs enjoying the cocktail lounge, while their «kids» in tight dresses and high heels were partying downstairs a the club. Different and slightly weird! But overall, they did a great job gutting this place and making it fancy with great drinks, music, and atmosphere. I’ll be back!

I came here for a networking work event. We were in a large room upstairs with a bar so plenty of room to walk around and mingle. I had read on Unilocal prior to the event that their guacamole was the best in the city. I can definitely say it was good! After the event my coworkers and I walked downstairs to the speakeasy portion which was very cool. You can only get in with the password which of course adds to the secrecy vibe. I am definitely looking forward to coming back here with my friends !

I came here expecting a cocktail bar. What I walked into instead was some amalgamation of a cocktail bar, a lounge, and a night club. Some how it works and the cocktails ended up being really good (better than I would have expected from a place that is also a club). I went with an old faithful in a Last Word cocktail with mezcal instead of gin. It turned out really well and all in my group liked their drinks as well. They also have a restaurant and a secret downstairs bar that I failed to check out. The décor was a mix of old and new. Service was solid. It’s an interesting place and we enjoyed it.

This place is absolutely awesome. Was there on Thursday when they had a 9-​piece band playing music from the 20’s and 30’s and a few guests dancing. Lively atmosphere, delicious food, and great cocktails. The hidden bar downstairs was truly a great find. Definitely a must-​visit place on a night out in Philly.

Loving the redone style, Vesper!
Was very surprised that on a late Tuesday night, this place still had a live, talented artist playing and there was a decent amount of people inside.
The drinks are… legit. So given that I am a recent college grad and am only recently developing a palette away from vodka in plastic handles, I was surprised. The martini, the manhattan, the cosmo, all legit. No frills, no fruity add-​ons. Like Ron from Parks and Recs would probably love this place. While I might just opt for a fruity drink next time, I appreciate the vibe they have going and how they are true to their image.
Friendly staff!

Very nice venue but I’m not sure about the theme here.
There’s a live band in the main floor and there’s a secret room downstairs with a DJ. When I walked in, I felt like it was the perfect spot for: all the single ladies, all the single ladies — Now, put your hands up! We checked out the venue and went upstairs to take a seat. There was plenty of availability.
Also the place is a restaurant but not a quiet one at all. On Saturday night, I tried the oysters and the lamb. We ordered two glasses of wine to enjoy. The bill was definitely on the triple $ side. Service was good but not too quick. We never got our glasses of water refilled and it took them a while to give us the oysters which all they need to do is place them on a chilled tray.
However, as I mentioned, it’s a good spot for a girls/​guys night out.