The Continental Restaurant and Martini Bar in Philadelphia

Food was great and so were the drinks. The food was not what you’d expect from the outside of the joint but boy is it amazing!!! I had the Shrimp pad thai and the lobster mac & cheese and they were both delicious. This place also offers outside seating with heaters which was heavenly since it was raining outside. Definitely worth checking out!

If and when you are in philly this is a must visit restaurant. Great deco, great vibe, and great food. The roof tip lounge is great centrally located with awesome views. The restaurant is a blend of mid century cool and modern chill. 👍🏼👍🏼

Friendly service and mediocre food and drinks. Salmon was cooked as the way I wanted and tasted good, however I didn’t really like the cucumber and yoghurt sauce. The Mac and cheese is was 6 out of 10. I loved the tuna tacos appetizer.

Really good location! Service was pretty good- staff was attentive and quick even though we got here about 45 minutes before closing. The lobster mac and cheese (which is actually like risottois so freakin’ bomb. Most lobster mac and cheese is overpowered by cheese and you can barely taste the lobster but this one? It’s so fresh and delicate, like you definitely taste the lobster, the use of risotto (or whatever rice like pasta usedis super light and just delicious. The calamari was pretty good as well. Not too breaded or chewy and I loved that marinara! I had a stout beer that was super fresh & light. Would definitely recommend this place ☺️

Excellent atmosphere and fare. Drinks are over priced.

Another amazing meal at the continental. Celebrating my daughters 18th birthday. We had a great time with great food.

Been coming here for 10 years! A class vibe, great food, and great cocktails! Center city sips has very good pricing but it does get crowded for these types of events. All in all a 10/10.

An expanded dinner in the center of Philly. Close to historic sites. Not overpriced. We had brunch. Burgers were good. Eggs Benedict were cold. Poor timing. Friendly server.

The staff is friendly and approachable, seating can get crowded but still a great vibe and atmosphere inside. However, the center city location is more impressive by far! The food is definetly overpriced but try to get there for happy hour martinis!

I ordered a cheeseburger cooked medium and my son ordered a chicken quesadilla. My burger was cooked on the outside but almost raw on the inside. My son said his quesadilla was lukewarm. We had an appointment to get to so I didn’t have time to wait for the burger to be recooked. I asked my server to take the burger off the bill, which he did. However he didn’t say a word to me, no apology at all. Very disappointed.

1. Diner was much larger than expected, seated in the small rooms were quiet and perfect for large groups.2. Food was fantastic! Edamame 💯3. Happy hour deals4. Martini bar in the back is nice

About 20 years ago, I had my first martini at The Continental. In the last 20 years; I have experienced the best drinks, best food, and incredible service!A great place for happy hour, featuring a true happy hour menu! I am in list with the apple martini.A classy experience all the way around!

I loved the continental. They have good food, but I advise you, if you have a specific food palette, don’t go there. You have to be open to more than chicken fingers and burgers. They food is good but you have to want or like something on the menu. Oh and the decor and design is cute. They have swing chairs I advise everyone to go and swing and eat. Enjoy!

Great! A trip to Philadelphia with my girlfriend continued to go very well when we stopped at the Continental restaurant for lunch. at this point in our trip we were both starved for vegetables, having eaten lots of cheese and meat type hors doeuvres plus seafood. We luckily were strolling by at the time and went in for lunch to discover two of the most impressive looking salad plates we had gotten in a long time. My girlfriend got a roast chicken breast salad with a Greek theme, and I got the calamari salad which had chopped cabbage carrots bean sprouts and lettuce in addition to calamari in a nice soy ginger dressing. Both were enormous and delicious, and the service was outstanding. If memories serves, Courtney was our server. Nice drink menu too though we did not partake.

Very good food and clean atmosphere

Wow! Sit at the bar and enjoy the friendly staff and clever cocktails. The restaurant was nearly empty before a concert and the employees were supportive of our festive vibes. It was a great start to the evening and would recommend for anyone at any time of day.

Fantastic service and the steak frites are to die for. Highly recommend.

We walked in and asked how to get up to the rooftop bar and were given directions. After we waited in line for an elevator we got to the rooftop bar and there was no more room for any guests. Nevermind there was a person directly outside the elevator that could have let the person downstairs know that the Rooftop Bar had no more room for any guests. Would have been an easy communication. So we headed back downstairs for our drinks. There were two bartenders behind the bar serving a crowd of less than 20 people and we still had to wait at least 5-10 minutes before even being noticed. The hostess acted like we should be impressed and the bartender was well lets just say was not as friendly as she should. have been. I guess this is what happens when youre downtown Philadelphia and still think that youre the place where everybody wants to go. We each had an average drink and left. I dont see any visits to this place in the near future.

Wasnt sure what to expect. Had a long day of walking and touring and stumbled into this place. WHAT A TREAT! It was exactly what I needed. The perfect Lemon Drop Martini. A fun bartender. The best waitress-her name was Mave-and she was delightful. We had a variety of small plates... fish tacos, Veal meatballs and Brussel Sprouts and every bit was perfect. I never say that about a restaurant. But this place...wow. You MUST go here!

There is NOTHING bad to say about this place! The food is delicious and theres something for everyone. The staff are extremely friendly. The executive chef, Jamie, is excellent at what she does and shes a total sweetheart! Going just once wont do this place any justice... visit a bunch of times and enjoy the different menu options. The greek guacamole is delicious!

Had a dinner here at Memorial Day weekend. We spot the place and was really impressed. Food is amazing. Not a typical diner. Many healthy choose. Service is excellent. Thank you

Stephan Starr restaurants are never a let down and the original is no exception! This is the type of bar where you can tell the bartender what type of liquor you use and they can help you find a new cocktail that wont disappoint.Being a big fan of burbon I asked for a burbon cocktail on the dry side and was promptly recommend the bartenders personal take on an "Old Pal" I wish I hadnt driven!I did not get anything to eat as we were just stopping by for a cocktail but based on my experience with other Starr restaurants, Id be willing to bet the food is world class!Great drinks in a nice atmosphere with a knowledgeable staff, Im not sure what else you could ask for!

I love this place! Had a perfect date here which the atmosphere made perfect. The food was also extremely good..I would highly recommend the soy spinach with sesa.e seeds. It goes with anything you order. Your welcome now. Also the tang martini was very tasty!

Opens late! Thats a plus. But the food is so salty and greasy. Korean style chicken was so chewy and fatty. Peach virgin drink tasted like tap water. Price was not reasonable compare to the quality of food. Waitress was kind, but careless about basic things. Overall, it was a disappointing experience.

Great spot. Prestige, atmosphere, and menu would lead you to believe this is a much pricier of a joint than it is. Service isn’t overwhelmingly friendly but everything ordered is served promptly and you’re not forgotten about. And yes, it’s totally delicious.

Cool vibe and interesting food ideas. Spotty service on the Friday we dined (and yes we were warned about how the food comes out as its madebut once received it was great. Especially loved the french onion dumplings!

Outstanding place for lunch. Service was quick and courteous, the menu was appropriately varied, and the sandwiches are not too heavy to put you into a food coma within minutes. Highly recommend the french fries as well.

Loved the atmosphere. Service was personable and prompt. The food, dessert and drinks were delicious. The menu is so put together that I felt like having options was missing... But what they did have was perfected. Perfect for a date night.

At first look I thought it was a bit pricey for what you get, but turns out to be a lot of food! Bacon was almost perfect, sausage was fabulous, but for some reason one link was fresh while the other looked like it had been around too long. Coffee was excellent. Pancakes a bit overcooked and tough. Loved the fresh whipped butter! Scrambled eggs were so fluffy!! Great experience.

Best meal I have had in awhile. My wife and I sat at the bar with our 6 year old. The Greenpoint cocktail was awesome and the Lump Crab Pad Thai was our surprise favorite. My son ate the whole burger in record time because he thought it was so good. It was worth the drive all the way from Brooklyn.

I took my wife and my mother in law to OP for Mothers Day and we were sad we had to leave! Everyone loved their food. The steaks were excellent! My wife had the sea bass that was cooked to perfection. I could go on and on.....I cannot wait until the next visit!

Awesome eggs Benedict !!Steak and eggs burger was alright not a place for burgers a little dry and the Asian pear and blood orange mimosas not to my liking so Ill stick to my regular mimosas but overall great !!!!

Great outdoor seating in season. Awesome people watching. Great service. Another poster shared a photo of the calamari salad. I had that as well. Very good! The house sauv blanc was nice, but I cant recall (if I ever knewwhat it was.

Great atmosphere and I was pleasantly surprised that I loved the food. I am quite fussy usually but here just ordered calamari and a burger. All were amazing and I loved the mountain of fries.Bread knife had lobster and Mac and cheese and liked them both.Quick and friendly service as well.Cant fault it

Delicious food, big portions, great atmosphere

Beautiful restaurant and bar!!! Being here is an experience, it is a very nice interior. They are a cocktail bar so they have a variety of delicious items to try and they usually have one on special. The food is also great although pricey and you do not get much for your money. They offer happy hour drinks and food specials with kind staff.

I love it here! I’ve been many times and always have had absolutely delicious food for a moderate price. Only possible complaint is that I wish I had more vegetarian options. The vegetarian options they do have are phenomenal though!

Checked boxes for - good food, great location and awesome cocktails! Right at the corner of 2nd and Market, hard to miss. I will go back again for the variety of cocktails and appetizers. Vegetarian choices too. Dont let the front part of the restaurant fool you, plenty of space inside if planning to go with a group. Attractive decor. Fast service and cooperative staff.

Ive walked passed this place a million times and my girlfriends decided we should stop in for a few drinks. The outside looks almost like an old silver diner but when you go inside its a very small modern restaurant. We ordered some salads and a few appetizers and the food was phenomenal. Excellent service as well! I forget the young mans name who helped us but he was very polite and answered all our questions about drinks and food. The drinks we ordered were very strong maybe could tone it down just a bit, but other than that this was a great first time visit here. They have a huge drink and cocktail selection and a very random food menu. Its a bit pricey but definitely worth it!!

Breakfast Quesadilla tasted as good as it looked, which was great. Paired with a bold coffee, this is a great morning kickstart. Seated, served, and devoured all in 20 minutes. I will return again to try other dishes.

Great. Tasty and unique food. Eclectic atmosphere. Second level has tables with chairs on swings.

The Continental is a terrific restaurant in a great location. Perhaps its best feature is its versatility-It works for a quick grub, or if you want to have a nice sit down dinner. Food is fresh and delicious, service is fine, and decor is nice.

Great for brunch. Fast service. Comfortable, plush couch style seating. Weird but I saw a cigarette vending machine in the long hallway that connects the two sides of the restaurant. I definitely prefer the far side of the restaurant. It is usually less crowded and has a less diner like feel.I got the brussel sprout omelet. Sadly they use soybean oil in the home fries (and other menu options like most other restaurantsso I had to get a side of grits for an upcharge. The menu is moderately priced so it was not an issue. The food was good.

We came here with 8 people and had a great time. The food was fast and the portions were fairly large to share. They seated us at a big booth which was fun and conversational. They serve really awesome drinks. The menu is a little less health conscious and more like high end fast food but they will out sauces on the side and they have salads and some grilled options. The kids loved the shoestring fries and their burgers and the French soup dumplings. My salad was delicious. Fried cheesesteak egg rolls and French Onion dumplings were a hit with the kids as well.

This restaurant has mastered catering to differing crowds. During the day and/or front it is an upscale 50s diner. At night, and in the back, its a ritzy and elegant establishement. While I would highly recommend their cocktails, their food is just as remarkable. The service, day and night, is wonderful and food arrives quickly.

This place is pretty good for an anniversary location! The food is tasty but a little pricey and the portions are decent. The restaurant also has a different atmopshere depending on where you sit which changes the lighting. I didnt sit in the back but to me that area looked the coolest and most dim compared to the other seating options.

Great food. GREAT service. Great view. Definently will come again

Excellent restaurant with throw back decor. I love the calamari salad, great for drinks too. One thing, for us plus sized folks, the booths can be a bit tight. Ask for a table if youve got a party on the bigger side. Really unique and inventive fare, so the seats are worth it.

My wife and I wanted to get quick dessert before catching a train. We walked in and were immediately greeted by a very friendly and helpful. We decided to sit at the bar since it wasnt too crowded, while the dining room was pretty crowded. The bartender was just as friendly and attentive. We ordered two desserts and a decaf coffee which took a mere 6-7 minutes to magically appear in front of us.The first dessert was a vanilla ice cream with melted caramel and crackers Jacks. It was simple but so good. The second was a thick fudge brownie with mint ice cream and a chocolate stick in top. The brownie was nice and warm and the ice cream was a really great addition.All in all, a great experience to finish our night. Continental is very easy to get in and out of. Its a small venue, but thats okay because the small size adds to the ambience.

I had delicious Korean pork tacos, which offered a good blend of spicy and sweet. It was a First Friday so the restaurant was packed, which was a little bit uncomfortable, but there were plenty of bartenders and wait staff so I received excellent customer service. I prefer the Midtown location, less crowding and better ambiance.