Liberté Lounge

It was cold out and I was looking for a chill place to hang out with friends over drinks. Le bar at the Sofitel fit the bill. Feels like you are in someone’s living room, albeit a large one with a small fireplace and cozy seating. You could actually have conversations which is hard to do at many places around town. Drinks and snacks were fine. There was a banana fig compote that came with cheese that was yummy.

This is a really nice spot. It is a french lounge restaurant in a french-​chain hotel — Sofitel. The place is on the smaller side but it is very comfortable with excellent seating on its various tables. It is really a fancy spot. I was here for lunch during restaurant week and the first thing I noticed was how they brought you a selection of bread to choose from. They are all about this type of selection. Do yourself a favor and order hot tea. They will literally bring you a boxed set of tea containing a dozen types of tea leaves where you can choose from the various types and even smell the containers that each are in. It is quite fancy!
As for my meal, I was very satisfied. The short rib was well cooked and was very tasty. I was not a fan of their crème brûlée, however. Disappointing, considering that it is a french dessert served in a french restaurant.
One interesting thing about the venue and the hotel it is located in is that some of the staff are french themselves. Even the maintenance worker spoke french!

I had come here a few years ago for happy hour. This time I came for Restaurant Week lunch. The service was great. Much better than when I went to XIX for restaurant week lunch earlier in the week. They had a table reserved in the dining area, but I wanted to sit at a high top table by the bar. However, that section had cold air coming out of the vents, so then we moved a few table down. We asked for the WiFi passcode, however the passcode was incorrect. We did not ask again, but it was nice that they gave it to us.
My friend ordered the Chestnut Bisque, Seared Salmon, and Crème Brulee. I ordered the Winter Green Salad, Braised Shortrib, and Chocolate Pot de Crème. My friend said that he was really hungry, however none of the dishes he selected were that great. The bisque was warm and buttery, nothing amazing. The salmon seemed poached with an interesting sauce, instead of seared. There was no crispiness that you would get from searing. The crème brûlée was subpar. I really liked the fruits in my salad. The grapefruits (only 2 pieces) were super juicy. There was another type of fruit in my salad that I could not recognize, maybe some type of pear. The peppered cheese was really good too. My short rib was super tender, it melted in my mouth, and it was juicy. I liked the natural flavor of the meat. My pot of chocolate was like rich chocolate pudding. We were too full to finish our desserts, so we packed them. I do not think that I would return here again, but it was worth the try. The cocktails were just alright too.

Absolutely floored by the fantastic food and service I experienced at the Liberte Lounge in the Sofitel. I normally love the people watching and atmosphere at a hotel bar/​restaurant, but what ultimately drew me in was the happy hour specials and Restaurant Week menu. It was easy to make a reservation on Opentable and when I arrived I noticed many business people working on their computers in the lounge area (on your left) by 17^th street. The hostess lead me to the dining area which is to the right past the bar and overlooks Sansom street. I felt much more comfortable and although the décor isn’t Parisian chic, it is what you might expect from a restaurant in a hotel. The overhead lighting was my favorite and the large windows allow for lots of natural light.
They offer a selection of breads which as a carb-​lover I adore. I tried the Cranberry-​Walnut and a soft pretzel served with pesto mustard. To start I had the Winter Greens Salad which was dressed lightly and packed with a bold citrus flavor off set by the herb ricotta and pear. The Short Rib entrée was a big portion and surprisingly tasty. The Short Rib itself was tender, the fingerling potatoes were smoked giving them a great flavor and the pearl onions were candied in a sweet sauce. The Chocolate Pot De Crème dessert was served in a little jar topped with hazelnut rice crispies and accompanied by 2 macaroons. I asked my server what flavor they were since my boyfriend loves macaroons and I was planning to take them home with me. She went to the kitchen to get me some more information and returned with a gift box of 5 complimentary macaroons for me to take home! (those suckers usually cost $ 2 a pop) This is exactly the kind of wonderful experience that makes me want to return to a restaurant and recommend it to all my friends. I will surely come back soon, especially for some of their happy hour specials including Tuna Tartar ($ 7), Burrata Grilled Cheese ($ 7), Fried Cheese Curds ($ 7), Beer Battered Pearl Onions ($ 5), Oysters ($ 10), or Fries ($ 5). I think it is also great that the menu features «De-​Light» options for the calorie conscious a variety of items from appetizer to dessert for under 310 calories.

I went to the Liberty Lunge with m friend to have one drink and I was not disappointed. Drinks are good and service is nice but what is the best (and the bartender warned me) is the cinnamon pop corn. Very addictive. You can’t feel the cinnamon on your tongue but it goes directly to your nose! amazing

My sister and I visited last Sunday for her birthday. We went with the afternoon tea service and were content with our overall experience. We arrived early for our 2pm reservation and had to wait until 2pm to be seated. Which is completely understandable when the restaurant is busy.
We walked over and were sat in the hostesses’ «favorite table» and it didn’t take long to see why. Like my sister said, «it couldn’t have been any better if you planned it». We were sat at a two-​seater with oversized velvet chairs next to a large window with the perfect view of the first snow fall this year. It was simply beautiful.
My sister opted for a Mimosa while I chose the grapefruit purée Bellini. They were nice and tart which we really appreciated. I love grapefruit and the purée tasted fresh.
Next, we moved on to our tea selection. They brought over a box with the names and tea selection in order to let us chose at our leisure. There is a small sample of the loose-​leaf tea in a container so you can smell the tea, if you wish. I went with the vanilla green tea. I am not usually a vanilla fan, but this tea has changed that. It was floral and the vanilla gave it a nice warmth. My sister had the Four berries and really loved that it was fruity and paired nicely with sugar and cream.
The sandwiches included: Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel, Chicken salad, Prosciutto and a berry jam, and a bacon apple and cheese sandwich. They were all excellent. I love herbs and these all had a crisp clean herby taste to them. Other items brought out to us included scones with mascarpone cream and preserves, macaroons, and an assortment of pastries. The show stopper was the carrot or spiced cake with cream cheese frosting. Yum! The courses look small, that is with any afternoon tea service, but they are so hard to finish, maybe even impossible. We boxed up the remaining pastries.
Overall, we really enjoyed our leisure afternoon and greatly appreciated that we were never rushed and the staff explained each course thoroughly and with great knowledge. We would love to return, this time with a larger group of girls!

Every time I go to the Sofitel I’m impressed by the atmosphere but royally disappointed by the service. My bill was wrong, my meal took 45 minutes (for a simple chicken breast), and the server made no effort to rectify the situation.
Every. Single. Time. This place disappoints. I guess I’ve learned my lesson.

My sister and I purchased a coupon for afternoon tea from Travelzoo for $ 35. Although we were seated right away, we waited a while for our tea. When our tea finally arrived, my sister’s was lukewarm.
We also waited a long time for the food. I looked around and all the tables being serviced by the same waiter were foodless for some time. Other tables that had arrived after us and were being waited on by a different server all had food. We did not understand the delay, especially when every table was getting the same small spread.
The warm scones, small desserts, and chicken salad sandwich were tasty. The other finger sandwiches were just so-​so.
Overall, the coupon was a good price, but we will likely not be returning due to the slow service. I do not recommend paying the full price for the tea service.

Used a travelzoo voucher for afternoon tea. The hotel is beautiful and received great service with valet, which is $ 24.50. Staff were friendly, tea was delicious, Bellini was good and our pastries, sandwiches were good. Unfortunately, we had unwelcome guests… fruit flies! With being in a classy lounge, it was unacceptable. It was not fun swatting those little buggers. I’m glad we had the voucher. I wouldn’t pay a dime more.

Worth it only if you have a voucher I think. Then it was very nice and worth the experience.
Just a little over priced otherwise.

I loved every bit of ‘tea time’ here! My sister-​in-​law and our moms got together and had a day in the city.
Kelly our server was so personable and fun that she helped us enjoy our afternoon. Start off with a complimentary drink (we all went with a Peach Bellini) and pick out which loose tea tickles your fancy. I went with one that was heavy on berries.
The tower of sandos and desserts came out and it was just beautiful! Simple sandwiches– egg salad, chicken salad on croissant, smoked salmon, hummus. The scones were warm and so tasty on their own; add the honey and butter & you’ve got yourself a perfect bite. The sweets were the lemon meringue, something like a dense brownie, apple pound cake, and the winner– the caramel filled chocolate macaron.
I’ll come back anytime for this and certainly wouldn’t mind just coming for a cocktail or two :)

Service was okay, seemed annoyed and bothered by us. Its a hotel restaurant.
There weren’t many people in the restaurant. They had a limited menu that didn’t match the menu online.
The food was very good though. The seared halibut was excellent, as was the ceviche!
It had a good fancy vibe. It was slightly overpriced but probably because it’s a hotel

I haven’t had food except dessert since the renovation & am looking forward to returning for dinner. But I must say as winter approaches the nook where the fireplace is is going to be my go to spot! The chairs are comfy, wine list wonderful, great location, & superb service. This place really made me feel special! The manager? Julia even surprised with a beautiful birthday slice of cake complete with candle and all. The attention to detail & elegant service was really a stand out.

To be honest their customer service was terrible. I called and reserved a spot for my birthday for Afternoon tea three weeks prior to my birthday. I called three times prior to make sure it was set and according to them it was. The day of my friends and I go, only to find out that they were double booked and had a wedding and my reservation was cancelled with no call whatsoever. Their lack of communication has turned me off to ever going there in the future!

Afternoon tea purchased with a travel zoo voucher. I called three times in a attempt to confirmation reservation. Whomever answered the phone knew next to nothing about afternoon tea and put me through to the restaurant line to make a reservation. I left a message requesting my reservation times etc. No return call. I called again in a couple of days spoke to whomever answered the phone, they took my information and said they would get it to the restaurant. I told him that I had left a message and had not gotten a callback. He said not to worry. I called today to say we might be 15 minutes late, and phone answerer said no problem. When we arrived at the restaurant they had no reservation for us! If you can’t connect your incoming calls to the restaurant, at least try to pay attention to the messages left!
Server explained we would have have to wait about forty minutes for tea. She was able to seat us and did serve us our Bellini’s while we waited for tea. Our server was gracious and tea was very nice once they got in gear. Tea sandwiches scones etc, but no lemon curd.
A beautiful hotel like the Sofitel should have a more top notch customer focused restaurant vs sloppy treatment of reservations and should make sure anyone answering the phones knows full offerings!
Tea was nice but nowhere approached tea at the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans, which is my standard for a «great tea».

My group of six used a Groupon for afternoon tea service and had a fabulous time. We enjoyed:
— a bellini or mimosa
— choice of organic loose tea
— assorted tea sandwiches
— scones
— pastries
At first I thought it odd to have a mimosa with tea, but it turns out to be the perfect way to get conversation going before tea service! Don’t expect to leave full, it’s just a few finger foods, but this was as expected and I had a lot of fun.
Regular price is $ 35

Upscale yet chill lounge-​y vibe in an upscale hotel. I should have known that two Brugals with ginger ale would cost me, in fact, plus tip, $ 36 bucks. Haaa. You know what? It was my birthday nightcap and I really didn’t care.
Pour it up, pour it up.
The bar was gorgeously appointed and I felt about 20 times cooler just sitting there. Our waitress, Mary, was sweet, making sure we were well taken care of with ample glasses of water as well as a nice assortment of smoked almonds and wasabi peas. It was relatively uncrowded for 11:30 on a Friday night, which was absolutely fine by me. Most of the patrons were hotel guests such as us… and yes, I did sit next to two gorgeous escorts that left the bar without clientele, but they seemed to thoroughly enjoy their drinks before leaving. Heheh.
If I wasn’t a guest at Sofitel, I probably would not have stopped in, but on a drizzly night when I didn’t want to look for bars and be just an eleven story elevator ride from my comfy hotel bed, Liberté Lounge did me solid. It was the perfect place to unwind with a quiet yet fairly potent drink to cap off my birthday. :-)

Worse Worse Worse place ever!!! Went here for restaurant week and the portions were ultra mini. Plus, it took litereally about 30 minutes just for the soup to come out. The couple next to us came before us and waited even longer for theirs. Food was so dry and I hated the fact I had to pay so much for such horrible food and service. Never coming here again!!!

I had a deal through Ruelala for a wine & cheese/​charcuterie pairing at Liberte Lounge. I took advantage of this Thursday night. Liberte is swanky/​cozy with prompt and friendly service. The waiter warned us that the wine/​cheese/​charcuterie took about 15 – 20 minutess to put together, so in the meantime we ordered a round of drinks. I went with the Liberte cocktail… them shits go down smooooth! Absolutely delicious and I started getting tipsy off one, so they don’t skimp on alcohol. It’s pear infused vodka with St. Germain, sparkling wine and lemon with a slice of pear. They’re $ 12 each but worth it.
The bar is a little pricey in general (ex: Victory Prima Pils for $ 7 — I can get the same in Northern Liberties or Fishtown for $ 5), but this is to be expected at a swanky hotel lounge in Rittenhouse. I’d return for happy hour, or if I were in center city and in the mood for an upscale comfy bar.

I agree spot-​on with Geoffrey S.
The Liberte is a sexy, upscale lounge with a French twist.
The happy hour special ($ 7 for a cocktail — mine was a Tom Collinsmade with Bombay Sapphire — delish) made it better as the drinks are $ 12 — $ 14 normally.
Food is just OK — the burger my friend had was a better choice than this odd «bacon and cheese» pastry-​pizza tartine like thing. Way too heavy. Kinda gross, actually.
Complimentary wasabi peas, salty almonds and wonderful pitted green olives (salt, salt and more salt equals DRINK MORE.)
A fun place to take a date — lots of sexy couples at the bar and some not-​so-​sexy oldsters like me (LOL).
Skip the tartine.
Grab a drink here from 5 — 7 PM and then get dinner elsewhere.

I’ve been here twice now and I’ve had a pleasant experience each time.
First time, met up with a friend who owns a store across the street. We sat at the bar and I had a beer, she had a mimosa. Good attentive service and nice snacks such as wasabi peas and mixed nuts.
Second time, stopped in with my girlfriend for a nice fancy drink. I had the Sazerac which had a fair amount of bourbon in it and was also very tasty. She had the Autumn’s Fashioned which I was not a fan of but she certainly was.
Great place for a quick drink and some tasty snacks.

I came here for restaurant week with friends and we did the 4 course menu for $ 35 dollars. My favorite was the lump of crab, which was full of crab meat and no fillers. I had soup of the day, which was seafood soup and it was ok. I left happy because I had a good time with my friends.
Overall the portions are small but I expected it to be. The food is a bit on the salty side, so watch your salt intake. The atmosphere is fancy and romantic with the dim lights and seating. Service was good as expected for such a restaurant. It is another nice restaurant to go once just to see how it is.