Old Original Bookbinders Restaurant

I thought this place was decent, if slightly overrated. I had salmon and it was overcooked. The crabcakes were delicious, if small. Service was great, but the food was expensive for what we got. I do like the atmosphere, but it does not make up for the gap between price and quality.

Not cheap but good. The current word is that they are closed for an indefinite period of time due to «mechanical problems» and to check back in a few weeks to find out if the issue has been corrected. I have been craving rawbar and hope they do re-​open soon.

One star off for being too expensive but the food and the martinis are fantastic. Their specialty is snapper soup but I don’t really want to eat turtle so I stayed away from it.
I had a seared tuna that was fantastic. My wife had the crabcake which was a very strong crabcake.

Entrees: This place provided some of the best broiled fish i have ever had. I had the seared yellow-​fin tuna (nom nom), which must have been an 8oz sushi quality cut on a bed of seaweed salad. Other’s at my table had the broiled grouper, and the broiled Mahi Mahi, both of which were the most perfectly done pieces of fish as well.
Sides: Done like a steak-​house A-​la Carte, the butternut squash was heavenly, but the hollandaise sauce for the steamed veggies missed the mark.
Atmosphere: High-​end steakhouse, dress well and prepare to open your wallet. A good meal for two will come to about $ 130 with an app, some sides, plus a few drinks on top of the entrée.

Biased review here because my mom had a gift certificate (and the owner wound up paying the bill!!!)
Went with mom and sister for mom’s birthday… walked in get greeted by one of the owners, walks us to the bar and tells the bartender to get us what we want. Good Start.
Truly one of the best meals I have ever had in Philadelphia, if not the best.
Started with turtle soup with sherry in it. Delicious.
Had the Halibut? I can’t even remember the fish because it was sitting on top of Butternut Squash risotto that was OUT OF THIS WORLD. So good I asked the owner for a bucket of it to take home.
Waiter was great, knew his stuff, especially when I asked him about Port Wine (my dessert).
Bill for 3 was something along the line of 250 bucks but again was picked up by the owner! God she was great.
I only have one teeny tiny itty bitty problem… the beer menu was too small, now I know that wine is more often than not what is ordered but with such a rich history (served every president since 1865), I think they could research a few world class beers that would pair well with the seafood menu.
All in all, Awesome.

for historically accurate food

My little family decided to get off our gift card and go for dinner this weekend. What a fantastic experience!
We parked w/​in a half block at a lot discounted just for them (enter on Front st.) and had a 4pm reservation (early, I know, but did I mention a 3yo and a 5mo?). We had the place to ourselves which helped with 3yo’s car antsies. We got to walk around and look at all the pictures and antiques and a waiter even got out a lobster for her to touch and learn about. Way cool.
We had the calamari because of somebody’s craving. Delish — not greasy and not, um, marinara-​y. 3yo tried and loved it also, almost as much as «drinking out of a wine glass.»
Before our entrees, the owner (well he said he was) came over to see how we were doing, showed us pictures of his kids and made sure we were taken care of. Great to have the place almost to ourselves…
My wife had the tuna steak /​sushi (also a craving) and I had the crab imperial. Both were amazing. 3yo had the fish and chips from the children’s menu (mostly chips) which came with a hot fudge sundae. We even asked about where the ice cream came from, it was so good. We all left with full bellies and warm thoughts.
Both kids fell asleep on the way back to Erdenheim and went to bed without much trouble so whatever they did, it worked. It would have been expensive without the gift card but not overly so — not Le Bec Fin expensive by any means. Oh, I forgot to mention the perfect crème brûlée. Big enough to share for sure and tasty tasty. A quick walk to Penn’s landing was a great meal settler. We’ll be back.

I ate here in the early nineties and have not yet re-​visited — so this review is based on a distant — but positive memory.
A great date place! We had seafood and lobsters. Large portions and stiff drinks.
I will review in more detail once I visit it again in the 2000’s.

One of the oldest seafood restaurants in America, this Philadelphia tradition has been serving and photographing Presidents, celebrities, dignitaries, you and me, since 1865.
They are known for using the freshest, finest ingredients in their legendary seafood and continental cuisine. Bookbinder’s is a romantic place to share with your love, to have a business or sophisticated lunch, more formal in the dining room or enjoy an impromptu cup of Clam Chowder and a sandwich in their bar and lounge.
They feature a happy hour menu of food and drinks and a tavern menu. All you can eat pick & peel shrimp for $ 20.00 or enjoy a plate from their raw bar.
Their appetizers are wonderful and range from raw oysters to oysters Rockefeller and spring rolls in between.
My hubby is not a lover of fish and I love all kinds of fresh fish, but there is plenty for him to choose from in the way of a fine cut of beef or poultry.
Whenever I have dined at Bookbinder’s, I have always started with their famous New England clam chowder, followed by a fresh broiled or sauteed’ fish. The last time that I went I had the seared tuna and it was cooked to perfection.
They offer at least a half dozen different fish, as well as all your shellfish favorites Their crab cakes are pure lump crab meat and served with a chipolte remoulade.
The prices on the menu reflect their pride of being a well known and loved Philadelphia icon. Their bar menu is very affordable for anyone, so there is no excuse not to visit Bookbinders.

My boyfriend and I go to this place every time restaurant week rolls around. Delicious. As an example one time I had snow crab legs, lobster ravioli, and crème brûlée for $ 30.
I just wish I had more money to go more often.

Bookbinders is a classic seafood icon and a must on your next trip to Philly. Very old school with lots of nostalgia but the seafood still measures up. You should go…

Bookbinders has lots of history. And I mean lots! I know this only because the hostess, the server, the menu, and the pictures on the wall told me over and over. As a result, Bookbinders seems to be living in the past.
I like the look and feel of the place, but it feels terribly past its prime. It isn’t exciting to go there. I went with family on a Saturday afternoon (1:30) and it was dead. A major turnoff.
I had a lobster and it was great. Overall, the food was quite good, though a tad overpriced.
Bookbinders seems to have become the disney version of itself (I think it even has branded sauces and other goodies). Go here with out of towners or your grandparents. Like I said above, it is living in the past.

When I told my parents I was going to Philly for work, they immediately said «GO TO BOOKBINDERS!» Apparently, they would take the short trek from NY just to eat there. That coming from my parents is a huge deal. Persnickety? I would say more like a restaurant’s worst nightmare. So with that in mind, how could I not eat there?
Even with my parent’s rave review, I couldn’t help being a bit apprehensive about bringing two of my friends there for a fabulous ladies night on the town. I mean, it is a bit pricey, so if the food isn’t good, then you feel like a dip for recommending it.
So glad we did! The service was fabulous, and the food above expectations. We had the crab cocktail, luscious chunks of crab served in a martini glass with cocktail sauce on the side. butternut squash bisque, reminiscent of a night of perfect passionate sex — hot, steamy and filled with multiple orgasms. For our main courses we chose pecan crusted Tilapia, Mahi-​Mahi, and seared Ahi Tuna. All the entrees were prepared to highest standards, and were so delicious our forks couldn’t stay in our own plates. Normally, I am against this, as I am not a ‘food sharer’, but in this case I made an exception since the portions were too grand for us to finish anyway. For dessert, my lovely companions chose the vanilla crème brûlée. Not my first choice for dessert, as I am a chocolate fanatic, but as I swore I wasn’t going to partake anyway, I left the decision to them. Yeah, right. Decadent. My friend who is a crème brûlée aficionado said it was exactly as the best brulee should be — cool on top, warm in the middle, and cool on the bottom. I am a brulee dummy, so I took her word for it. All I know is that as hard as I tried, I couldn’t keep my spoon out of it. It was a lovely evening, and we closed the place down. It was so wonderful, my friend made reservations for the next evening as well.
Thanks, Bookbinders, for a divine dinner, and to my dear friends for a memorable evening in historic Philadelphia!

A Philadelphia Staple in the heart of Old City. One of the best places to get sea food in the city.

Come to Bookbinder’s for good, traditional seafood in a somewhat old-​school atmosphere. The décor is dark & sumptuous, a stark difference from the majority of Old City’s trendy, nightclub-​esque or «themed» (read: Starr) restaurants. The walls are lined with photos of the famous who have passed through its does since its opening in 1865, but I couldn’t really be bothered to take notice just who those famous folk were.
Service was courteous, helpful & prompt, absolutely nothing to complain about in that department.
The food was good, quality seafood — nothing super exemplary or particularly memorable (with perhaps the exception of a side of Cream Anna potatoes), but certainly nothing was wrong with the food, it was nicely prepared & quite tasty.
The New England Clam Chowder was creamy &
rich — perfect for the new fall weather, the stuffed flounder very good & certainly more than filling, the crab cake was good, but definitely not the best I’ve ever had — I think it could have used some more crab & less cake — but still good. We were apparently in a very potato-​y mood as we each ordered potatoes as a side — the Cream Anna potatoes which as I mentioned before were absolutely delicious! They are much like an au gratin potato. We also had the *massive* twice baked potato which was pretty good as well. As for their sushi, their Fantasy Roll was quite good, the tempura perfectly crispy, the spicy sauce rather tasty & the tuna of a very good quality.
I forget the name of what I had for dessert but it was very yummy — a sort of crème brûlée topped with a very generous amount of fresh fruit.
They have a decent wine list, but only by the bottle. If you are looking to get a glass of wine you are *very* limited in your choices. Their cocktails were pretty good however, I found their blueberry mojito especially delicious!
All in all I’d say this is definitely a great place to take family for a nice dinner or even go out on a new date, especially since the atmosphere is quiet enough that you don’t have to strain to hear your conversation or speak overly loud to be heard.

Bookbinders is one of the nicer establishments in the area and they have AMAZING soups! Great for a cold rainy day!

This review has been… about 25 years in the coming.
When I was a kid (ooop… dating myself now) my parents took me to this place, and it left an impression on me. I don’t remember the food, I don’t remember the service, I do remember the décor, the crazy tanks full of lobsters, and a picture I have of my grandparents when they were eating there with us.
I understand that this place might have seen better days and since been remodeled… I can’t wait to go back and see.

This place never seemed to impress me, and apparently I’m not the only one: Word on the street is that this place is going bankrupt.
Go to mingle and have a drink while you still can.

Apparently this place is like a historical site since many past famous people, including presidents, goto this place. Still, this place boasts some awesome seafood, so seafood lovers must come here. Try out their oysters or scallops for appetizers. Clams are also good if you like that «fishy» flavor. The tilapia was pretty good. Lobster ravioli was pretty creamy. For dessert, definitely get the strawberry shortcake. Unbelievable, and not heavy on your stomach either! Great mix of stuff for all kinds of seafood lovers out there :).

Great wall of fame in this spot. be sure to check out Lionel Richie’s stache!
Crab cakes are the size of softballs, cool atmosphere and bar. Great back room for groups as well.