Sapphire Manayunk

WOW. I walk past this place all the time on main street but for some reason just never stopped in. I went last night for restaurant week and it was AMAZING. 1^st course We got the caprese salad and calamari. The calamari was much better than other places I have had it on main street, by far. It was cooked just right, not chewy like most places. The vegetables in the caprese were obviously marinated for a while and were extremely tasty and tender.
The 2^nd course we split the filet with potatoes and asparagus, and the chicken dish with the spinach on top with melted cheese, and potatoes. Wow, just wow. All the meat was cooked just right, the chicken was juicy but fully cooked, and the steak was cooked medium straight throughout, just like we ordered. The steak was incredibly tender. Really both dishes were just great, the sauce was very tasty, but they weren’t «heavy» like would have expected. after the first and second course we felt like we had plenty to eat, but we didn’t feel gross or bloated.
Dessert– Cheese cake and double chocolate cake. Can’t really screw those up, and Sapphire didn’t disappoint. Perfect cap on the meal.
Overall, I would highly recommend this place. We sat outside because it was so nice out, but the inside looked like it has a very nice atmosphere. The chairs in that place are also super comfy, even the outdoor seating ones. I like that its farther down on main street so its not crowded while you’re outside eating. I will be going back.

Despite the fact that Main Street has plenty of options when you want to grab a drink, Craft (formerly Sapphire, same family ownership) has become my go-​to. Something about this place appeals in a way the rest of the bars on the strip just don’t touch.
Craft is modest, while being an elegant, mature bar and restaurant with a sophisticated drink and food menu, very reasonable prices (not your usual Manayunk upcharge) and a friendly staff that’s fun to interact with. As I mentioned, they recently renovated and re-​branded as Craft to make this spot even more attractive. Not sure how this will affect the weekend scene here; on Friday and Saturday nights they play upbeat music and dim the lights for a more intimate weekend feel.
If you’re looking for somewhere to go with a friend, a date, a group or friends or even solo — this is the Manayunk spot. Food, drinks, fun. Craft is great!

Went here for dinner – nothing special, although their menu sounds impressive. Our waitress was great though, she was very quick to check on us and being us the check at the end. They also weren’t really busy.
We got fried pickles to share, which we were excited for but were kind of a disappointment. The pickles were sliced thin long ways, which actually made them hard to eat. The breading was falling off while it was hard to get a clean bite of the pickle. We all prefer smaller fried pickles, more like chip size, to what this was. I think even the spears would probably have been easier to eat because it would have been easier to bite into.
I got the mac and cheese, which was good. Very cheesy and with breadcrumbs. My friends got the grilled cheese and the chicken sandwich, which both looked better than they actually were. My friend had a hard time with the fried chicken sandwich, the chicken was too hard to bite and the bun was toasted (really good bun, she said), but altogether was hard to eat as a sandwich. She took it apart and ate it with a fork and knife. Ultimately, okay food, okay atmosphere. Kinda what I expect on Main St.

One of the most scrumptious meals I’ve had in Manyunk thus far. The open air windows add great ambiance.
I started my experience with an extra dirty martini and it was just the way I like it. Then I had the amazing hummus plate with roasted seasonal veggies and pita and the hummus was exceptional. I had the filet which was cooked perfectly and the red wine reduction sauce sent my taste buds on a crazy adventure. Great staff and bartenders I will eat here again and again!

Went there on a Saturday night. Walked in and seated ourselves and a guy finally gave us a menu… Ordered a Lemon Drop and a Coke… 1 girl was waiting on the outside
And inside? Ookkaayyyaaa??? Coke arrives, watered down horrible. Lemon drop comes to the table overflowing onto the floor… Girls turns back to get napkin… Girlfriend says, «look, let’s go to Derek’s» paid for the drinks and left… Will not return. You get one chance.

Going along with another reviewer — «Is it a bar, a lounge or a restaurant» I’m not sure either. But, I like it. It was different from the rest of the overflowing places. We just wanted to grab a drink, had eaten just prior to the stroll. We were just about to walk back to the car, but up ahead I saw a little light. There were only 6 other couples there. Late 20’s & mid 40’s well dressed and those sitting outside were friendly as we walked up. We took a high top inside with an open view. I’m from Orlando and she’s from Philly, she still lives here. Definitely a college atmosphere, but this place and the Main Street was a nice change from the, dare I say ‘dark,’ areas it seems everywhere else is around Philadelphia. (I’ve never been to Philly, so it’s a bit surprising is all) We didn’t eat anything there, but people’s plates coming out looked good. We enjoyed our Pinot Grigio & Malbec, then parted ways from this intriguing establishment.

My friends and I stopped by at 5:30pm last Friday night for drinks before our dinner reservations. The waitress did not seem to know much about her stock. She did not understand my friends request for a classic (gin) martini. She forgot my order and kept my table waiting with empty glasses for over 10 minutes before even coming to check on us. Not what we were expecting.

I hated my pulled prom sandwich from here. Was lured in by the outside seating and cheap food specials did not like the food and have not returned. Ive only been inside once and was a weird lounge scene that doesn’t really fit Manayunk.

Not sure why this place doesn’t have more stars. I actually revisited to get the filet again, served with garlic mashies and asparagus. Delicious. I had the calamari, too, sauteed with jalepenos. Brilliant. The prices are reasonable. They had a decent wine and beer selection, too. Not massive, but definitely adequate.
I love the open-​air windows, outdoor seating (prime for people watching) and lounge-​y feel.
Our waitress was very attentive and helpful. I found no issue with the service compared to some of the other reviews. Maybe theirs was an off night? It’s hard to judge a place entirely on one bad experience.
I have had a pleasant experience here whether just having drinks with friends or dining. I will be back.

I honestly only stopped in because I had to use the restroom. Hmmm I guess the first thing I noticed was the restroom is very clean :) .
The staff was extremely friendly and since I felt bad using the restroom and not buying anything, I asked what their drink specials were. Sunday special is $ 5 miller lite bottles w a fireball shot. Okay ladies and gentleman that’s a great deal! Most places charge $ 5 or more just for the shot. But here I get a beer and a shot for the same price!!! Yes I’ll definitely be back

Spent a few hours drinking in the back of the restaurant. The drinks were decently priced and the staff seemed friendly enough. Nothing special about the place though. Good for stopping in for a beers before the younger crowd clubs it up.

The food is so good here! My dad got the crab cakes (he loved them!!) and I got the fillet bruschetta which was amazing.
Everyone is friendly and its not a rip off like a lot of the other bars/​restaurants. Will be coming here again!

We came here for a birthday celebration. Parking in manayunk is always a nightmare. I was a bit leery since there were very few customers at 7 p.m. Our server was very attentive and a great conversationalist. We ordered a caprese appetizer which was very good. Our gnocchi was delicious and the burger was very good. The fries weren’t cooked completely. I would definitely be interested in coming back.

Oh how sad. We came here last Wednesday for restaurant week. Here’s the short version: the food was pretty good but the service was awful. We were there for almost 3 hours. FOR RESTAURANT WEEK! There was only 1 waitress for the entire restaurant — talk about poor planning.
Anyway, the food was good, no one apologized once for the super duper slow service. Lack of water refills was disappointing as well but that went with the whole service. Id like to give it another shot as the food was good, but not good enough to wait around for 3 hours unintentionally.
Also, around 10pm (which we were not planning on being there at that time anyway but due to slow service we were just starting to eat) — they have a DJ that plays in the middle of the dining room.
Also the way it’s set up is super weird — I’m not sure if this place is supposed to be a trendy bar type place that also serves food, or what. But I will give it another try at some point.

We visited for Manayunk restaurant Week. Sapphire had the $ 20 menu, which meant that we got three courses– an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert. The food was pretty great! I got the PEI mussels, the filet mignon, and hazelnut mousse cake. The mussels were flavorful and I got a lot of them, as well as some crostini. The hummus that others got seemed a little bland, but it was pretty good overall. The filet mignon was cooked exactly to my order (I ordered it rare, so cool center) and came with a great butter sauce. The hazelnut cake was rich and I couldn’t finish it because I was full from everything else.
The only issue that I had was the service. It seemed that there was only one waitress working the restaurant (which was far from full), and she rarely came over. When she did, they were very quick visits. I would have really preferred more attention and more frequent visits.

I experienced a great divide in terms of the quality of food and quality of service.
I dined here during restaurant week and for 20 $, my 1^st course of hummus, 2^nd course of sweet potato, pesto gnocchi, and 3^rd course of crème brûlée were all very tasty. The portions weren’t that small and they were all packed with good flavors.
My complaint rests on the side of service. I waited way too long for my food in between meals and when I made a point to mention this to who appeared to be the owner, he didn’t even apologize and merely mumbled something about how it’s Restaurant Week. Yet, the restaurant was nowhere near full capacity so I don’t think that excuse sufficed. Also, it should be noted that my waitress rarely refilled my water glass and didn’t even consider asking if anyone needed anything when quickly stopping by to drop something off or take something away.
The food was good but not good enough to justify another venture out to this place.

Once upon a time, this place was cool. Trendy. Then, I don’t know… it just kind of fell flat. Could be a change in management. Who knows. I just always labeled it a Back Up Plan if Manayunk Brewery was too packed. Sometimes you just want a chill spot where you can hear yourself think.
The atmosphere is chill for sure, but single guys, don’t plan on walking out with anyone but a nice size bill for your drinks.

Getting right to the point here (non food review)–
Decent space with lounge area in the back.
Much more subdued than its main street counterparts.
Good place to get a few drinks and engage in conversation before you enter the boisterous manayunk bar scene — plus the $ 3 cosmos don’t hurt (this was their special for the ladies last Friday night).
I approve.

This Manayunk spot has lounge seating, windows providing a decent view outside. The décor is moody: darkish with spotlight lighting, hip without being outrageous, music pumping, just my style. Haven’t sat at their main bar yet, but I can say that their couches are comfy.
Friendly staff. We shared a variety of plates, and everything satisfied. It wasn’t crowded when we were there, but it was during the week, too.
Definitely an appropriate afterparty spot (of sorts) after happy hour.

Simply put, this place is weak.
It seems like they are trying to be a hip European bar, but it just isn’t working. The music was awful and the bartender would change tracks in the middle of a song. We got some drinks at the bar and then sat down at a table. The bartender then came over to the table and put a «Reserved» sign on the table and told us that a party would be there in an hour, so we would need to move. Hardly anyone was here. Lame. Also, the drinks are way overpriced.
There are lots of bars on Main Street in Manayunk. Don’t waste your time here.