Bar Ferdinand Llc

I use to work at Bar Ferdinand. I loved it! I loved the food, the energy, the neighborhood, and even the people I worked with, though I do agree with most people that they are rude and snobbish. This was a second, part time job for me, I am a teacher full time. I worked my butt off. As a server there you had to work triple as hard b/c in addition to taking orders and normal server duties, most of the time you had to run your own food (except for weekends), run your drinks, bus your tables, and water tables. Now normally I could manage this. I think most people can. You just have to figure out how to divide your time accordingly. BUT it is a tapas restaurant. There are LOTS of small dishes. NO ONE could keep up with what needed to be done. By the time you ran a drink, you had to take someones order, and another of your tables food came up, but they can't get it until you clear their table of 10 tiny plates and get them new silver. All at the same time, and you just got sat and there are 20 more tiny plates that need to go out to 3 of your tables... Get the idea? The management is horrible, and did not and probably from what it seems, still does not staff the restaurant accordingly. You can't get good service when management is bad and morale is low. I tried my best to do everything as efficiently as possible there. And I was always cheerful and nice to my customers. The restaurant is run inefficiently, and will continue to unless morale there rises, and management realizes the needs of the customers and the staff. The management ultimately was my demise with the restaurant. They do not know how to treat people. I am not an idiot. I work hard all day as a teacher, and I worked that extra job so I can make ends meet. I would not do that job if I were going to be rude to customers, because I needed my customers to love me so I could get a good tips. Why work if you are going to make 10% tips all night?? I now prefer Amada. Pros: yummy creative food Cons: management, service more

The food is OK and the service is awful. I have been there twice and would not go back. The waitress was rude. There are other way better tapas restaurants in Philadelphia. more

While the food at Bar Ferdinand is quite good, the service is awful. We used them for our holiday party last year and they were a total nightmare. We were afraid that the food wouldn't even arrive. This year, my boss decided we should try them again (who knows why). After leaving multiple messages, I've given up. When I called today, the woman who answered said ""he's not in, can I take a message."" I explained that I'd left messages all week and I was done. We'd take our business elsewhere. Her response: ""um whatever."" I have no energy for a place that employs people who don't understand customer service. more

I don't know what the person below me is talking about, this is one of the BEST restaurants in the city. My girlfriend and I eat at least one meal here a week and have NEVER been disappointed or unsatisfied with the quality of the food, presentation, or service. I'm glad that the person in the previous post ""won't be coming back,"" it means less of a wait for me and everyone else who loves this place :). Let the haters eat boring overpriced food at a pretentious Stephen Starr joint. Come here for great food, drinks, service and atmosphere, straight up. The brunch is awesome too... more

I ate at Bar Ferdinand for the first time 2 weekends ago for a going away celebration for a friend of mine. The sangria was good, but there were fruit flies in it!!! We tried the white and the red, and I counted 4 fruit flies in the pitchers. Disgusting. I wonder what the kitchen looks like if the flies are that prolific in the drinks. Also, I had a desert that looked like chocolate cat poopies with sticks stuck into them...upon chewing, I crunched something so hard that it chipped a lil bit of my front tooth. DEFINITELY will never go there again. more

We went here for an anniversary dinner (11th) and were very pleased with both the service and the meal. We went on a Saturday night, very early (6 p.m.) and found parking right in front. Probably because we were so early, the service was perfect...no worries about the earlier reviews and the scruffy waiters. Our waiter was very knowledgable about the wine choices and the menu. Pros: Good service. Good food. Great atmosphere. more

We enjoyed 5 tapas this summer all of which were well prepared and in adequate sizes. They were very good values. Our service was good, very friendly, although our second set of tapas was ""forgotten"" for 25 minutes. We began by sitting inside which, while being a beautiful interior, consists of only hard surfaces. This made for a very loud atmosphere in which you had to shout to have a conversation. We moved outside where it was much more pleasant. Pros: good food and value Cons: loud, loud, loud more

I went here for my birthday and was not at all disappointed with one dish. My friends and I split about ten different dishes and were very impressed. The best was the date, bacon and cream cheese empanadas, with the duck confit being a close second. The service was great and accomodating, even though we had a late reservation we did not feel forced out (a true rarity). On par with Amada, yet half the price, which makes it twice as nice. more

I have been to this restaurant three times, and the last two times the service was beyond poor. Last night my friend explicitly told the staff, and chef that she had a severe dairy allergy. Then immediately after biting into her mussels, she had a strong allergic reaction, and had to be taken to the hospital. (Apparently, to maintain freshness, sometimes seafood is soaked in milk, gross!) The manager never came over to apologize, comp the meal, or offer dessert or drinks. The rest of our order was equally bad--they brought out the wrong food, and forgot other items. At the end, they refused to split the check on several credit cards. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY, THE STAFF IS RUDE, SNOBBY, AND CARELESS. Go to Amada or Tinto for tapas, where the food is infinitely better and they know how to treat their customers. I was so upset after last night's experience, that I created an account on citysearch just to warn other people about this restaurant. more

This is not the place for real tapas experts. The cod fishballs were smelly and somewhat freezer burned. The bread for dipping was pretty paltry and the portions were really small even for small plates. As a few other reviewers mentioned, the service wasn't stellar. The value all in all for what you get is low. Cons: high prices, not good value more

I've been to Bar Ferdinand twice and can tell that I am going to become a regular. I loved the braised short rib in a pomegrante jus, it had such a rich flavor, that lingered on your palate. Also, I had the venison special with bleu cheese flan and carmelized onion that was to die for. Venison is such a tricky meat to prepare and I was thoroughly impressed at the flavor and texture of the entire dish. Last, but not least, I had a butternut squash cheesecake with a saffron aioli. Although to some, the flavors may not sound as though they would tie together well it was an unbelievable dessert to end the meal with. Overall, everything was excellent. Pros: FOOD and FLAVOR more

I went there for Valentines day and there was a price fixed menu. The selection was very small and the food was bad. It was $75 a person and it was not worth the money. I will not go back there again. more

My finance and I went to Bar Ferdinand for Valentine's Day dinner. I guess I should just accept that Valentine's Day dinner means you will pay twice as much as usual for worse than usual food. . .That was exactly the deal at Bar Ferdinand. If you want amazing tapas, go to Tinto. Bar Ferdinand doesn't even come close. Pros: ambience Cons: price for the quality of the food more

I've been to Spain a half dozen times and thoroughly enjoyed the local food. Well, if you want to be wow'ed by how amazing Spanish food could be right in your own backyard, this is the place to go. The red sangria needed more fruit and was a wee bit too sweet, but that didn't spoil the flavour of the food. Please order the bocadillos for they are absolutely mouthwateringly scrumptious! All that aside, the staff 90% looked like they just rolled out of bed. I hope they weren't scratching or combing their hair right before serving our food. The prices aren't outrageous, but what do you want when you've got a little bit of Spain in your backyard? I'll be back, hopefully with bright-eyed and bushytailed servers next time. Pros: Authentic Spanish Food Cons: staff looked scruffy more

My friend took me to Bar Ferd's and it was amazing great service and great food. I cant wait to go back. Pros: beautiful and pleasant atmosphere, the employees were perfect Cons: can't think of a one, sorry... brown betty is awful though more

We had reservations at a seafood restaurant last night and ""accidently"" went to the wrong side of town. Boy, what a GREAT mistake! Another couple and ourselves from the suburbs, have season theatre tickets and love trying NEW and exciting places in the city to eat. We decided to give Bar Ferdinand a try since the weather was perfect, the outdoor cafe open and the paella smelled soooooo good. I do not care for Sangria but our husbands ordered a pitcher and it was fabulous, lots of fruit and a pleasant fruitful taste. Our waiter was extremely helpful and explained the way to order, including leaving the menu at the table for ""reordering"". We ordered 8 tapas to start, lamb, octupus, cod, steak, shrimp, mmmmmmm, so good and just the right amount. We ordered more tapas to complete our dinner and followed by chocolate hazelnut ice cream. All the toppings for the main dishes were extremely fresh and light., each so unique and flavorful. My personal review can't do this place justice. The dishes flowed, all the waiters were constantly clearing the table, filling water glasses. Beautiful setting and ambiance. Loved it :) Pros: Fresh, unique, great dining experience Cons: As usual in the city, parking more

My friends and I wanted to go to Bar Ferndinand for dinner on a Saturday night. I called that afternoon to make a reservation. They said they only take reservations for parties of 6 or more. They asked how many people and what time we would be arriving? I said 3 at 8:00 PM. They said ""No Problem."" When we arrived at 8:00 it was packed and we were told it would be an hour to hour and a half wait. We're not picky. We asked if it would be okay to wait across the way at Deuce, since their bar was crowded. They said okay and I gave them my cell phone # to call when our table was availabe. One hour and 45 minutes later, still no table. I went back over the check up. There was about 25 names after mine that had already been crossed off. How did they get seated before us??!! But the hostess assured me we were next. We patiently waited again cell phone in hand. After another 45 minutes we were now starving so we left Deuce and went to the Standard Tap where service was excellent as always, Bar Ferndinand never called us at all. I called the next morning to talk to a manager ( who had just stepped out). I left my name and #, and no one ever called me back. I have never in my life been treated so rudely by a restaurant that I never even sat down in. Two huge thumbs down!!!!! Cons: Terrible hostess service. more

This place was great as far as finger food and wine selection. They allowed us to try about 4 different wines since we stated we would like to try something new. We also tried the friend manchego cheese with frozen apple foam which was delicious. The decor and service was fantastic. I would definately continue to go here. This is a nice hangout out for drrinks and finger food , also the prices were great! Pros: Price and wine selection Cons: Needs more space, so get there early more

We went for dinner last Thursday. Pretty quiet at first, but things picked up. OK selection of beers, nothing extraordinary. Not quite sure why they serve giant bottles of Rogue when the idea is small portions. The food was very good. Interesting selection and a wide variety of flavors to choose from. The fried manchego with frozen apple foam was gooood - an unexpected combination of textures/temperatures. Ham croquets were tasty. Chicken chroizo sandwich was a tasty portion and the bean salad was nice and vinegary. It would have helped if the server explained more about the food, i.e. how many plates make a sufficient dinnner, without us having to ask. Seems like a fun place for a group. We'll go back. Pros: food, ambiance, drinks more

This place is great. The decor is beautiful and the food is wonderful. I wish the drinks were better and the prices were a bit less expensive. This is a great addition to Philly and If it weren't for the truly amazing Cantina Los Caballitos and Snack Bar, this would probably be my favorite new bar in Philly. Pros: Food, Comfort Cons: Service, Prices more