the dandelion

i've been here a couple times now and it's always a great meal. if you likepubfood, like fish and chips or sheppards pie you came to the right place.

a true englishpubexperience in the heart of philadelphia. the dandelion has tremendous ambiance, masterfully decorated (all furniture, wall coverings and fixtures are imported from england), creates very comforting feeling. excellent selection of beer and ciders (bar looked like it had a lot of scotch options). freshly made bread which can’t be put down. i had dandelion salad, which was light, crunchy and super-fresh. rabbit pie was outstanding, delicious flavors. my dinner companions were raving about lamb  shepherd’s  pie, fish and chips and steak and chips. excellent service – prompt and helpful.

highly recommended.

good place but not for folks who want to have conversation or sit in comfortable chairs. party of eight celebrating an event was seated promptly and we paid a corkage fee of flutes for expensive champagne we broought. enjoyed two pitchers of pimms cup #10 for the table and assorted appetizers with tasty bread and butter. main dishes were almost all good. except the crab risotto. way too spicy to be enjoyable. risotto and crab are usually subtle dishes. not this one. sent it back after two bites. chose not to order another choice. manager insisted on providing gratis a welsh rarebit order; which i let others partake as i didn't want to push my lactaid pill to it's helpful limits. would i go back, no; but, would recommend it to friends who want the experience of britishpubfood at almost reasonable prices. service was fine and we left full. the mini pastry plate was a smart move to share for the table for dessert.

dandelion doesn't disappoint for a great lunch on a hot day. i have been here for drinks before (they have a nice happy hour menu too) and wanted to give lunch a try. good traditionalpubfood with unique twist

this restaurant is by far one of my favorite starr restaurants when i think about overall experience. personally, i found the dogs that decorated the walls of one room cute and i think they added character to the restaurant. while the atmosphere does remind one of the united kingdom, the food also adds to this atmosphere as well. to start, we ordered the butter lettuce salad and the terrine of hen, ham hock and foie gras. while these two starters were good, out of the two, the terrine is not to be missed as it is an incredibly flavorful dish. as both a lamb and a meat pie lover, the lamb shepherds pie i received here was delicious and filling. the food here clearly has an emphasis on englishpubfood with an american twist to it, so there is something on the menu for everyone. i have a whole list of foods that i now hope to try there including the rabbit pie, bangers and mash, and sticky toffee pudding, a dessert i ate many times while i was in the u.k.

clockwise from left: the townhouse which houses the dandellion. second floor bar. sitting room with a fireplace on the first floor.   i’ve always wanted to try the food at the dandelion since i moved to philadelphia. the restaurant offered an interesting center city restaurant week menu this winter so off i went after work. the menu did not disappoint.   the atmosphere: it’s a disney version of an irish pub. it’s charming and clean. a real irishpubis a bit of a dive bar. the staff is friendly and courteous. my server followed me to the street to make sure i didn’t leave my umbrella.   my picks: clockwise from top left: bread basket with sea salt and butter on slate ware to taste. sticky toffee pudding. pan fried sea scallops. beef cheek and rib pie.   verdict: i loved everything i was served. the meal was perfectly seasoned. the dishes served pipping hot which was just what i wanted on a rainy day. the sea salt with butter was a treat. not a lot of restaurants have this. must try !!

very good but still love monk's. this was our first time and it was definitely a hit. the service was spot on and friendly. in fact our server fielded and answered a somewhat obnoxious foodie/ingredient question from one of our party with grace and humor. food itself was tasty and well prepared. nothing special, but then again, it's a pub. my wife was quite pleased with the shepherd's pie. the only let-down was the sticky toffee pudding which was "ok." the place gets very crowded and loud and definitely is not a place for kids or a romantic dinner. monk's remains my favorite gastropubin philly.

looks like a real pub, feels like s gastro..good tho. we were looking for a pub, it felt more like a restaurant but in the end i reckon it was on a gastropublevel.


had some nice beers on tap... the ipa and the pilsner for sure

the menu was pretty cool for this side of the pond, some pickled stuff some liver parfait etc, not cheap but certainly good quality.

decor is cool ,a few bits of taxidermy with some tusks etc and a few locals enjoying, the bar staff were friendly and attentive

the bar menu inciluded a burger at $16 which was truely excellent, toasted brioche with volume, burger as ordered medium rare with a definate blush and a nice taste to the meat, salad fresh and crunchy, maybe a bit smal?? and could have been warmer but then that is the case with med rare right?

decor and ambience from us was a defo thumbs up... 10 beers, one chips and one burger with chips=$100 plus tip :)

transported.... on first glance i thought chichi, a bit ostentatious...the animal heads adorning the walls, the fireplace, yardsale unmatched furniture, pricey menu; an over-the-top take on the english pub...and then i was sucked in. after having lived a few years in ireland, i began to appreciate the subtlety within the wild disney affair...the comics on the bathroom wall, the bar and bartenders, the cask conditioned ales, and of course...the fish and chips. starr has created not only another great menu with food far better than any angloirishpubi've encountered, but he's captured thepubfeel that makes you feel comfortable, it's a bar you can hang out in and the only thing missing is the tobacco stained wallpaper, the trad session in the corner and the toothless drunk sipping his bulmer's.

aside from the atmosphere, to comment on the food i'll disclose that i've only been twice, once for brunch and once for dinner. the brunch was excellent, scones were a must but be careful of the bar bill...it adds up pretty quick when your party burns through a few pitcher, cocktails and brew. on our dinner trip we sat at the bar, and indulged in the fish and chips...the and is because the chips are every bit as good as the fish...and the fish is not skimping...it's a big hunk of cod cooked to perfection and served on a wood platter.

great place, fun atmosphere, a place i'll bring visiting friends to introduce to philly starrdom.

cheers.

i really figured my next stephen starr experience would be at granite hill because my friday evenings are mostly spent checking out the art museum scene at art after 5 , but as it turns out, i had a ladies luncheon at the dandelion (18th & sansom) last week. this large, multi-roomed englishpubis phenomenal! 4 tines for atmosphere (* excellent - 4 tines / * great - 3 tines / * good - 2 tines / * fair - 1 tine * poor - tarnished ). too bad the lovely fire in the wait to be seated area was wasted on us, as it was a sunny 75 degree afternoon; but i'd love to go back on a cold, rainy evening and order the lamb shepherd's pie (mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese,wintry vegetables ) $16. the many dining rooms and some of the decor reminds me of my very favorite philly restaurant, the white dog cafe . photo credit denine gorniak - the bicycle chef i was actually in the mood for warm roast beef (watercress salad, horseradish mayonnaise, beef gravy, sourdough bread ) $12 . however, it's more fun t