Where are my women who love whiskey? And I don’t mean the watered down with fruit juice kind of cocktails. I mean the ones who absolutely adore an old fashioned nightcap and if anything hurts in your body or joints, bourbon can fix it. I don’t know what it is about this spirit, but it has my heart and soul. It’s a go-to drink of choice for me especially when I just need a good, reliable stiff drink. And at Bank and Bourbon, the list of whiskey options and flights are endless! They also have low to no-alcohol mocktails available too for all the sober curious out there like me as part of the Free Spirited Program.
Connected to Loews Hotel Philadelphia, Bank and Bourbon features innovative creative cocktails under the guidance of experienced Bourbon Masters, with a mostly American menu by Chef Craig Meyers that offers creative, seasonal interpretations of classic dishes. Set in a comfortable, relaxed setting, you can easily people watch as the city buzzes behind you. Or in my case, keeping the sweltering heat outside.
Using only the freshest ingredients mostly from local farms, the menus change seasonally with a dash of the unexpected. This was part of a media visit during one of the hottest heatwaves in the city and I was eager to tear into some cocktails among the sweet air conditioning inside the former PSFS bank building, a 491 feet high, 36-story steel-framed building featuring polished black granite, light gray limestone, black and gray accents and just amazing opulence. This restaurant is easily accessible from inside the hotel with a connected bar in the lobby if you just want a cocktail but to socialize. It sits on the corner of Market Street right across from the Hard Rock Philadelphia.
The easiest way to get there is enter through the Loews Hotel doors.Then you will pop out into the lobby and have the option to belly up to the bar if that’s your vibe at Bank and Bourbon.If you want to dine inside, head to your left and you’ll see the sign for Bank and Bourbon.Walking inside Bank and Bourbon dining room.A view of the hustle and bustle outside in Philadelphia at Bank and Bourbon.Our view of the wooden crate wall at Bank and Bourbon. We opted for a corner booth to stretch out.But first a drink to catch up with one of my long, lost photography friends at Bank and Bourbon. This is the Secret Knock with house-aged whiskey, green tea, lemon and clarified milk which was so refreshing. My guest enjoyed a spicy red which ironically seemed to heavy for me in the heat.Sometimes the bread is so good, it deserves a photo too at Bank and Bourbon. Fresh made!Burratta cheese is the best especially this large at Bank and Bourbon. It was served fried but my stomach could not with the outside temperatures so we opted for just the cheese, please.The grilled octopus was thick and succulent at Bank and Bourbon.On the menu as fried oysters, we asked for just the taste of the sea at Bank and Bourbon. They did not disappoint and I appreciated the Tajin lemon!A delightful pile of peas with the verde salad at Bank and Bourbon.Any sort of French influence is key for me at Bank and Bourbon and the Chicken Liver Mousse Royale was amazingly creamy and tasty.My guest was obsessed over this duck confit with lentils at Bank and Bourbon, not a scrap left after dinner.The lightest summer beet salad at Bank and Bourbon was also beautiful plating.Chunky beef tartare mixed with tomato is another one of my favorites at Bank and Bourbon with homemade potato chips.For my next cocktail, our server set us straight with this Fistfull of Dollars with Knob Creek small batch at Bank and Bourbon. So refreshing and buzzy!And our impressive entree, the Creekstone Farms 32 oz. dry aged cowboy steak at Bank and Bourbon was outstanding. The sear was utter perfection, the meat melted in your mouth and even the veggies and potatoes were full of flavor.For me, no steak is complete without a side of mushrooms at Bank and Bourbon.We asked about all the farms that Bank and Bourbon works with and were given this list which we hope you can read!Bank and Bourbon’s sous chef stopped by to see how we were doing and we were absolutely raving over the steak like carnivore savages.A simple Manhattan is always a good idea at Bank and Bourbon.A sucker for chocolate always and forever, the Chocolate Crunch Cake paired with bourbon vanilla ice cream of course.A perfect way to beat the heat, the Frozen Lemon Mousse at Bank and Bourbon was a great ending to an outstanding meal.A perfect after dinner cocktail of my favorite Old Fashioned was sheer perfection at Bank and Bourbon.I think I caught Photographer Kevin Loreaux in a smile at Bank and Bourbon! East Coasters always are confused as to why we are eating in a hotel versus West Coasters who expect to be attached to a hotel. After this delicious meal, we then went on an exploring the hotel spree and grabbed some rad images!
Until we meet again, Bank and Bourbon at Loews Hotel Philadelphia. We are huge fans here at Explore, take a look at some other posts we’ve done over the years at this beloved space!
