Barclay Prime

Frommer's Review

When this glamorous Rittenhouse Square steakhouse opened in 2004, it instantly became the toniest restaurant in the city. Credit for this achievement goes, in part, to the chic-boutique decor. Mod cutout bookshelves are gracefully backlit; modular white, yellow, and Kelly green leather couches and chairs fill the lounge-y dining room; and black-and-white checkerboard tiles floor the lounge.

More credit, however, goes to the flawless meat-and-potatoes menu. New York's Gachot & Gachot (the Prada of beef) supplies the beautifully marbled steaks (sauce is $3 extra). Sides include a creamed spinach as rich as many of the deep-pocketed patrons themselves. There are predictably impeccable oysters, caviar and seafood cocktails, fun-to-nibble Kobe beef sliders, palate-cleansing salads, and decadent lobster bisque. The menu's most extravagant dish, however, is the Kobe beef "cheesesteak," which, as its $100 price tag suggests, is not topped with Cheez Whiz. When the bill's already this big, there's no reason to resist rounding out the meal with delicate takes on banana cream pie or toasted peanut butter s'mores.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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