Our first experience here, popping in on a rainy Saturday evening. Despite the warm, welcoming interior, the first thing we noticed was how loud the restaurant was. Full capacity with a crowded bar does not need loud music playing! It was exceedingly difficult having a conversation with my partner, we actually gave up and people watched.Food was great! We enjoyed our bacon wrapped figs and goat cheese appetizers. The Tips & Shrimp and short rib pasta entrees were great as were the house-made beignets.The awesome hostess was as doing quadruple duty as Villanova students are one Spring break. She didn’t miss a beat taking our drink and food orders, filling our water and making sure we were enjoying our meal.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Leii Love
(Edit: for reference this is from our experience in 2023 so hopefully they’ve made staffing changes since our visit) My husband and I chose to eat here, and the service was egregious. They gave us a weird vibe when we walked in and even though we are residents of the main line I think there was some classism going on. Everyone who was already eating in the restaurant, looks like they walked out of a Brooks Brothers catalog. We waited so long in between getting drinks or our food, they brought out our silverware and brought my husband a knife for his steak but then when the steak came out like 30 minutes later, it was already cut into pieces. also, we had a view of the kitchen from where we were eating and saw that they had grabbed our food out of a hotbox. I don’t understand why they just didn’t bring it to us when it was ready. We regularly eat at multiple restaurants throughout the mainline area and King of Prussia and we have never felt so uncomfortable from the customer service we received. By the way, we still tipped well, because how we were treated, gave us the appearance that they didn’t think that we would. I do not recommend, unless you look like old money.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Terrie S
Nice vibe, menu was limited but shrimp and penne with vodka sauce was the best my husband ever had.beet and goat cheese salad was shareable. Overall very good!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
David Greenberg
Good drinks, cool vibes, good service in the burbs.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Michael Peterson
The cuisine was exceptional, perhaps featuring the best bacon-wrapped dates. However, my rating falls slightly below a 4 due to an unfortunate electrical outage during our dinner, accompanied by a blaring fire alarm. The overall atmosphere was negatively impacted, exacerbated by the cold temperature resulting from the heating system malfunction. Regrettably, no discount was extended despite these issues. The waitress, although pleasant, appeared distressed. Despite these setbacks, I would still recommend the establishment for its culinary delights and hope for a more uneventful experience on a future visit.
This is my first review on Yelp. So I went to Avalon Bar and Bistro on a Wednesday. The restaurant was fairly busy as it's before a holiday but not crowded . I walked in solo and found a spot at the bar.The bar tender seemed like he was pretty overwhelmed and he had said that they weren't expecting a large crowd that night. I personally wouldn't have characterized this as a busy night but I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.I ordered the eggplant chips which are similar to the zucchini chips but smaller and the chicken Milanese. Took awhile to get the chips and wasn't worth the wait. If you enjoy burnt and crispy with a hint of cardboard texture then you were in luck!. The marinara that came with it as a dipping sauce was actually pretty good.The chicken Milanese took a liiiiitle more time. Actually I'm being very kind and took a long time. The bartender did his best and tried to cover for the kitchen staff but I knew he was just not telling the truth. The wait for the chicken also not worth it. It was dissatisfying at best. It was one degree removed from the eggplant chips that I am presently still trying to digest unsuccessfully. I will say the martini was excellent and the glass of red wine ok. The food is another topic. Perhaps it was an off night but really disappointing. All said the meal with drinks was $78 plus tip.So if you like over cooked, over priced, slow service then you are in luck. This is your place. I really hope the restaurant actually reads this because it has so much potential and the mainline deserves better. I laid the sarcasm pretty strong but for the reason I would be very upset about the quality of food. The bartender worked really hard but something is wrong in the kitchen and isn't working. You guys can do way better and you have in the past. Hope this helps.
David S.
Food was delicious and the atmosphere was comfortable and stylish without being fussy.
C
VERY LOUD! Food was great, but we were screaming over each other to have a simple conversation over dinner.Joe, our waiter, was curt all evening. Hedidn’t seem to put our drink orders in on time and with that we saw the bartenders would just be standing completing tasks and not making our drinks for many minutes until he would come over, have them make the drinks quickly and bring them over. This happened twice, the second was just a glass of wine that needed to be poured and I didn’t get it till halfway through my entree.Don’t sit in last high-top booth across the from the bar unless you want a spot light beaming down on your face.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Cheesesteak Egg Roll
Erica Shippen
Prior to going, I read the menu and lit up like a Christmas tree when I saw that they had Lobster Ravioli. When our pleasant server came over, I excitedly ordered the lobster ravioli, only to be told that it was no longer on the menu. The heartbreak...it was a culinary Greek tragedy in the making. However, our server suggested the Seafood pasta (crab, lobster, shrimp) in a vodka sauce. I was intrigued so I tried it. OH MY GOODNESS! I almost cried it was sooooo good. The pasta was al dente, the sauce was flavorful and rich, and there was an abundance of seafood. I had enough for lunch and dinner the next day. That pasta dish, coupled with the Empress Lemonade, was an absolute treat!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheesesteak Egg Roll, No Buns Burger
Erica S
Prior to going, I read the menu and lit up like a Christmas tree when I saw that they had Lobster Ravioli. When our pleasant server came over, I excitedly ordered the lobster ravioli, only to be told that it was no longer on the menu. The heartbreak...it was a culinary Greek tragedy in the making. However, our server suggested the Seafood pasta (crab, lobster, shrimp) in a vodka sauce. I was intrigued so I tried it. OH MY GOODNESS! I almost cried it was sooooo good. The pasta was al dente, the sauce was flavorful and rich, and there was an abundance of seafood. I had enough for lunch and dinner the next day. That pasta dish, coupled with the Empress Lemonade, was an absolute treat!
I love this place. It is a great local hang out with good cocktails and good food. It is a place that should definitely be frequented if you are in the area.Kid-friendliness: Kids loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Avalon Burger
Todd S.
This is a great neighborhood bistro. The food and appetizers are wonderful. And so are the cocktails. If you come between four and six, you can partake in appetizers at a discounted rate and great drink specials for their happy hour. This is a place that should not be missed.
Drew L
This place is a gem. I work literally steps away and never thought of coming here.Atmosphere: greatService: top notchFood: fantasticHad no idea that we would enjoy this place so much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Peter Monaghan
I have had several wonderful meals at Bar Avalon in Bryn Mawr and each visit has been terrific. The atmosphere is lively yet allows for a conversation. There are so many delicious menu options that it requires several visits. The staff is amazing with Joe as bartender/server Extraordinaire!
Susan Case
Wonderful experience…food is consistently good. The bartender/server Joe is awesome! Whether visiting for happy hour or dinner, I am always happy to see Joe’s smiling face and warm welcome! Check it out, you will be glad you did. ???
Our first experience here, popping in on a rainy Saturday evening. Despite the warm, welcoming interior, the first thing we noticed was how loud the restaurant was. Full capacity with a crowded bar does not need loud music playing! It was exceedingly difficult having a conversation with my partner, we actually gave up and people watched.Food was great! We enjoyed our bacon wrapped figs and goat cheese appetizers. The Tips & Shrimp and short rib pasta entrees were great as were the house-made beignets.The awesome hostess was as doing quadruple duty as Villanova students are one Spring break. She didn’t miss a beat taking our drink and food orders, filling our water and making sure we were enjoying our meal.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
(Edit: for reference this is from our experience in 2023 so hopefully they’ve made staffing changes since our visit) My husband and I chose to eat here, and the service was egregious. They gave us a weird vibe when we walked in and even though we are residents of the main line I think there was some classism going on. Everyone who was already eating in the restaurant, looks like they walked out of a Brooks Brothers catalog. We waited so long in between getting drinks or our food, they brought out our silverware and brought my husband a knife for his steak but then when the steak came out like 30 minutes later, it was already cut into pieces. also, we had a view of the kitchen from where we were eating and saw that they had grabbed our food out of a hotbox. I don’t understand why they just didn’t bring it to us when it was ready. We regularly eat at multiple restaurants throughout the mainline area and King of Prussia and we have never felt so uncomfortable from the customer service we received. By the way, we still tipped well, because how we were treated, gave us the appearance that they didn’t think that we would. I do not recommend, unless you look like old money.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Nice vibe, menu was limited but shrimp and penne with vodka sauce was the best my husband ever had.beet and goat cheese salad was shareable. Overall very good!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Good drinks, cool vibes, good service in the burbs.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The cuisine was exceptional, perhaps featuring the best bacon-wrapped dates. However, my rating falls slightly below a 4 due to an unfortunate electrical outage during our dinner, accompanied by a blaring fire alarm. The overall atmosphere was negatively impacted, exacerbated by the cold temperature resulting from the heating system malfunction. Regrettably, no discount was extended despite these issues. The waitress, although pleasant, appeared distressed. Despite these setbacks, I would still recommend the establishment for its culinary delights and hope for a more uneventful experience on a future visit.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lamb Bolognese, Bacon Wrapped Dates
This is my first review on Yelp. So I went to Avalon Bar and Bistro on a Wednesday. The restaurant was fairly busy as it's before a holiday but not crowded . I walked in solo and found a spot at the bar.The bar tender seemed like he was pretty overwhelmed and he had said that they weren't expecting a large crowd that night. I personally wouldn't have characterized this as a busy night but I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.I ordered the eggplant chips which are similar to the zucchini chips but smaller and the chicken Milanese. Took awhile to get the chips and wasn't worth the wait. If you enjoy burnt and crispy with a hint of cardboard texture then you were in luck!. The marinara that came with it as a dipping sauce was actually pretty good.The chicken Milanese took a liiiiitle more time. Actually I'm being very kind and took a long time. The bartender did his best and tried to cover for the kitchen staff but I knew he was just not telling the truth. The wait for the chicken also not worth it. It was dissatisfying at best. It was one degree removed from the eggplant chips that I am presently still trying to digest unsuccessfully. I will say the martini was excellent and the glass of red wine ok. The food is another topic. Perhaps it was an off night but really disappointing. All said the meal with drinks was $78 plus tip.So if you like over cooked, over priced, slow service then you are in luck. This is your place. I really hope the restaurant actually reads this because it has so much potential and the mainline deserves better. I laid the sarcasm pretty strong but for the reason I would be very upset about the quality of food. The bartender worked really hard but something is wrong in the kitchen and isn't working. You guys can do way better and you have in the past. Hope this helps.
Food was delicious and the atmosphere was comfortable and stylish without being fussy.
VERY LOUD! Food was great, but we were screaming over each other to have a simple conversation over dinner.Joe, our waiter, was curt all evening. Hedidn’t seem to put our drink orders in on time and with that we saw the bartenders would just be standing completing tasks and not making our drinks for many minutes until he would come over, have them make the drinks quickly and bring them over. This happened twice, the second was just a glass of wine that needed to be poured and I didn’t get it till halfway through my entree.Don’t sit in last high-top booth across the from the bar unless you want a spot light beaming down on your face.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Cheesesteak Egg Roll
Prior to going, I read the menu and lit up like a Christmas tree when I saw that they had Lobster Ravioli. When our pleasant server came over, I excitedly ordered the lobster ravioli, only to be told that it was no longer on the menu. The heartbreak...it was a culinary Greek tragedy in the making. However, our server suggested the Seafood pasta (crab, lobster, shrimp) in a vodka sauce. I was intrigued so I tried it. OH MY GOODNESS! I almost cried it was sooooo good. The pasta was al dente, the sauce was flavorful and rich, and there was an abundance of seafood. I had enough for lunch and dinner the next day. That pasta dish, coupled with the Empress Lemonade, was an absolute treat!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheesesteak Egg Roll, No Buns Burger
Prior to going, I read the menu and lit up like a Christmas tree when I saw that they had Lobster Ravioli. When our pleasant server came over, I excitedly ordered the lobster ravioli, only to be told that it was no longer on the menu. The heartbreak...it was a culinary Greek tragedy in the making. However, our server suggested the Seafood pasta (crab, lobster, shrimp) in a vodka sauce. I was intrigued so I tried it. OH MY GOODNESS! I almost cried it was sooooo good. The pasta was al dente, the sauce was flavorful and rich, and there was an abundance of seafood. I had enough for lunch and dinner the next day. That pasta dish, coupled with the Empress Lemonade, was an absolute treat!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheesesteak Egg Roll
Restaurantji Recommends
I love this place. It is a great local hang out with good cocktails and good food. It is a place that should definitely be frequented if you are in the area.Kid-friendliness: Kids loved it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Avalon Burger
This is a great neighborhood bistro. The food and appetizers are wonderful. And so are the cocktails. If you come between four and six, you can partake in appetizers at a discounted rate and great drink specials for their happy hour. This is a place that should not be missed.
This place is a gem. I work literally steps away and never thought of coming here.Atmosphere: greatService: top notchFood: fantasticHad no idea that we would enjoy this place so much.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I have had several wonderful meals at Bar Avalon in Bryn Mawr and each visit has been terrific. The atmosphere is lively yet allows for a conversation. There are so many delicious menu options that it requires several visits. The staff is amazing with Joe as bartender/server Extraordinaire!
Wonderful experience…food is consistently good. The bartender/server Joe is awesome! Whether visiting for happy hour or dinner, I am always happy to see Joe’s smiling face and warm welcome! Check it out, you will be glad you did. ???