Charlie was a sinner. Reviews

Excellent vegan creations - they pride themselves on having no ingredients containing animal products. The tofu and being sausage as well as the "crab cakes" were awesome. A nice selection of specialty cocktails as well. We went on a Friday night and it was booked solid. Make sure you make a reservation on OpenTable. Worth the visit.

I will preface that this review is based on my take out experience. I was staying in Philly for the weekend for a conference and was looking for a some good local eats to try while I had a quiet night in my hotel room after a long day. Charlie Was a Sinner seemed unique and in an effort to eat a more plant based diet decided to order here. There was a glitch with my first order so I called and was advised to order again as they hadn't received my order. Well in the end when my food was delivered I had two orders, but the restaurant was quick to try and and fix things on their end as was my phone call to GrubHub. No problem, I understand these things happen and hey I had more food than I had originally anticipated. The food arrived pretty cold. I understand that's not really on the restaurant, but it was hardly warm at all and I was down in the lobby to grab my food as soon as I had been notified. A minor inconvenience as well. I ordered the Oyster Mushroom Fried "Calamari," Korean Style Fried Tofu, and the Chocolate Pot De Creme. The highlight was by far the dessert, but certainly was pricy at $12. I am glad I ended up receiving two at that price based on the serving size. The chocolate was flavorful, but not too sweet and the whipped texture was spot on. This was a rich dessert in taste, but by no means over rich. A perfect way to end a meal! The "calamari" really did have the texture of squid and it was very hard to tell this was mushroom based. The flavors were awesome and the kale was so crispy. The citrus aioli sauce paired well and had a nice zest that complimented the fresno chiles. Both portions I was delivered though were unfortunately exceptionally oily and admittedly this was a bit of a turn off. The Korean style tofu was my least favorite. I can handle hot, but the sauce was too spicy and I think made it difficult to enjoy the tofu taste that it was supposed to compliment. This dish also came with garden pickles and pickled cauliflower, which tasted over pickled and very bitter. I wanted to make this review a 4 star experience, but the price in combo with the oily "calamari" and over sauced/spiced tofu and bitter pickled cauliflower/pickles alas makes my overall experience a 3. And trust me I am not a picky eater! I still think this is a place worthy of trying on site though perhaps take out just isn't really a replicable option for enjoying Charlie Was a Sinner food fare.

If you appreciate creative cocktails made with care in a small space, Charlie's is the place. The bartender created custom drinks for us, and we also found great selections on the cocktail menu. We were surprised at how much we enjoyed the food, as we aren't vegan -- everything we ordered was very tasty. The best thing about Charlie's is the atmosphere. It's just a fun place to be. Old black-and-white movies are screened on the restaurant wall, but the room is so skinny that it's pretty hard to actually watch them. Next time I may read one of the old books from the several bookshelves near the bar while I enjoy another Rum Punch of the Day.

We went for a bite and lingered over a number of appetizers and a few delicious and different cocktails. The staff is friendly and the vibe is casual and intimate. Would love to go back again!

Very chill spot with excellent vegan food and specialty cocktails. The Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake was great!

It is rare for us to find a vegan restaurant, let alone with such a great menu. It's more a tasting menu than larger plates, but everything we ate was delicious!

A little cocktail place that serves perfect cocktails and very tasty bar food. Had a lovely evening there. Bar tenders very knowledgable. Definitely a place I want to go back to.

Charlie Was a Sinner has a captivating decor, unique and comfortable even if a bit cramped. The service is impeccable and the food portions ample. Where it fell short was on food quality. The roasted cauliflower was barely cooked, much closer to raw and came with a sweet sauce which did not have much flavor. The accompanying rice was pungent and the tastiest dish of the evening. While the roasted carrots were nicely done and dressed the dressing did not seem much more of a balsamic type drizzle which one might replicate at home. Despite the above if you enjoy vegan or vegetarian food Charlie Was a Sinner is worth a try.

This is a must go if you come to Philly! I went twice and both times I was served delicious, mouthwatering food and superb desserts. It's a shame I don't drink, otherwise I'd try their cocktails too.

Came here with a friend then came back with my boyfriend. My boyfriend had been here before and hadn’t even realized it was all vegan food !!! He loved it, his favorite is the cocktails, my favorite is the cauliflower. This place is delicious, one of my favorites. Very dark inside though, and you may need to make a reservation on the weekends !

This place is amazing. Staff is friendly and we were seated promptly. We had the sunchoke soup and some other items. All very fresh.

Great job at positioning this restaurant as a fine dining establishment. Gives off speakeasy vibes. Would never it’s all vegan by the ambiance, playing and presentation. My favorite go to with friends for the late night menu. Perfect date night spot. Not too loud. The screen on the curtains adds an element to balance out the vibe. Always a go to. Honestly love everything I’ve tried. Bao buns and “crab” cakes are highly recommended.

The atmosphere is definitely consistent with a small speakeasy. Cocktails are different but delicious! Knowledgeable and attentive bar tenders. Didn’t eat here but food looked pretty delicious when it was coming out!

Delicious food. Portions were good for one person. Service was good. I will definitely return. Unique food creations that were tasty.

It’s a hipster bar with a plant based menu. It’s very loud. The tables are jammed together. People talk very loudly to talk above the music. I didn’t like anything I ate. $91 for two people. Ugh

This restaurant is the (vegan) cream of the crop when it comes to vegan restaurants. Todd and staff are amazingly talented at making delicious, innovative dishes so good you won't realize you're eating vegetables. The cocktails have the freshest tasting mixers and the aromas are divine. Great ambiance. And they are kosher too. Can't say enough about this wonderful restaurant. Go once and you'll be hooked.

Was in NYC night before at 2 famous vegan restaurants and this blew them both away! Sat at the bar and bartenders were excellent, appetizers were great, drinks great and entrees were some Of the best we had in long time. Overall this was great experience can’t wait to get back to Philly to eat there next trip

After walking around, looking for something fun to do in the neighborhood we found Charlie Was A Sinner - the name was enough for us to stop in and we were really glad we did. Sat a the bar - which was beautifully set with fresh squeezed juices of all types, from wheatgrass to pineapple. The bartender was amazing and you could tell he loves making craft cocktails. Atmosphere was very chic and yet friendly, it is small, and could get noisy - so that is why we were so happy to start the night here.

Can't wait to go back! Amazing food, really good drinks, great service, one of the best places we've been to in Philly.

The food is delicious and the service is grand. But it's a tiny, narrow dark corridor of a restaurant with ice cream tables stacked so close to each other, you can't get into a banquet seat without asking two tables to move over. We sat next to two people on one side who talked like they were on opposite sided of the Grand Canyon. On our other side, a couple spoke quietly, understanding each other perfectly. I say this because I felt like we were having dinner with the loud couple on our side. The venue, therefore, is not pleasant. I felt claustrophobic and had a hard time seeing. That loud couple practically in our laps also ruined good food and service.

It is a strip of a place with a great ambiance. We were there to celebrate our son's birthday and had a great time. The plates and the servings are small, tapas style, which is a good thing .... we shared a variety of dishes since we were 5 of us. The person who waited our table was very helpful in guiding us through the great cocktail list and helping us choose the food. The seating is pretty cramped unless you are lucky enough to grab a sofa. In spite of it being a weekday the place was full to the brim and insanely noisy. I couldn't hear myself think !! Great food without any doubt. absolutely lip smacking. A bit pricey though. I would definitely recommend it.

This place is super hip. Great atmosphere. We went with another couple. I am vegan, my friend is vegetarian, our Husbands are hard core carnivores. Everyone agreed to be open minded and try things. We tried 8 different dishes and loved every one! The men were shocked how much they liked it! The drinks were different and delicious. The service was top notch. The place was packed on a Thursday night. Definitely make a reservation as every single table in the place was filled.

Enjoyed a delicious New Year's Eve dinner with my husband at this restaurant. Excellent service, unique atmosphere and dishes that blew us away. We will be back!

Nice spot,good service,friendly staff. The charlie's punch that i had was good and reasonable prices. Nice atmosphere

I am a carnivore- so when a vendor of mine suggested a Vegan Tapas place for dinner naturally I was skeptical but I thought if it’s a bust I could always dip in to the Reading Terminal Market on my way back to my hotel for some “real food” before bed. BOY WAS I WRONG! This place was FANTASTIC! Let’s start with the drinks- YUM! I am a bit disappointed that the menu and cocktails that we had is not the same one that is online- I don’t remember the name of my drink or what was in it but it was great and my bad that I should have photographed it! It would have been fun to try to recreate some of those cocktails at home. We grossly over ordered- which was fine- my dinner companion was local and took the spoils home to her family. We had the potato croquettes, the bao buns,the artichoke, the squash blossoms, the asparagus with portobello mushrooms, the ramen, the fried tofu (which was good but spicy), the mushroom risotto, the gnocchi, and she got one of the desserts to go- as a Vegan she mentioned that great vegan deserts are tough to come by. It was a great meal- great atmosphere and I would recommend it for carnivores and Vegans a like- do however get a reservation- we were there at 7pm on a Wednesday and without a reservation we never would have gotten in! Enjoy!

Small, tight quarters, but excellent food. Dishes came out in succession, and we added to our order as we went along. Sangria was delish. Service was efficient, but after about 1.5 hours they told us they had another reservation for our table - lucky for us, we were done eating. Not a place for an intimate date night - tables/seating are extremely close together, and noise level was high, but overall and fun and tasty take on small plates.

I sat at the front little tables, super nice little spot! A little pricey but definitely worth it. Ask for Aubrey and order the croquettes!

Pleasant surprise while in town for work. Quirky atmosphere. Small place and although I was there for work it is probably best suited for a date night. I was looking for a veg or vegan friendly place and found this spot. Easy to miss walking by. Small sign. Food was great and inventive. Staff and service were pleasant. Quick service (my tempo probably) but not rushed. Enjoyed and would return. Not cheap but fair pricing for what you get. I ordered two small plates and did not finish.

Great food and equally great service. Cramped and loud, but that’s the vibe. We had several dishes, including the buccatini, Korean tofu, eggplant, avocado toast, Brussels sprouts, and potatoe croquettes. All were delicious and the tofu sauce was very tasty and spicy. The drinks were inventive and used high quality ingredients. Nice to see service that matched the quality of the food/drink.

I love the ambiance of this place- sexy, sophisticated, and elegant. The drinks were great, the mint water was fantastic (I love that I could get a sparkling option!), and the food was pretty tasty as well. This is a vegan tapas place so sharing is what it's all about. The chickpea spaghetti was phenomenal!

Had a fun group dinner on a Friday night. The place was packed with people but the service was prompt and friendly. The drinks had fun names and were tasty and the tapas style food was delicious (I had Artichoke hearts, Shishito peppers, Curry soup but tasted some of the other offerings). Overall, it was a lovely evening and non veg people liked the food too. The place is noisy so if you plan to have a quiet conversation, it's not where you should go... I recommend making reservations in advance (friendly and helpful receptionists on each on my calls!)

We did not have a reservation and got a great seat in the corner. It was a Sunday night and this could be why we got a seat so easily. The place is pretty small and I can imagine it is hard to get into on Friday and Saturday nights. The drinks were very good and the food was excellent. We got the Avocado Toast which was awesome! The best thing that we tried hands down. We also got the buccatini and meatballs that I really enjoyed and the gnocchi that were also very good. I cannot wait to go back and try some other menu items.

Excellent service and menu. A small space with lot of charm, excellent cocktails, great food even if you are not vegan. Do not miss this one.

This is stunningly good food. We hadn’t tasted anything like the eggplant bao before, and somehow the potatoes dijonnaise and Korean BBQ tasted just as good as the eggplant bao. The sliders were incredibly tasty as well. Must visit.

I didn't realize this place was vegan until after we started talking with a few other people. The staff is wonderful and the patrons were very friendly. The drinks were so different. Had an appetizer but didn't stay for dinner. Finally a place where we weren't the oldest ones there.

My wife and I went to Charlie Was a Sinner with our two vegetarian daughters. Food and drinks overall were very good and service was excellent. My one daughter got a mocktail and asked for alcohol to be added. It was delicious. The Charlie's punch was also enjoyed. Some plates were enjoyed more than others. Getting raves were: the zucchini crabcake slider, lumpia spring rolls (fruity and delicious), carrot mousse (unique taste of carrot with mustard), eggplant bao buns were outstanding , potato gnocchi was very good, and the tofu and bean sausage was fantastic. My wife who is particular about gazpacho loved the gazpacho. On the negative side were..Vanilla citrus salad (very little flavor). My daughter got the pineapple fried rice and while she loved the squash blossoms she was not thrilled with the fried rice (she did say to recommend ordering it just for the squash blossoms themselves). I was looking forward to the Moroccan spinach bakoula but it was a bit dryer than I expected and not that tasty. It also might be that by then we had had a lot of different flavors. The recommendation was 3 to 4 dishes each. We had a total of 14 dishes total and could have walked away satisfied with 10 to 12. Also a number of the dishes were served with bread. Noise level was very good. We have a very enjoyable meal, excellent service. We will come back and I would highly recommend.

Stopped for appetizers after visiting the Reading Terminal Market around 4 PM on a Friday afternoon. Service was excellent, (right before the huge crowd came), and the appetizer choices were phenomenal. As we didn't eat dinner this visit, base on the quality of the appetizers, i would go back for dinner in a heartbeat. prices were also very reasonable for the excellent quality of the food.

Wow! We only had drinks here, but when I say they are the best cocktails my husband and I have ever had, that means A LOT! We’ve lived in three different countries and have traveled the world, and the three different cocktails we enjoyed were out of this world! Now…if you could please share your recipe for the French 75 I had last weekend, that would be amazing. I was going to ask the bartender for it before I left but he was swamped a d I didn’t want to bother him. I’ve literally dreamed about it for a week. The French 75 is my go-to drink, and I’ve never had one that even compares to yours. And it wasn’t even on the menu. Amazing! We live an hour from Philly, but every time we come back, we will be booking a table. Can’t wait to try the food next!

Such a good variety of the dishes - and our water polo playing teenage boy was satisfied without the regular hamburger!

The Ramen Noodles and asparagus was okay. I found a bug in the "crab cake. I traveled from Louisiana to try this place. The bartender wasn't too friendly. I felt kind of uncomfortable. There are better vegan foods and restaurants else where with better service and flavorful foods.

Wow! What a great experience, dinner for four, all vegan, excellent flavors, as a recovery meal after Philadelphia Half Marathon. Service was attentive but not great (except that dishes were not served together, some orders needed repeat prompting), the dishes were excellent, well balanced, flavorful and imaginative. The drink selection was "wow," and it felt healthy and sinful all at once. Great place to push your culinary boundaries, super drinks, and fresh atmosphere. Definitely a "must see" in Philadelphia.

I am not a vegan, but I really enjoyed the meal. We sat outdoors under a heater and were nice and warm. The food came quickly and the service was fantastic!

We had a nice dinner at Charlie Was a Sinner, but I think the place would be suited to a group of friends wanting a fun night out and willing to try new drinks. The food was good, although I find these types of restaurants end up being quite expensive and you leave feeling somewhat not satisfied. We loved the crab cakes and ordered a second go round and they were not nearly as good. We mentioned this to the waiter and he seemed to recognize that this happened frequently. Although the food was tasty, it seems there is too much going on flavor wise in many of the dishes and then when you try several it becomes overwhelming. We had a nice evening, but I do not think I would rush back.

My daughter and I got takeout from this restaurant... twice... it was that good. While we waited for our food, we did some people-watching. This is quite the hip joint. Food was amazing... we went with vegan options. It is a busy place, bustling at night.

A friend and I dined here and really enjoyed the restaurant. The food and service was really nice. Seemed a lot of the food was breaded and deep fried which was a bit odd but we loved everything we tried.

We popped in for a few drinks late Saturday night. Very interesting cocktails, atmosphere is great, loved the mint water. A little cramped but they do a good job of accommodating the small space.

The dishes are inventive and delicious, comforting and flavoursome. We absolutely loved our meal here. We started with the potato croquettes which were simply heaven - I’ve missed eating croquettes since moving to a plant-based lifestyle and these were exceptional. The sliders were really good - they need just needed a little extra something to pack more of a punch. The Brussel sprouts were our favourite - loads of flavour and the additions of cranberry, flaked almonds and ‘bacon’ - it got us excited for Christmas. Gnocchi was epic, loved the addition of garden peas and the brown butter sauce felt very indulgent and simply delicious. The egg plant bao buns were light and fluffy and the hoisin sauce rocked. I didn’t photograph any of the food as it just wouldn’t have done it justice. We had such a great time. The interior is very cool, the staff are helpful and it feels like a very relaxed place to be. The bar area is beautiful, great choice of lighting and design.

Vegan tapas in an elegant atmosphere. Can't tell that you're eating somewhat healthy food. Attentive staff and wonderful preparation!

Always love this place when I’m in town but today our server Rich was exceptional. Food always good. Even my non-vegan bf asks to come here! Great job guys!

My boyfriend and I loved it here. We went on a Friday night and it wasn’t too crowded. We had a seat at the bar and got to chat with the lovely bartender. He was very knowledgeable, professional, and funny. Normally I like to just order a margarita, and was a little skeptical of their drink menu, but I decided to order off it anyway. Wow! The drinks we got were incredible. They’re made with fresh ingredients and you can tell. I’ve never tasted anything like it. We also ended up getting the spaghetti and meatballs which was also very good. Definitely a must to get a drink here!

I'm always on the hunt for another veg restaurant and was delighted when this one came up on my radar. It's located on the popular 13th street corridor that is teeming with many restaurants. I thought I did adequate homework before making reservations, but I didn't read the reviews close enough. The reviews were very positive for the most part, but what I didn't realize in my enthusiasm was that most of the stellar reviews were for the drinks, not the food. It's a small plate venue. My husband and I each chose three, which was the recommended amount, then shared. The butternut squash soup was pretty much inedible, the bao buns, especially the filling, really good. The rest fell somewhere in between. All in all, we thought 3 were good, and three were either awful or mediocre at best. The pink bubbly, though, was delicious, and the cocktails looked amazing. Too bad the kitchen staff isn't as together as the bartenders. When there are so many restaurants in this area where you can get a delicious vegetarian or vegan meal, don't bother with this one. However, do stop in and try one of their cocktails. If it weren't for their drink scene I would have given them a 2.

This place was delicious! I'm from LA and don't expect other places to have exceptional vegan food but they sure did at Charlie's. We got there pretty late & found seats in the bar. This is a lounge type atmosphere and it's really narrow and long. I can't imagine it would be really comfortable to sit on a small seat to eat so I'm glad we had the bar. We tried about 6 of their dishes and they were all great. They were Korean tofu, some hummus, the zucchini slider, and some other dishes that I can't remember. Since we were at the bar, we got to watch the bartenders make cocktails & that was fun. We had 3 different cocktails and they also were all delicious. I highly recommend this place for a hipster lounge with good food.

First night in town, we wandered in to have a pre-dinner cocktail. It has a throwback, candlelit ambience and fun people watching. I'm not a cocktail guy per se, but you almost have to here. I had the French 76 and we shared a chickpea and sesame chip appetizer (came with pickled veggies...not a fan). Really friendly, engaging bartenders. A definite repeat.

Loved our visit to Charlie was a Sinner last Friday night. The drinks were great and we could not get enough of the tasty small plates!

First time I’ve managed to get my husband into an all vegan place and he was actually impressed. For me, so nice to be able to choose anything off the menu. Everything we had from the late night menu was outstanding. Love it!

We had a delightful meal here for our anniversary. Our waiter Cameron was helpful without being intrusive. We shared six selections. The Korean tofu was very good if you like things spicy. We also enjoyed the Brussels sprouts, potato croquettes, and the wild mushroom paella. We will be back!

Fantastic food and drinks, great service. The best vegetarian restaurant in Philly by a mile!! It is my favorite place to eat every time we visit Philadelphia. Great cocktails too and incredible food. Vegetarian heaven.

Everything we had was delicious - every dish was fantastic and flavorful. Service was great and servers were attentive. It's in a cool neighborhood and the place was crowded even up through 10:30 pm with people still arriving to eat. I highly recommend this place for anyone! Oh, and my wife said her drink was great!

Went here with some vegetarians even though most of us were not vegetarians. I typically leave vegetarian restaurants hungry and feeling like I am missing something (i.e., meat). No one had this feeling here. We ordered almost everything on the menu and everything was very good. Really recommend the sliders and the spaghetti and meatballs. Place is small and loud but a really cool vibe.

The food at this medium size Vegan restaurant was excellent. The tastes were so creative. The portions were small so you have to order a number a small plates, but the variety of foods, and creativity are worth it. Great for a night out with someone special.

Took a vegan friend to dinner for her birthday. I'm not vegan but was able to find a number of items that were adventurous and satisfying; friend, loved it. We usually dine at mainstream places and she has to play 20 questions to decide on her meal. In addition to the food being fab, we sat at the bar; what a treat. The bartender was not only gorgeous but made drinks with flare. Overall, it was a great night!

Visited this place this summer and we opted for outside seating. Restaurant/Bar is great it had various different drinks options to choose from. I had two of their signature drinks and they were strong and great options (these are new drinks on their menu). My wife had the Basil Fennel lemom soda (mocktale) and that was great for mocktale drinkers. There are multiple tapas/small plates options to choose from we had the Potato Croquettes, Smoked Cauliflower and Korean style Tofu and I liked those as well. This is a great place to go out and have some drinks and snack bites for couples and friends.

If you are vegan you must put this quirky spot on your "must-do" list. This crowded bar has the most inventive, tasty vegan tapas style food we've had in a long time. The steamed buns are out of this world but so is everything else. The service was great and the food came very quickly. Really looking forward to our next visit.

I was super excited to try this place however I was slightly disappointed. The food wasn’t as flavorful as I expected. The environment is unique as well. Very small, cramped, and loud. Very dark as well. The lights also flicker giving the whole place an odd vibe. However, the staff was super friendly! The drinks were phenomenal. The royale cocktail was the best thing I ever drank. The sliders were the best thing I ordered. The waitress recommended 3 dishes per person, we got 5 plates for the two of us. I just wasn’t overly impressed with the meatballs or pasta or veggie dishes. I would go back to try the remaining food on the menu but I was sad that it wasn’t this amazing place. I mean I give it a 4 because the drinks made up for it.

Not sure how they manage to change up the menu just enough so that I can still get my favorites from years back, and enjoy new food too. I'm not vegan or even vegetarian however I always want to go there for at least 2 meals when I am in Philadelphia.

Look. I know that with COVID-19 a lot of restaurants are having to adapt in order to stay afloat. But let me give y’all the tea sis, this restaurant is NOT worth the price. My partner had been looking up reviews of this place and decided to settle on this for my birthday dinner via UberEats. We ordered the Mac and Cheese, Potato Gnocchi, Bahn Mi, and the Chili. First of all, the portions are horrific for the price. I’ve included a picture of the potato gnocchi, a small ass container for sixteen dollars...the Mac and cheese was the same. The Bahn Mi was way too saucy and made my partner ill. The chili was the only highlight and tbh, it’s not the hardest thing in the world to make. I guess this place is supposed to be more “upscale” or something...maybe you have to go to their physical location but we did not understand the hype. If you want more bang for the buck check out Blackbird Pizzeria or Tattooed Mom...at least they put gimmicky prizes with their food and will keep you satiated through the night. The food was also cold when we received it even though our driver was waiting at the restaurant to pick it up when it was ready. By the end of the dinner, we were looking at each other puzzled at the fact that we spent 70 dollars on a meal that felt like a ripoff. Girl bye.

great drinks - they really stand out for taste, creativity, and for not being weak. The food was very good, but erratic. Some dishes were amazing - Bao buns, Korean tofu, Potato Gnocchi, Zuchini squash - others, like the carrots were a miss (they were hard and undercooked) or tasteless (Banh Mi). Excellent service. Not sure why were served warm water without ice when it was over 90 degrees out and had to ask for ice.

The vibe and decor is classy but not fussy. Totally loud, cramped, but very lively. We had the ramen which was very very tasty. We also had the balsamic glazed carrots that desperately needed some salt, and I found their dishes like the sausage which onions and peppers needed some salt but the overall textures and flavors were good. Our waitress seemed cold and unimpressed with life in general when she first came to our table but warmed up and became friendly as the night went on. Unfortunately, we had to avoid the dishes with anything fried because they use canola oil which is inflammatory and I'm allergic to, but overall the dinner was a good experience and we would go again.

Loved this place. Dark, romantic but also fun and lively. The drinks were great, food was great. if you like craft cocktails made with care and quality ingredients then this place is for you!

Place is great. Nice service. Food is good and you can order many different dishes to try since portion is small. Variety of drinks.

Nice, dark bar with amazing and clever drinks with a bartender who clearly enjoys his job. Not for the novice drinker. Best Manhattan you will ever know.

We loved wrapping up our last evening in Philly here. It was Happy Hour so food and drink prices were discounted. A surprise bargain. Lots of unusual cocktails and yummy bar food (they have a dinner menu too) The potato croquettes are winner! Even omnivores will love them. Excellent service. Nice to be able to order anything on the menu. A quirky place that also makes you feel very comfortable and at home. We loved it.

We were doing bar hopping in Philly and went for a drink to Charlie Was a Sinner, what an amazing bar! A lot of character and great ambiance for a good cocktail. We did not eat there but we saw the menu and the plates looked amazing. Highly recommend to make a reservation or arrive super early if you want a seat at the bar, which is charming!

Excellent food and service. Been here a few times and its constantly good. Its a great place for vegetarians!

We went here recently for dinner. Make a reservation because they are packed (thankfully we had one!). We had the potato croquettes (very good), the ricotta with bread (amazing), the meatballs (I think they were made with Impossible which I don’t like, but my fault for not asking first), and the eggplant bar buns (good). I did love my cocktail (something with vodka and amaretto). Waitress never came back after taking our order and it took forever for her to bring the check. We had to flag down another server to get us water refills.

I am a vegetarian and visited the restaurant with 3 meat eating colleagues. I was nervous as I didn't want to impose vegan menus on work friends. I need not have worried, the food was delicious and the cocktails amazing! We enjoyed the tapas dishes, there were lots to choose from. My favourite was the delicious advocado toast. My colleagues enjoyed the pasta, and the "meat" balls. The service was fantastic. The only thing that stopped this restaurant getting a 5 was the dessert. The cake was very dry. Yesterday in work the colleagues could not praise Charlie enough, we will go again.

This is such a great place. Its a vegan restaurant. It is so quaint inside with a lovely decor. They had a few tables setup outside as well. It was a lovely day. We got a place to sit right away. It was a small seating area with cushion chairs and a really small table where we could see the outside. I was hesitant about finding something to eat at a vegan place but the food was absolutely delicious. The cocktails are so unique. I had a rum based cocktail which was a punch with strawberry and lime. My girlfriend had a tequila based cocktail with campari, dolin and angostura bitters. Amazing drinks. We ordered the zuchini sliders which were made so well and cauliflower steak with amazing rice. The rice was the highlight of our dish. It had sultanas and a blend of masala that made it absolutely delicious. It was such a great time at Charlies.

Yes, the place is small - almost an actual hole in the wall kind of place, but it is filled with great energy that comes from every person serving the great food and shaking the unique drinks. Is it a little pricey? Yes - a little. I repeat - a little. But for the effort that goes into every portion and pour, very worth it. GO.

Tasty vegan food in an energetic atmosphere. Interesting specialty cocktails. Fun place whether by yourself or with a date

Such a unique, inviting, amazing overall experience! The drinks and food were some of the best we've had in ALL our travels! Staff was so friendly and the atmosphere made for an incredible evening. You do not have to be vegan to be amazed by the food - we ordered way too much but ate every bite! When visiting the East Coast, we plan to detour to Philadelphia JUST to eat at "Charlie Was a Sinner!" PLEASE ask Charlie to open another on the West Coast! :)

Went here for dinner- must make reservations as they are always booked- what an amazing experience. Our hand crafted drinks were unique and fantastic. With 4 of us, we ordered multiple dishes, each one more amazing than the first. Our waiter was patient and explained the entire menu to us- even though he was very busy, he still gave us spectacular service. Ambiance is wonderful. Can't say enough about this place!

I'm not only vegan, but gluten free, too! When traveling it can be really hard to find somewhere that can serve me more than an iceberg salad. The food here is very good! My companion, who is not a vegan, thought it was really good too. We ate dinner twice while spending a week in Philly. Both times we had a reservation. On Sunday night we asked for a table inside. Our server was wonderful, she explained all the dishes and how best to go about ordering. She let us order in courses so that we didn't over order. The ricotta dip is so good! The mushroom ramen was another standout for me as well as the pot de creme. I mean, I almost never have a dessert option because if something is gluten free it usually still has eggs and dairy and vice versa. We had such a great experience the first time that we looked forward to going back. This time we were seated outside. While they do have some enclosed outdoor booths, we were sat on the street quite a ways from the restaurant. When I'm paying $200 for dinner I'd rather not have strangers walking around me, cars driving past me and street musicians playing in my ear. Our server seemed to be very busy or else preoccupied. We ordered the ricotta again, thinking it would be an appetizer. I expressly stated I was gluten free and my companion was not. My dishes came out 30 minutes before the ricotta dip so I was almost done eating before my companion had something to eat. I guess because of Covid they try to push you outside

The food is fantastic and it has a lovely bar. The staff is wonderful, Robert was our server and he couldn’t have been better. It’s a cozy atmosphere, meaning it’s a bit dark. It's in a typical Philadelphia narrow building so it’s a bit tight and also gets a little loud. Don’t let it stop you, but make sure you have your flashlight on your phone ready for reading the menu and checking the toilet seat before you use it. Non gendered bathrooms means you're sharing with the drunk guys at the bar, and it isnt always pretty on a crowded Saturday night. But the food and awesome staff are worth going for!

Ambience, service and food among the best we had in Philadelphia. My husband and I spent our last night in Philadelphia here and it was such a perfect way to say goodbye. Gnocchi is a must when here!

It's a narrow tiny dark place which would be missed if not looking for it but very popular and very crowded also a bit noisy. But the service was quick and the waitresses very efficient. The food was very well presented. The Broccoli Rabe, Tofu and Bean Sausage, Korean Style Fried Tofu were very different tasty and interesting

While visiting Philadelphia, my wife and I were drawn to try Charlie Was a Sinner as they specialize in vegetarian (vegan) food. So glad we did! The food is served tapas style with the intention of sharing, which is one of our preferred dining experiences. The food was absolutely outstanding! With each plate that was brought out, we found the another favorite. The service was just right and the atmosphere was unique. Will definitely make an effort to dine here again next time I am in Philly.

The food was interestingly created and tasty but the wait staff wasn’t very warm and I was not that comfortable there as they seem to exhibit a superior air. The vibe of the restaurant skews millennial. It was very noisy.

Top bloke, bit of a sinner! Let us all go home early on a Friday, better manager than he is good at football

Might be the best vegan restaurant in America, but go even if you are not vegan. The food, service and atmosphere make this one of my favorite restaurants ever.

I cannot give this restaurant a higher rating. It was not only unbelievably prepared food and drinks with complex flavor profiles, but the service and atmosphere was truly some of the finest I've ever patronized.

Excellent food and cocktail menu. Great atmosphere, though a bit small and tables are situated quite close.

I heard about Charlie Was A Sinner from a non vegan friend who said it was good. I took another friend who is also not vegan (I am not 100% vegan but eat a lot of vegan foods due to allergies). Neither one of us could tell that the Caesar salad did not contain eggs or cheese. It was delicious. We also ordered the ricotta with toast (can’t remember the exact name) & wow was it good. I haven’t had ricotta in years due to an allergy but am so glad I ordered it. We also had a pasta dish that I know was fabulous. I should have written this review sooner so I would remember everything but it was all good. “Ice cream” was delicious. I will definitely be going back. Just trying to convince the hubby to try it!

Nice setup good service the food is ok we did not suffer7 . The Mediterranean plate half good the other half from costco especially the sweet and solted peanuts.

Excellent choice for a late night dinner after the show. We didn’t have a reservation and the place was packed but the host was able to seat us anyhow “people make reservations but when it gets this late there are a lot of no-shows” Great for us! The place is small (long and narrow like many city establishments) and seems to be very popular with the 25-35 crowd. The service was exceptional. The menu is fun and has a great variety of perfectly sized dishes for sampling and sharing. We had the Smoked Gouda Arancini, Tofu and Mushroom Ramen and the pasta special was Pappardelle with enoki mushrooms and romesco - all delicious! I would definitely return to try some of the other menu items.

Super delicious but expensive and small Portions... Really impressed my nonvegan friend though. Need to spend $30 at least per person to be satisfied. My friend said "my palate is tasting flavors it's never tasted before"

I don't mind paying for good food & service. However you will not find it here, just small plates, big prices, nasty food and bad service. I had the the fried tofu with a lemon cake and orange juice. The only thing that was good was my OJ. My server seem like she just didn't want to come into work today. I will not return and do not recommend going its to many vegan restaurants around the area to waste your money there.

4 of us enjoyed many dishes. I am still dreaming of the Korean tofu! Everything was delicious - shishito peppers, cauliflower, mu shu tofu, sausage and peppers, gnocchi, zucchini crabcake sliders, and ramen. Drinks indeed were strong. Nice choices of wine and beer. Cool atmosphere. Will definitely return and recommend.

Vegan or not, the food here is wonderful. Tapas/small plates ae great for sharing and trying different courses.

Tapas Vegan place. Had 10 or so small plates and every plate of food was better than the previous one. Atmosphere was loud and cramped. Food was a bit expensive but the service was excellent.

A cozy restaurant. Yummy cocktails and food. They show films on the walls, which is cool but hard to describe.

Thoroughly enjoyed the food. Great menu and drinks. I read some reviews about certain dishes, but we had 12 different small plates, and had no complaints. Wasn't too fond of our waiter Robert. Not very friendly and rushed. The place though is very narrow and packed and was hot. Although the food is pricey ($180 for three), it was well worth it. Will definitely visit again. I am not vegan nor vegetarian, but my daughter is Vegan.

Great place. Nice atmosphere. Very good food. Plenty of choice.Attentive staff. Prompt service Very pleased I had the chance to visit here during my stay in Philadelphia

It really doesn't get much more ideal for me than an eatery with plant based cuisine AND an extensive craft cocktail program. Being a vegan and also a seasoned mixologist I am pretty particular and can be difficult to impress. I knew I made the right choice by researching Philly on TA and finding this spot to visit before anything else. The head bartender Mathias was super accommodating and kept my palate intrigued throughout the visit with all kinds of interesting libations. The menu is fabulous and fairly avant garde if I do say so myself. Almost everything was spot on in terms of, texture, flavor, and presentation. The gnocchi was just a TOUCH over seasoned and came across as a little salty. That being said, this place is a GEM. Love the concept and everything it encompasses. I will definitely be back before I fly back home to Florida.

If your looking for a hip casual bar with an extensive Cocktail options which serves a full vegan menus this is your spot! The food is served tapas style and the portions were way larger then we expected! They suggested 3 tapas per person we would have been fine with 2! Staff was very friendly and accommodating.

This is a charming small restaurant with a beautiful interior and delightful wait staff serving some of the most mediocre food I've ever had the misfortune to eat. We tried a lot of dishes at this vegan hot spot and out of 15 dishes only four were acceptable; not great mind you, just fair. That's not the sign of a talented kitchen. The zucchini 'crabcake' sliders had a rubbery texture and too much Old Bay seasoning; the potato croquettes were gummy - through over mixing, beet salad was flavorless, shepherds pie had too much sage. A heavy hand in seasoning was a theme throughout, think one note flavors. If you find yourself at Charlies, I'd recommend the chickpea spaghetti, brussels sprouts and perhaps the grilled romaine. To add insult to injury, like the old Catskill joke, the food is bad and the portions are so small. With light alcohol consumption figure $75-$80 per person with tax and tip. In my opinion this is a bad value considering the quality of the food.

My partner and I are relatively new vegetarians and this is has quickly become one of our favorite spots to eat. The food is excellent (and almost never realize it's all plant based), the cocktails are always on point, and the service is excellent. It's quaint (ie, small), so make sure you plan ahead with a reservation.

We ate dinner here during the week. The restaurant is small and noisy. We had the crab cake, ricotta cheese and beet appetizers. They were very small and less than average. We also had the parpadelli pasta, Shepard's pie and brussel spouts. The Shepard pie was terrible...no one wanted eat it and it was extremely small. The pasta was good as we're the brussel sprouts. All of the portions were ridiculously small for what they were charging. The chocolate dessert was good as were the alcoholic drinks. The service was average. Some of the dishes had too many seasonings and others had none. This was a very dissapointing meal.

Like no other vegan (and kosher no less) restaurant: it has a vibe that attracts couples, singles and groups of friends seeking an artsy place with interesting drinks and small portioned but delicious and very creative (slightly pretentious) food. Very accomodating and friendly staff. In the heart of center city.

Very disappointed .. Horrible .. The worst vegan restaurant ever .. I see some of the posts below have pictures copied from the online menu .. I will add a real picture.. I ordered a grill Caesar salad it was horrible and looked nothing like the picture.. It had a nasty burnt taste. The waitress service was very poor. I was given luke warm coffee and then ask for a replacement of hot coffee and she brought me another luke warm coffee. The service was very poor as well.. The prices are very high for poor quality tasting food and the presentation was poor. I was very insulted. I tried to support a vegan restaurant since Philly just allowed indoor dining. I will never go there again.. I wish there was an option for zero stars

Party of 5 to celebrate my daughter's 27th birthday. She is vegan, the other 4 of us are not. She was very excited to be in a place where she could order anything off of the menu for a change. Tapas format was great because we sampled a wide variety of dishes and none were disappointing. Didn't miss the animal products at all. Dishes were beautiful, delicious and if you hadn't been told, you would not know that they were vegan. Place was packed on a Thursday night, but service was good. Like many restaurants in this area, the space is small and the noise level fairly high, but our 20 somethings loved the atmosphere. Good mix of groups, couples, families, etc... We will go again!

Went for dinner after work while visiting Philly. Great feel to the place, I think someone referenced it as a speakeasy feel! had a Charlies Punch that was wonderful! There were 3 of us for dinner and we had a total of 9 plates, every one was clean when it left us. the food was amazing, and sizes were exactly what they claimed to be as a tapas style service. The wait staff was friendly and pleasant. overall great dining experience

My husband and I are definitely not vegetarians but had heard so many good things about Charlie was a sinner that we decided to check it out. The drinks were very good (nice wine selection and mixed drinks), happy hour deals were great, the ambiance was nice, and I can't say enough about the "ricotta" cheese - it was creamy, had a nice peppery/lemon flavor, and was a nice size for sharing. I will definitely return!

A popular spot in a trendy neighborhood. Some of the most creative vegetarian dishes I have ever tried. Although the dishes seem a bit too elaborate and small, they are actually really tasty and filling! Make your reservation several weeks in advance if you want to get a good time slot on a weekend.

Visited this restaurant for a special occasion so I was prepared to spend a little more than usual. Menu items were very well prepared and presented.

Where do I start? They gave us a terrible table, even though I have had a reservation forever. They said it was a "glitch" in the system. When we said we wanted a different table, they made us wait a half hour, even though there were tons of empty tables. Food was OK, nothing stood out as amazing. It just felt like they really didn't care if we had a good experience or not. I know it gets rave reviews, but that was not our experience for what was supposed to be a special Father's Day dinner.

My husband is a moderately picky eater, so he only reluctantly agreed to eat at a vegan restaurant. Everything was so delicious that he even admitted to me later that he never even missed then meat. We had to ask the waiter how to order based on plate size but his suggestion was spot on- two from the snack and iterations category, one to two from the solo category and two from the pasta or compositions category. It sounds like a lot, but it is tapas style and meant to share. The amount of food was perfect for two people. In order of fabulousness, the caramelized eggplant boa buns and potato croquettes were tied for number one. The potato gnocchi was a close second. The cauliflower was delicious too. We weren't super crazy over the butternut squash soup, but had so many other amazing food items that it didn't even phase us. We would definitely recommend this place and return.

We had a reservation for a Saturday at 6:45 (made months in advance; I recommend reserving early unless you want to go after 8:30) and we were seated right away. The host was very nice and our waiter was awesome.. I wish I caught his name. There were 4 of us and we ordered two cocktails (the Queen Bee is delicious) and I believe 8 or 9 plates and the bill was 117.. not bad. The food comes out very quickly.. probably in less than 10 minutes. The potato croquettes are addictive, as our waiter said. They are so good. The ricotta is interesting, but could use a little more flavor. The eggplant bao buns are SO good. We ended up ordering another plate of them. I don't really care for eggplant, but I would order those again. And the gnocchi was also very good. I personally didn't care for the cauliflower steak, but my three friends enjoyed it. We were pleasantly full after dinner and didn't end up getting dessert. I thought the serving portions were good, and ordering a bunch of things to share worked out perfectly for our group. It's really cool inside, however it was very crowded and loud and the tables are very close together. It didn't really present any issues, but it's a bit cramped. I'd love to go back however, crowded or not, because the food and drinks are very good.

We only had cocktails but would love to go back and try their food, the dishes were beautiful! The service was great, the atmosphere was great, the cocktails were all very fun and unique. Just good vibes, a really nice spot!

This place has imaginative and innovative food, plus a beautiful atmosphere. It reminds me of a classic french resturant. The bar is excellent, I loved the house specialty drinks, no only were they flavorful but they packed a punch.

Needed an early dinner before meeting people across town. Saw the reviews and was looking forward to a nice mid-range dinner downtown. When I stopped in around 5pm the place was almost empty, plenty of open seats at larger and smaller tables. The guy at the desk said "Sure!" when I asked for a table for 1, then said I could either choose from the tables right there next to the entrance by the desk where people would be standing, or at the bar. Pretty rude about that. Chose the bar since I didn't have time to research and go to another restaurant. Service at the bar for a non-drinker was much slower than for the other people who were ordering drinks - my soda didn't arrive until I was almost done with the meal. Food was pretty good, but the experience itself left a bad taste in my mouth.

Enjoyed drinks and small plates here. Wasn't sure what I wanted to drink so gave some taste preferences to my server and he picked out a drink that we changed out the alcohol in and it was great. Tried three different food items off the menu and all were great, especially the brussels sprouts. Only issue is that it is very tight seating and very dark. With the tight seating and being fully booked it was a bit noisy (and this was around 6pm so on the earlier side of the night). Not terrible with the noise, but enough that I had to lean over the table to chat with my friend. Worked fine for two of us, and could probably work for four, but I would not try to come here with a group larger than that. But food and drink were great and overall happy with my visit.

No meats at this table. Restaurant is long, narrow, and noisy. Fun vibe. A young clientele. Full bar. Interesting take on the food items. Try the Korean Buns and the Vietnamese Tofu. Excellent. Not that excited about the no meat meatballs. Service was friendly and informative. I’ll definitely go back with the right people. If your friends are into steak&potatoes this isn’t the right venue. If you’re looking for a fun evening, this could be the place.

Don't get distracted by the marvelous and interesting cocktails, the food is superb as well! The Sliders and Gnocchi were our favorite. But everything we tried was delicious. The staff was super accommodating and friendly. A must for Vegans and non Vegans a like to try. A bit dark in the "dining" area but an overall cozy, speakeasy vibe and all around very pleasant experience.

Situated within one of the hottest concentrations of restaurants in the city, Charlie Was a Sinner has a classy, speakeasy style decor and cozy atmosphere. Before even getting to the food, we ordered drinks which was a great way to showcase the staff's knowledge and bartenders abilities. The drinks were creative and fantastic tasting. Not normally a vegan dish expert, we ventured through the menu (with recommendations from the friends we were with who eat here often), ordering the avocado toast, bao buns, baby carrots, tofu ramen, potato gnocchi, and meatball & ricotta (might be missing one). The food was well prepared and flavorful, and the substitutes to make the dishes vegan worked very well. Nothing was the best dish we ever had, but all were fun and filling. Providing a venue where our friends with dietary restrictions can enjoy options while satisfying tastes we find interesting makes this a great place for dinner out, with quality dishes that appeal to all types of diners.

We were pampered and taken care of from the moment we walked in. The appetizers were off the hook. Desert was outstanding. The chocolate pot de creme has become my new addiction. It was so light and flavorful. The energy in this restaurant soothes your soul. When we left we were "Two Steps Past Heaven".

Arrived at the restaurant together with my girlfriend for dinner. They could not accompdate us as it was a pretty busy night so we chose to order and pick-up. The staff members were kind with us and had us sit at a table as our order was getting prepared. The interior design and overall vibe of the restaurant seemed pretty hype, nothing to add here. We order a Mac n cheese, Gnocchi and a Burger. Payed a total of 50$. After about 15 min of waiting time we received our food. Small portions, odorless and tasteless. Both the Gnocchi and the Mac n cheese were a disgrace, no taste and no smell, nothing at all that would resemble real cuisine, blend and boring, a disgrace... The burger was even worse, burnt and plastic like, no side dish was added upon. No napkins, no nothing. I feel that McDonalds would have been better. I regret not picking up a salad and some cheese from Trader Joe and calling it a night. Will rate 2 stars as the staff was kind and prompt. Would have rated less then 1 star for the food.

We spent the day in Philly and were looking for an early dinner before heading back to NY. We searched for vegetarian food nearby. The name caught my eye. I was intrigued. It is a very trendy crowd. Young and hip. Loved the decor. We arrived approx 4pm, right about at opening. They seated us right away. We started with drinks. Onto the food. We ordered the smoked cauliflower which was delicious, the bucatini and meatballs, awesome and the tofu and bean sausage which was outstanding . I only wish that Charlie was a sinner was close by so that it could be a frequent place for us to dine. We loved it!

My daughter has eaten several times at this restaurant and wanted me to try it- even though I am not a vegetarian. Delicious and creative dishes. There were three of us and we ordered 12 dishes. The portions are not large, but they are extremely filling.

An excellent find and we have just been for the second time in a couple of weeks, both very good. Try the gnocchi, the meatballs or their fries. Competes easily with non vegan options, great service and wonderful cocktails round out a wonderful night, even in a pandemic.

Extremely disappointed with the way my wife and I were abused and embarrassed by the hostess at the podium. We booked our reservation online for 10:00pm. February 8th , we received a call while we were driving from Delaware around 9.35 but it rang once and they hung up, we immediately called back but no one answered and no message was left. After parking and getting by the homeless people we managed to arrive at 10.10. We stood at the door for 5 minutes and the haggard looking hostess finally arrived, she didn't welcome us just proclaimed the kitchen was closed and only serving drinks. First of all if Charlie was a sinner made our reservation for 10 o'clock, how could they have served us our dinner if the kitchen would be closed? Gratefully Double Knot served a wonderful dinner and their staff were friendly and attentive. We traveled a great distance and were insulted and shocked with the poor policy of turning away customers. In closing, the staff are rude and amateur so if you are planning a night out at "Charlie was a sinner "cancel your plans and go somewhere you will be treated with respect and kindness, also the room smelled musty and dank with poor lighting with dirty floors and we are glad we didn't waste our money for less than average food. Don't waste your time and money, there are too many nice clean and fun restaurants in Philadelphia.. F- not even one star.

This vegan restaurant was so good we went back a second night. I actually got the name of this restaurant from another restaurant when asking about good vegan food. How can anyone resist checking out a place with a name like this! We were really diggin' the vibe of the place. It was a narrow restaurant with a small front section and a larger back section. Low lighting, funky video art, old furniture... The first nite we shared the Zucchini Squash Blossoms and Artichoke frites as a first course. For our second course, I had the Pickled Beetroot jar and Vanilla Citrus salad. My husband had roasted Cauliflower steak. Honestly, I wanted to try everything on the menu. That's why we had to come back the second nite. It was so delicious. The second nite, we tried the Potato Croquettes and Warmed Spiced peanuts. I had the Caramelized Eggplant Bao buns and the Vanilla Citrus salad. My husband had Wild Mushroom Risotto (delicious, by the way). It was just as good as the first time!! This place stays busy. I'm talking, we were there on a Tuesday and Wednesday nite! I recommend making a reservation. Charlie was a Sinner lived up to its name!

Was very excited to try this restaurant for the first time. Great reviews, adorable name, mysterious setting, lots of fun. Was meeting an old friend for a much needed night out. And our waitress was so unpleasant it spoiled the night. I try to make allowances for wait staff having hard days, etc. But when there was a mix up with our order, our waitress got defensive, aggressive and rude. It frankly spoiled the mood for the evening. I know one should not judge a restaurant by one bad waitress, but, i don't get out too often, and there are so many restaurants in the city, that i plan not to return to Charlie was a sinner. This was a one and done for me.

If you're looking for a vegan alternative, this is a nice place to go. The food is rather tasty, the cocktails are yum and the staff is so nice. The atmosphere is friendly. Very cozy

This spot would be good for a cocktail and appetizer. It was too crowded, expensive and dark for a meal. Food was excellent, mind you. Just not a great place to eat it. They need to expand their space, get some draft beers, etc.

We did not make a reservation and were seated straight away at 7pm but by the time we left, every table was occupied, as was the bar area at the front. This is a lively (but not too loud) bar/restaurant with excellent tapas style vegetarian food. Our server suggested we order 3 plates each and could always order more if wanted..it was exactly right and left room for me to have dessert though that was being somewhat greedy. Delicious food, cocktails and wine. Despite being very busy, service was attentive. All together a very enjoyable evening out.

My friends and I love coming to Charlie was a Sinner. We always make time to stop in for at least a drink when we're in Center City. The wait staff is always very nice and attentive. They always have a great cider on the beer list. I've only had they're food a couple of times, but I can definitely recommend the potato croquettes this time around. Super good. Comes with a sauce with a pretty big kick so be aware. But very pleased with my most recent trip there overall.

Intimate, low lights, romantic and yet fun. Friendly, helpful service, very good happy hour food and dinner items. Glad I chanced to find this place. A narrow bar area but comfortable and cozy warm place for drinks and food. Shocked to find that it is so vegetarian friendly, as the food was very good

I was very impressed with every aspect of my first visit here. As a vegan it is often difficult to find a decent spot to eat. Charlie’s did not disappoint. Everything was amazing; service, food and such a cool vibe! Loved it and can’t wait to come back. Would recommend a call ahead to reserve a table as it is a small cozy place with some outdoor seating, a few lounge seats and seating at the bar. Highly recommended by this vegan!

Had dinner at Charlie Was A Sinner and was thrilled that the entire menu was vegan. We shared 6 plates and they were all fantastic, excellent flavours and great combinations. You don't need to be vegan to appreciate this food. My husband who is not vegan thought it was some of the best food he's ever had. The staff were all helpful and very friendly. Highly recommend this restaurant to vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters.

Wow, this place took me 2 days to find! I kept wandering up and down the street looking for it. Eventually, I found a place and went in and asked if it was CWAS but he said that was across the street. After a drink I didn’t need I still couldn’t find it. Eventually, I did and I am so glad. This place is a high temple to mixology! They really take their libations seriously. I can’t quite recall the drink I had-it had chocolate in it, but they also do a peanut butter cocktail! I was fascinated watching them mix other drinks. They burned wood and then captured the smoke in a glass just to give it a hint of smoke, they also beat egg whites half to death and other wired and whacky things. My drink was superb. The place is chilled and very dark, which at my age is a positive advantage. The bar staff were super Friendly. A big city establishment that Philly should keep hold of. Excellent.

Can't wait to return to this ultra-cool cocktail lounge with inventive, tasty bites. Bartenders are world class. Love that it's woman-owned, too.

The ambience of Charlie's was amazing, so groovy! We had an amazing girl's night. Our host Lillian was so sweet. They didn't have a table ready right away but she took us to the bar and told us she'd come get us in a few minutes when a table cleared. Schafer, our bartender made us the best drinks! Most of my girlfriends had their dusted espresso martini and I had the Midnight Society-yum! We weren't even done with our dri KS before Lillian came back to take us to our table. We were really feeling the boudoir vibes. Our server, Katie was very cool. She made us great food and drink suggestions and even left a cool little "Charlie's Facts" note on our bill before we left.

My wife and I stopped here for cocktails as we were making our way to Vedge for dinner. With only one night in Philly, there is only so much one can eat, but we were really pleased with our drinks and hope to be back soon for some food. Drinks are delicious, the space is really neat, and the food menu looked delicious.

Amazing clever drinks. Vegan bar menu; great food even if you aren't vegan. Best Manhattan! Another great Philadelphia bar.

Awesome cocktails and food. The menu has something for everyone. Even our non vegan friends enjoyed the food.

The best thing about this place is its decor--not a good thing to say about a restaurant. On walking in, we were taken with the decor, which is glamorous speak-easy (dark walls, cushioned seating, small, elegant chandeliers). Unfortunately the food and service at Charlie Was a Sinner didn't live up to its ambiance. Our server was a bit haughty--he seemed overly impressed with himself, and his service was frosty. It felt as though he were talking down to us--even at the most swanky places I don't appreciate this. The drinks menu was equally pretentious--there were more than 5 obscure ingredients in every drink, which required online searches just to figure out what was in them. We could have ordered wine or beer, but given the speak-easy atmosphere, we wanted to try one of their specialties. We both ordered drinks (I can't remember what their names were)--mine was like a fancy margarita, and my husband's similar to a martini. Both were fine, though at $13 apiece, nothing exceptional. We ordered 3 dishes each as recommended and loved the avocado toast and grilled Brussels sprouts, which were both fantastic. Unfortunately the rest of the dishes were just average--ricotta toast, moo shu, cauliflower "steak", and especially the bucatini were disappointing. The moo shu was comparable to what you get at a Chinese restaurant, and I make better cauliflower at home (it lacked seasoning). The bucatini was overcooked and soggy, and the meatballs were mushy and tasteless. Trader Joe's sells similar meatballs, which I no longer buy--these tasted exactly like them. The bill was reasonable at about $105 for 3 drinks and 6 small plates, but given the quality of the food and pretentiousness of the service, we won't bother coming back. I'd recommend V Street for a delicious, flavorful vegan meal without the snobby attitude.

Visited Charlie (they don't talk about Charlie) Sunday evening. Greeted pleasantly and had great food, drinks, dessert...lovely atmosphere for a grown-up date. Charlie may have been a sinner, but redemption is his! Hope to be back soon!

Food and drinks were good until one of the dishes had a glass piece in it. My brother got it in his last bite (luckily his mouth didn't get cut or bleed) but when the manager was called- he started acting suspicious. He had the audacity to ask us why was the plate empty AFTER THE RESTAURANT BROKE CODE literally. The glass piece could have caused serious injury! We won't be going there again! There are a lot of better vegan tapas places (Vedge, V-Street etc.) in the city with good service! PS- We still left our server a generous tip (she was very sincere and apologetic) and paid the $250+ bill.

The food here was excellent, as a colleague brought me here (his second trip in less than four days). I had the potato croquettes, the zucchini "crabcake" slider, and the warm spiced peanuts. All very tasty, but the restaurant was so loud that conversation was impossible.

Delicious! The potato croquette’s were delicious. The ricotta was delicious and so was the buccatini. The only thing I was not a huge fan was the potato gnocchi. The ambiance was great. Prefer it compared to the other local fancy vegan restaurants. Great service as well.

This restaurant, about two years old, has recently come under kosher supervision (except for alcoholic beverages). It's a relatively small place, rather noisy, and with a big bar scene. Reservations are needed for dinner. The food is vegan, with, as is often the case, some hits and some misses. Also, it specializes in small plates of various sizes. Artichoke fritters was a small serving in a large bowl, and was OK. One can't go wrong with beets in my experience; the beet salad was also all right but the accompanying cauliflower panna cotta was tasteless. I wouldn't order the gnocchi again; it was sort of fried and overly smoky. The avocado toast was the best of the evening, followed by a special pasta dish.

Excellent vegan place! I've eaten and/or had drinks here numerous times and have never been let down. They have some AMAZING craft cocktails with some very fresh ingredients. I love the Witches of East -- if you don't see it on the menu, ask the waitstaff for it. Also try the delicious tofu ricotta and the gnocchi. A little pricey because it's in Center City, Philadelphia, but it's a great vibe, excellent service, small and cozy with a decent sized bar. They won't talk about Charlie, so don't ask. (*.*)

13th street and it's surroundings make for a great bar hop and food stop while in Philly one evening. Charlie was a Sinner sure is worthy of a pit stop for a cocktail or two. The bar has a low-lit atmosphere and understated class which gives it a wonderful setting. They have the classic set of cocktails plus many specials.

First visit was this past Friday night. The staff that greeted us were very friendly and we decided to sit at the bar for drinks and dinner. It's s small, narrow, and dimly light space...Cozy and friendly. Bar staff were great...true bartenders not just hard liquor slingers. Ingredients were very fresh and selection was unique. Food was fantastic. Highlight were the mushroom tacos that had fluffy shells. So good we had a second order. Overall, a great find, especially if you're a vegetarian. I like is better than Vedge.

I'd heard good things about this restaurant, and they get points for their name alone. I wasn't aware that they are a small plates restaurant until I saw my dishes arrive. I got there just as they opened for dinner. I chose to sit at a table in the back. The menu wasn't extensive, but it was interesting. I wound up ordering the chickpea pasta and a beet salad. My meal arrived pretty quickly, which I guess is what happens when you're the first customer. The chickpea pasta was very good, and I didn't even stop for a bite of the beet salad until I was finished my pasta. The portion was not large, but it the pasta had a nice creamy sauce and I couldn't taste that it was made of chickpeas. The beet salad was also very good. The waitress told me the cauliflower panna cotta was actually tofu, but both the manager and the menu said it was made from cauliflower. The best part of the salad. I didn't try the horseradish vinagrette because I was really enjoying the salad on its own. My quibble with the waitress: If you see the customer has finished with one of the dishes (my pasta), don't walk by the table half a dozen times without removing the empty plate! She never did remove it until I left. As I was the only customer in the place, it's not like she was too busy assisting other customers.

We were super excited when we literally stumbled upon this restaurant. But the experience was not enjoyable. The majority of the tables are only 24 inches in diameter, hardly comfortable to enjoy a meal, and all of the tables are against a wall in the front and you are forced to sit side by side. Conversation is impossible because it's so loud. The cocktails were good. The food was 'eh". We had the potato croquettes which were deep fried nicely, but had literally no seasoning at all. We then ordered the Korean style fried tofu. Also cooked nicely but the Korean sauce had much too much vinegar. Lastly, the Bucatini pasta and meatballs which were so bland. The tomato sauce tasted like it was out of can and the meatballs were clearly frozen variety anyone can buy at a grocery store. Service was excellent but the overall experience left much to be desired.

Amazing food that just happens to be vegan. I recently changed to a vegan diet. What a treat to go to a restaurant and order anything off the menu. The gnocchi was rich, creamy and delicious. The eggplant bon mih buns were incredible, and the brussel sprouts had amazing flavor. We had the pot de creme for dessert and it did not disappoint. It was quite rich though so I recommend sharing. We also got the apple cobbler, which was less than perfect, but it was still tasty. Just did not have a lot of oats - mostly just cooked, spiced apples. So not a lot of cobbler. But everything else was beyond expectation. Would recommend to anyone, vegan or not!

A little scene-y, in a good way (it was packed when we went); crowded, dark, lovely decor, not as loud as it might have been since lots of fabric. Excellent interesting cocktails and great food. Beyond burgers are commonplace now but were still delicious. French onion soup very good but the "cheese" was about the size of a postage stamp--still great, just manage your expectations. Highly recommend the buccatini with meatballs, best vegan meatballs i've had. For a NYer, prices extremely reasonable.

As you can guess from the name of this place, it is fashioned as a speak easy. Small and dark but with lots of charm. The entire menu is vegan but for the skeptics, you would never know it. EVERYTHING was delicious. You absolutely MUST make a reservation well in advance it you want to eat before 9pm and I highly recommend that you do visit.

In looking for a restaurant with vegan cuisine, this one popped up and decided to give it a try. The drinks/ cocktails masterfully created. The food was not only delicious but interesting, and artfully plated. Will be back!!! Our waiter was very knowledgable and helpful in what to try.

We ended there by chance as other places around just put us off as they were all so very full. Staff is super welcoming and patient. Drinks and food is amazing and very creative. The visit was expensive but worth the splurge

Great menu that offers a variety of international flavor. I recommend the Avocado Toast and Korean Tofu...but I have had all on the menu. THE BEST part of this place is the bar and bartenders...all are so very knowledgeable and are true artisans that can truly craft any flavor profile you desire. Try the City on Fire....so very tasty and unique!

Four of us were looking for a spot for drinks (and food as required with drinks due to coronavirus regulations) before dinner on Saturday. We came across this place and were able to get a table outside on a beautiful late afternoon during the pandemic craziness. Very enjoyable wine, an appetizer, and an awesome server (Stan).

Grate atmosphere and the food is good. Definitely the place to to drink in a good company. The food was good but not amazing. Maybe it’s the dishes we ordered.

Food was exceptional and the flavors worked well together. Drinks were also delicious. A little tight of a space but atmosphere and design were the best part.