Condesa Reviews

My friend and I were looking up fun restaurants to go to for a night out and came across El Techo, Condesa's rooftop bar. El Techo does not accept reservations and we arrived about a half hour after opening and it was already packed. We were told that we can get drinks from the bar while we wait for our table which was fine. The bar area was a tiny, crowded space that held people who were just coming to sit at the bar and people like us waiting for a table. We waited 40 minutes for our table to be ready. There are no servers to take your order - you order your food and drinks using a QR code and someone eventually delivers your food. The QR code sets up a tab that you can just pay on your phone later. I think this was very efficient, especially in a place that had a long waiting list for tables. The food and drinks were pricey. A margarita cost about $12 and tasted like water and sugary mixer filled with ice. The food itself did not taste that special. The views were nice and it was a great place to spend time with friends - many people took pictures for social media. The service was also quick and friendly, although it seemed like by the way they were clearing the tables, they were rushing you out so they can seat other people.

Authentic upscale Mexican bar & restaurant. Happy Hour 5 to 7 is the best value. Corner fireplaces add warmth. The music was a bit loud for me and there is nowhere to sit without music.

Our party of four selected items from around the menu which allowed us to share many tasty treats. The kitchen delivers excellent flavors. Service was excellent. The wine list was short, focusing on Spanish and South American vintners. A wide variety of Mescals and a few intriguing cocktails.

Inordinately long wait for a table, despite the restaurant being almost empty. However, once seated, the service was good, the food was nice and the ambiance was pleasant.

Condesa is Mexican themed restaurant within the Motto Hilton hotel in center city Philadelphia near Rittenhouse Square. The food preparation for Condesa like its name is inspired by the traditions and flavors of Mexico but is made from fresh ingredients local to Philadelphia. They also make their own tortillas in house from freshly ground corn prepared on premises daily. My wife and I made reservations for one night stay at the Motto hotel and had planned to have dinner at one of the hotel’s restaurants that night. The hotel offers two options for dinner. El Techo is a roof top bar which offers small bites as well as drinks with views of downtown Philadelphia. While the Condesa is a full-service restaurant with a separate bar at the ground level of the hotel. Kitchens for both restaurants close at 9PM and will serve only drinks after that time. We were in Philadelphia for an event which delayed our arrival at the hotel to 8:30PM, leaving us just 30 minutes to order food before the kitchen closed. So, we chose to dine at the Condesa which is a short walk beyond the hotel’s front desk. Since there was also a wait for tables at the Condesa we opted to dine at the bar associated with the Condesa which served their full dinner menu without the wait. (Originally El Techo was our first choice because of the view, but we were in a hurry to eat, and the kitchen was closing soon.) The atmosphere of Condesa was romantic. The decor was modern with dimmed lighting and a modern fireplace providing extra light and setting the mood. However, I did need to use the light from my cell phone to read their menu. Once seated we still had a bit of a wait for a server to bring us menus and take our orders. But our server was very pleasant and apologetic for the additional delay. She took very good care of us during our visit - offering many suggestions for drinks and food. We started our dinner with complementary corn tortillas and 3 dipping sauces to sample before our main course arrived. We especially liked the corn tortillas with the creamy guacamole and the spicy dipping sauce. My wife ordered a margarita (light on the alcohol). I had asked for a glass of sangria but settled for a glass of rose instead. We were surprised the bar did not carry sangria, but our server recommended a Spanish rose (Vina Zorzal Rosado) as an alternative. It was a very good choice. It was not a sweet wine like sangria but had a rich fruit flavor of grapes and raspberries. For our main course I ordered a Chicken Enchiladas (Enchiladas Verdes) and my wife ordered a Cabrito (Goat meat Taco) - which is one of our servers recommendations and her favorite. The food was well worth the wait. It was all very good. I really enjoyed my Enchilada. There was a pleasant and unexpected creaminess to the cheese sauce. My wife agreed with our server about her taco. It was very good. We fully enjoyed our stop at the Condesa and appreciated the great service. But beware they do add a 3% fee to meals served at the bar - with the explanation “to share revenue directly with their kitchen service team.”

Dinner for four adults on a Sunday night. Was expecting good. We got great. Really great. The food was still recognisably Mexican but they are working at a level closer to the great restaurants in Mexico City than what passes for Mex in most of the North East. Took the recommendations from our Server and were very well guided. Not surprisingly the Margaritas were very good. And we had a terrific Albarino from the modest but well-curated wine-list. We were visiting from NY so it was a nice change to be in a place where there was still good music in the background but we could still actually converse.

We tried to have brunch at El techo on a Sunday morning at 11am, right at opening time. Although el techo is first come first serve with no option for online/phone booking, were told that the place was completely booked as soon as we arrived. When we asked how that was possible given the walk in policy we were send to the bar as there was space there. To our surprise, once upstairs we realized the restaurant was 90% empty. We asked again if there will be an option for a table and the answer was no again, but this time we were even refused a seat at the bar because out party had a 2 year old toddler on a stroller (deep sleep). I am tremendously disappointed not only with the rudeness to us but also for the discriminant policy to families no option for booking at El techo we were told that the place was completely booked today. When we asked how that was possible given the walk in policy we were send to the bar as there was space there. To our surprise, once upstairs we realized the restaurant was 90% empty. We asked again if there will be an option for a table and the answer was no again, but this time we were even refuse a seat at the bar because out party had a 2 year old toddler on a stroller (deep sleep). I am tremendously disappointed not only with the rudeness to us but also for the discriminant policy to families

Very nice restaurant, good service, good food, good atmosphere, good wine selection, nice deco. Very good Mexican food.

At over 80, I was the oldest person there, so it was a little noisy for me. But I'm not their target market, and it was delightful nonetheless.. Polite, prompt service. Excellent ensalada followed by terrific tacos de carnitas - with three very tasty sauces. If I'm ever back in Philly, I'll go back to Condesa for sure.

Nicely laid out restaurant with a covered courtyard in the Motto hotel. Excellent drink menu, first rate guacamole and interesting tacos and main dishes. Very attentive wait staff.

When David heard it was my birthday (but the restaurant didn’t have any gluten-free desserts on their menu), he asked the kitchen to make a special one for me. That deserves accolades! Major kudos to him and the pastry chef at Condesa who pulled this off! ALSO: The Quatro and the fish tacos were a great pairing.

The happy hour at Condesa is a MUST do! Great prices for drinks and food alike. Can't go wrong with a margarita with friends after work. Food-wise I cannot recommend the chicken wings on the happy hour menu enough. 5 wings for $6 in a delectable sauce you really can't beat it. I would have absolutely ordered another serving if I had more time to hang out there. I will definitely be back again soon.

Geared to Millennials but enjoyed by everyone. Great service, fills up fast, busy bar, pricey. On Ludlow just off 19th.OnludlLudlowjust off 19

Very fine contemporary Mexican restaurant in Center City just north of Rittenhouse Square. Excellent food and libations.

We were 45 minutes late getting seated, then 30 minutes before food order taken. Then the waitress wouldn’t take the order when we requested. The food came, fish tacos were ok, nothing special, we had better guacamole in many places in the city. And worst of all terrible watery margaritas.

Delicious food & drinks, so I would return. However, service was slow. And there was some dish served to the table next to us that was SO STINKY. Everyone at my table noticed it and we scrambled to find things to keep us from smelling it… turtlenecks, cough drops, antibacterial, lip balm. I’m not sure what the dish was that was so stinky, but I strongly encourage the restaurant to stop serving it. We almost left.

Down a gloomy side street, you want to approach Condesa from 19th St. Because walking down Ludlow from 18th St is dispiriting; unless you like dimly lit massage parlor entrances. Anywaaaaay, I really liked this new restaurant serving complex flavors in a minimalist and decidedly millennial setting. Eat early if you want to avoid the noise of an 8 pm meal; especially if you are a party if 4 or more. The food is excellent though the service needs some work. It’s early days into their opening so some consideration should be given. Highly recommend sharing apps including the guacamole, the mushroom quesadilla, their green salad with cashew dressing and the wonderful fluke tostados. I loved my lamb tacos. High marks also for their tasty small whole chicken which 2-3 people could share. For dessert a plate of just-right churros with dark chocolate dipping sauce & very good coffee. Definitely look forward to returning & trying more items. For dinner, figure about $60 per person with light alcohol, tax & 20% tip.

We had a wonderful dinner at Condesa. The staff is top notch and also warm and friendly. Amazing cocktail choices. The meal was incredible; everything was good! Try the Birria - my first time trying goat and I’m glad I did! We will definitely return when we are next in Philly.

Inside Condesa.. upstairs is El Techo taco bar. Fabulous set up ...roof top eatery. Large and spacious. The Roof retracts in warm weather and has large panoramic windows that open to beautiful views. Has that outside cozy feel. There are different table set ups for the crowd at hand and you don’t feel clustered in. The place can get a bit noisy but you won’t be shouting over the crowd. The portions are perfect for trying different combinations of tacos and guacamole!! Everything was fresh and appealing to the palate. The drinks are a bit pricey but worth it!! Looking forward to returning again !!

Multiple seating options, great happy hour choices. Modern look and feel with an innovative menu. Will definitely visit again.

We were lucky to eat dinner here New Year's Eve. We went to see the Mummer's parade and came down Tuesday to avoid the traffic from road closures. We didn't plan ahead and didn't have reservations, but this place gave us a table (we came early as they open at 5pm for dinner). WOW, the guac is amazing, we split it for an app, the serving is generous. We had carnitas (pork) and the tongue( I forget what it was called), both were delicious. We also had cocktails:both margaritas(very,very,very good) and one named 5- fantastic! This is a really special place, and they treat you well. Our server was wonderful, I wish I could remember her name... I am sure the whole staff is as good as the people who took care of us. We will go again when we are in Philly and trust me we have endless choices in this foodie town!

Good fun on our anniversary. Food was totally different. The blue corn Tortillas were very nice. The guacamole and Shrimp Taco as the starters were great. Staff is very friendly and helpful for first timers

The review is just for El Techo, the rooftop bar. We tried it out last night while staying at the Motto hotel. The ambiance was nice albeit loud. The side windows were closed so it didn’t even seem like we were on a roof. We had no view as we were seated near the bathroom and kitchen away from the windows. To order, you scan a QR code. This makes the service a bit interesting since no one really waits on your table. Our drinks and first order of food came out very quickly. The second round took awhile. The spicy mezcal margaritas were yummy. If you have two or more people, I definitely recommend the pitchers of margaritas. Much more value for your money! We just had appetizers - the chips and chicharrons were way too salty/seasoned. The queso fundido was terrible/almost inedible. The guacamole was good as was the flan popsicle. Overall, we would not return.

We visited El Techo around 6:30 on a Monday evening in April and overall had a very nice experience. We sat on the upper rooftop level. There were several open tables when we arrived, and we picked a great table with a gorgeous view. We really enjoyed getting to seat ourselves and order from the menu and pay on our phone; even though we did not need a waiter in order to place our order, the wait staff was very attentive and made sure we were happy and that our water glasses were full. We taste-tested 4-5 different tacos and were really enjoyed them all, although they are bit smaller in portion size than I would have expected. The steak taco was my personal favorite. Our appetizer, the Queso Fundido with salsa verde, was also delicious and the perfect size for two people to share. Our food was brought to our table in less than 10 minutes after ordering. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at El Techo and would come back! We had no issues with noise level or over-crowding on a weekday for dinner.