Manatawny Still Works East Passyunk Tasting Room

Truly an exceptional experience at Townsend. The ambiance was great music was nice, lighting was perfect, and the attention to detail by staff was superb. We had the tasting menu and added the escargot would highly recommend. The marinated hamachi and escargot were our favorites, however the duck was a little chewy and we were not fans of the sauce (still an amazing dish nonetheless). The drinks were great as well. Staff was extremely attentive and kind. This is a great restaurant for special occasions and we will definitely be returning!!

We have been going to TownsendEPX since January 2015 and went once to the Rittenhouse location before coming back to TownsendEPX for the first time since they reopened on Passyunk Avenue. We both had the tasting menu tonight and added the roasted marrow bone to start with before the tasting as well as the Harbison with dessert. Missy was fantastic as were the bartenders very friendly, welcoming and it 'felt ' like the Townsend we know and love. We started with a cocktail each, I had the Normandy Sour which was great and my spouse had the l 'audace which he loved. Both were big hits. The roasted bone marrow was delectable and the radishes, celery salad and parmesan bread crumbs really made it superb. A slice of bread each was just not enough but there seems to be some bread rationing going on as it only came out a slice each per request. It is a must have though, with or without bread. Delicious. The tasting menu started with: Marinated Hamachi and it was the only dish of the night that failed to impress. It was a nice portion, looked great but the fresh bits of apple and cucumber had no voice against the lake of sesame oil that the Hamachi were rescued from with sesame oil, a little goes a long way and this was, as we say in French insupportable . The Loup de Mer (branzino) was next and it was stellar the saffron rouille was perfection, the artichoke barigoule a great component of the dish and the fish was as perfectly cooked as it could be, moist, succulent flesh, crisp skin wonderful. The best branzino either of us have ever eaten. The potato gnocchi with the seasonal mushrooms were another home run. Melt in the mouth, light and tender gnocchi bathed in an unctuous sauce filled with mushrooms and some oven dried tomato and a bright bit of spinach for color. I would definitely have cleaned up the sauce with a bit of bread but for the bread rationing. The seared duck breast was next and it was also very tasty. The potato fondants were perfect, truly perfect. Tender interior with a beautiful crust on the outside, each capped with a delightful little mushroom made for a lovely bite. The duck was perfectly cooked, the red wine glace was fantastic, the bit of mustard, classic and it all worked well together. The green olive purée, while adding a nice pop of color, didn 't add anything to the dish flavor wise; at least in my opinion. Dessert was a Valrhona chocolate souffle with a Pernod crème anglaise and it was classically and expertly prepared. Nice tall sides, piping hot, molten in the center and the crème anglaise was sublime with just a hint of Pernod. I also added the Harbison, which was a Vermont raw cow 's milk cheese with some sliced apple, an apricot jam and some pistachios. It is from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont, I believe and is named for Anne Harbison but I digress. It 's a nice, soft cheese, spoonable, woodsy and sweet. Since it was served with no utensils, I was happy to have my coffee spoon to enjoy this course. Again a few slices of bread would have been great but you know the bread rationing. All in all, it was a great dinner and it felt great to be back at TownsendEPX where we have spent many hours enjoying delicious food with each other or with friends and celebrating birthdays, anniversaries (tonight was our 26th and we were wished happy anniversary numerous times; which was very nice) and other special moments in our lives. The minor issues I mention only as a note to the restaurant as an FYI. Welcome back TownsendEPX this is the Townsend that we fell in love with years ago on East Passyunk Avenue.

Delicious food in a really nice setting. We did the chef's tasting menu and all of the food was delicious. We would have liked a bit more in terms of portion size, but the quality was excellent. Their drinks were also very good. This is a really cool dining experience for a special occasion (we went with friends to celebrate our anniversaries together).

The tasting menu is incredible! And they offer a pairing. We had cocktails by the bar before heading upstairs for dinner. Cute space, narrow around the bar. Everything was good but there were a couple of outstanding dishes. The staff did an amazing job. I left so satisfied with that meal. Definitely check out their food pics, exactly how they were presented and droolworthy.

I loved my experience here. The food was exceptional and the service was too but I felt the price was a little too high for what you get. Outside of that, truly enjoyed myself and my meal