The Barclay Prime

Philadelphia is home to three majestically beautiful old hotels. The Bellevue Stratford, now the Hyatt at the Bellevue, celebrated its 100th birthday last month. The Warwick Hotel opened during the 1920s, as did The Barclay, right off Rittenhouse Square.

I have fond memories of beautiful weddings at The Barclay. Its lounge was a gathering place for a nightcap after work or the theater. The dining room, lit by crystal chandeliers, was old-fashioned yet elegant. My husband and I last dined at The Barclay more than 10 years ago. The room had an air of shabby elegance and the food was blandly old-fashioned.

Enter Stephen Starr, the major domo of Philadelphia restaurateurs. He has opened a steakhouse in the property and christened it Barclay Prime. The bar/lounge area retains the large black-and-white-check tile floor; the rich, deep original wood is still intact, lit by pretty art-deco wall sconces; and the small bar at the back is just like the old days.

Starr added large, comfortable black leather chairs and set them off with round, stainless steel pedestal tables. The dining room was gutted and replaced with leather booths, a shelf of books and soft lighting (way too soft for me, by the way), the small original chandeliers intact.

I visited Barclay Prime twice, and both times I came away with the feeling that most diners, especially men, would leave the restaurant hungry unless they ordered a succession of appetizers before the entrée. I also feel the prices are too high.

The portion police are out in full force at Barclay Prime. Steakhouses traditionally serve up large helpings, but here some of the portions were akin to nouvelle cuisine, which I thought went out of style.

Cocktails are $10.50; specialty cocktails run $15 to $39. Wines by the glass run $10 to $20.

The staff members wear big smiles and welcome you accordingly. If you dine in the lounge — and the majority of patrons were doing just that on both my visits — you receive a linen napkin, and fresh sourdough rolls along with pats of sweet softened butter.

The wedge ($9) was a nice-sized portion of crisp, cool iceberg lettuce bathed in homemade blue cheese dressing. Three lumps of top-quality jumbo lump crabmeat sat beside the lettuce. I polished it off with ease.

Oysters Rockefeller ($15) is one of those classic New Orleans dishes I’ve not seen on a menu in a long time. The oyster selection changes daily. On one visit, they were prepared with six small oysters from New Brunswick, topped with creamy spinach and microscopic bits of bacon, then run under the broiler. They were tasty but not plentiful.

Steak tartar is another classic dish that rarely appears on modern restaurant menus. The version at Barclay Prime ($12) is called beef tartar and consisted of two very thin slices of top-quality raw beef, topped with two truffle-sized balls of top-quality ground raw beef. The creamy mustard sauce was delicious and enhanced the beef beautifully. The dish was topped with a tiny sprig of micro greens. Again, it was tasty but not generous enough.

From the entrées we sampled filet mignon ($36) and breast of duck ($28). The 12-ounce filet was perfection — tender and juicy, and rare upon arrival, as ordered. Sauces are extra and cost $3. This is a steakhouse first; béarnaise or bordelaise or whatever sauce you like never carries an extra charge. I received about a tablespoon of béarnaise, which was homemade and about the best you can get, placed in a pretty square ramekin.

The seared duck breast was not truly seared, but it was tender and sat on a pool of delicious sweet fig jam. The duck was a little greasy and should have been properly seared. About six small slices comprised the plate. It needed a little something; a small sprig of micro greens would give the dish more eye appeal, at least.

From the sides ($8 each), we sampled creamed spinach, shaved potatoes and onions and puy lentils. I loved the creamed leeks ($3) listed among the "complements," which run from $3 to $38 for foie gras.

Creamed spinach is a steakhouse staple, and this version gets high marks. The cream was so well incorporated, you could not detect it with the eye. It was almost soufflé-like. The potatoes, on the other hand, would have been tastier had they arrived hot.

Puy lentils, those marvelous little green-brown rounds of goodness, are 100-percent French and would provide a fine contrast to any entrée because of their slight crunch. They were not a bit overcooked. And those creamed leeks, sautéed in butter and doused with blue cheese, were so outrageously delicious, I vowed to prepare them at home.

I sipped a glass of MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir ($11) with the duck breast. I received a large glass and a pretty whimsical carafe, shaped almost like a laboratory beaker, filled with the ruby wine. It was pricey for a glass, but this portion at least was good-sized.

Eight sweets ($9 each) are on offer to end the meal. My choice, warm cheesecake truffles, consisted of four truffle balls of melted cheesecake, each with its own flavor: pineapple, chocolate, strawberry and banana. I enjoyed all of them.

Barclay Prime has a first: The restroom is for men and women. It was so dark in there, I could not powder my nose nor refresh my lipstick. Service on both visits was a bit over the top. Our servers were chatty and kept coming over to the table, asking, "Is everything all right? Do you need anything else? Can I make some suggestions?" It’s fine to be friendly, but when patrons are deep in conversation, they want to be left alone.

Two tips of the toque to Barclay Prime.

Barclay Prime
18th and Locust streets, in The Barclay
215-732-7560
Credit cards accepted
Wheelchair-accessible
Reservations a good idea