Her Philly

A lifestyle blog for young women dining, shopping, playing & living in the city of Philadelphia.

Holiday Entertaining Tips

As my friends and I get older, the temptation to throw our own parties surrounded by the people we love, rather than celebrate out at a bar, gets greater and greater. Our most recent get-together was a pretty successful Friends-giving, but we’re obviously still learning all the tips and tricks that go into planning and executing the perfect fiesta. In my mind, there are certainly many more parties that need to happen before I can achieve the status of hostess extraordinaire, so I like to take all the advice I can get.

The party people over at Fine Wine and Good Spirits always put together some annual infographics, filled with great holiday entertaining tips, so I knew I had to share for my other socialite sisters (in the making). They also have a ton of other party planning resources on the site (like the ever popular Quantity Calculator), and – in case you were not aware – your party supplies can now be delivered to your house from good ol’ Instacart.Continue Reading…

{Date Night Idea} Ranstead Room Philadelphia

I love finding out about little hidden Philly gems. Once the nugget of info is in my mind, I usually can’t get it out until I’ve seen, tasted, drank, or visited said thing. I had a recent dose of this curiosity when I first heard of The Ranstead Room (2013 Ranstead Street). While the place has no website and has not tweeted since 2012, uwishunu describes it as “a back-alley speakeasy-style bar located adjacent to casual Mexican eatery El Rey.”  The mystery intrigued me, and when I finally went last weekend on a first date, I was nothing short of impressed.

Finding The Ranstead Room is not as hard as the online reviews claim, but it is tucked away down an alley off 20th Street just past Chestnut. Once you enter, the hostess takes you through a door and into a small, dark room illuminated only by the bar & lighting on the paintings of scantily clad women that line the walls. There are seating options in cozy, intimate booths or at the bar. The bar seating was a great spot to chat with the bartenders and get an up close and personal look of the intricacies in each drink’s preparation.

Summer Drinks at Philadelphia speakeasy the Ranstead Room // Her Philly

The drink menu at The Ranstead Room is super unique and changes seasonally. The current Summer Cocktail Menu has ten drinks on it, plus the Bartender’s Choice. We tried the French 95 & the Hurricane, both of which had great presentation and taste. Each drink is $12, and there are some really fun options to choose from. If you’re interested in getting a peek at the full Summer Menu (which will be live until mid-September), I’ve got it!

 

The Ranstead Room Summer Cocktail Menu

Bulldog Cooler

gin, pineapple, ginger, lime, soda

French 95

bourbon, champagne, lemon

Hurricane

jamaican rum, light rum, passion fruit, lemon

20th Century Boy

bourbon, amaro, benedictine, orange bitters

St. Charles Punch

cognac, port, lemon, orange

Clover Club

gin, lemon, raspberries, egg white

Cotton Cocktail

rye, vermouth, absinthe, bitters

Archangel

gin, aperol, cucumber

Firing Squad Special

tequila, lime, grenadine, soda

Tattletale

islay scotch, honey, bitters

Bartender’s Choice

leave it to us…

Overall, I had a fabulous time at The Ranstead Room and can’t wait to go back to try more yummy cocktails. The intimate setting made it a great place for a first date and I highly recommend it if you’re trying to find a unique Philly spot for an outing.

Have you ever been to a “speakeasy” in Philly? What did you think of it? And most importantly, what drink would you get at The Ranstead Room? xx

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