World Cafe Live

3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

Address:	3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Phone:	+1 215-222-1400
Site:	philly.worldcafelive.com
Rating:	4.5

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 5

SaddleUp Buttercup

WORLD CAFE LIVE IS HANDS-DOWN THE BEST CONCERT VENUE IN THE AREA. Ive been going to shows all around Philadelphia and the suburbs for twenty years, and this place takes the prize for best acoustics and sound, best customer service, and most comfortable show environment. The shows at Downstairs Live (the larger of the two venues in their building) are generally set up with a mix of tables, so you can enjoy drinks and a meal or snacks during the show. Theres a bar area at the back of the space, which tends to be a little noisy. There is really not a bad seat in the house. If youre up for a really top-notch experience, try the mezzanine seating.at Downstairs Live. The mezzanine is a large open balcony that looks over the lower level and stage. The first row of mezzanine seating is big, very cushiony couch seats. The second row of mezzanine seating is bar seats that sit up pretty high, so you can easily see over the couch seats in row one. The wooden bar seats are a little tough to sit on for a whole show, but theyre not bad. (Better than standing on a sloped floor at the TLA any day.) All mezzanine ticketholders can use the tables they have set up at the rear of the space to have dinner before the show. Then you can mosey over to your couch or bar seat and relax and see the show, with waitress service throughout your stay. There is a ticket premium for the mezzanine seats, but I think its worth it, especially for the first row. The Upstairs Live area is a smaller, narrower bar/restaurant set-up with a stage to the rear of the space. Easiest to see the performers if youre seated near the front; definite visibility issues at the back tables. Bartenders are very friendly, and the menu is a great. Sitting at the bar is a great option for seeing a show solo. There are multiple bathrooms throughout the building (multi-stall restrooms on each level), so theres never a long wait. The building is easy to find. Theres lots of metered street parking on the upper level, and if you cant find a spot there, you can circle around to the big new public parking lot at 31st and Walnut. (Two wrongs dont make a right, but three lefts do.) The box office staff, hosts, bartenders and wait staff are, with very few exceptions, friendly and professional. The food is very good, though the menu can seem limited at times. (It changes frequently.) Overall, it offers a first-class concert experience with unrivaled creature comforts and customer service.

The Robinsons

RACIST BARTENDERS!!! I would come TO this cafe every monday for happy hour and jazz night. the staff was always nice and helpful. I even invited my mother, fiance and aunt telling them how great this place was. im not sure who these women were the night me and my fiance went which was 12/28/15 but they were extremely rude (seemingly to the black patrons). i witnessed the way she would greet other patrons compared the ones of color. she would hound people for IDs as soon as you sat down with jackets still on and purses still in hand and even after asking her to give us a minute, she insisted to argue with us and go back and forth stating that we could not even sit at the bar unless we were 21 which we are waaayyy over 21. i had to tell her 5 times that we just got there and needed a moment. we didnt even have napkins or menus! which are the two first things a bartender gives you upon sitting down. she then continued to argue with me and closed my tab slamming my credit card on the counter. when i asked for a manager the other server stated " oh shell get him for you. im sure hell be glad to speak to you" in a very sarcastic tone. the manager did comp the 1 wine i had to a chance to order however i will NEVER return. four white women sat at the bar directly after us in which she gave them napkins, menus, asked if they were eating or drinking and only asked for id after they ordered a drink. but EVERY black person that sat at the bar had to immediately show ID before receiving ANYTHING! she told one black woman that she could not sit at the bar becuase her ID was expired and told her to sit somewhere else. DO NOT GIVE YOUR MONEY TO THIS PLACE!!

John McCarthy

Went here tonight to see a show by my favorite acoustic trio, Toh Kay. The show was wonderful, but I know you all want to hear about the venue... When I walked in I found my way over to the doors of the mezzanine of "Downstairs Live". A young man, (whos name I dont remember), who was very nice led my friend and I over to our seats on the mezzanine, up at the bar stools at the counter. Almost as immediately as we sat down, our waitress by the name of Caitlin (the blonde Caitlin) greeted us and asked us if we wanted something to eat. We ordered wings and some sodas, all of which were absolutely fantastic. Probably the best wings I have ever eaten. My friend also ended up ordering a burger which he claims was fantastic and great fries that we both picked at. All of the staff was super friendly, and the food exceeded my expectations. We had a great view of the stage from the mezzanine. The sound of the venue was very crisp and clear. The acoustics in the room are also very nice. World Cafe Live is a very clean and nice looking place. Seriously, it was probably the best looking venue Ive been to. The online tour doesnt show the place justice. Overall, my experience at Downstairs Live at World Cafe Live Philadelphia was great. I have no complaints. Everything was very clean, (even the bathrooms!) If you have a favorite music artist playing here, look forward to a truly amazing experience.

A Private User

Went to see the Peek-a-boo review after an ABYSMALLY bad meal at POD hours before. Show was over sold and the freak performers cool friends had all the tables reserved so we had to stand for 1.5 hours until!. Almost got in a fight when one really trashy patron informed my GF that the bar stool nobody was in that she sat in, was saved and I had to straighten them out. Philly is just too ghetto, overpriced and people just dont know how to assemble in groups down there without making a huge mess out of it. Too close for comfort at a Willie Porter show I had some dude, obviously too dumb to be in public, leaning his stupid chair back almost into my lap until i kicked it forward a foot. Is Philly just too ghetto to be cool anymore or is the hip community too scared to act right and make others do the same? Shows money doesnt buy class or intelligence. Food there is good but PRICEY as is everythig in Philthadelphia. Just stay home and rent a movie and save parking, entrance, drinks, food and gas money, its just not worth all that for a half rate venue. Got money back for Peekabo and wont ever return. Class up a little and maybe id consider it.

Sarah kozak

Beware... This place has no air conditioning!!!! Me and the hubby came here on 6/1 for the Christine and the Queens show. We were told there would be no place to sit and eat downstairs so we made sure to arrive early and eat by the upstairs stage area. Let me just say I would rather stand downstairs and eat somewhere else beforehand, had I known I was going to be sweating into my plate of food! Apparently they didnt think 88 degrees in philadelphia was worth turning the air conditioning on. That being said, we really did enjoy the show once we went downstairs. Drinks were overpriced but the bathrooms were surprisingly clean for a music venue. Shame we wont be returning to eat. How Absurd!!!!