Astral Plane

When you walk into Astral Plane, you're walking into an intimate, small space - the owner lives upstairs I hear! You're greeted by a cozy bar, with drapes on the ceiling. Upstairs, there are many photos adorning the rooms.

The bathroom is nice! There's a framed animated picture, soothing sounds, and bright lights. Astral plane indeed... speaking of which, their menu is amusingly themed - air, water, earth - for different kinds of foods - get it? I ordered a beef dish and received a tender chunk of meat that was seasoned to perfection. I asked for hot sauce and received a nice bottle of a sauce I hadn't had before that was pleasantly piquant.

Servers Tim, Jesse, and Ed (bartender) were friendly and met all of our party's needs (we were about 12 people?).

No place is perfect. It's dark inside - much too dark to see the menu or even the food, I had to use my cell phone for illumination.

I absolutely have to do a " review" even though there was no Yelp at the time my husband and I were going to Astral. That would be wayyyy back in the 80's. Astral was, along with Lickety Split and Fri Sat Sun, one of our go to date spots, long before we were married. We loved the quirky homey feel of the mismatched furniture, China, and flatware, and the general feeling of being in , like everyone says, Grandma's house, yet the vibe was like no one's Grandma's house!! We loved the food! Never had a bad meal there or even a mediocre meal. I always had the duck, no matter how it was served- I think my favorite may have been a raspberry sauce. We spent so many New Year's Eves there it was like a tradition! I miss it so much, even though marriage and kids changed our traditions a bit! I do find it fitting that one of our college aged twins lives in a dorm on Pine St, just a few blocks from the old Astral site on Lombard. So sorry he will never have the opportunity to experience Astral.

RIP Astral Plane! You are well missed! But not forgotten.

Sadly, Astral Plane is now closed. However, I must review it in order to include it on a list I'm making. I loved the atmosphere and everything I ever ordered there was yummy. But none of that matters since it is now defunct, so instead I will share an Astral Plane story.

I went there for brunch with my mom, my aunt and a group of adventurous friends. (I say adventurous not because the food or service there was bad, but because my family is crazy.) My mom and my aunt certainly put the lush in luscious. They immediately spied the make-your-own bloody mary and mimosa bar and mixed up a couple of glasses of vodka with a splash of tomato juice. They then proceeded to munch on the array of veggies, cheeses, salamis and stuffed peppers thoughtfully provided at the bar... until the bartender looked over, aghast, and proclaimed rather haughtily that "SOME people like to use those to GARNISH THEIR DRINKS." Oops.

This is one of my favorite restaurants ever! The food is always wonderful here. I love the fact that on my first time here the owner came over and started chatting with me and my dining partner and ended up comping our drinks and dessert! The atmosphere is cool and how can you beat the make your own bloody mary bar on Sundays!!
Don't live in Philly any more, but I would go back to the Astral Plane everytime I visit.

I think this place is really hit-or-miss. I went with a big group. We had a fantastic time, but it wasn't because of the restaurant. Service was very slow. About 1/3 of the people LOVED their dishes, and the rest of us were "take it or leave it". And everything was expensive.

I give them props for their humerous decor, but the chairs are really uncomfortable.

I would go here again with only a couple of people to grab a drink and dessert, but probably not for a full dinner.

This is my favorite restaurant. Ever. I don't know how to articulate the vibe at this place. Eclectic is accurate, but it doesn't suffice. It's warm and cozy; it's a feast for the eyes. My stomach loves this place, too. Last time I was here, my partner and I both had fish dishes that were delicious. I also had one of the zodiac drinks. I forget which sign (Libra?); it's the creamy chocolate one. Divine. We came on a weeknight, I think, and there was virtually no one there. Very attentive server who didn't annoy us at all. Definitely come here for an intimate atmosphere & an excellent meal.

I had really wanted to go eat here for my birthday and my boyfriend had taken me. It was really kitschy and the second I walked in I thought I had walked in in the middle of a murder mystery game or that I was going to get my palm read. This is not necessarily a bad thing because it really is an adorable restaurant. Nothing matches and the upstairs looks like someone's grandmother's house. I had a tuna dish which was ok. The tuna was very tender but a tad on the dry side but the creme brulee was very delicious. My boyfriend had the duck which seemed like a better choice because it was very flavorful without being too fatty at all. If you go with a significant other you should try to see if you can get the booth because it looked like the most charming part of the restaurant.

Ditto to Shannon R's review. A personal place, eclectic to the max, somewhat small in size. None of the flatware, chairs, or tables match. The decor is definitely down the rabbit hole. Noted as the place Bette Middler had her 30th birthday party, and they have numerous photos of famous clientel on the walls. The food was nothing spectacular, no boutique chef here, but it was very nice Americana, every selection delicious in flavor and each one exemplified careful presentation. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the place to anyone wanting a taste of the old South Street experience. Note that as with all of S. Philly, parking is hit or miss.

This didn't live up to the reviews at all. The interior is interesting but the food was like a glorified dinner trying to be what it's not. From the appetizer (lobster spring roll) to all of our entrees (Duck, hamburger, vegi-burger and other non-memorable dishes) nothing was memorable. The Bluetag salad was the only dish that I'd consider good. The french fries even tasted like something you'd get in Burger KIng.

So sorry to hear this closed. Definitely one of the most trendy, coolest atmospheres' around town. Food always especially awesome. Other restaurants to open in Philly should take advice from them. A place I always enjoyed going back to again!!