raven lounge is so cool. dive bar vibe. each floor has a different kind of feel to it. music is current - hip-hop/pop. prices are cheap. bartenders are all friendly and welcoming. they try to make it very inclusive to all ages. saw younger and older groups of people, having a great time. read more

It's a cool place. Lots of 2000s punk rock playing so it was great to sing along. Bartender greeted us quickly. Drink was made ok. It's a cool vibe. I liked it. read more

Great place to see a live band before . Cheap Drinks. There are three levels although I haven't explored the upper floors.

Legends started here. Awesome place for stand-up and Thursday open mics. Beers are 6 bucks but that's not that bad for Center City. Staff is also very cool. read more

* Scam Alert* All transactions are via Venmo only I ordered a fireball and bartender said $5 and I repeated back $5? She confirmed. Then after I pay - via venmo - she tells me the shot costs $10. I asked to see a receipt and she says venmo is my receipt. Bad business practices. Too bad the venue itself is unique with 3 floors with different bars. The 3rd floor had a poetry event the night we went. read more

Raven Lounge - a birdcage on a stool in front of a wall with graffiti - Lounges Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Raven Lounge is such a Center City staple man. Had to stop through after a late Tuesday dinner and grab a drink. Obvi it's a Tuesday so it was chill at the bar but I still enjoyed the vibe. Shout out to Liliana who served us that night and held down the bar like a G. This bar is the type where you order your "go to" drink and shut up about it. No gastrococktail with the flames in the drinks, just keepin it simple. I can appreciate that sometimes. Good music, good area, good bartenders, good drinks. If you ever have the chance to try their "hug and kiss" go for it! read more

Stopped here for some drinks and overall had an okay time. Drinks were alright but the staff was a bit slow to get to us. We had to sit for about five minutes at the bar before we got an order in (keep in mind it was pretty empty). Bartender was constantly texting on her phone right in front of us. All of these are forgivable and I would have probably just give 3 stars usually. The bathroom sink in on the second floor also has broken faucets. I put soap on my hands and then had to wipe it off with paper towels because the sink didn't work. No clue how the staff is washing their hands here. The real reason I'm writing this review is because I got double charged and tried calling to get it resolved. Instead, the owner responded by text and hasn't been of any help. I decided to just dispute it directly with my credit card company. Don't go here if you want to have a good time. The experience was mediocre and the aftermath has left a sour taste in my mouth. read more

See all

came to this bar last weekend and had so much fun! came back this weekend and was kicked out + humiliated for using my ID (real, government-issued identification) because one of the bartenders was convinced it was fake. It was not! Also saw multiple other young women kicked out around the same time... not sure what their deal is here but it was seriously unfortunate. read more

Had an awesome time, all the staff were super welcoming. Really great atmosphere and ambiance. If you need a fun unadulterated, upscale-raunchy scene. This is it. read more

I was at a bar crawl on 10/30/2021 with a group of friends. The Raven Lounge was one of the participating bars. The bouncers and who ever else was outside admitting people into the club would NOT let us in. At first they claimed it was a pulled fire alarm and they had to wait to let everyone back in. After letting people back in, and we started to try to head in, they told us it was full. We turned to leave and they quickly shuffled in a group of people. We stood outside of the raven lounge or almost 15 minutes and watched crowds of people enter into the bar. We were never given a reason as to why we could not go in while they continued to let other people in. I am sure it was because we were a group of black people. We paid for the bar crawl and we are not happy with the way we were treated at this lounge. ! read more

LAILA THE GOAT BARTENDER. Nicest bartender I've ever had in Philadelphia. Amazing atmosphere, great drinks. RIP TUPAC SHAKUR

5 Star dive bar. A Yelp check in gets you a well shot, basically a rocks glass filled to the rim with the libation of your choice. The music was a little too gangsta for this old white guy, but nonetheless a good dive bar read more

Raven Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Popped in here last night to grab a drink and check out the scene on a Friday evening. The reviews made this place seem like a divey hotspot. Wellll, it's divey for sure. There were more people standing outside than inside. We walked in and found a small crowd watching two performers. I felt like I was in a small closet that was built on the equator. I started to sweat the moment I walked into the bar. The small tables were taken near the wall. The small bar had no seats, so we stood against the wall in the back of the bar to observe our surroundings for a min. The music was DIFFERENT. I had to give a kudos to the performers bc they were able to put on a show in that hotbox. My husband and I left shortly after our arrival. It was just too hot to try and stay any longer. The Raven Lounge may be good for locals, but for visitors there are tons of other options nearby. read more

My friend and I were looking for more dancing bars or clubs here in Philly since we had just moved here pretty recently, and we were pretty happily surprised! The place and its dance floor aren't huge, but when there's enough space, it's a great place to go. Drinks are great! You've probably already figured out that you can get a FREE SHOT just by checking in on Yelp! And for that reason, I would recommend the raven shot. And music is pretty good! There's nothing that turns me off from a bar than a bad "music" selection. I haven't been here that many times, but it was pretty good (pop+rap) when I went. Would recommend if you're looking to try out some new bars with dancing. read more

Raven Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

If you wanna turn up in philly Raven Lounge is your place. We had a lot of fun here. Side note the upstairs doesn't open until 10 but when it does it goes down. I like the third floor it kinda looks like a VIP lounge area. The drinks are cheap and you even get a free shot for checking in on yelp and the bartender was cool as hell. This place is perfect to hang out and let loose. read more

Very small. Not so many people. Not very lit atmosphere. Me and my friend just walked into and checked the general vibe. Not my type. Sorry. read more

Raven Lounge - the entrance to the restaurant - Lounges Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Came In tonight to watch my first comedy show of 2021. Turns out the bartender didn't show and the venue didn't even open. Very unprofessional and disappointing. Feel bad because the comedian sat there waiting too. Not coming to this place again. read more

My friends and I were looking to go somewhere after dinner that wasn't too crazy. We wanted to dance but not to feel uncomfortable covid-wise. This place was perfect! The different floors give it a cool vibe and you can choose what music you vibe with the most and stay on that floor. read more

Raven Lounge - Wall art - Lounges Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Good DJ, modest dance floor, stripper pole, no cover (last I checked). No idea who was DJ'ing (barely saw his face), but he kept up a dancy mix of pop music. It can get cramped inside, but there's still room for a party. Packing coats? There's a ton of coathooks. Upstairs, Raven Lounge has a stripper pole. Strangers and friends alike got on stage and took turns imitating Demi Moore; even when guys got up, no one pulled them down. If you're shy, please note the stage is on-camera and televised throughout. Bar service should be fast enough for most mortals, especially considering the crowd's craziness. Super impatient types should just hit up one of the roving shotgirls. read more

See all

The Raven Lounge is a fun bar that offers up a little bit of something for everybody. it has reasonable drink specials. It has a different DJ night every night of the week Downstairs. Sundays is Gothic industrial night. Steven Bloodbath and his friends host a night every Saturday. and Jon Gil and my friend EZ host a cool night every Friday called Damaged. Upstairs host a few good music nights. Bluebond Guitar has an acoustic night every Monday. There is an open mic night every Tuesday. they also have an occasional concert. The only flaw to upstairs is that it can be on the small side, especially when they have a band that brings in a lot of instruments. overall this place has a good atmosphere and is worth checking out. read more

See all

Great ambience and fun vibes! Cool place to go to on a friday night with your friends, bar tenders nice too!

NYE promotion was a SCAM!! Wouldn't let us in without paying a cover fee even though we paid for a bar crawl!!

Love the Dynamics, always different, ever evolving and true to the core that all matter and no one is better than anyone else.be ready to bring you and leave the B.S. at the door as everyone sees fun without the B.S. read more

Raven Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My colleagues and I were in town for meetings and stumbled across this gem. Perfect dive bar atmosphere but the bartender/owner acknowledged us right away and was nice- Making us feel welcome. We took over the back room playing beer pong all night. Even came back with a different set of colleagues the next night. Will visit again if ever back in town. Had lots of random stuff going on on the front stage area too. Always an adventure :) read more

We came to visit Philly from out of town and wanted to see what the night life was like... well we made the mistake of coming here. Drinks were gross, my shoes literally stuck to the floor as if they haven't mopped in years, I understand spilled drinks but this was wayyyy beyond that. Bathroom doors didn't lock, I had someone walk in on me. Music was played off of youtube and higher the floors went the more weirder it got. The reviews were very misleading for this place. we ended up leaving walking a couple blocks and found way better spots. read more

Great dive bar to have some drinks, meet some people, and play some games. Definitely don't ask about their speak easy shhhhh.

What a long, strange trip our visit to Raven was. We got there around 10pm on a Thursday, which is apparently super early for Philly, because the downstairs bar was empty, except for us. The bouncer who let us in let us know that it was still pretty empty, but upstairs they were doing a free comedy show that we could still catch the tail end of. We stopped at the downstairs bar to grab a cheap cocktail. We asked the bartender (who I'm pretty sure was on something) for the cocktail menu and you'd have thought I asked her for directions for the mythical city of Atlantis. I get that it's a dive bar and are probably used to people ordering beer or easy mixed drinks, but I didn't think it was that crazy of a request. She finally found one and handed it to us and we got Moscow Mules. While she was making the drinks, I checked in on Yelp and saw that they had a check-in offer of a bartender's choice shot. I showed it to her, and looked at it as if my phone was a bomb with the diffuse instructions written in Chinese. She asked us what we wanted, and we said it was up to her, instructing her that we just didn't really want to take shots of anything dark. "So....Jamison?" she suggested. Sure, we said, just ready to get out of there because it was such a strange exchange. She did instruct us that there were 3 more floors: on the floor above us was another bar, above that was the comedy show, and above that was a dance floor. We slowly made our way up to the comedy show to check it out. We went to go upstairs to the dance floor, but the door at the top of the stairs was locked. We asked a staff member about it and he looked at us as if we had 3 heads and told us there was no upstairs, which was strange because we'd watched people go up and down the staircase multiple times during the comedy show. We eventually left to search for another bar, but later that night we walked past again, and there was a line to get in. The bouncer recognized us and was like "I told you you got here too early! You should come back in now, it's way more fun!" but it was late, so we ended up just going home. TL;DR cheap drinks, check in offer for free shot, sometimes live music or live comedy. read more

Raven Lounge - Check in offer: bartenders choice shot! - Lounges Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Honestly, this stop was on our bar crawl and we stayed 5 minutes. They only take cash or Venmo for drinks. The bouncer was super rude. I love the idea of a Poe themed bar but this is not it. A feat pong table in the back and a photo booth that doesn't work. May have been good pre- COVID but definitely isn't now. read more

Hi, I'm Joseph in Philly, I'm usually timid about speaking out and that's probably the reason I spend a lot of alone time. But I stopped by the bar on night and I actually felt relaxed enough to spend an hour. I didn't stay untill the more sociable hours because I feel awkward sitting alone which brings me to why I'm giving my opinion of the Raven lounge. The bartender was very nice I wish I Could remember his name. So the proprietor could know how nice I thought he was and it meant a great deal to me and I think a bartender is a direct representation of the establishment and he is how I associate the pleasant and friendly atmosphere. I will stop by again and maybe a little later in the evening and see. The Raven is on of my favorite poems 2 birds 1 stone. Lol thank you Joseph Joeysopenfu@ gmail.com read more

Hot bartender. She makes good drinks and all that and her shit turkey wallahi. Good jawn!

This place is....weird. Initially when you walk in you just get hit with weird, but then next thing you know, you're drinking and having a blast. The bartender was friendly and chatted with us a bit as we ordered drinks and we used our yelp coupon to get free shots of the house special. Not sure what this is or what's in it, but it tasted good! The bartender gave us a bunch of free shots of this house special even after we used the coupon. The drinks are STRONG and cheap. You start feeling it after 2 mixed drinks. They are weird statues and table games like Jenga that made it a cool place to hang out. As the night went on the music got better and better and my friends started dancing. I would definitely come back here. read more

Kevin, the bartender is amazing - attentive, warm and kind. 5 Stars!! Such a cute spot! Two drinks for $19 - what a steal. Next time I'm in Philly, I'll be returning to this hidden gem! read more

I love this place. The atmosphere is great with 4 different floors. Raven Lounge has the best music in the city and there is dancing on the second floor. There is something fun happening for every day of the week. I like to go for karaoke on Wednesday as comedy on Thursday. I also love the friendly staff. I have the best time when I come here! read more

So we came up to this interesting little joint and I thought , why am I here. There is 3 floors to this little spot, with a bar on every floor. I also enjoyed the dark atmosphere or vibe it had. Bar 1... "The Basement" Basement entrance I thought was a little weird, but hey thats their rules so I followed them . Walked in an there was a bar right there with a few stools through out this "lounge" , especially in the basement of this building. (sarcasm) Bar 2... "Main Floor" Now to get to main floor you have to up the stairs, and oh how I loved these stairs. Tight and narrow, with sounds coming from it like it was going to snap. I am not the lightest of people, but the company I was with they were even hesitant. The main floor and yea its still pretty dark with no room. If you wanted some kind if lighting , I'd suggest hanging out by the front of the place for some lighting. Bar3... "Second Floor" More steps with tight quarters for you to climb. Once you've reached the top, you guessed it , still dark. Little make shift bar with another little landing that has a strippers pole on it. I suggest turning around and going back down that stairway that you just endured right to the exit. I am still trying to figure out how this is a "lounge" with the scenery. I most likely , no I am pretty sure this was the first and only time I would be here. Sorry Raven , but you're just not my cup of tea, others may like it here, but its not for me. read more

I tried to attend this bar for last nights "Devils Bar Crawl" even with my WRISTBAND I was denied entry along with my friends (we are African American) the bouncers/ doormen proceeded to allow ALL WHITE patrons inside, even WITHOUT a wristband. The reason we were denied for entry was "they were at capacity", but... again they let a plethora of white parsons inside without even checking IDs and without wristbands. I even witnessed a group of people (one black guy, the rest were white) They let this whole group in, but not the black guy! How fucking disgusting! I have never witnessed or been racially profiled in my life.! & my damn costume was so cute. My feelings are truly hurt by this. It was my first time TRYING to get in, trust me i will NEVER return... which I'm sure they're happy about because clearly black skin isn't welcome there read more

I explored this place a half year ago and I love it. Every time when we visit this place at a Saturday night, I know already upfront it will be amazing and crazy. Usually, the place is very empty until 9:30/10 pm. We use the time to play some "Jenka" and have some drinks. At 10 pm all different floors are opening (total 4). Each floor is a different experience; Typical bar style, chillout area or a kind of dancefloor to have a long party night. Free shots via Yelp check in. I know they offer a lot of live events (e.g. comedy, live bands, etc) but I never joined one of these events. The bartender are always great, friendly and ready for a nice conversation. A really great classic dive bar with drinks for reasonable prices and a lot of entertainment around. read more

The Raven Lounge is a unique 4 story bar, and it each floor has its own personality. My first, and so far only, visit to Raven Lounge was Halloween 2015. There was a quick moving line out and the place was packed inside. When you enter off the street, you arrive in the basement. This space is pretty tight and to move else where you have to wait to others to leave. The basement reminded me of a college party house. The next level was my favorite. Coming to the top of the steps you'll find the bathrooms. This floor also has two bars and a dance floor. The second floor also has a photo booth and a fun spin the wheel for dares. The third floor is similar. The top floor moves away from the bar scene and has a lounge vibe. There are smaller rooms on this floor and ample seating. The staff here is great and the drinks are priced well. read more

If not for the pissy smelling bathroom I'd give it a 5 stars. But unfortunately the stench permeated the bar. But on the flip side, the drinks were good and jenga at the bar always works. read more

Raven Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Complete and utter shitshow. The Raven Lounge that once was has gone south. If you want to get yelled at by bartenders AND bouncers, make sure you check this place out. Crappy bathrooms and overpriced drinks. I miss the Raven Lounge of mid 2000s. read more

Came here a few times and definitely had fun each time. There are a couple of floors with different options for things to do - regular bar area, dance floor/dj, private rooms/areas. They have deals when you check in sometimes (free shot, etc.) and the bartenders are friendly. There's also a ton of board games, photo booth, and other things to do. The building itself is pretty old though and most of the furniture, etc. isn't very well maintained. Definitely a good time and great for large groups. read more