The Whip Tavern - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great British tavern that I always try to hit when visiting Kennett Square area. Traditional pub atmosphere

This hidden gem is absolutely worth the detour if you are anywhere in the area. This is an authentic English pub, it just happens to be in the middle of PA horse and farm country. The atmosphere is great, and everyone seems happy and friendly, even if it's a little close in there. The food is outstanding. $11 for a bowl of soup? I was skeptical. While I do wish it was less dear, I can't take a thing away from the quality, flavor, presentation, or portion. The bacon mac was perfect. Best I've ever had. It's everything you want in an indulgent little dish, and plenty by itself if you're not overly hungry. The drink selection is appropriate and varied, with some cool options in beer cocktails. The place is not to be missed if you are traveling the beautiful backcountry roads of rural southeastern PA - which are super pleasant all by themselves. You could easily imagine yourself actually in the Cotswolds, sitting at The Whip with a Smithwick's in your hand enjoying a bowl of English Onion Soup.

Awesome food, and Service! Really enjoyed it, and will certainly be back.

The Whip has become my favorite restaurant. In spite of being a 45 minute drive. Last evening we sat on their patio. Very nice out there, next to a stream.

Dropped in and enjoyed the great beer choices, an inventive cheesesteak and one of the best burgers around! A must repeat!

Finally the perfect fish and chips that I've been craving along with a good size portion of mushy peas love the food. 💕

This place is fantastic. I've had dinner here a few times, and we love it. They go out of their way to make sure you're comfortable. The staff is friendly, and the food is excellent. They offer beers, but no liquor. The sticky toffee pudding is the best!

The mushroom soup is excellent, very tasty broth-based, and well balanced seasonings. Then I had the special of the day, a pork vindaloo curry, and I have nothing but praise. Really spot on good heat without trying too hard. Excellent, and a good amount of it. I like that the beer selection now covers more domestics. Pricing was appropriate for both food and drinks. Really lovely place, great ambiance and friendly staff. We'll be back!

Gem of a spot in a gorgeous part of Chester County

Pretty busy, and service was few and far between during the meal. Good service when we got it. Portions were a little smaller than expected, but taste was great.

This is what I would describe as a true hidden gem of the hills and farms of Pennsylvania nestled all by itself with a great bar area inside and outdoor seating in the back food is always exceptional with a great drink menu.

The best food and drink menu in the middle of nowhere.

Love The Whip. Cool atmosphere. The patio is absolutely lovely. Wings, Tavern Salad, Salmon BLT, Beef on Weck, Scotch egg, and the Bangers and Mash are some of my tasty faves. I’ve never been disappointed here. The only thing we don’t care for is the Kennett Mushroom soup. It’s a clear broth, and rather flavorless and disappointing. The Smithwick’s or even Juengling shandy is the perfect refreshing Summer drink.

Don't know about the food or atmosphere. There is literally ZERO parking. Made a long, long drive only to have to Google another place 20 minutes away. Had a reservation at the Whip. No effort made to accommodate parking.

Good food and drink, great service.

Casual, British-themed pub/restaurant with a great lamb-based shepherd's pie. Set in a quiet, country area. Outdoor dining available. Nice selection of beer and hard cider. Service is generally friendly but somewhat inattentive. Parking is often insufficient. Best to make a reservation for Sunday brunch/lunch.

We made a quick stop prior to a Christening and ordered the Brussels sprout appetizer. It was ample and very tasty. It wasn't well marked; we went by the number of cars outside and were in luck. It's a dark pub with an attentive waitstaff. We would consider making a special trip to spend more time there and in the beautiful countryside. NOTE: We were asked if we had reservations (we didn't), and they managed to find us a table. Going by the number of people we saw waiting as we left, it might be a good idea.

English through and through. You travel through the rolling hills of southern Chester county, filled with pastures and sheep, and arrive at a small pub. On the menu you are treated to all types of English and British ales, and all the right English dishes from Scotch eggs, bangers and mash, fish and chips, and even a delicious Shepard's pie. Staff is great, establishment is clean and nice, parking is easy. Ez five star for me!

Food was really good. Service was perfect and the atmosphere was wonderful. And free valet parking.

Always great food and wonderfully pleasant service.

Delicious food and great service. Reasonably priced too.

It was an average experience and it seems a little over rated. The Shepherd’s Pie had a strong lamb taste (not in a good way), and fish & chips was just okay. The scotch egg was the most fun part of our experience. The restaurant could also be cleaner.

Best restaurant in the Philly metro area. Better than anything in Wayne, West chester, etc... hands down. Food exceeded all expectation, service was perfect, (our waitress Tanya was FANTASTIC), and they could charge twice as much and get away with it in this area. Thanks guys will certainly be back! Best venison I've ever had!

Stumbled upon this restaurant while in the area, and so glad to have! The highlights for our group of 4 were the pints of cask ale, the venison rack special and the sticky toffee pudding!!! Amazing!! We also enjoyed our Scotch eggs, bubble and squeak, bangers and mash, and shepherds pie. Seems like (on weekend night) you better grab a reservation. We waited without one and considered ourselves lucky when some space at the bar opened up well before a table was available for 4.

This place is a local favorite, really good!!!

Sticky toffee pudding is to die for!,,,

We had a great experience at The Whip Tavern. I took my husband here for a birthday dinner. I had a Scotch egg (always a great starter) and the fish and chips which were all delicious. It may seem like a small thing, but their tarter sauce is the best I have ever tried. My husband had the beef Wellington and I got a taste. The beef was super tender. Save room for dessert if you come to The Whip because their sticky toffee pudding is heaven. The service was awesome. Melissa was our main waitress and she was friendly and attentive. It does seem like the staff has a collaborative serving style, so there were others who stopped by to drop things off or check in and they were all great as well. Excellent meal, highly recommend.

Great spot in Chesco! Wonderful Ambience.

Somebody in the Kitchen knows what they are doing. Wasn't expecting the food to be so good out here in the middle of nowhere. But Really, it's is... Get a reservation. It's a tiny place. Great Beer selection.

Amazing authentic British cuisine and atmosphere. Highly recommend!

incredible, that's where THAT SMILE was

I’ve been to the whip twice and enjoyed it both times. It was well worth the 45 minute trip from Wilmington De. The scenery along route 82 is incredible and the food and atmosphere are great. I can’t wait to return when it’s warm enough to sit on the patio.

On my quest to find the best fish fry in Chester/Lancaster county we decided to try this old rustic joint. (Where I come from we have fish fry Friday every Friday, year round! Every place with in a 25 mile radious serves their own version. (You get 12 oz of fish, any style :baked broiled or beer battered, salt tators, baked tator or fries, slaw and cottage cheese with drink for about 15 bucks) this place "The Whip Tavern" the fish fry(8oz) runs about 20 buck with steak fries you have to pay extra for slaw or mushy peas(an aquired taste) even tho the price may give you a bit of sticker shock, it was really good battered fish(crispy)and the fries were cooked to perfection. The mushy peas I was not fond of. For an appetizer I do suggest the Brussel sprouts they were incredible! Sticky toffee pudding for desert was pretty good as well. Its an old rustic place with great service and atmosphere and it gets pretty busy. Make reservations on line or just drop in. You'll be glad you did! Based off of the Fish fry this place gets 4 forks (out of 5). We will be making another trip to try some of the other goodies on the menu. #kulinarymafia approved!

Fun English pub vibe. Great food and service.

I didn’t really like how the bathroom looked. The restaurant part was really nice and the tables were super clean. Would recommend coming here with friends and family. The Mac and cheese with bacon bits was so good and also the cheesecake was so good. The staff is super kind and I would definitely come here again. Would recommend.

Brought three mates from Britain for lunch on the way to PGL to fly them home. Beautiful country setting.Cool atmosphere.Great staff.Outside seating next to a stream. My shrimp and grits were very very good. All three ordered fish and chips. They give them 6 out of 10. The wrong batter (should be beer batter) The wrong haddock fish filet (should be Cod) The wrong steak style chips (no skin chips) The wrong mushy sweet peas (garden peas) These guys are experts. Other than that it was great and they LOVED the curry sauce. Great pub worth a return visit.

Got horribly sick after my last visit sitting next to a family that just had their sick child at the doctors...confirmed hecwas too sick to be out and around others particularly seniors...parents were very selfish and uncaring about the welfare of those around

Best Fish and Chip EVER!!! Wish it was abit bigger restaurants, however that's part of its appeal to us lol

We stopped in late evening on a Sunday mid-February. Almost thought we were lost because the place is kind of in the middle of nowhere it seemed coming from NJ to PA via some back roads. We sat at the bar and shared brussel sprouts and a lobster ravioli special. Both were very good. We also got the sticky toffee pudding without ice cream for dessert and it was fantastic. The bartenders were personable and friendly. Our bar neighbors were also personable and friendly. The menu looks great and we hope to go back again to try some other things. Make this a stop for sure if you are in the area. They said there are horse farms nearby - we drove in the dark and didn’t notice but I’m sure it’s a beautiful drive in the daytime.

As an Englishman I'm somewhat biased towards English food restaurants, but this place is wonderful. Great service, friendly staff, great atmosphere very reminiscent of an English country pub. The food was delicious, I had the fish and chips. Good portion size. I like the fact that it was haddock and not presented as cod. Bangers and mash was delicious also. Best sausages I've ever had in a restaurant! The sticky toffee pudding was a fantastic after. Will definitely be back. Cheers!

First time here on my birthday. Good experience. Food: Smallest and least "covered" Scotch egg I ever had. Tasted fine though. Next time I would skip the brussels sprouts. They were prepared fine but not was I was hoping for. English onion soup and mushroom soup were both very good. I tried Beef Wellington for the first time ever here. It was a special that night. I was not overwhelmed. I had nothing to compare it to since I never had it before. I have never been a fan of filet Mignon because it just has very little flavor. I could not taste any mustard but could taste the mushrooms. Banana cake for dessert was pretty bland. Others in my party had Crème brûlée and it was great. I should learn to stick with my instincts as I was going to get it but I hadn't had banana cake in a while. The sticky toffee pudding was excellent! Service: Excellent service! Atmosphere: Comfortable, sort of low-light area, pretty loud until it cleared out. Overall I would recommend and definitely go again.

New Year, new journeys to find extraordinary eats! OK, so, discovered this place all thanks to watching Guy Fieri last night on TV where he was visiting an English pub in DE and reading what one reviewer wrote that she was heading back to the BEST PUB, the Whip Tavern, in Coatesville, PA. Beautiful sunny Sunday to take a 97 mile country drive to see what Chef Tim’s specials were and discover this olde world English pub. The country charm of cozy interior was super inviting and welcoming. Almost immediately, a young man showed us to a back wall table and then CHERYL, our server, showed up with a huge smile, full of good energy, she provided us great, efficient service from beer to dessert. As we often do, we ordered a few dishes: the Shrimp & Grits (100% better than Hyman’s in Charleston) where the sauce was the gold, perfectly cooked fresh shrimp, yummy grits (a tad too salty but then I HATE salt!) The tender braised short ribs, mashed potatoes and collards with sautéed onions, ALL prepared well. The fried COD portion was breaded and fried to perfect golden crunchy crispness, with “CHIPS” (wide steak fries) and a side order of smashed peas in a ramekin. Since the beef tenderloin SPECIAL was not ready until 4pm, we ordered it takeout along with the FARM BURGER. These Monday treats were equally superb. It delights me to know that owner spends time in their own establishments and interact while working alongside the staff. And this whole dining experience made me happy with each dish, the presentation, ingredients and taste. Oh, and that warm sphere of MEDJOOL FIGGY PUDDING cake surrounded with Toffee sauce was the big splurge. Absolutely delightful and delicious. Can’t wait to return and dine creek side! 😋

We went here for our anniversary. It's in the middle of nowhere, but the bar and restaurant are really cool and give off an English pub, horse riding vibe. We got a cider and Old Speckled Hen. Both were tasty. We got the bubble and squeak for an appetizer. I got the beef wellington for dinner. I would mix it up next time. I think they made the dish well, but they certainly make their money off the specials. Then, for dessert, we got the creme brulee and carrot cake. Both were very tasty.

Really enjoy the food and beer selection. You’ve got to try the Welsh rarebit!

First visit a week ago. It was good.

Not super great. We were visiting from the city for an event and wanted to try a local place for dinner. Unfortunately, seems like there's very little outside of low-end family diners in the part of Pennsylvania. So based on the good reviews we gave this place a try. We started with a special appetizer which was a combination sausage inside a pastry puff. It was pretty good and probably the highlight of our meal. One note, the mustard it was served with was very runny, and difficult to portion onto bites with only the knife or fork provided. It's needs to be thicker, or served with a small spoon. For main I had an ok fish & chips, but unfortunately the fries were not crispy, and came out of kitchen floppy. My partner had one of the specials for dinner which was a total disaster. It was a venison pie inside pastry puff, served in a cast iron skillet. Serving pastry puff in a scorching hot cast iron skillet is a terrible choice. It's a delicate dough, and the pan continued to cook the pastry until it was tough and bitter. The pie filling was also not great. It was somehow simultaneously sweet, bitter, and bland. Definitely on the expensive side in proportion to the quality of food they serve. Environment wise, it's nice. It's decorated, but not too much which keeps true to a legitimate pub atmosphere. Service was attentive without being overbearing, and despite being busy (and a large 10+ group being being served) the food came out at a good pace.

A huge letdown. I want to start by saying I bet they can make some excellent food if I had ordered some of their staples, but I went with a special and what I was served was a complete disappointment. I ordered a Saturday chef special, venison pie in puff pastry. It was baked and served in a scolding hot cast iron pan it had already come out with blackened toppings and burned brown puff pastry. The residual heat of the cast iron continued to cook the pie at the table until the puff pastry was completly bitter and dry, it was burned into every surface of the cast iron. The only flavors that were not destroyed with heat were from the bottle of HP sauce it came with. Puff pastry is a delicate dough and this way of preparing it was a technical disaster. This special needs to be prepared differently or removed from the menu entirely.

We were able to get in without a reservation due to a cancelation and I'm so glad! The food was delicious. The seating is a little tight but it's a pub so that's to be expected. Very nice inside, waitress was great.

The restaurant has a great ambience. My favorite food is the braised ribs and a nice glass of for Fox sake cider. The waiters and waitresses are so nice!. You will love it there!. Oh and let us not forget. They're delicious desserts. Yummy 😋

A favorite of ours! Excellent service, food, and drinks!

Very busy. It's nice wonder though, seeing that this place is amazing! Great food and atmosphere!

Stopped here on the way to long wood, had their daily special burger that was wagyu burger. It came out great nice and tasty and their beverage list was quite good. All and all very happy with the place.

We've made a habit to come here either before or after Longwood Gardens. The food is so good, the wait staff are super friendly, and the location is in the middle of farmlands. Wish we lived closer!

Really enjoyed visiting The Whip Tavern. There is a lovely atmosphere and nothing is too much trouble, from the valet parking to service. My only disappointment and the reason I did not give this 5 stars across the board was the 'Haggis'. The dish presented was more like minced liver slice and totally lacked the spice and lightness of traditional haggis. Served with what tasted like a parsnip purée and not the traditional neeps (turnips) as expected, I was even more surprised to see it served with gravy. I appreciate haggis recipes are the chef's interpretation, however if you are looking for something akin to real haggis, which is a traditional Scottish delicacy, please do not take this as an example.

This is the most authentic English pub I’ve been to in Pennsylvania: warm and cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, and incredibly bland and watered-down food. The only inauthentic element was the astronomically high draft beer prices.

Great place for top notch food and craft beer. Staff is super friendly and professional. The place to go in Chester County

This is one of my wife and I’s favorite places ever! If we lived closer this would be a weekly visit for us. But even living a further away when the mood strikes we have NO problem driving the hour and 1/2 to experience The Whip. If it was just for the Sticky Toffee Pudding alone I would drive it! So, so good! This is a very unique place and we will most definitely be back for repeat visits!

Lovely historic tavern with great food and drinks

Disappointed have been coming here for year's and always enjoyed the experience. Today showed with out a reservation and told next available table. The young lady that told us never returned but told us to order a appetizer after already having two beers. Several people came in after us also with no reservation but managed to get seated served and headed to door as we sit.. not sure how waitress at door was seating people. Perhaps she should be fair to all patrons our money is all the same. Not sure I wish to go back even though we live the food. Not to mention while waiting your Santa asked if we learned anything today. We ask what he meant he says reservations. So rude I remember when the whip would not take reservations.

The Whip may be out of the way, but the trip is worth it!

We always have an excellent experience here.

Still haven't eaten there yet. They require online reservations, which is proven to be an issue if their website goes down, or for people who prefer to call. In my experience, the website was down, I called to make a reservation, and they said they couldn't take phone reservations, but to try again on the website in an hour. I tried again as they suggested, the website was still down. I then called again to ask if they would now take a phone reservation. The person I spoke to stated that they had been for the past half hour or so... long story short, I was irritated and the time I wanted had already been booked... over the phone. I suggested that maybe they should rely on the internet so heavily if they have staff to take reservation calls.

One of the coolest places around. Great atmosphere, great staff, great food and GREAT Beers! The patio is great too in season!!

Delicious meal, excellent service. Loved the vibe here!

All I can say is wow! I dined here for the first time tonight. We didn’t have a reservation, but they still accommodated us. The hostess and waitresses were so pleasant and the food was absolutely fantastic. I will definitely be back. 100% recommend!

My girlfriend and I shared a very disappointing meal here on Thursday evening, 12/2. The Mushroom Soup was thin and tasteless. The server keyed in the wrong entree order for my girlfriend so I was served long before her, and my fish and chips became cold and greasy while we waited for her entree. Needless to say that we will not be back.

Great place, cozy rustic place great atmosphere. You can gather get great food without the feeling of being rushed to leave. Have been there many times.

We ate at The Whip on Friday evening. One of the specials was seared scallops over tomato flavored couscous, roasted asparagus, and a tarragon beurre blanc sauce. It was the best meal I’ve had in a restaurant in 2023. Highly recommend!!

Un lugar muy agradable y bueno para comer

This place never disappoints. One of our favorites in Chester County.

I have been here multiple times however the last time we were in a group of 8 and the only reservation they would take was 9pm. From the second we got there they were pushing us out, as soon as we ordered Appetizers, they wanted to know dinner orders. Once we had our meal they wanted us to put in for dessert. The entire staff rushed us while we ate, and they even denied me a refill on a drink. They were so dead set on us getting out by 10pm....don't run a tavern if you can't stay open past 10 on a Thursday. Food is good...not gonna lie....but I'll never bring a large party here again. If my wife didn't hold a childhood favoritism to this place I would have moved on years ago.

Good food, great service, crowded bar/pub type environment.

Great place to have a British propa' meal.

Great place, great pub atmosphere

Stopped in for lunch, limited parking. Suggested reservations, which we didn't have but still got a table. Had a wagu hamburger special, this was in place of another choice but this may not be on menu next visit. Servers Sam and Sheryl were great, made the visit very pleasant.

I liked the Irish feel there. Bartender kept up with the patrons requests nicely.

Went for a Thursday lunch with friends. Food and service were excellent. Big selection of beers and ciders. BYOB for wine. The personnel there are extremely friendly...in a nice way. It's locally popular so I suggest reservations.

Truly a hidden gem! Patrons were awesome too!

My second time there - went with my wife this time (I’ll let you guess about the other time) Food was excellent. Service was very good. And the ambience… Just fun being there. Parking, though, can be a real pain when it’s crowded.

Excellent food. Excellent service.

Nice little place off the beaten path with good pub food and atmosphere. The draught beer selections are exactly what you'd expect in a classic English pub, and there are interesting blends of these available on the menu. There's a daily curry option with a spiciness rating that varies each time. Definitely worth a visit!

Amazing! I moved to the USA from England 6 months ago and was craving some home cooked traditional British food. This place delivered great service and great food. Will definitely be coming back!

Lovely meal. Delicious meal every time we go. Excellent service and great valet parking.

Slight wait on Saturday evening.. food delicious..had fish and chips. Hummus was brilliant!!

Nice in the country pretty simple establishment. Lots of friendly employees to tackle the ton of customers they get. They take reservations & also walk-ins, but you may wait for a table during busier times. I was there at 4pm on a Thursday & it was kind of slow, but by 5:30 was really getting busy as customers with reservations were now arriving. Parking is definitely at a premium though, & I was told by one employee that you take a chance on being ticketed by the local yokel if you park on the country road abutting the restaurant. Shepherds Pie was the best dam tasting I think I’ve ever had. I would recommend this establishment. Conveniently located near PA 841. 5 star all the way around, imo.

Friendly staff, good beer selection, wonderful food selection (vegetarian and non alike) and the pudding desert (contest winner nine years straight) was like nothing my wife and I had ever experienced!

Went for a Sunday lunch for our first visit and had an enjoyable meal. We ordered scotch eggs, onion soup, the special of the day soup (chilled leek and potato), bacon Mac and cheese, shepherds pie, and sticky toffee pudding dessert. Overall, everything was very good but under seasoned. Every item just needed a little more salt/pepper/herbs and spices. My only other critique is that the interior needs a bit more decor and warmth. I understand they’re going for an English pub feel. The Dandelion in Philadelphia is a great example of staying true to a British pub style while having a little more warmth and atmosphere. If the food was seasoned better and there was more ambiance my review would be a full five stars. I would recommend making a reservation. EDIT: I am unfortunately editing my review to deduct a star, because we brought family here for brunch a couple weeks after this initial visit. Everyone was really excited to try Scotch eggs. We ordered one for everyone at the table and we were told they were “out of them”. We were the very first seating of the morning! How could you not have a signature menu item not prepared for Sunday brunch?

First time on the patio, it was hot. Food was good, Welsh rabitt always a favorite

Great atmosphere, food and service. We arrived at an extremely busy time but still received excellent service. I'm British and this place is as near as you can get to a real British pub. This was our first visit but we will be returning very soon

Eclectic menu for a pub set in nice surroundings. Overall, a nice atmosphere. Ordered the rabbit curry and it was good, for all I know about rabbit curry. The Old Speckled Hen beer was excellent.

Absolutely love rhis place! Staff are awesome, and the food is scrumptious!

1st visit to the Whip!! It was amazing!!

Great food and country ambiance.

The Whip is great. A little English pub type place in the middle of horse country. Everything I've had there has been good. Parking can be tough at peak hours and weekends. Make reservations. Play EPL matches. Usually do at least once a year excursion for breakfast while watching a match.

Love the Whip!! Love the classic/colonial aesthetics, the laid back energy, and the food never disappoints.

Fish and chips were excellent! Large portion and the fresh made tartar sauce was fantastic!

This spot is casual and cute, great service too! I got the chicken entree… I’m still thinking about it 🤤 for dessert I highly recommend the sticky toffee pudding it comes with vanilla ice cream! Free parking is also available!

Interesting menu. Nice outdoor dining patio alongside a stream. Parking can be a challenge at times.

Our server was great! The food was awesome and our group had a great time! Byob for wine and complimentary valet for your car. Loved it!!

Food too salty. Main dish was bland.