We've been to Departure multiple times and enjoyed the experiences. Our first time was a larger group of 8. Minimal feedback. With a large group, it's important to upsell. If there's 8 people, and we order 2 orders of a dish that has a quantity of two pieces in the dish, tell us it has two pieces in it. We would order more at the time. Yes we could have ordered more when it arrives, but let us know, so we can make that decision in realtime which affects our entire order. Staff: Wonderful wonderful! As a restaurant working alum, I see all the hard work that everyone is doing. The small things that make a difference, to larger gestures. The hostesses having table wedges if a table is wobbly. A manager walking around greeting people and asking about their experience. Their kickass drink runner who never spills a drop when the drinks are filled to the very top. And the friendly waitstaff and food runners. Management: Once we were there and it was slammed. But they never missed a beat. However, management walked around and apologized to people for the wait because their online system wasn't working (we honestly didn't even think anything was awry) and comped something for a bunch of tables. Class act! Food: Always excellent. We try something new every time we are there and it never disappoints. FYI try their pasta. Beautiful! Drinks: We always order from their specialty cocktail section and they are always on point. read more

A very attractive "airport lounge" welcomed us ... the only problem we were not in a rush to catch our next flight but the small plates kept flying onto our small tight table before we even had enough time to finish what had been placed before us previously much less enjoy a conversation with each other. And, the plates remained once we hurriedly ate the food the "airline" pushed in front of us. The soups were delicious with the French Dip layered with thinly sliced beef (It was called a French Dip after all.) soaking in a rich onion influced broth accompanied by a soaked brioche crouton covered in melty provolone. The Butternut Squash Bisque flavored with asiago was definitely a winner too but before our soup course was 1/2 finished and with our Mediterranean Platter's tabouleh still showing its colors and enough hummus to later lead our waitress to ask if we wanted more pita ... the first entree was added to our crowded table. Not sure where the blame lies for the hurried appearance of plates but we were looking forward to a special evening out ... a birthday dinner choice ... a restaurant specializing in small plate dining should be well accustomed to serving diners in a relaxed manner. Upon their arrival I looked at the Schnitzel Medallions but wanted to enjoy the French Dip soup ... I knew the temperature of the food would be decreasing but the soup was so good. Why in the world would the first plate be served while we were enjoying our soup literally with soup spoons in or hands ... no, I did not hear that our flight was boarding ... we were in no rush but we were being rushed. So, now on the small table were our two soup bowls that we were finishing ... the plate still holding quite a bit of our Mediterranean Platter (We did expect to have some small talk after all it was a birthday celebration so we had leisurely started eating this appetizer.), we had the plates that we were expected to eat off of (Mine still had hummus and tabouleh on it.) and this brand new plate with pork tenderloin and asparagus. Maneuvering food became a needed skill. My dining partner put some schnitzel onto her "eating" plate letting soup cool ... I decided hot soup was more important than hot or even warmish pork so I continued to eat my soup but rushing soup made it less enjoyable. So, I finished my soup squeezing the empty bowl into a limited space on the table ... my "eating plate" was crowded still having hummus on it because I rushed my soup .. my dining partner said "yum the Schnitzel is good" while her soup chilled. I took the serving plate with the remaining Schnitzel and asparagus eating off it since it was the only plate with room. Before I took a bite the sliders arrived further crowding the table. Quickly the Butternut Squash Bisque was finished so that she could eat a hot well maybe warm Crispy Fish Slider ... I was still working on the Schnitzel knowing I was going to eat cold fish. And, as we both kept putting food in our mouths foregoing any conversation the Chicken Primavera arrived and looked picture perfect amidst the crowded table but finally the soup bowls were removed ... there's still hummus and tabloeh from that Mediterranean Platter that we didn't have time to finish and the waitress asks if we would like more pita ... sure ... I had just finished the cold slider and was about to try the chicken primavera. She also then noticed my water glass was almost empty and asked if I wanted a refill ...I did but had been so busy shoving food down my mouth that I just barely noticed I needed water (I actually knew I did but no one ever stopped by to ask.). And, just in case you're wondering... our flight still was not close to taking off from the terminal in this lovely lounge (It really is an attractive restaurant to dine in.) that reminded us of a classic airport lounge but it felt like a hallway fast food eatery. We had come to enjoy a leisurely small plate dinner with good conversation...celebrating a birthday before heading off to the theatre. You might be wondering why there are three stars rather than one. Well, the food was all really tasty. I would say it was delicious even though due to the rush the only food I ate that was hot was my soup. We finally did get back to that Mediterranean Platter and yes, we were given more pita and I wasn't rushed eating it because there was nothing left to be served. Oh, it looks like they have some nice outside seating for warmer days. We skipped the mixed drinks ... they looked really good and other folks seemed to be enjoying themselves. read more

Departure - New American Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

Wife and I wanted some nice apps and drinks. Decided on Departures in Media. It's like going to the airport and hanging out in the first class lounge without the airport. We were seated right away and our drinks orders were taken and arrived quickly. Great martini and with had the burnt marshmallow drink. Placed our food order and everything thing came out quickly. All delicious. See photos for the food read more

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The food, the service and the atmosphere were excellent. Everyone was so nice. Great restaurant for date night.

I have been here several times and I am never disappointed! Their drinks are awesome and they have the best staff in media! read more

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Food was delicious and prices were reasonable. Great happy hour spot. The bartender could have been a little more attentive when I first arrived, but overall a great experience and good ambiance. read more

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My husband and I wanted to check out Departure which opened recently in Media. The vibe in Departure is sophisticated airport lounge with black walls, lots of widows, and sleek furniture. My favorite was the sign over the bar where the letters kept flipping to show new messages. We sat at one of the hightop tables and were promptly greeted by our server Madisen. We decided to start with cocktails. I ordered the lavender martini but changed it to vodka rather than gin. It was refreshing and not overly sweet. My husband had the Contrail which was similar to an old fashioned. Departure serves small plates which are great for sharing. We started with the Tagine meatballs. I loved the egg on top but wanted more spice/ seasoning. The honey hoisin stir fry was the same. Good but in need of more seasoning. As the plates are quite small, we were still hungry so we ordered the skewers next which came with chicken, shrimp, and beef. My favorite was the jerk shrimp with pineapple which finally had a little heat. That, along with the beef sliders, were the stars of the show. Between the house pickles, the caramelized onions, and the James II sauce, the sliders were delicious. I also ordered a Takeoff which was refreshingly made with lychee lime. Before your next takeoff, visit Departure for a fun, sophisticated atmosphere. read more

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This place is very cute. I haven't had the food so I'll have to do another review later about the food but the drinks were AMAZING. This place is super cute for a date night or a girls night out. The bar area is nice and they have some TVs that they have games on. The bartender was nice and the drinks were delicious. read more

Departure - New American Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

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The service was nice! Nice host and waitress! Checked on us the perfect amount and were very sweet two ladies. View is nice too and it's pretty quiet. Me and my boyfriend are 19 and 21 but only saw people who seemed 40+. Bathroom also smelled nice and was very clean which is a plus! We got Caesar salads and it was alright, kind of undressed, but our awesome waitress brought more. It was alright. The beef sliders were okay, better without pickles, but I just personally don't like pickles on my burgers. We had got mashed potatoes and they were mediocre, it could've been more buttery and creamy. My boyfriend also ordered the Philly Rarebit and did not enjoy it, it did not state that it came with jalapeños on the menu so it was a little off putting for him when he ate it and it tasted like jalapeños. Pretty mediocre meal. The kind of meal where you eat it and are oddly full quickly and just wanna go home and lay in bed and scroll on your phone or something. read more

Departure - Outside - New American Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

Food was very good. Service was a bit slow and food took what seemed like a long time to come out. They brought my friend dessert for her birthday which was super kind. I'll definitely try Departure again. read more

Wow! What a lovely evening. We are in Media for an event, and stumbled across Departure for dinner. Atmosphere: very attractive, warm interior. Tables are close, but the noise level was fine, even on a Friday night with a full house. They had live instrumental music, which was lovely. Service: Friendly, but spotty. This is the difference between 4 and 5 stars. Our waiter seemed rushed and a bit overwhelmed, and wasn't able to explain the menu very well. We barely saw him the entire evening, but others helped out. Given Departure is a new-ish restaurant, this should correct over time. Food: everything was delicious and fresh. The butternut squash bisque was creamy without being too thick and cloying. We tried the Caesar and cucumber salads. The Caesar was just what you'd want, with some of the best croutons we've ever eaten. The cucumber salad was a surprise - thinly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, arugula and a tangy Asian-inspired dressing. The lamb lollipops were outstanding. Perfectly cooked medium rare, with a luscious mint sauce and tangy goat cheese hummus. The pork dumplings were tender, with generous, well-spiced filling. The fish and chips came with deep brown, crispy fries and flaky fish. Both were a tad over salted, but still yummy. For dessert we ate the apple cake and ice cream. It was warm, tasty, and comforting, if a bit over-crisped. If you live in or near Media, you should welcome this addition to the restaurant scene. read more

Eclectic selection of small plates served tapas style, to be shared with the table. I will say the portions are extremely small, but everything is extremely well made. We had to order a ton of food to satisfy our hunger, and we may have tried just about everything on the menu. All was prepared nicely. We ordered more plates as we went along and it all came out very quickly. The ambiance is like an airport terminal in the 1960's golden age of air travel. Think TWA and Pan-Am. Very well executed concept. Food ranges from classic American dishes with a twist, to Latin, Asian, Spanish, Greek, Italian, and Middle Eastern flavors. Truly the definition of a fusion restaurant. Not too pretentious, just all about good food in a hip atmosphere. read more

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Saturday night 07/26/2025 3 of us decided to go to my favorite restaurant in Media , the Departure never disappoints as the wait staff always professional, & friendly we were seated promptly, and service was fabulous . The cocktails were made to perfection. The food was delicious as it always is . We ordered Cesar salad , taco flight , Bahn Mi sliders, chicken fried rice, Honey Hoisin stir fry, & fish & chips . The Departure in Media also recently finished the outside Bar, surrounded with tables looking like the place to hangout under the stars. I look forward very soon to do date night with my wife outside next time. Thank you RORY for always stopping bar and saying hello to us . read more

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Always love a new tapas style restaurant. Easy to get to location with ample street parking. They have a cute little outdoor seating setup and tall glass windows to give an early inside view. Not many choices in the non-alcoholic department but their ice tea is good. There were 4 of us dining and we tried a bit of everything. I'll review what I specifically ordered. First was the tabbouleh and goat cheese hummus with pita and cucumbers. Delicious and refreshing. They had a trio of skewers, beef, chicken and shrimp. So flavorful and filling. Definitely get the Philly Rarebit, seriously a favorite at the table, we got it twice. Their menu seems to change out a bit but don't be afraid to indulge, get a few plates. Not many dessert choices but there was a cake slice we got and something else... tasty but not memorable. Service was excellent and all staff was very friendly. read more

The service is great. It's exciting that Media has a swanky cocktail lounge now in Departure. The food is tapas style so you order a few things at $10-$12 a plate and they warn you that they just come out when ready, so you could have a few plates with you at once. I had a caprese salad (dumb move since tomatoes aren't in season) and it was just ok. I had the Philly rarebit and it was large (a whole piece of large thick bread cut diagonally with loads of cheese and meat. It was yummy altho the meat was borderline too chewy. Both the caprese and rarebit were larger than I expected. The cocktails were very fun and the beer selection was quite ample (mostly of the lower ABV offerings). I'll go back for sure and try other dishes. They don't do individual checks (we had a party of 6). So we decided to just split it evenly (not ideal!). read more

Departure - Caprese salad - New American Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

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Ambiance: B Food: A Service: A+ Value: A Dinner with some friends on a Monday night was amazing thanks to Departure. Didn't know what to expect. Bunch of small plates were ordered all around and nothing disappointed. Will definitely be going back. read more

Departure - Bar. First night here. Definitely returning. - New American Near Me - Media, Pennsylvania

EXTENSIVE BEER OFFERINGS Delicious food. Extensive & Unique menu, including Philly Rarebit, Tagine Meatballs, Fettuccine & Mushrooms. Excellent/friendly servers. Great ambience with outdoor seating as well. AND BONUS POINTS FOR BEING DOG FRIENDLY read more

When Departure opened, i thought the menu was limited and ordinary....but I was dead wrong....some menu expansion for sure...and this lively spot is really impressing me..from the drinks menu to all the small plates...and some larger ones...everything is great...corey and sam are super cordial at the bar..and maddie provided great table service the other night...basics are real good...onion soup, sliders etc, but don't be afraid to get adventurous...a wonderful addition to media..and open pretty late as well read more

Dined with my husband and teen daughter and shared a bunch of small plates. All were good. Nothing stands out as incredible, but it was a good meal. I would return. read more

Great food and drinks. Tapas is fun and delicious. I definitely recommend the mussels and the sliders. Great happy hour and dinner. Sgaff is friendly and efficient and the restaurant is beautiful. read more

I went to Departure with three friends on a recent Saturday night. From the outside it looked almost empty (I don't know why no one sat outside; it was a beautiful evening), but when we walked in we saw the place was hopping. Fortunately we had a reservation and were seated immediately. The service was excellent, as was the food. * I had the skewer flight, five different skewers that were all delicious. (The steak one less so, because the meat was a little tough, but it was still OK, and the four chicken skewers each great.) * One friend had hummus (that's all; he wasn't hungry), and said it was very good. * Another friend had a salad she loved, and the fourth person had the slider flight, four or five different sliders. We definitely want to go back. There are so many good restaurants in Media it's tough to pick one, but Departure is a stand-out! read more

We went to this restaurant to meet two other couples., Iit turned out to be a really unique spot. The menu offers a wide variety of tapas with influences from Asian, American, Mediterranean, and more. The aviation theme throughout the restaurant was fantastic--I especially loved the décor, which reminded me a bit of the lounges in Doha. Service was attentive and friendly, and overall the food was good. Since I'm a bit of a germaphobe, I stuck to my own plates. I had the berry salad, which was fresh, vibrant, and delicious, and the cucumber salad, which was fine but not particularly memorable. I also tried a bit of the hummus, which was excellent, and shared the crab-stuffed mushrooms with my husband, which were rich and flavorful. A bit waterlogged but whatever. The drink menu deserves a shoutout: while the wine list was small, pours were generous, and the cocktail selection--cleverly named after destinations and aviation themes--was creative and well executed. That said, I was very disappointed by the lack of gluten-free options. I had my eye on the seafood rosé pasta. Not only did they not offer gluten-free pasta, they also wouldn't serve the seafood and sauce on their own. To me, that felt like such a simple accommodation to make, especially given how common dietary restrictions are. The menu also didn't provide any guidance for guests with allergies or sensitivities, which was frustrating. Because of this, I have to knock off two stars--it's 2025, and restaurants really should be more inclusive when it comes to dietary needs. Overall, though, it's a stylish spot with great ambiance, good service, and a fun menu. If you don't have dietary restrictions, you'll likely have a great experience. read more

Feels very modern, good ambiance, nice service. Food was hit and miss. Whenever we had something good, it felt too small. Drinks a bit pricy, wine pour was a bit light given the price. read more

There was 6 people in our party and we all loved the small plates so we could try a variety of different foods. Food was always served hot and in a timely manner. We were never without a drink, which by the way the Toasted Marshmallow was excellent. We will definitely be going back. read more

Delicious food! Drinks were outstanding! Service was wonderful! I can't wait to go back and try more!

Really enjoyed this restaurant! Definitely need to check the menu in advance, as it is small and may not appeal to all tastes. Great atmosphere and service. read more

The service was top-notch, and the food was fantastic. Definitely going back and bringing friends.

We love this place and we want to Go there soon! We love going out. It's in such a great location, very peaceful, and easy to make reservations if you want. This place is great for 2, really laid back and easy to explore the menu. I'm also very impressed with their selection on the menu, order online if you like. They do accept Apple Pay. food is amazing and they were super efficient and helpful when it came to choosing the right meal options. read more

The food and service was great , all options are small plates so you can get a variety of choices

I'd recommend for drinks but not dinner. The service was poor at best. The server explained that dishes came out as they were ready which should not be a problem. But the food runners lacked any training. One accidentally spilled sauce on the table and guest. When she was told she shrugged and walked away saying, enjoy. She never attempted to clean the mess let alone apologize. One of our party was shocked when he ate a habanero pepper. We re checked the menu no mention of spice let alone habanero. Again great drink spot definitely not donning. read more

Good selection of small plates at reasonable prices. Very pleasant staff . Will definitely return and bring more friends.

Had such a great experience at Departure. The food and drinks were phenomenal and Sean, our bartender, was awesome. He was very attentive, personable, and had great recommendations. This exceeded our expectations. We will definitely be back!! read more

We came for Happy Hour on a Friday. We were able to get a table even though we didn't have a reservation. We had the Caesar Salad (plenty to share... the croutons had the consistency and flavor of Kings Hawaiian Bread but crispy on the outside), poutine (just like New Orleans); Jerk Shrimp (nice and spicy); Shrimp tacos; Tabouli (fresh pita); and I had a Vodka Martini (three olives and a little dirty... perfectly done... don't remember what my wife drank). The bill was just over $60 before tip. The service was excellent and the ambiance is elegant, comfortable and the noise wasn't too bad (I forgot my hearing aids and could still hear just fine). I would come back in a heartbeat. read more

First time having dinner at departure, everything was wonderful! From drinks, food dessert and overall atmosphere was on point! The bartenders, hostesses and waitstaff were so friendly and welcoming! So enjoyed the small plate meals to share. Such a nice and unique experience to have for dining in Media, like no other! We can't say enough about it but, are so looking forward to returning again! read more

We had a party here before Christmas. They accommodated us and we had an amazing evening. Service was really good and the drinks were tasty. The only thing I'd love to see is perhaps a few dishes with larger portions. read more

It's been a long time since I've written a review, but Departure deserves one! This place is a gem, my new go to in Media. 10/10!!! The Happy Hour from 4:30-6 is bar wide and includes great food and drink specials with very comfortable seating and great sound absorption. The wait staff if great (particularly Tabby) and the head chef JJ prepares is out of this world cuisine. The owners Crystal and her husband are locals. They have been on the service end of the industry for a long time and it shows. Everyone greets you with a smile and is super accommodating. Their tapas plates are 1/2-3/4 meal portions, taste great, come quickly, and are reasonable priced. So good we've been many times this month. I highly recommend you try the tuna chips, lamb rack, fish & chips, tacos and octopus. You'll dine unrushed and leave feeling full, content and already planning your next visit... at least I always do :) read more