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Explorer's Lounge

3.3 (40 reviews)
Open • 6:30 am - 10:00 AM, 4:30 pm - 9:00 PM

Explorer's Lounge Photos

EXPLORER'S LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Touristy
Classy
Casual

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Recommended Reviews - Explorer's Lounge

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Rosemary chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus
Jenn R.

Service was good, atmosphere was elegant, wine good. I had the rosemary chicken, mashed potatoes and asparagus. Definitely taste the rosemary, plated beautifully, a little bland for my taste.

Evelyn C.

My husband and I were staying at the Royal Sonesta in Baltimore for our anniversary weekend. Explorer's Restaurant/Lounge is in the hotel on the 2nd floor so on our first night after a couple of hours driving, we decided to make it to the lounge before happy hour ended (it was a Friday/HH ends at 7pm). To start, I got a strawberry mojito which was really good. Tyre the bartender made it with fresh strawberries and mint. My husband got a Stella. We ordered wings and the chorizo flatbread. You can't go wrong with wings so they were good but to our surprise, our favorite was the chorizo flatbread - now this I would order again (even if it's somewhere else lol). We stayed a bit longer and I had 2 Hawaiian Martinis (OMG) and my husband (I think) got Jameson. The martinis were just PERFECT!!! We had a great time meeting new people that sat next to us; from locals to people travelling there for business. If you're in the area or staying at Royal Sonesta, give Tyre a visit. He was very nice and service was great. Thank you !

Half Dozen Oysters
A. C.

(2/20/2014) Went for Restaurant Week to try out the Explorers Lounge at the Harbor Court Hotel. The feel is decidedly too rich for your blood. Prices are steep, best come at happy hour for $5 wine/$4 beers/half-off apps. The service seemed overwhelmed by the number of people dining-in, and mentioned that they're not used to being that busy; started off attentive, ended up having to get up and flag someone down at the bar for our desserts and check. Started with a few apps to share: Truffle Fries (earthy, crispy, shoestring white potato); Wild Mushroom Arancini (tart-creamy with goat cheese, savory, deep-fried to a crunchy dark brown); Harbor Court Honey Wings (deep-fried crunchy large wings with a dunk in a slightly spicy sticky sweet and savory sauce, like Korean fried chicken), "the best I've ever had" remarked one of our diners. The Spiced Pear Salad came with a warm savory tart of Saga Blue Cheese frisee, chicory, walnuts, and a sweet-tart red wine vinaigrette, really nice mix of warm fruit and "meaty" cheese with the cool crisp bitter lettuces. Honey Braised Shortribs were meaty and fork-tender, cannellini toothsome and flavorful, soaking up the meat juices. Braised Lamb Shank was a large bone-in portion, savory, herb-scented jus. I personally could've done without the Sweet Potato Gnocchi (but I'm not a gnocchi fan, in general, those gummy dough balls). Desserts were serviceable, very sweet, not much by way of subtle. If you need an after dinner sweet, they fit the bill. We'll be back to get our Out of Africa on with discounted libations and small plates. Probably the closest we'll get to the Ngong Hills.

Double Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, and Cheesecake.
Alex K.

I came here for the Valentine's Day Dinner. The main course was delicious, but the appetizer was pretty average. I had the Avocado & Arugula Bruschetta as my first course and it was average; it had way too many onions, the bread was chewy, and there was little balsamic on it. For my second course, I had the Grilled Hanger Steak, which was delicious and would recommend. The dessert was great except for the dry chocolate cake.

Crab and Corn Chowder "fresh corn, lump crab, old bay". I literally found 2 pieces of corn in this "chowder". Very Watery.
Alicia B.

We went here for restaurant week. Not sure why they even advertised. Very disappointing - will not return. Lack of staff, overcooked steak, couldn't cut through the crust on the apple dessert. Can't make this stuff up.

American breakfast : eggs bacon hash browns toast coffee and juice choice of fruit instead of potatos
Megan R.

My uncle was staying at the hotel and we met him here for a brunch. I ordered blueberry pancakes and they were really good. Crispy, fluffy, yet the blueberry Weren't soggy. The coffee was fresh and had a nice strong flavor. Eggs were good but not outstanding. All and all the food was good and it was a nice environment for a relaxing breakfast. The decor is fun and makes you feel like you've stepped a bit back in time to some sort of old hotel. The service was a bit lacking. The staff, while nice enough, weren't exactly running to take anyone's order or make sure you needs were met. If your in the hotel and don't want to leave it's a convenient and solid choice for a nice meal.

We stayed at the Royal Sonesta on a business trip. We'd been going out to local places for breakfast but one day it rained torrentially so we decided to stay in and just have breakfast at the hotel at Explorers, on the 2nd Fl. According to the front desk they don't always have a breakfast buffet but they do have ala carte. My husband is a big fan of breakfast buffets (and we've been to very good ones at other hotel restaurants) so we went with that option. It was a bad move. I felt like I was getting the type of mediocre free breakfast buffet you'd normally get at a Hampton Inn except I paid $25pp for it. The French toast was chewy, the potatoes were soft and bland. The eggs, bacon, sausage were just ok. So if you're coming here for breakfast, I'd probably go for ala carte. At least it'll be fresh and cheaper.

Thanksgiving menu

Had Thanksgiving dinner here. They offered a set menu with good vegetarian options. It was pricey at $42 but the food was very good. The portions were just right too. Some places offer vegetable dishes and you get something that isn't seasoned well or with barely cooked vegetables. Not the case here. Everything was flavorful and done well.

Tamika B.

Last night I tried their Restaurant Week - 3 Course Dinner special. And my experience was just ok. I really wasn't wild. My first course was the Crab and Corn Chowder. It was delicious. Nicely seasoned with lump crab meat. My second course was the Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli. In my opinion it was just ok. Nothing to brag about. Then I ordered the Apple Gaulette for my dessert. Extremely disappointed. The gaulette was frozen as if it came right out of the freezer. My spoon couldn't penetrate it. I bring this to my waiters attention. He was new and took it to a seasonal waiter to confirm how the dessert was supposed to be served. Our waiter returns and says it's supposed to be served cold I say maybe cold but not frozen. I then decided to go with the pumpkin cheesecake which was just ok. My 2 drinks were good. It also took awhile for food and drinks to be served. I don't think I'll be back.

Entrance to the restaurant.

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

Had appetizers and enjoyed. Nice hotel restaurant. Friendly staff. Prices reasonable.

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9 years ago

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16 years ago

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13 years ago

Delicious food. Maybe a little pricey but that is hotel food for you! The sweet potato fries were dreamy.

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10 years ago

Food and service was good. The atmosphere is nice and relaxing. A pleasant surprise for a hotel restaurant.

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14 years ago

Dreadful, soulless, over priced typical hell hole of a hotel bar. Why do people put up with this? $16 for one drink?

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9 years ago

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Ask the Community - Explorer's Lounge

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My very 1st time going to a Speakeasy in Baltimore and I am a native Baltimorean. We came here to…read morewrap up a date night for a late night cocktail and conversation. There is a secret black door to enter. You can make reservations however, I was unaware that reservations were needed. We waited for about 20 minutes before a table opened up. Of course, the lights are dimmed inside with a very chill atmosphere. It is also pretty spacious inside for Speakeasy. We enjoy as it was something different to try. I will definitely return

So I really love this concept of this place because it reminds me of those old speakeasy where you…read morehave to say a password to enter. I liked that it had a door which was shadow in red light. When we entered I was expecting to give a password but it was not needed...lol. It was a little chilly in there and the lady at the desk when we walked in the door was keeping warm with her small heater. I asked where we could sit and she said anywhere. So we sat down in these large egg shaped seats which were really comfortable. Our waiter was really knowledgeable on the menu and suggested some great drinks. We did not try the food as it was past the restaurant hours being open and we had already eaten at a restaurant in the alleyway. I will be doing a review on that Italian restaurant soon because it was really good. I loved the whole speakeasy vibe and the music was amazing. One of the few places that stayed open to 2am...my birthday ended in an awesome surprise! When back in Baltimore will definitely stop in again maybe to try a bite with a drink.

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Pratt Street Ale House

Pratt Street Ale House

3.3(1.1k reviews)
0.4 mi•Inner Harbor
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Wow 2 Baltimore City reviews in a row! Representing 2nd quarter of 2022 is Pratt Street Ale House…read more I had been here twice, 2016 & 2022. Both times I got crab cake. It was a solid crab cake, but there are some better options especially around Annapolis & Anne Arundel County in general, but this is conveniently located near the Hippodrome Theater & Camden Yard, where I went afterward in the respective years. It's a large restaurant and been a staple in downtown Baltimore a long time. I briefly dated a woman in Winter 2011-12, but she ended up becoming a friend. In April 2016, I won tickets to Kevin James at Hippodrome Theater. Although I tried to get a date for this, since that didn't pan out, I ended up going with a friend. My friend said I could pick whatever dinner I wanted on her since I got the tickets, drove us from her apartment in Hyattsville (I lived in Arlington, VA at the time; so a lot of driving that day), & ended up paying for the parking. I said that I wanted crab cakes and settled on Pratt Street House. With the parking costs, gas, & wear/tear, may have ended up a little behind, but I will say I enjoyed the crab cake. Like my prior review, I was still briefly dating the same woman in Spring 2022. I've lived in Anne Arundel County, and she lived in Cockeysville; so Baltimore City ended up being a good in between location. She wanted us to go to an O's game, which I wanted to too. Incidentally, this May 2022 Pratt Street Ale House & O's game was our last date. I found something to be annoying on our 2nd to last date and was reluctant to go on another date. But she was pushing for us going to O's game, which I like going to anyway. Opposite of 2016 situation, she bought our O's tickets, so I bought our Pratt Street Alehouse lunch on that Sunday. Although we had a better time than the 2nd to last date, I was still cognizant of that date, and we fizzled out. In summary, some pretty good memories & solid crab cakes. Also, servers were nice as I recall too.

Pratt Street Ale House is located in downtown Baltimore and is a great spot to grab drinks before a…read moresporting event. We stopped by around 5 PM on a Saturday before an Orioles game, so as expected, the place was extremely busy and had a lively pregame atmosphere. The beers were good, but unfortunately, the food is what brought my rating down to three stars. The fries tasted a little stale, and I ordered the smash burger (forgot to grab a picture), which was pretty average. I've definitely had much better smash burgers elsewhere. We also tried the chicken fingers, which were very basic and reminded me of typical ballpark food, not bad, but nothing memorable or something I'd crave again. Overall, Pratt Street Ale House is a solid spot for drinks and the pregame atmosphere, especially if you're heading to an Orioles game. However, based on the food we tried, I probably wouldn't come back specifically to eat. I'd recommend it more as a pregame drinks spot than a dining destination.

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Explorer's Lounge - newamerican - Updated November 2026

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