Historic Sunnyledge Hotel of Shadyside

Went there for a dinner date a few months ago. My dining companion and I both got food poisoning. Neither of us were surprised. The food handling left much to be desired.

*For the bar
While looking for places to have Easter brunch, I saw the Sunnyledge appear several times in my searching. They no longer do easter brunch, but they do have their martini bar — which many people seem to rave about. I should have stopped to think twice upon seeing that all 5 reviews here on Unilocal are at least 2 years old, but I threw caution to the wind and arrived early on a Friday evening.
Just getting off work, I came alone. The location is a historical landmark, a mansion built in 1889, and is the reason they deserve their single star. The mansion, from the lobby in the bar appears beautifully kept. The walls are dark and decorated with wood and stained glass. The furniture is elegant but not stuffy, and the bar was obviously once a den or a library that was converted. The bar is rather small, housing four 2-​seat tables, a 4-​top, and about 8 spaces at the bar. Behind the bar, light shines through a small collection of liquor bottles. The top of the bar and tables are inlaid with tile patterns and candles are spread throughout.
I browsed the martini menu, not finding much that would suit my palate as it all sounded sweeter, or too far from a martini (tequila, cointreau, and orange juice is closer to a margarita than a martini — and that Jose Cuervo on your top shelf doesn’t send a good impression of your margarita). I stuck with the classic, then, and ordered a basic dry gin martini without garnish.
It was made quickly and without love, shaking instead of stirring, and putting it in an un-​chilled glass. Not that there was much to love, while the bottles on the shelf could be called mid-​range, the bottles used for my drink and for others were right out of the bottom of the barrel. Banker’s Club is the gin of choice here, and Burnett’s flavored vodka is the base of most of the drinks on their menu. The martini came (Not filled to the top, seems they measure precisely to include garnish), strong with little vermouth, but given the alcohol, devoid of any flavor but ethanol and a hint of citrus.
I found as I drank that food is no longer available at all in the hotel as they no longer served as a restaurant, even though signage was still in place throughout the building. I quietly finished my drink and closed my tab. How much did my room temperature Banker’s Club cost? A cool $ 9.
It appears that somewhere between the last two years and now, this hotel must have come upon hard times or new management. If you are staying at the hotel and need a drink, hop a cab to Walnut street. At least your hassle will be eased by a much better drink.

So I always heard good things about Sunnyledge but never stopped in until I went there my junior year at CMU. Biggest mistake of my first 2 years. And yes, I had a fake ID so I could get into most places.
Well, Sunnyledge is kind of a bed and breakfast type lodging but on Fridays from 6 – 8, they have their happy hour. ½ price Martinis. These martinis are unbelievable. They are pretty strong and taste delicious. They have so many different martini’s on their menu so just choosing one/​two/​three/​four will take a bit of time to decide each time you re-​order.
So the martini comes in a regular martini glass. Well, you also get the leftover martini mix poured into a small glass container. They put dry ice in your glass before they pour your drink so the drink actually starts to bubble and puff up whisps of smoke which is so cool. There is also a larger piece of dry ice in your glass container which keeps your extra martini cool until you’re ready to drink it.
Once your finished the first glass, you pour what’s in the container into your martini glass and voila, it comes out to a second martini. Granted that these martini’s are kind of expensive, on half price happy hour, you are pretty much getting 2 martini’s for the price of one.
They also have a free tiny buffet appetizer where they have different things each time. I’ve had cheese and crackers, bruschetta, cole cuts crackers and cheese, etc.
The menu isn’t too bad either. I had their duck wrap and sliders one time. The fries were different. Not bad. but not exceptional. The only issue I have with the food is that the servings are really small and aren’t worth the money you spend on it but if you go there on an empty stomach and end up ordering 4 martini’s (8 total drinks) then you will need to get something to eat.

All the previous reviews on here are for dining, what about the hotel? I stayed 2 nights, a Sunday and Monday. Nice hotel! It is a grand old mansion built circa 1886 and designated an historic landmark. Definitely an old school hotel, there is internet and basic TV, rooms are spotless and quiet and speckless. The place has a certain charm to it. If you like your hotel to be quiet, quaint and a little quirky this is the place to stay. Located next to Carnegie Mellon University and within walking distance of the University of Pittsburgh. The surrounding neighbourhood is filled with similar old well kept mansions from 1880’s and makes for pleasant walking. I will return to this hotel on my next trip to Pittsburgh. Would have been 5 stars if I had my own coffee maker in the room, but the staff is always ready to being you a carafe for no charge, I just prefer to wake up and not have to dress to go for my first coffee…

Who deleted my review of Sunnyledge?
Back in April, I met a girl for drinks at the Sunnyledge. We had both heard good things about the place and that they had a great martini menu. When we arrived there, however it was a different story. We were met at the door by the hostess (I presume) who did not take our arrival kindly and seemed annoyed that we were there.
We shrugged it off and went to the bar. The bartender was something else and it seemed as if he was on a variety of drugs. He acted as if he was on the last quaaludes in his posession and moved with a subtle grace most often reserved for Miss Universe pageant constestants. And that’s saying something.
The bartender would disappear for long periods of time, during which we would hear odd sounds coming from the kitchen. Mostly the sounds of silverware banging around. It was as if the hostess and bartender were throwing cutlery at each other in attempts to get us to think just what the hell was going on. We were there for about 2 hours and during that time saw the bartender a total of 4 times. Most of the time he was hiding out in the kitchen.
Even when it came time to get our check, it took about 15 minutes for him to return with my card.
Terrible service that night from an otherwise reputable place. I have no plans on returning.
I hope this isn’t deleted again, and if it is, I will make sure it’s well known and will take printed copies of this and put them up around Sunnyledge and use every contact I have to get this printed in the Post Gazette and City Paper. I have the means, I have the will.

I liked the ambience better than the food. I went there for the first time today, for Sunday brunch ($ 22 per person, prix fixe). The dining room is quite elegant as is the library in which the buffet is set out. The ambience suggests that the year is 1900. The waiter was very good, but they seemed to be understaffed.
The yogurt with fruit, the warm brie with strawberry, the hummus and toast, the chicken, the cinnamon pastry triangles, and the tiny eclairs were all quite good. The quiche was cold, tiny, and not particularly flavorful. Orange juice was served in dainty little glasses, causing anyone with a good thirst to order at least two. The wait for the entrees was excessive — about 25 minutes from the time we ordered them. I got french toast and my kids got strawberry pancakes. Both were dry and unremarkable. I’ve cooked better french toast and pancakes at home, in my opinion. We didn’t try the sandwiches or salads; perhaps they’re better.
Overall, it’s not a bad place, but I think you can do better. Another elegant place for lunch or brunch, but better food, is Frick Café.
Note: according to their own web page
the name of this place is «Sunnyledge Boutique Hotel & Tea Room». «Historic» is not part of the name.

I only go here for the martinis. I’ve never had the food. The bar is an excellent cozy place that works for couples and groups. There is an assortment of non-​traditional martinis. The prices are extremely reasonable ($ 8 for a very generous martini) and the staff is excellent. The only sad thing is they have Hendricks gin, but never any cucumbers. The nice thing about martinis here is that they fill your glass and then give you a mini carafe of more martini in a round bowl full of ice to keep it cold.

As a non-​native Pittsburgher, I would say the Sunnyledge brunch tops Grand Concourse. Not in the quantity, but in the service and the ambience. It’s funny how often I passed by this place turning onto Fifth coming down from Wilkins, but didn’t try it until my last weekend in Pittsburgh.
I came here on my last Sunday in Pittsburgh after I had posted a list of things I wanted to do before leaving. The Sunnyledge owner offered a deal and graciously gave the 4 of us a round of mimosas. Along with this deal, we had an incredible brunch.
The 4 of us were sat on the porch, overlooking Fifth which wasn’t that loud. The brunch came with an entrée and a buffet. I love perfectly-​sized portions and this one was it. I had a lobster club sandwich which was great. The brunch buffet was held in a room in the lobby, which was quaint and small. Caviar. Small pastries. Just the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Even though the crowd here were a little more upscale and classy (one of the few places that I saw valet parking), I never felt that I was treated any less (I was a poor graduate student with a love of food).
The only drawback was that the tables and chairs were somewhat cramped. I had to struggle with getting out of my chair each time to go to the buffet. But this was a small negative compared to my experience at Sunnyledge.
I hear that Sunnyledge is known for their cocktails as well as their stay. Next time I am in Pittsburgh, I would like to try out the boutique hotel. But until then, I would highly recommend this brunch.