Media response to "A Weekend in the City" was mixed, but generally positive; aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalised rating of 65% based on 30 critical reviews. Louis Pattison of "NME" described the album as "tender and reflective, edgy and embittered; a difficult and emotional beast that jolts with nervous electricity" and pointed out that its notable achievement is that it finds moments of genuine contentment amidst "a maelstrom of anger and confusion". Allmusic's Heather Phares did not find the album as immediate as Bloc Party's earlier work, but noted that "its gradual move from alienation to connection and hope is just as bold as "Silent Alarm", and possibly even more resonant". Drowned in Sound's Mike Diver called it "dirty, dishevelled, unsure and paranoid; fearful, easily distracted, boisterous and ashamed; reckless, wild, nervous and terrified; graceful, thought-provoking, clumsy and contradictory ... and very nearly perfect." Jeff Miller of the "Chicago Tribune" concluded, "For Bloc Party, "Silent Alarm" was a baby step and this is a giant leap."