Laurel Restaurant

An unparalleled culinary experience awaits at Laurel Restaurant in Philadelphia! This hidden gem deserves a glowing 5-star review for its exceptional creativity and attention to detail. From the moment you step in, the cozy ambiance sets the tone for a truly unforgettable dining journey. Each dish is a work of art that tantalizes the senses and pushes the boundaries of flavor. The tasting menu is a symphony of carefully curated courses that showcase the chef's mastery and passion for their craft. The staff's knowledge and enthusiasm add an extra layer of enjoyment to the evening. If you're seeking an intimate dining adventure that promises to leave you speechless, Laurel Restaurant is the epitome of excellence in every sense.

Very disappointed. I had high expectations, but they were not met by the food. The cocktails were exceptional (the stick season is a must have). We ordered the 7-course menu. The menu is repetitive - it features the same textures and flavors, such as Yuzu-based sauce or shredded cheese on top of vegetables or cake. It doesn't tell a cohesive story; it's just a series of dishes one after the other. There was no time to rest between dishes. In 30 minutes, we had already reached the 3rd course out of 7. Who does that? The addition is overly salty - nothing about the 7-course menu is memorable. The supposedly best dish, the scallops, had leeks that were either raw or poorly cooked. For a 7-course menu at this price point, more creativity and attention to detail is needed, and for à la carte, it feels insufficient at this price. This review is very aligned with many other reviews. There’s not much of Modern French cuisine I’ve identified in the 7-course menu. Something has to change. It starts with diversity of flavors/textures… and a more cohesive story?

“Trust the chef.” When I go to restaurants like this, I like to trust the chef and the flavors they put together. Thank goodness I did, because otherwise I wouldn’t have tried the Celery Salad. Y’all, I said Celery. Salad. We liked the first incarnation of Laurel, but could really only afford to go once a year for special occasions. While I maybe shouldn’t “afford” this incarnation, we’ve been at least once per month since it opened. We have dishes we love, but we know and appreciate that they will be moved off the menu based on the availability and freshness of the provisions. The chef and the kitchen are creative, imaginative, and inventive, so… trust them. Here’s some highlights from our experiences: Boquerones-the toast under the fish is covered in butter. It’s delicious. The clams with trout roe-the cream sauce that the clams are in! You’ll need more of the Mighty Bread to soak that up. It’s salty, not too creamy. And I do love how the trout roe pops in my mouth. The Celery Salad-talk about elevating celery! I have dined with a lot of folks here who don’t like celery, but they love this. Dates, hazelnuts, covered in cheese… Yum! The scallops-people can absolutely do scallops wrong. The way they do the scallops here… I almost never want a pan-seared whole scallop again. The presentation is gorgeous and the scallops themselves are sliced thinly and placed over the rest of the preparation. The bar also does a great job being seasonally relevant and using items from the kitchen in their drinks. The first week there, I had a bourbon drink with a wagyu fat wash and later there was a different drink with a coconut oil wash or some such. Additionally, they are more than willing to entertain teetotalers with delicious non-alcoholic mixed drinks. The service is also great, but go with the low estimate of their number of dishes suggestion because you cannot miss dessert! We’ve only gotten dessert once because we never have enough room! They ask about allergies when you first settle in, and they’re very knowledgeable about the menu. The service is not disruptive unless you want to engage with the servers. People have different expectations of servers, but part of being a great server is essentially having an emotional intelligence to read your patrons. Our fave server at Laurel is fantastic at this. I’m sorry I don’t have pics of all of our dishes. We are too busy enjoying and appreciating them!

One of the greatest service I have ever had. Food was disaster. [Pic.1 Fluke Crudo $16] 3 slices of fish is the whole dish? [Pic.2 Trout Tartare $15] Trout tartare with (Jalapeno?pea?)shreds. I cant even taste the fish cuz the shreds are so crunchy. [Pic.3 Roasted Duck $32] Duck was not cooked thoroughly and have the raw/bloody odor, The grilled (or charcoaled?)treviso was was salty as hell. [Pic.4 Beef tartare $19] [Pic.5 Grilled snapper $30] [Pic.6 Wilted Brassicas $$15] Good sauce, cold Asparagus. [Pic.7 Clams $20] Clams. Sauce is similar to the one with Asparagus. [Pic.8 Grilled quail $29] Mushroom had sour taste. The combination of ingredient in dishes I had(except the clams) were awkward. Did the chef retire? Did a new chef took over? This is unacceptable for average $30 per dish with such small portion. Whoever thinks the food is good should try any other average french restaurant. This is WAY BELOW AVERAGE at the moment.

I honestly don’t even know where to start. Everything was straight perfection from the second we walked through the door. The entire staff was super friendly, the manager Jane checked in frequently to see how everything was going and the food…. OMG the food was seriously some of the best I’ve ever had. Chef Kevin came out at the end of our meal to introduce himself and ask us about the food and how the dining experience was. If I could I would rate this place an infinite amount of stars. Keep up the great work! Will definitely be back sooner than later!

My husband and I reserved a table at Laurel to celebrate our anniversary. The service was INCREDIBLE. We each enjoyed cocktails from the bar and decided to select our own courses. We loved each one. Do not overlook the celery salad, with surprising textures and exciting flavor variations. My husband loved the Maitake mushroom dish. I’ll return for the Parisian gnocchi and impeccable service.

It has been many years since we visited Laurel Restaurant. I remember following chef Nicholas Elmi on Top Chef and rooting for him to win (he did!). Laurel was always difficult to get a reservation for, so I was not optimistic I would be able to get one for this past Saturday. Shockingly it was very easy to get a reservation. It seems like they only do a tasting menu and I love those. It did not disappoint!! Everything looked phenomenal and tasted out of this world. I particularly loved the custard with peas, the oysters with cantaloupe, the hiromasa with strawberry and almond, the wagyu, and the black forest chocolate pudding. Service was fantastic!! Never had been in the bar area (shows how long it has been since the bar opened in 2016).