Marigold KitchenAn amazing findA friend of our's son's is the owner and highly recommended Marigold Kitchen. His review understated the true unique quality of this establishment.
To experience the amuse bouche concept of dining you would have to go to Alinea in Chicago or Paris, France. The flavors and combinations are difficult to explain. Let me say that it is a true dining experience.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst timerInteresting tasting offerings between dinner order. Quite tasty. A must try for most because of the interesting and creative dishes. Will bring daughter here next time. After savings some pennies.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMTop Chef Quality!What a pleasant surprise. I was totally blown away with this creative, delicious, and perfect dining experience. We ordered the 5 course tasting menu and I was concerned that i would be stuffed. Every morsel that I tasted was perfectly seasoned, interesting and fun. There were endless amouse bouche which were so amazing: parmesan/arugula dipping dots, smoking truffle popcorn, chocolate foie gras cookie, everything carrots, etc. Dinner was amazing: steak tartar, hamachi, scallop and lamb. Dessert was flexible strawberry cheesecake. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who appreciates good food, and loves the art of food. A gem!6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMso happy to have found MarigoldMy mouth (and that of my non-foodie partner) is so happy with the Amuse Bouche of Marigold Kitchen - it was one of the best dining experiences I have ever had.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMExperienceThis was a truly interesting experience. We dined for three hours and the time just flew by. Each course was different and there were many very flavorful tastes to discuss . The quantity was perfect for me as I like to eat lightly but if you are a big eater this would not be the best place. I highly recommend this dining experience for those who like to experiment and think outside the box.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMNever disappoints!The food and dining experience at Marigold Kitchen never disappoints me. Clever, tasty, beautiful, and satisfying!5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMTop 5 for sureThis place has outstanding food! Prepare for a parade of tastes that come your way and seemingly never end.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMTaste Explosion!I surprised my husband for his birthday for dinner at the Marigold Kitchen, and we were both pleasantly surprised at just what a gem this restaurant was. We had a fabulous dinner, which was a taste explosion in your mouth with every bite! We ordered the four-course meal and were delighted with each course. I highly recommend the beef tartar appy and scallop entree. The added complimentary treats from the chef were many, fun and added to the nice pace of courses offered. Loved the smokin' popcorn, cauliflower ham foam soup and chocomint mini icecream cookies. The chef's flare of combining very different seasonings to common foods added to the taste sensations. We highly recommend this and already can't wait to return!
Delighted Denise/NJ5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMCulinary GoldThe food is fantastic, truly haute cuisine although the neighborhood is a little rough . You can definitely see the Grant Achatz influences in many dishes and the seemingly never ending amuse-buche servings are a pure delight. Enjoy this restaurant now because I expect that chef/owner Rob Halpern will move upscale and upmarket sooner rather than later.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing deliciousnessThere are many restaurants that serve good food that you would go back to but this was something more. Much more. This was a really special experience that I will always remember. The service was tremendous. The timing of delivering the dishes was perfect and the intermettzos were great. So many special tastes. Many restaurants serve lots if bread to fill you up but here they gave you little tastes of so many things that bread wasn't necessary. I could go on and on but you just have to try the place. One of the best meals I've ever had.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMSuch clever and interestingSuch clever and interesting presentation of the meal with an emphasis on local and in season ingredients. Wait staff was extremely friendly and informative. Highly recommend!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Meal!Loved the creativity and presentation. Overall a great experience.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was excellent. TheThe food was excellent. The service was reasonable when the dining room was half full, but suffered for the 45 minutes when all of the tables were filled. It is expensive for dining out in Philly, but the prices are fair for what you receive.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was interesting and veryFood was interesting and very well prepared and presented. Each course was something to talk about. Really appreciated the low noise level and not having to shout to be heard. Would certainly try again.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for those who like smallGreat for those who like small bites of many dishes . Creative, yet not too far out. For most, three courses filling with between course treats from the kitchen.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMA treat for your taste budsWe felt like we were guests on a cooking reality show. The food that was served are things that only seem to be imagined on these competitive cooking shows. It was such a treat. The restaurant is a price fix with 4, 5, or 6 courses. But before your even get your first course they start bringing out all these small bites. The first was dip in dots...ice cream -except it was made from lettuce and vegetables... very yummy and then we had this cauliflower bisque with ham foam - absolutely delicious. And it goes on. It was a real culinary delight. Pricey, but it is a BYOB so it kind of works it self out. Wonderful food, a real adventure. Will definitely go again for a special occasion.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMMy wife and I went there forMy wife and I went there for our 17 wedding anniversary. Marigold is very small and quaint restaraunt. From other suggestions we were told to go with the 4 course menu. I totally agree. The waiter constantly give you little bites between each meal. In fact we must have got 6 little bites before the apetizer was served. We however went with the 5 course meal because I wanted the extra entree. The waiter work their behinds off to serve the main course and the little bites. You may have to slow them down to explain each plate because they say it so fast. Remember it is BYOB. If they had a liqour license the cost would be double. In essense you get great food, great service, great atmosphere at at great price.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMDinner took 4+ hours - muchDinner took 4+ hours - much too long. Some of the molecular gastronomy was interesting - some was just strange and missed the mark. The waiter was beyond disinterested and seemed bored. A good one-time experience, but I wouldn't go back.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWho needs Heston Blumenthal?We cannot figure out why Marigold Kitchen isn't on every top ten restaurant list. The food's absolutely stellar - it's clever, creative, inventive, stimulating, beautiful, delicious, and provided in abundance. The staff are all pleasant, attentive, skilled, knowledgeable and dedicated to your enjoyment of the experience. The setting is simple but not plain - there's a wonderful feel, some great art, and an overall ambiance that complements the meal. The 6 course tasting menu (see website for details) plus several amuse bouches provided a stellar 4 hour experience.
With an experimental kitchen, better glassware, and a bit more polish, MK'd be breathing down the necks of French Laundry and Fat Duck. But we prefer it just as it is.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAmuse bouches reignAn unforgettable dining experience. A kaleidoscope of flavors beautifully presented. In addition to the four course tasting menu we ordered, there was a steady stream of beautiful amuse bouches (perhaps 6 or even 7 in total!). Literally one of the best meals I have ever had. Tucked away in a quiet West Philly neighborhood - it was hard to find and we almost walked right by it even while we were looking for it. The beef tartare was amazingly plated with a circle of different accompaniments arranged around it.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMA bit out of the way fromA bit out of the way from Center City, but if you come early, there's plenty of street parking. BYOB. Nice townhouse setting with a bunch of small dining rooms. Service is a bit spotty once they get busy. The four course menu is plenty - you get several courses of amuse bouches. Some plates are outstanding, others are just good, and nothing is bad. On occasion, it seems like the chef may be trying too hard - culinary gimmicks trumping flavor. Definitely worth a meal, and probably worth several. We will definitely go back.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMMany surprisesWe enjoyed Marigold: many surprises, mostly good ones. More expensive than some out-of-date review sites indicate, but Marigold's website has the correct information. They only have 4-to-6-course tasting menus that start at $65 per person, and everyone in your party has to order the same number of courses. In between courses, they serve many amuse-bouches that are not on the menu, so you eat much more food than you expect, and the meal lasts for 2+ hours. For this reason, your servers make a lot of trips, and you need reservations even for weeknights. Food was excellent and fun; the menu was confusing even to the waitstaff, and in the end our dessert never came, which was maddening because it would have been so good.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was interesting,The food was interesting, varied, and all tasty. The little amuse bouches and between course creations added greatly to the fun. I have a fairly recently developed lactose intolerance and the server and chef were extremely cooperative and helpful.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMA fun dining experience awaitingA fun dining experience awaiting the next surprise taste, beginning with the smoking popcorn and beet flavored dippin dot cream.4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMAmuse Bouche PLUSOne of the best meals I have had in years. Great value even at $65 for 4 courses given the other DOZEN amuse bouche and tastes. Telling all my friends and planning to return soon. The experience was a 104/2/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing!The meal was amazing. Every amuse-bouche was delightful; every course delicious. The food was dynamic, suprising, and richly flavorful. I would highly recommend Marigold Kitchen without reservation. (Note it's BYOB!)3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMThe inventive take on classicThe inventive take on classic foods (read popcorn, cheese and crackers, smores) was outstanding. The 4-course tasting menu was more than enough food, especially with the plethora of amuse bouche courses throughout the meal. A truly unique and one-of-a-kind restaurant in Philadelphia. Will definitely be returning.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMMarigold ExperienceYou go to Marigold for the food, which is innovative, interesting, and irresistible. You should go hungry. You will want to taste everything they put in front of you, and once you taste it you will want to finish it. Plan to spend longer than usual at this dinner. It is an experience, not just a meal.
You do not go for the decor, which is funky West Philly. The servers are not crisply attired - they, too, are West Philly - but they are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.
On a recent visit, the food was superb. The only flaw was that the dishes came to quickly. We barely had time to finish and savor one before the next was placed in front of us. Given that they were not going to turn our table, this seems something that could be adjuste3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMSuper, if not great for vegetariansThis was our first visit to Marigold Kitchen, and we will definitely be returning. Our one disappointment, though, was the lack of vegetarian / vegan options in the tasting menu.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely outstanding! IAbsolutely outstanding! I was in town from Atlanta and was delighted with each new treat that came out form the kitchen - from the beet 'dippin dots' to the seared fois gras every bite was an adventure and a delight. The presentations were beautiful and I took a photo of every dish. there are lots of places where I think "I can do this at home" - this is not one of them Can't wait to go back.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMPhenomenal. Exceeded all ofPhenomenal. Exceeded all of my expectations. The food was wonderfully innovative, creative and delicious. Definitely a wonderful value and a fun experience. BYO made it even better.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMMarigold is not just a placeMarigold is not just a place to get really good food; it's an experience. I couldn't say enough good things about dining here. Very delicious, kinda crazy food and several times I'd take a bite and then just stop, lean back, and savor the tastes for a while.3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMThis restaurant way exceededThis restaurant way exceeded our expectations. The food is marvelous - thoughtful, interesting, delicious. The numerous amuse bouches are delightful - it is BYOB which is even better. Highly recommend$3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding special occasionOutstanding special occasion meal. Superb service. Very original and creative presentation. Pacing couldn't have been better. Only regrets were that we haven't made it to this remarkable restaurant earlier.3/24/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing!Food was amazing, without fail every single thing we ate was delicious. Service was attentive and friendly without being intrusive. The pacing needs a little work, we would sometimes have multiple tastes in a row and then sit for quite a bit of time before something else came out.
One of the most perfect food experiences I've ever had based on the food alone.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was an outstanding meal.This was an outstanding meal. It was one of the best that I have ever had in Philadelphia. It was really very special in all respects.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMI would go back just for theI would go back just for the amuse-bouche, extremely enjoyable and creative.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMVery delicious as always,Very delicious as always, but a slight come-down in the set of spoon dishes, this time.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMReal find. Food was amazing.Real find. Food was amazing. It was different,elegant and beautifully presented. The service was perfect and friendly. We will be back soon3/12/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat a pleasant foodie extravaganzaWhat a pleasant foodie extravaganza in West Philadelphia! The amazing amuse bouches came in a seemingly endless parade before we enjoyed our four course dinner. All were amazing! I would recommend everyone have this experience. The staff was relaxed and unpretentious ... a pleasant experiences.3/2/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best restaurantsOne of the best restaurants in the city. The amuse bouches are such a great touch to a fabulous meal.1/20/2013 12:00:00 AM