Vernick Food & DrinkSimply the bestVernick's has no comparison. From start to finish we were OVERWHELMED. The hostess was very helpful getting us a table on the 2nd floor by the window. The food was outstanding! We had 5 small plates, for each one we couldn't determine which was the best. Beef tartar, braised rabbit, octopus; we clearly were out of our normal comfort zone. The desserts also were fantastic. The service was beyond excellent. Our server Ray guided us through the menu with expertise.
Can't wait to go back!!!!!!6/15/2013 12:00:00 AM9 thumbs upWe had 7 appetizers and 2 desserts which were all delicious! The grilled romaine, the mozzarella rhubarb salad, barbecued quail, shrimp salad, and although I didn't try the sea urchin my husband loved it. We were seated at the second floor window balcony which was a fun spot. Our waiter was very attentive and pleasant. We will definitely go again!6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMHighly recommended....This has be be one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia!6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMInteresting menu with a wideInteresting menu with a wide variety of really good tastes & flavors. Loved the toast tartare and all the fish small plates.6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best in PhillyJust a great first time visit to Vernick and will be making many more visits there. Bar staff was great and the food was out of this world6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMBravo!I've heard so many amazing things about Vernick ever since it opened and I was excited to try it. Vernick delivered on every level. The space is beautiful, the wine list is thoughtful, and the service was perfect. And the food...oh my stars...so many standouts! The uni with egg was definitely a favorite.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMSuperb foodThe octopus and gulf shrimp salad with chili lime vinaigrette was fantastic! As were the appetizers of quail and grilled asparagus. The noise level was a bit high so there was a bustling atmosphere, a bit hard to hear sometimes -- the decor is lovely casual chic, but the wood floors and open floorplan do not absorb sound well.
Food was superb and would definitely recommend to others who appreciate fine cooking.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved it!Delicious and loved taking my out of town guest there for Sunday night dinner!6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMVernick was superlative Again!I have had the pleasure to dine at Vernick numerous times.
Consistently delicious food, excellent service, wonderful experience.
Looking forward to going back soon.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth the wait!Great cocktails, interesting and diverse wine list, and thoughtful, simply prepared, creative dishes from start to finish. Don't miss the sea urchin w/ scrambled eggs, crispy potatoes, or anything from their wood-fired oven. My party of three shared the whole roasted fish and it was perfection. Service was very friendly and professional. A lovely evening well worth the wait for a reservation.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat first time visitRecommended by a favorite server, Ithan at Sovana, we were delighted with each course. Best grilled octopus ever, raw fluke outstanding, crab flat bread full of Maryland crab not filler, sea bass prepared perfectly. Alyssia, our server, was very knowledgeable and made good recommendations. Can't wait until next time!6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThis will be rated in the top 5restaurants in the city. The pasta dish with ground up tuna and sausage is a winner!!! It was a hit at our table!!!6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth the fuss!After reading review after review, thought it was worth taking the 45-minute drive into the city. And boy, was it ever!! Everything about the experience met or exceeded expectations! From the ambiance, to the food...superb! The toast with bacon/peas...y.u.m. My dinner date spared me a bite of her toast with beef tartare w/ horseradish. I'm not a big fan of horseradish, so I still preferred my choice over hers, but still good regardless. We split a small plate of the crispy potatoes, and I had the large plate of grilled black sea bass. The bass was dynamite, as was my date's organic chicken.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AM1st class food, 2nd class treatmentBottom line: the food's great! Rough edges snagged an otherwise smooth night, but the food's the experience that matters most. We felt like outsiders in someone else's world - early for 10PM res, long wait past; bartender poured our drinks, left them on the working surface to talk with & clear for insiders at bar as we watched our drinks sit 6' away; while being seated, 2 men at an adjacent table who knew staff decided they liked our table better (AC problem) so they were given it as we watched & we got the "bad" one. Fortunately, waitress / menu / food / wine were all great - highlights: avocado/radish, crab, sea urchin (wow!), trout, bass. But we're not used to being afterthoughts & we don't like it. Don't fuss over us - just respect us.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMFood is tapas style and changesFood is tapas style and changes with the seasons. Don't miss the pea and bacon flatbread if they have it. Service if busy isn't always attentive and we actually drank a whole bottle of wine before our waiter took our order. He kept refilling our glasses as we were busy talking to friends but never stopped and asked if we would like to order . I had to wave at him to finally get him to take it. THis was our second time there and we know this is not normally the case. Food both times we went was great and the flavors are incredible. You can't miss with anything you order .5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMTheir chicken is the bestTheir chicken is the best that I have ever eaten. Everything is delicious, service is friendly - a very positive experience.
Would highly recommend.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AM2nd time even better...Amazing, innovative food, simple yet delicious cocktails and impeccable service. Our favorite place. Heather is great, request her!5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic anniversary dinner!Vernick has a a really interesting menu, so we chose to have several smaller dishes and then shared an entree, which turned out to be perfect for us. We started with two toasts: one with beef tartare, the other wish fresh morels. Both of these dishes were extremely delicious with distinctive flavors that made them truly unique and special. Then we had two raw dishes that were also delicious - a light hand with flavors that worked perfectly with the oysters and hamachi. Finally, we shared the steamed halibut with mushroom lemon fumet. I said to my husband, "this might be the best dish I have ever had." He argued that we have had many other amazing dishes at our favorite restaurants, but agreed that this was stellar.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was truly one of theThis was truly one of the best meals we have had in recent memory. The drinks are excellent, the service perfect, and each dish better then the last. I could have had a second helping of the grilled octopus for dessert.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic!We encountered no less than seven knowledgeable and polite employees during our dinner from the hostess to the coowner. We enjoyed the chef's 28oz bone in strip steak with potatoes but not before we tried tapas. Toast and Maryland crab was phenomenal. The toast with avocado and spicy radishes was delicious. We left room for dessert and enjoyed baked on premises blueberry pie and gelato. Ahhh, can't forget the cappuccino! A fine dining experience. Vernick's has only been serving for about a year but they're much more seasoned than that and their following shows it.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellentWe loved Vernick. Each dish was better than the next and the service was outstanding. We can't wait to go back again!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent DinnerMy wife and I had dinner at Vernick on Saturday night and we were both very impressed. We started with the beef tartare on toast and the paperedelle with braised rabbit. The rabbit was absolutely fantastic. For entrees we split the whole chicken, which was slightly too much for two people, but we brought it home and had chicken sandwiches the next day. As someone who never orders chicken, I was very impressed with the dish, especially the romaine lettuce it was served with, which had soaked up all the lemon and chicken flavor when it was roasted.
We will definitely be back.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat.One of the best restaurants in Philadelphia I've visited so far. Excellent menu. Food was delicious. Best service I've ever experienced.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMWow! What a great find forWow! What a great find for a late Thursday night dinner (10:00). Greeted by a very efficient and friendly hostess, given a table on the second floor overlooking the street and al fresco diners below (great weather with the windows open), sophisticated modern décor, creative and interesting menu, great selection of wine and beer, outstanding - I repeat - outstanding service by Shuli, and everything was delicious. It was our first visit (Philly has so many really good restaurants these days) but this is one we will definitely return to soon. As I said at the beginning - wow!5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMUrban BeatIf you're young and enjoy an energetic noise level, you'll probably like Vernick. As our table wasn't ready when we arrived for our reservation, we were asked to wait at the bar. It's impossible to have a conversation in the bar area, and we were not interested in drinking before dinner. The wait seemed exceptionally long. Upstairs was a better experience and the food was great.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent Food but. . . . .I made a huge mistake and ordered the Colorado Lamb Chops special instead of taking the servers recommendation on what the restaurants speciality is which is normally what i do. I was not please with the Colorado Lamb Chops but everything else was excellent, great service, great ambience, excellent beer selections, very happy overall5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat an experienceHow can toast be sensational?! At Vernick it is. We savored every, delicious, creative morsel. Celebrated a Birthday, but if you don't have an occasion...make one up. Vernick has it all: Food that you are talking about when you leave, service that is attentive but unpretentious, ambience that is inviting and simple. Stephanie, our server, was terrific and Drew, one of the chefs gave us great tips and even better food!5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved the food and service.Loved the food and service. Noise level was quite high so that it was difficult to hear the waiter and people we were dining with.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMVernick was superlativeDelicious food, excellent service, outstanding dining experience.
Looking forward to eating there again.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMoutstanding and momorableWhat a wonderful dining experience. The food was unique, special, inventive and fun. Terrific combinations with special ingredients accented plates like rhubarb chutney. Highly recommend getting several small plates to sample lots of his awesome food. Can't wait to go back.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMIn a word: FabulousEvery bite is worth savoring. Outstanding chicken livers toast. Glorious pasta with rabbit ragu. Beautifully prepared red snapper. Superb mint sorbet. There was not one misstep.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food!Everything we had was fabulous! We ordered lots of appetizers and small plates and each dish had unique favors! Look forward to trying entrees. Fun to go with a few people so you can sample the small plates!4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat atmosphere.We dined at Vernick to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We were seated at a table in the open window upstairs and greeted with a complimentary glass of prosecco. The servers were kind and knowledgable and the wine and cocktails were fantastic. The Cuban is a must for mojito lovers. It's a classy martini instead of a summery drink. The food was disappointing. I wanted so badly to enjoy the meal as it was a very special occasion but everything was overpowered by the burnt grill marks. The toast was not toasted but charred. It overpowered anything potentially delicious on it. While I would recommend the restaurant for its atmosphere and service, I cannot speak highly of our meal. I'd be willing to try other items in the future.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMWe sat in the bar lounge,We sat in the bar lounge, so I did not see the main dining room. Food was great, service was very good. Drinks were excellent. They were able to accommodate us early (before our reservation), which was great. Will definitely return next time we're in Philadelphia.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had delicious small plates.We had delicious small plates. The bill definitely added up, but the great food made it easier to pay. Very good and attentive service.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything about this placeEverything about this place is amazing. The food it out of this world.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMA well kept secretLOVED LOVED Vernick. An evening of just small plates and a drink or two ended up with a4 course meal and more drinks. My reservation was at 9:30 but a little birdie told me to come in early and put our name down. A friend dropped in at 6:30 and by 7p we got lucky that a table for 4 opened up tine bar/lounge area. The rest of the night was trying just about everything on the menu. we started with the tuna poke (a must), pea & bacon on toast(delish) beef tartare. Then went ahead and ordered entree, sea bass, halibut, steak and more small plates. Select closeto 11p and spent $90 tip included per person. It was well worth it and we are coming back! Amazing service from the maitre d, to Ryan finding my green button on the floor and chef.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMIt's small and can be loud.It's small and can be loud. open table only allows "energetic" for rating noise and it really needs to fix that). Service was outstanding and the wine list was great. Shellfish and seafood roast was really delicious.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMJust wonderful.The food and staff were perfect. It was a very enjoyable evening. The couple that own the restaurant work it and talk to their customers. The wife is the hostess who starts the evening off so graciously. The food is very eclectic. We were able to watch the chefs in action as we were sitting by the open kitchen. The husband is the head chef and really knows how to make his patrons happy.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMYummy yummyGreat food...favors just pop. Making food an art form! My only complaint is it is Very hard to get a reservation.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMHighly and completely recommendedThis was my first visit to Vernick. I HIGHLY AND COMPLETELY RECOMMENDED IT. Our meal was outstanding in all regards. We let our server pick the courses for us and every one was delicious and incredibly complex with different bursts of flavor. BRAVO!!!! I can't wait to return. This is an awesone restaurant.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMwe sat downstairs in the openwe sat downstairs in the open kitchen room. The service was wonderful. Our waiter was very helpful in answering our questions and he was right on with his suggestions. our food was delicious-so well prepared and wonderful tastes. The pea and bacon toast was unreal as was the grilled romaine. I would go back in a minute. Wonderful wine. The cocktails coming from the bar looked great. Everyone who greeted and helped us were so friendly and accomodating.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Meal in PhiladelphiaOne of the most creative, surprising, delicious meals I've had in Philly in a decade. Service was professional, knowledgeable, and friendly, and the food was outstanding.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best, if not theOne of the best, if not the best restaurant in Philly. Must try the sea urchin with scrambled egg. Awesome servers.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMVernick is Worthy of the BuzzVernick is worthy of all the buzz. The food is excellent, a very interesting menu that is very well executed.4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst time dining at VernickFirst time dining at Vernick and it was fabulous. Split the beef tartare with horseradish..flavors burst in your mouth delicious. The main course was also split, the special branzino..brought to the table were a couple of nice treats from the chef...a thimble full of pea soup and tuna tartare..both were excellent. Our waiter suggested we order the days greens...we did, but could have done without them as our fish came with a grilled green...Had red wine suggested by our waiter.. a smooth and tasty malbec. Desert was just out of this world, roasted date cake. I had visited Morocco recently and it took me back to their wonderful flavors!
We were seated in the back room...nice, as the noise level was low.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic food! Great flavors,Fantastic food! Great flavors, not overdone, creative and delicious. Would highly recommend and will go again soon4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMStill great, service has improvedWent back after about a year and Vernick continues to be great, the service which was a little weak when they first opened has noticeably improved with smart fast servers with experience that shows. While it was crowded Sat night there were several open tables but you wouldn't know that by looking at reservations online, also we were early but had to wait until our time even though the tables were open, most likely to encourage bar drinking. And speaking of the bar, you get a VERY carefully measured drink, no heavy hands here... but good for specialty cocktails.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything was delicious.Everything was delicious. Standouts: halibut and the date cake.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMimpeccable evening dining at 5:30Honestly I do not often write but this experience deserves a few words. We are food and wine lovers. We cannot give justice with words to our evening here. Relaxed, very friendly, knowledgeable wait staff that all work together aiming to please. Wines area excellent; not what you may know but pairing with food at the recommendation of our waitress were spot on (with tastes of any to assure your choice). And the food, harmoniously constructed for the palate, scrambled egg with sea urchin, homemade cheese on toasted sourdough goodness with ramp, and the choices continue to excitably surprise your senses. We had such a great experience we will be back. Sit upstairs at the window. Go small plates and share you won't be disappointed.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AM