Permanently Closed - Helm Rittenhouse

The server was friendly and helpful. The cocktails were excellent. The small plates, entrees and dessert were delicious.

Nowhere near the quality it used to be. Service was lazy and careless.

I feel like I ate at a completely different restaurant than most of the reviewers here. This was one of the worst meals I've ever had. The restaurant was very slow, just a few tables, but despite this our meal arrived a mess...3 of 6 plates we ordered arrived cold--not luke-warm but COLD. 2 of the 6 plates we sent back with just a bite or two eaten. The gnudi were terrible and obviously way under-done, with a glue-like texture, overpoweringly rich flavor, and over-salted broth. I was actually embarrassed to have brought my co-workers to this restaurant, and then I had to eat my real dinner when I got home at 9PM.

The best meal we’ve had in a long time. Great flavors. Wonderful, welcoming staff. We can’t stop talking about how fantastic our meal was.

Went there 2 days in a row it was so good. Small menu but for me that means they do things well and didn’t disappoint. Serving staff are knowledgeable and attentive without hovering. This place is a gem

Enjoy our meal, and I would recommend you go and check it out!

Went there and went back the next evening with friends. Small menu but outstanding taste and quality, the small menu was the reason for trying this the first time.
Great wine and very good cocktails

Menu may lack punctuation but full of flavor

Delicious!

Helm Rittenhouse has potential, but it was an awful experience for me. Had a reservation on a Friday night. There was one server on duty, a manager, one bartender and two people in the kitchen. Full house. I understand being short staffed can cause a night to be off kilter, but there is no excuse for the fact that we waited so long for food and when it finally came out everything on both plates was cold. The food tasted good and I wish I could have enjoyed it hot. My drink was good, but I was not offered a refill.

I won't be back, but I think if you hit them on a slow night it could be a good dining experience.

Excellent appetizers. Main courses were cold, late, and missing ingredients listed, such as no clams in the seafood dish as advertised. We have years of experience dining in all three (now two) Helm restaurants. This was a minor change and disappointment.

Food and server were as good as could be - simply superb and totally enjoyable. We will definitely return!

Farm to table? Limited menus food was way too salty. Server was inappropriate. Poor wine list. Top 50??? You have to be kidding.

They must have been short handed or something but we waited for 15-20 min before a server greeted us asked if we wanted drinks. The server was hustling but still. You could tell everyone was having issues with the time. Once we ordered we got everything fairly quick. The apps were pretty good but our dinners were overly salty. My pork shoulder was so salty I only ate half. We won't be going back

Food delicious
But due to a staff shortage everything was backed up
Waited 45 minutes just to get a drink and bread
Next time manage expectations with the customer

Helm is the first meal since moving to Philly that I didn't enjoy. The service was great but the menu is "trying to hard". The combo of flavors was odd and overall the food was just not good. I was disappointed as it's in my neighborhood and really wanted to like it.

The food was very incredible but I thought it was a little expensive.

Food was very tasty but certainly not great if we say that 5 stars is for vetri cucina and 4 stars for vernick. Service was super friendly. Still not giving any bread. Is that a holdover from the days that this was Aldine? It's in my neighborhood so I would return. But if it were not in my neighborhood, I would prolly just go on to the million other similar places in Philly. Entrance between a student bar where the bouncers are busy bouncing and the kids are smoking and a health food store is so unappealing to the kind of clientele I think Helm is trying for.

This was our first time at Helm's center city location. We have been the original Helm several times and it is one of our favorites with its neighborhood feel and creative menu. We enjoyed the 2nd floor location with its plentiful windows, but as the evening progressed, the lighting seemed too low- I like to see my meal. The pithivier on the restaurant week menu was melt in your mouth wonderful, as was the chicken. I was forced to eat the skin which I rarely do. The 18 hour cabbage however, was a disappointment, overwhelmed by a very spicy barbeque sauce. Other diners enjoyed the porgy (although the serving size of fish was miniscule). The deserts were unique and inventive and the wine suggestions good. Overall a good experience but still a second to the original.

This was our first visit to Helm. It was Restaurant Week so we didn't know what to expect as most restaurants do not put out their A game during this time.

We ordered the featured cocktail which was a lovely autumn combination. We wanted to chill for a half hour or so before ordering, and they had no problem with this. All the the wait staff were super attentive. We ordered different appetizers which were so good. The main course and desserts were excellent.

Dining at Helm was an amazing experience. We are planning to try their Happy Hour and another dinner. We highly recommend Helm.

I was excited to try the Helm Rittenhouse but was vastly underwhelmed. The atmosphere is nice enough, but the food was just alright and not up to the standard I'd expect from a restaurant with such strong reviews. Overall, it was a fine experience. I just wouldn't rush back there again.

Loved our meal here. Cocktails and every course were delicious.

Not happy with this experience, at all. Things started great but went downhill quickly. To start with food: We got the apple salad, roasted chicken, and apple cake. Apple salad was great! Roasted chicken was under seasoned and the cabbage slaw that accompanied it was inedible. Apple cake was stale and just not good. Service: at first service was attentive and great. Entree took forever to come out, mind you there was my two top, a 6 top, a 3 top, and another 2 top in the dining room, thats all. There is an open kitchen, so I could see the “chef” and “sous chef” just standing around in the kitchen not doing anything and BS’ing while we waited for our food. When I requested salt and pepper for my chicken and told the other waiter (not mine because at this point he was too busy behind the bar chit chatting instead of checking on his tables), the other waiter goes back to the kitchen and tells the kitchen and my waiter that I requested it and the food was under seasoned. The kitchen staff turns around and glares at me like I’m in the wrong and smirks like they think it’s funny. When desert comes out, I couldn’t finish it and finally our waiter comes and checks on us to see how everything was. I explained to him my issues and he goes back and laughs as he is telling the kitchen staff my issues and they turn and look at my table and start laughing. Unacceptable! If you’re going to have a restaurant with a kitchen on display it would behoove the staff to remember that their guests can see EVERYTHING, even how filthy their kitchen is, and we do NOT appreciate being laughed at. My advice, get a staff in there that knows what their doing and is a lot more professional and respectful. The only thing done right was my meal was comped. I will not be returning here, ever!

Wonderful!

Bathrooms were really dirty. My food was completely raw inside when it shouldn’t have been. Half the food wasn’t that yummy and didn’t live up. Drinks were good and service was decent.

Service was very nice but VERY slow. We had a 7:00pm reservation and left at 9:30 after having to ask to order, have our plates cleared, checked on our food and asked for the check, all bc the service was so slow. The restaurant was very loud with only a few tables full. It also became very smoky throughout the restaurant to the point that we asked for windows to be opened. Luckily the food was very good and the servers were very nice and knowledgeable.

The food was excellent... from start to dessert

Excellent appetizers and cocktails. Only 5 entrees to pick from which were decent but some a bit too salty

In general I found the food amateurish. The Trout Cucumber appetizer was oily and just weird - the rest of the food was mediocre at best. I also feel, for the price point, the interior could be given a bit (a lot) more attention, bread should be free and the waitstaff (service was very good) could look a bit more professional. The loud music @ 6 on a Friday did not mask any of these issues nor increase the happy hour business - The restaurant was half empty when we left @ 7:45. As an added note, I worked in the restaurant business for 20 years so I can be forgiving but this just wasn't good.

Apps were really good. Drinks and dinner were too smoky plus the 30 dollar strip was tiny and had a ton of gristle.

Drinks were well made with pride.
The server was nice enough, and he recommended both the Steak and the Smoked fish.
Outback's sirloin was better quality than HELM's "NY strip".
And the smoked fish was okay but slightly a fishy smell- which should never happen with really fresh fish (I was told this by a friend who is a seasoned executive chef).

We loved this new restaurant. Food delicious and creative, and the ambiance -- informal, library-like atmosphere on the second floor -- was really relaxing. We took our adult children there for my birthday last week and it was the perfect choice.

Helm Rittenhouse!
What a fantastic experience! We visited on a Monday night. The staff paid attention to detail and accommodated our needs. The drinks were outstanding and the food--unique and prepared with care. The space was lovely, airy, clean, and lined with windows. This eating experience could not have gone any better. Please look for Helm Rittenhouse on the second floor. It is difficult to notice it from the street level. Helm is a gem. Please go try it soon!!

This was the first time that we have eaten at Helm Rittenhouse and both the food and the service were amazing! We did not feel rushed and everything that came out of the kitchen was delicious. I highly recommend!

Limited wine selection but food was excellent. The appetizers were amazing.

The service was embarrassing. It was as if we were annoying the waiter by being present. We waited almost 30 minutes to give our order, he never even told us about specials until we asked. Then we waited an awkward amount of time, having to wave him down to ask for dessert menus. Mind you, the place was barely full given it's a Friday in the summer. Not a great double date night for us ...

I like sharing small plates so this is perfect for that.

I would recommend it with a caveat - the wine list is very limited and for downtown Philly I would have expected more - the cocktails/ drinks they made looked exotic and different. The food was very good and different which was a welcome change of sorts. The service was very good. The ambiance is good given it is a second floor view of Chestnut Street in downtown Philly.

Stuffed squid were recommended and not good. Wings from the bar had a nice flavor but not tender. Sunchoke was delicious!

Wait staff was super knowledgeable, speedy, and attentive. Menu is extremely tasty and creative. Wine and drink choices were excellent. Save room for dessert. The ambience is very good but could stand some minor improvements. Would highly recommend.

We really liked helm rittenhouse. The main courses were outstanding. They were very accommodating of food allergies/preferences. Service was great. My only complaint was that the chairs were SO uncomfortable. Everyone at the table complained and it made the experience less enjoyable.