Laurel

Tip top
Once per season is the trick

Incredibly friendly, attentive and knowledgeable staff and chefs. Food was delicious and beautiful!

One of the best meals we've had in Philadelphia. Friendly, accommodating staff, great drinks, fantastic flavors and presentation.

Will definitely return!

The tasting menu and experience exceeded our expectations.

Laurel continues with very good and creative food. A good cocktail program. Wine selection is not very deep and is very young but reasonably priced. No corkage encourages aged wines from home.

The food was amazing and the service was impeccable.

Amazing meal! Definitely worth every penny!

An amazing meal! Each dish a new surprise for the tastebuds. Very inspired food.

exceptional service and food, a small place but good table separation and comfortable seats

We love this place. Our third time tonight, still out absolute favorite place in all of Philadelphia. Every bite spectacular. Big shout out to Eddie “Money”, great chatting with you!. As delightful in person as he was on top chef. Still baffled how this doesn’t hit #1 on the top philly restaurants. Coming back in May!

Outstanding meal and service. Artistic and a command performance

Delicious. As a somewhat picky and unadventurous eater for most of my life dinner was amazing....I ate things I swore I never would (and things I didn't know existed) and enjoyed every bite. My apologies to the staff as I probably asked too many questions...but I'm now on the hunt for black onion... although I will most likely be totally stumped as to what to do with it once I find it. Giving us a copy of the menu when we left was
a nice touch. Dining at this restaurant is an experience....and one we enjoyed immensely. I have only good things to say and respect for the chefs who clearly understand food in a way I never will. I have never had pasta that literally melts in your mouth...that gnocchi was ridiculous. The wait staff made us feel comfortable and relaxed even though it was evident we were out of our comfort zone. We chose this restaurant because we were going to be in Philadelphia and wanted to eat a Top Chef contestant's food....at Laurel we got an incredible two-fer. Is it pricey.... yes. Is it worth it...most definitely. Do I want to visit again... absolutely. Thanks to all for a wonderful evening.

The chef, Eddie, was so welcoming. The food was great, service impeccable, and wine pairings were well informed. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

An absolutely fantastic meal worth every penny. Food, Wine and Service all outstanding

A great place for a special occasion. They were gracious at substituting the foods I didn’t eat and will cater to any dietary needs w/ notice. Food was very creative and each dish better than the next. Love that you can bring your own wine. Our only complaint is the lack of parking spaces and the absent valet service that used to be there. It took us 30 mins to find a spot and ended up parking illegally.

A gourmet experience on East Passyunk. This was my first "fine dining" experience, and I loved that there were no menus. Everyone dining there each night enjoys the same 6 or 9 courses. I knew this would be a great way for me to get out of my culinary comfort zone, as I tend to stick to known flavors. Laurel took me on an adventure for which my palate was not prepared. Each course was better than the last, with masterfully combined flavors and textures. Even foods to which I thought I was adverse (snails) were so accessible and left me wanting more.

It was not an inexpensive night out (we added some extra dishes and paid up for the wine pairing), but Laurel is great for a special occasion. The service staff was excellent and very personable, and we will definitely be back for another celebration.

Most amazing meal I've ever had. My husband and I were celebrating our anniversary. From start to finish, absolutely wonderful. Cannot wait to do this again. Very pricy, but totally worth it.

The food was AMAZING!!!

It was truly a dining experience! We had the 6 course tasting menu with the Wagyu beef extra dish - all courses were exceptional. The service was not only extremely knowledgeable but also on top of things and fun. All of the dishes and service showed a high element of detail. It’s expensive but not as much as other places and definitely worth the money.

Laurel remains my favorite fine dining experience in Philadelphia. The food, service, and ambiance are impeccable and unpretentious. I’ve been blown away by the 9 course tasting menu in three variations over the years, and left giddily satiated each time. Most recently my dining companions’ dietary restrictions were graciously accommodated, equally delicious, and wildly creative. Eagerly awaiting the next meal at Laurel.

The food was wonderful. Service was ok, our servers seemed a little too uptight.

Outstanding food and service.

The food was amazing. The service was very prompt and attentive. It was a terrific experience.

In addition to amazing food, the staff were super friendly. The courses were well timed so that we never felt rushed or left waiting. We didn't do the wine pairing, but we had some super interesting cocktails from next door. Loved it start to finish!

Really great food, amazing ambiance. Service was top notch, as expected.

Laurel has become our restaurant of choice for special occasions. We know we can count on food that is a feast for the all the senses, attentive service, and an intimate, relaxed vibe. The whole package makes for an unforgettable evening, every single time.

The food was outstanding. We have been going for my wife's birthday for the last three years and will continue to go each year. The food is phenomenal and the service we compare to the best we have received outside of our honeymoon to India. The experience is beyond expectations.

Delicious dinner! Wonderful service and still thinking about multiple courses! Fantastic staff, highly recommend!

I booked our Friday evening reservation well in advance, having dined here in the past. We have had success in the past, booking an early time, so we booked the slot at 5:30pm. Started off with cocktails, at Laurel's sister place next door (ITV - In the Valley). ITV is a destination stop in its own right. At 5:30pm we took what was left of our cocktails, and walked through the adjoining door into Laurel. Always a genuinely warm greeting by the staff, at every level. We had a really nice table at the back of the intimate dining room. We opted for the 9 course tasting menu (they also offer a 6 course), adding the gnocchi with butternut squash and a blanket of shaved black truffles served tableside. I opted for the wine flights with my meal. The staff has done a great job of marrying up perfect pairings, although I think the initial cider offering could be a little heartier. That being said, so many outrageously wonderful and imaginative dishes flowed out from the kitchen. We have been here before and the kitchen just continues to impress. They've got it nailed. We enjoyed a collection of plates that included halibut, scallop, Bowfin Cavier with Philadelphia style ice cream, with a sprinkling of housemade kettle potato chip crumbs (un-freaking believable), Burgundy Snails, slow roasted tilefish, Pennsylvania Duck, Venison Osso Bucco, and Fois Gras, and more. Our servers that evening, for the most part, were Melissa, Jane, and Nick. They were all great and engaging. Chef Elmi came into the dining room from the kitchen serving plates, too, and engaging the happy diners. Can't wait to return again. Well done, Laurel.

Did the 6 course rating menu with wine pairing and gnocchi enhancement. Definitely one of the best meals I've ever had in Philly

Amazing evening. One of the most creative meals we've eaten. The flavors and textures and beauty of each plate made it a feast for the eyes and the palate

Wonderful service, spectacular food. Really a treat from start to finish. We couldn't have been happier with our experience and cannot wait to go back.

This was our first experience at Laurel and it far surpassed the accolades we had already heard about it. Seamless and unobtrusive service that was also friendly and knowledgeable helped make this meal even better. One of our courses was delivered by Chef Elmi, himself, who gets out among the diners intermittently throughout service. We opted for the six-course tasting option and it did not disappoint. Among the courses were brilliant dishes featuring tilefish, cured halibut, venison, quail and more. The small and beautiful courses add up a filling meal that time-and-again makes the diner stop and wonder "How did he think of this?" and "How did he get so much flavor into something so delicate?" While this is eminently a special occasion restaurant, you leave knowing you fully intend to come back as soon as possible.

Great food, great service. Chef even came out and said hi to us! What a special place.

Food was wonderful - each dish complemented each other and everything was perfectly cooked and had flavor and depth. Dining room was simple but elegant and the service was five star. Especially loved how Chef Nick served one of the courses - he tries to connect with diners and is really passionate about what he serves. My only complaint was our table for 2 was directly next to another table for 2 - separated by maybe an inch; it felt at times like we were on top of each other. I would have liked one of the standalone 2 person tables so my wife and I could sit next to each other and talk a little more privately without having to talk across a big table. All in all, a great meal/experience that I would recommend to anyone.

Disappointing, a decent meal but I don't plan to return.

One of the best restaurants in the North East. Maybe the best / most inovative in Philly.

Laurel remains the best in Philly - kitchen, wait staff, wines - everything! Enjoyed another remarkable meal after snagging a late cancellation due to the forecast of snow. Each course was flawless - beautifully cooked, composed and presented. I wish I had the writing skills to do the flavors and textures justice. Since I don't I'll just say I have no idea how most of what I ate was prepared (cooked seems to blunt a term to describe how the ingredients were manipulated) and neither do I care: it was just a treat to every sense (OK, except hearing). Courses flowed easily and at an ideal pace, arriving a few minutes after the previous one was cleared away; never rushed, never wondering when it would show up, just right. This carried through to the check being presented with a copy of the menu (nice reference to Le Bec!) and our coats as we walked to the front door. Can't wait to come back - even at the price worth every penny!

Culinary genius! You could taste the love in the food. Thank you for a wonderful evening.

Enjoyed 3 or 4 of the 6 courses, really liked maybe one or two. Favorite part may actually have been the bread, and the pretty servingware. Left hungry. By absolutely no stretch of the imagination worth the price.