Laurel

one of the best meals of my life

Well worth it! If you are looking for something delicious and feeling celebratory (I mean I would go for a Wednesday evening, but my budget definitely doesn’t allow it) this is the place to go! I will 100% be back for every season.

Amazing food both the presentation and taste! Service was impeccable which is nice to see as great hospitality is like a dying art!

Fabulous food! Have not had food that spectacular in years!

no good bar and choice of drinks. portions very small and kept us hungry.

Artistic cuisine with wonderful innovative flavors

The food was worth every penny! Well thought out and each course building in flavor. Just delicious. The fluke was a little tough and we did not care for the music selection, other than that.....a very special meal.

Laurel is our top choice to celebrate important milestones. It never disappoints. Chef Elmi always has something new and amazing on the menu that leaves us eager for our next visit. The wine pairing is also innovative and beautifully synced to the menu. Five stars!!

So so great. Can’t say enough about the experience. 11/10 would recommend

The presentation was very artistic. Everything was very good but no wow. For a tasting menu did not really leave stuffed. Find it odd for specials to be offered at $65 and $75 on top of a six course tasting menu

Wonderful experience. From service to food to the pairings, everything was fantastic. It made for a very special night that myself or my girlfriend won’t soon forget. Thanks again to everyone on the team.
-Zack

Outstanding, memorable and divine in every way. Thanks, Laurel, for a special evening.

This place was nice. Once. Today it’s more a place to avoid. Staff and owner Nick are just not able to make you feel comfortable. It feels as if they have to do a great effort to do to ‘work’ and you can just be happy to be there instead of feeling welcomed as a guest. Around the corner is River twuce, Noord and Fond. All great places owned and staffed by guys who are ‘on it’ and willing to make you feel welcome snd serve great food. Specially Noord, a Dutch food focussed BYOB is amazing.

Amazing food and amazing experience. So good! But came out to about $250/person before tip and I’m not sure it was quiiiite worth that much.

The experience at Laurel was out of this world. Nick Elmi offers an inventive and delicious menu that I’m not sure you would ever find anywhere else. We ordered the extra gnocchi course and were blown away. It was pillowy and light and unlike any gnocchi I’ve ever had. We also did the wine pairing and it definitely enhanced the experience. Get to Laurel ASAP!!

This place is insanely amazing. It’s been a few days since we dined there and we’re still talking about it... Can’t wait to return again!

Had an amazing experience!

Everything was fine but nothing particularly special or memorable. I had been looking forward to trying Laurel for years and again while it was enjoyable (the wine pairings were well done) the food was solid but not the outstanding experience I was hoping for.

Totally worth the hype. Amazing flavor combinations, incredible quality. Service is unparalleled. Made us feel special for an anniversary. Handled nut allergy extremely well.

Went here for a birthday dinner. In addition to their standard multi course meal we added a supplement. Every dish was well balanced and beautifully plated. Hands down our favorite dish was the egg custard with caviar served with brioche toast sticks. Second was the seared duck breast. The skin was perfectly crispy with the buttery rare duck meat and the luxurious sauce. For 2 people the standard dinner with one supplement and three glasses of wine each is a bit of a spurge but worth it for a special occasion and to experience Nick Elmi’s wonderful cuisine.

1st time dining inside a restaurant in the city since covid. This was a special occasion celebrating my recent birthday, our wedding Annv, and my husband’s retirement. Food was fabulous as usual- our 4th time being here. We especially loved the gnocchi, scallops, & duck.
Thank you for always being accommodating to my food preferences and changing food choices.
We’ll be back again.

A lifetime dinner. Thoughtful, inventive, exquisite flavors, a new ingredient to you in every dish, from foraged mushrooms to madai fish. Nick Elmi made two different appearances and chatted with us for minutes each time. Quiet with some lovely early sixties pop playing in the background, but easy to talk to my dinner companion. Each course was special and given excellent thought and preparation. The only downside was the unusual and not that tasty (to my palate) wine list. But we are already saving our money and trying to decide when we can come back again (for some celebration).

Food has amazing taste profile. Great service.

Wonderful dinner to celebrate our anniversary and being vaccinated. What better place than Laurel. The service was top notch (as it always is) and the food was amazing. The have picked back up were they left off, great food, great service! Laurel continues to be our favorite restaurant in Philly!

The food was incredible and inspirational and the staff was attentive. They even offered a bespoke wine pairing given that the per course pairing would have been too much wine for my sister and I. I will say that it was clear the owner was a bit grumpy, but everyone is human! I was disappointed that he came to take our plates but didn’t exchange greetings. Maybe next time!

Outstanding evening! Delicious food creatively presented excellent service. Can’t wait to go back

80 minutes for 6 courses with pairings is a rush job at any level. Especially at this price point.

Best tasting menu in Philadelphia and great service.

Incredible food and service. The food had flavors so unique and built upon each other to form one of the best meals I can remember. The staff was very friendly and super attentive.

I would say three of our six courses were fabulous. All courses were presented beautifully and served at a perfect temperature. A bit disappointed not to be able to get a very basic cocktail. The waitress indicated they were focusing on the wine pairing but I was just in the mood for a cocktail. There were 4 of us and the two women felt satiated but both the men felt hungry when we left. We were offered to add a course on for additional $75 but given that the prix fixe menu is already at $125 per person with drinks in the $20s it seemed excessive. A couple of weeks ago we ate at Talula's Garden for almost half of of our over $700 bill and enjoyed it more. Sorry Laurel - I think we are once and done.

If you value the subtleties and attention to detail it is worth it.

Amazing as usual, still our absolute #1 in Philly

We had a great time at Laurel. The food was extraordinary, great service, and the ambience perfect. We did the tasting menu with wine pairing and it was phenomenal. The add-ons of gnocchi and wagyu beef were to die for. The experience was unlike no other and we look forward to our next visit!!

A great experience. Great value for the quality of food. Service was great as well. A small suggestion that in no way diminishes the experience- the wine list could be better curated to match the quality of food.

We went to Laurel after getting the cookbook for christmas. It was my birthday dinner and we had never dined anywhere so fancy. The staff was amazing at making everyone feel relaxed and explained the drinks and menu very well. We even went for the two additions of the night Gnocchi and A5. Everything was perfect and it made me love this place even more than I already have after diving into the book! Can’t wait to be back!

Amazing food. Portions seemed small but by the end felt perfectly balanced for a full meal. Great pacing and amazing service. Quiet, elegant, small room. Highly technical food and very good drinks.

Always have a great time at this place. Been there 3 times so far.

Really delicious food and good service, but not the best dinner I've had for the cost. They offered 2 additional courses at the beginning of the meal: a Gnocchi with shaved black truffles for $65 and a A5 Wagyu beef for $75. We ended up getting both additions to the menu, which ended up being the best part of the meal. The food was very good and plated beautifully. The Wagyu was served with a venison dish, which seemed like an odd pairing for the standard of the restaurant. We had a lot of fun, I got the wine pairing and my boyfriend got a few of the mezcal cocktails that were delicious. But for the cost ($700), it should be the best meal in the city. While getting the additions were our choice, I worry my opinion of the meal would be much lower without them. That being said, the Wagyu was one of the best bites of food I've ever had. So good!

Scheduled our Valentine’s Day dinner for a week after to allow us to relax and not be rushed. Got exactly what we were looking for with excellent food and service. Nick Elmi never disappoints.

This is in my opinion the highest end restaurant in Philadelphia. If you like gourmet artistic food this is the way to go. The 6 course menu it's just perfect for a nice dinner. ALWAYS get the special (hopefully you are lucky and they have the A5 Wagyu).