Review Laurel - Philadelphia

An unparalleled culinary experience awaits at Laurel Restaurant in Philadelphia! This hidden gem deserves a glowing 5-star review for its exceptional creativity and attention to detail. From the moment you step in, the cozy ambiance sets the tone for a truly unforgettable dining journey. Each dish is a work of art that tantalizes the senses and pushes the boundaries of flavor. The tasting menu is a symphony of carefully curated courses that showcase the chef's mastery and passion for their craft. The staff's knowledge and enthusiasm add an extra layer of enjoyment to the evening. If you're seeking an intimate dining adventure that promises to leave you speechless, Laurel Restaurant is the epitome of excellence in every sense.

“Trust the chef.” When I go to restaurants like this, I like to trust the chef and the flavors they put together. Thank goodness I did, because otherwise I wouldn’t have tried the Celery Salad. Y’all, I said Celery. Salad. We liked the first incarnation of Laurel, but could really only afford to go once a year for special occasions. While I maybe shouldn’t “afford” this incarnation, we’ve been at least once per month since it opened. We have dishes we love, but we know and appreciate that they will be moved off the menu based on the availability and freshness of the provisions. The chef and the kitchen are creative, imaginative, and inventive, so… trust them. Here’s some highlights from our experiences: Boquerones-the toast under the fish is covered in butter. It’s delicious. The clams with trout roe-the cream sauce that the clams are in! You’ll need more of the Mighty Bread to soak that up. It’s salty, not too creamy. And I do love how the trout roe pops in my mouth. The Celery Salad-talk about elevating celery! I have dined with a lot of folks here who don’t like celery, but they love this. Dates, hazelnuts, covered in cheese… Yum! The scallops-people can absolutely do scallops wrong. The way they do the scallops here… I almost never want a pan-seared whole scallop again. The presentation is gorgeous and the scallops themselves are sliced thinly and placed over the rest of the preparation. The bar also does a great job being seasonally relevant and using items from the kitchen in their drinks. The first week there, I had a bourbon drink with a wagyu fat wash and later there was a different drink with a coconut oil wash or some such. Additionally, they are more than willing to entertain teetotalers with delicious non-alcoholic mixed drinks. The service is also great, but go with the low estimate of their number of dishes suggestion because you cannot miss dessert! We’ve only gotten dessert once because we never have enough room! They ask about allergies when you first settle in, and they’re very knowledgeable about the menu. The service is not disruptive unless you want to engage with the servers. People have different expectations of servers, but part of being a great server is essentially having an emotional intelligence to read your patrons. Our fave server at Laurel is fantastic at this. I’m sorry I don’t have pics of all of our dishes. We are too busy enjoying and appreciating them!

I honestly don’t even know where to start. Everything was straight perfection from the second we walked through the door. The entire staff was super friendly, the manager Jane checked in frequently to see how everything was going and the food…. OMG the food was seriously some of the best I’ve ever had. Chef Kevin came out at the end of our meal to introduce himself and ask us about the food and how the dining experience was. If I could I would rate this place an infinite amount of stars. Keep up the great work! Will definitely be back sooner than later!

My husband and I reserved a table at Laurel to celebrate our anniversary. The service was INCREDIBLE. We each enjoyed cocktails from the bar and decided to select our own courses. We loved each one. Do not overlook the celery salad, with surprising textures and exciting flavor variations. My husband loved the Maitake mushroom dish. I’ll return for the Parisian gnocchi and impeccable service.

I couldn't say enough positive things about this experience. Every dish and drink was perfect. I'm so happy they switched from a tasting menu to a La Carte. One of the best dining experiences I ever had.

It has been many years since we visited Laurel Restaurant. I remember following chef Nicholas Elmi on Top Chef and rooting for him to win (he did!). Laurel was always difficult to get a reservation for, so I was not optimistic I would be able to get one for this past Saturday. Shockingly it was very easy to get a reservation. It seems like they only do a tasting menu and I love those. It did not disappoint!! Everything looked phenomenal and tasted out of this world. I particularly loved the custard with peas, the oysters with cantaloupe, the hiromasa with strawberry and almond, the wagyu, and the black forest chocolate pudding. Service was fantastic!! Never had been in the bar area (shows how long it has been since the bar opened in 2016).

Elegant restaurant with outstanding food They are all small plates, and although they are pricey they are Definitely worth the money

Impeccable service from Anne & and mind-blowing flavor combinations from the chef made our visit unforgettable! Highly recommend Laurel.

My husband and I went here this past weekend and were so happy to have discovered this gem of a place. Very interesting menu - we tried at least half the things on it and loved the fish on toast (boquerones), fluke crudo (this dish is small but yum), raw squash with finger limes and pistachios (very unexpected in a good way), Gnocci (really lovely and small enough that the richness doesn’t overwhelm, tad saltier than our preference), Wagyu beef Coulotte (I’m not much of a meat eater, but was delighted by the 2 small bites I snuck in). The bar is also well stocked. I liked the wine I had and my husband enjoyed his old fashioned. We are not big on dessert at every meal so skipped that as we were full. Chef Nate brought out some of our dishes and he is delightful and clearly talented.

I went here with my boyfriend for my birthday and the food was exceptional. I really enjoyed each course that was brought out and you had plenty of time to enjoy the meal before the next one was brought out. I also did the wine pairing which was nice touch to go with each meal. The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this place for special occasions you will not be disappointed.

It was one of the top fining dining experience I’ve ever had! I am vegetarian, and i went with my wife and two others for an anniversary dinner. I reached out in advance to request a special vegetarian creations by chef. Chef Nicolas Elmi was very kind enough to create almost identical creations to those they typically prepare and every single course was one beyond the other. Every single items were such a memorable, and one of the kind French plate. The plating of each item, as seen in photos, elevated the food experience. Each plating highlighted small elements of various ingredients that one can rarely think be on such fine plating, such as basil seeds, beet, portobello mushrooms, bread, etc… It was absolutely mind blowing creation accomplished by special thanks to Chef Elmi and his staff at Laurel. To keep my lengthy detail of experience short, I highly recommend anyone in hunt of fine cuisine in Philly. This is probably the top place in Philadelphia (for vegetarian and non vegetarian alike). #VeggieAbroad

I have so much to say about this place but I’m going to shorten it up. Great staff, incredibly imaginative perfect cuisine, the most perfect waygu A5 EVER. Really just a majestic evening. Thank you so much to everyone involved. You really have something special here. Would grade as a Michelin 1-2 star restaurant. Cheers