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    Helm

    4.4 (272 reviews)
    PriceyNew American
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Helm Photos

    HELM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Helm

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    One of the best valued meals I've had in the city in quite some time. Really fair pricing for the quality Server was great and we didn't have a single bad bite on the night Highly recommend this cozy little spot

    Chalkboard menu
    Amanda D.

    Great vibe, nice casual neighborhood spot with friendly service! I recommend grabbing reservations but could find a spot same day on weeknights which is clutch if you live nearby. The food is well prepared and the options are innovative. I really like the variety and amount of food you get for the value. I want to come back since the menu changes often. The appetizers were a huge highlight: the Fregola with sausage was delicious as well as the pierogi with braised beef. Both desert options I tried were impressive as well. It is a great spot to try new things, since all the options seemed very creative and well prepared. Real neighborhood gem!

    Caesar salad
    Lor W.

    You know you've had a stellar experience when you're still thinking about your dinner a week after the fact. Helm was a nice surprise for Esq and me. The menu is truly seasonal and farm-to-table. Helm takes it to a new freshness level. The space is small and intimate. Not stuffy at all. Our server was intimately aware of the menu and shared details of each dish with us. I love a passionate team! The warm welcome we received upon arriving extended throughout our dinner. Our party of 4 essentially ordered the entire menu (as per). The broccoli ravioli was a table favorite, along with the scallops, pork cheddar ragu, and the carrots. The bread and butter were simply heavenly. Even the beets and strawberry dish was enjoyed by the non-beet eaters (2 of the 4 of us). See, beets do not have to taste like dirt! The flavor profiles on all dishes were creative, bold, and palate-pleasing. And do not pass up dessert. I don't care how stuffed you are! Helm is BYOB, which we love. We brought two big (read: fancy) bottles of Brunello, which complemented the entire menu. The menu is rotated out regularly, and we are already looking forward to a return visit!

    Main
    Julian B.

    So incredibly impressed. For $60 per person, you will be STUFFED. My advice is to go with a group of 4 or 5. There's are 5 choices in each category so with 4 people, we were able to try 12/15 items. We added banana bread as well (unique, yummy, savory). We sat by the kitchen and got to see how happy everyone was (kitchen staff had the playoffs on and they were rooting for the Commanders). Our waitress was excellent and explained every single item on the menu. It will change every time you go (unless you live across the street). Their smoked carrots are life changing and are always on the menu. Bring a nice bottle of whatever and have a blast.

    Nikki K.

    Overall would give a 3.5-4 star review. Food: flavorful and unique, changes. The entire menu is written out on a chalk board with no descriptions, would recommend them explaining each dish. We got the scallops and the mushroom ravioli with lamb for our entrees and was delicious! The desserts left a little something to be desired. It is a BYOB! 55$ for 3 courses. Service: excellent, very attentive and provided good explanations. Constantly checked in to see if we were enjoying the food. Overall I would come back and would recommend this as a cute first date spot, it's intimate and quiet. I would be curious to try the NY strip next time

    Sophea S.

    I fell in love with the food here after the first bite. First of all, I'm not a fan of American food; however, Helm has changed my mind. This place is just became one of my favorite restaurant in Philly! The best scallops I've ever had, so tender and flavorful. It was just WOW in my mouth! Everything we had was so good. And what I like most about here is their menu, they based on seasonal ingredients. So you get to try different dishes every season. Can't wait to come back and try their next seasonal menu. FYI it's BYOB here, which is a bonus! It's such a cozy, fun vibe inside. Service was very attentive and helpful. Highly recommend this place!

    Burrata
    Andrew K.

    Someone had recently told us that this was their favorite restaurant in Philadelphia, so we were both excited yet skeptical to try. It has to have a solid following if it's been around (as we learned) for 10 years. In the end, worth the try. Walking in, the place is quaint but packed. Your table will be fairly close to other tables, which was fine. The difficulty becomes seeing the menu. There are two chalkboard menus available to view and after hearing the waitress describe every single item, this option really doesn't do the offerings justice. I wish there were a paper menu describing things (for the sake of not having not having to remember the details verbally) or even an up-to-date online menu (the menu on their website says last update 1/2/2022). We were sat in the very corner so had no visualization of the chalkboard at all and resorted to pics. The deal is cool, $60 for 3 courses. BYOB (we committed the cardinal sin and forgot this= no wine). For apps: we went with the "tomato, beef, Swiss" and "tuna, sesame, peach". The former was surprising. Fried balls of Swiss cheese with brisket pieces strewn about. Actually quite enjoyed the flavoring of this and there was a good amount of brisket for an appetizer sliced into the mixture. The latter was never going to be my favorite as I don't love tuna, but I'll say it was a large portion of it and the peaches were a lovely addition. The thing to enjoy about the menu here is that they're locally sourced and base the menu on what's available, so there is a rotating theme of vegetables/flavorings that you wouldn't expect (like peaches with tuna). We were going to go with simple with bread & butter, but this was out so we opted instead for something I don't know that we've ever turned down-the housemade burrata. This was my favorite of the apps. The toast was perfectly toasted and the cheese itself had a nice tzatziki flavoring I wasn't expecting. For mains: "dourade squid shishito" ( and "steak, English pea, crab". The former we probably only got because we love squid and were pumped about this. However, I was surprised that we actually preferred the main fish, a flaky white fish. This was cooked quite nicely and the flavoring was delightful, especially the skin. I didn't feel like the squid in the end really added anything, actually. And the fingerling potatoes did their best to soak the sauce but maybe met their match in how much sauce there was. The steak was a $6 surcharge. It was cut nicely and at first I felt like the seasoning was nice, but quickly realized it was a very salt-forward steak and therefore not my favorite. Shockingly, our favorite part of the night was the English pea fritter with crab atop that seemed like an afterthought to us when ordering the steak. Lightly fried pea latke-like fritter with a healthy portion of mixed crab- this could have been the main dish and I wouldn't have noticed. We aren't super dessert people, but we went with the corn raspberry (a strange ice cream sandwich situation that was far too sweet but pleasant to look at) and the Gâteau Basque (we weren't totally sure what this was but after trying it and Google imaging it, it seems like this was done fairly nicely). The service was pleasant-again quite an intimate place. Overall, one thing I felt was a common theme was that the plating of the dishes was too saucy. Nothing that came out wow-ed us on presentation alone. When trying the dishes, we liked many of the sauces but, inevitably, things felt a bit drowned out by the sauces and, ultimately, messy on the plate. In the end, we would consider trying as their menu rotates again (albeit not forgetting the wine next time!) to see how they utilize a variety of interesting ingredients to create their menu but also may... not.

    Apple bacon maple
    El K.

    Everything, and I mean everything we ordered was SPECTACULAR. We had a 5:15pm and were warmly greeted and seated inside this nice and quaint restaurant. The gnocchi and octopus came out first and honestly, when I had that first bite of the octopus it was basically an explosion in my mouth. The octopus is mashed with other ingredients, so you my wonder where is the octopus, but it's def in there. The star of the show to tonight is definitely the scallops. I would recommend this place to everyone and will definitely go here again. FYI: menu constantly changes, which is awesome to keep the curiosity alive of what they're cooking

    Vincent G.

    The fact that we just got around to visiting to Helm for the first time, is straight up a disservice to our taste buds. If you haven't been yet yourself, make it a priority...like yesterday. From the outside-in, this is a no frills/no thrills type of spot. Very cozy, nestled into the first floor of a townhouse. Furniture and dishware is all mix and matched, and they pack yah in like sardines. Menus? Nah - you are going to catch what they are serving on either of their chalkboards (which are easy to see from any seat in the house.) Also, they had a killer playlist ~ we'd call it something like lo-fi funk..really sets the appropriate mood for dinner. Not sure how to interpret what's on the chalkboard? Not a problem - their servers are well versed on what's getting pushed out of the kitchen, and have no issues giving full descriptions of each dish. Much of it comes from their own experience eating the food (which was really fun to hear what they've enjoyed the most and what's been the long standing menu items), but either way you can tell each of them are passionate about the plates hitting the table. Definite plus - their menu has seasonal rotations and is locally sourced. Not to mention, really accommodating all the way around. We initially had a 7PM reservation and were running late. We called in the day of and they quickly moved it to 7:30! Very nice. We needed to know what dishes could be served vegetarian, and they walked us through so many options! The inside decor has plenty going on - lots of knick-knacks and interesting collectibles. There is an awesome little two top, that's tucked away from the rest of the tables. If you can request that in advance, I would highly recommend. Memorable dishes were: - This might seem super simple, but their bread & butter! Their sour dough is from Mighty Bread, and is fresh, airy, and crunchy. They serve it with a fermented butter too, which brings the flavor to a whole new level. - The brussels appetizer might be one of my favorite bites in the city. Served like a latka, it is fried and crispy, and splayed on top of apple sauce. Crunchy shitake mushrooms sprinkled on top, and each bite is a perfect flavor combination of sweet, savory, salty, and creamy. - Their scallop dish seemed to be well renowned, so I had to get it, and I think you'd be hard pressed to have had scallops like this before. They were served charred/grilled and cut in half, intermingled in this pozole sauce which was like this hearty/earthy broth. It was delicious and one of those plates that you have to swipe with any remaining bread you have left. Low and behold, their desserts were top notch too. They have a cheesecake crumb cake that goes really well with their coffee. Interesting spin on a cheesecake, where the base is actually more of the true crumb cake and then topped with something like a cheesecake icing. Incredible! Their staple dessert is the gateau basque, which rotates in flavor. We had a citrus version of this, and it resembled a pop tart in pie form. Packed with delicious and bright fruit, this was a refreshing way to close out the meal. We left with belly's full and a commitment to sharing our experience with others. If you didn't know, Helm has been on Philly Mags 50 best restaurant list since 2016. The cool thing is, this is the type of place that probably could care less about accolades, but with outstanding food and service, you can easily see why they are so well respected.

    Fried green tomato
    Corinne K.

    We loved the seating and overall vibe of the restaurant. It is BYOB which was nice. We got a variety of items and we noted how filling they were.

    The menu (changes frequently)
    Deirdre C.

    I know, I know, I was here a month ago and I was back last night! There were six of us and I didn't realize that they also offer a family style meal with all of the items on the menu. We decided on the regular 3 courses but I like knowing they offer that as well. Last night I enjoyed a tuna and pork belly appetizer, scallops and cauliflower entree and the cheesecake for dessert. Everything was wonderful! Four of my friends last night never dined here before and they were saying how much they loved it and will be back!

    Scallops zucchini corn
    Kathrin S.

    Went here for a 7 pm reservation for 6 and will most definitely return! What a great BYOB in the city! It was such a homey but upscale ambience, and the place is shockingly large. Our server let us know that for groups of 6 or more, you can try the entire menu for $65 pp. their usual is $60 for the three courses. Wow! We particularly loved their staple on the menu, the carrots with the chèvre basquaise as well as the pork loin with fried Boursin - which was perfectly flavored. A couple of dishes veered a bit too salty for me personally(the steak), but I'm sensitive. Our absolute favorite course was dessert, and our favorite dessert was the cheesecake. Love the fresh rotating menu, the homy feel, and the food overall

    Ravioli broccoli veal

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    Really great food and rotating seasonal menu. Great ambiance and didn't feel rushed with the meal.

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    Another mind blowing experience at Helm. Their desserts are out of this world. I love it so much.

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    Fringe Bar

    Fringe Bar

    3.8
    (43 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    We went for restaurant week. Awesome menu! I'm gluten free and there were so many options. The…read morerestaurant has very high ceilings and is quite loud so it can be a bit hard to hear if you're looking for an intimate dinner. My drink was just so so and pricy

    Philly, we are not welcome here…read more Meet Henry, the manager at Fringe Bar. As a Northern Liberties resident, I've visited Fringe Bar several times and have generally enjoyed the experience before my recent experience with the manager. Unfortunately, my visit on June 13 around 4:30 PM completely changed my opinion of this establishment. My friend and I were seated and waited nearly 20 minutes before our food order was taken. Our server explained that their ordering system had gone down.... We were understanding and patient but to be honest it felt like she forgot. About 10 minutes later, we finally received our drinks, and our server shared that management had continued assigning her additional tables despite the issues, making it difficult for her to keep up. We sympathized with her and gave the staff plenty of grace. After waiting another 30 minutes, nearly an hour total since arriving, we still had not received our food. What made the situation even more frustrating was watching another table that arrived roughly 30 minutes after us receive their meals before we did. At that point, I approached Henry to ask about our order. I explained that we had been waiting for nearly an hour and that guests who arrived significantly later had already been served and they needed to hurry up with our food because we were hungry. Before I could even finish speaking, Henry interrupted me, stated that he would comp the food, and told us to leave. All I wanted was an explanation and asked that our order be prioritized after such a long wait. Instead of attempting to resolve the issue, Henry immediately escalated the situation and effectively removed us from the restaurant. The interaction felt dismissive, unprofessional, and completely lacking in customer service. Even another manager appeared surprised by how quickly our order was canceled and how the situation was handled. The entire experience left me feeling unwelcome and disrespected. Mistakes happen. Delays happen. What determines whether customers return is how management responds. Unfortunately, Henry's arrogance, poor communication, and inability to handle a reasonable customer concern ensured that I will never return. The attached photos include timestamps documenting our visit and the lengthy wait and a photo of Henry so you can avoid him. DO NOT COME.

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    Fringe Bar
    Cheese fries
    Cheese fries
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    Fork

    Fork

    3.9
    (827 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$$

    Came for a girls weekend to visit my friend Jenny. This…read moretime I got one plate and wasn't disappointed! It was delicious. We started with splitting a croissant so that satisfied my sweet tooth. Preston our waiter was fabulous and the service attentive. He knew the city well and there was a great discussion on burgers. I need to return here!! I love this place.

    I read that Fork is an "iconic restaurant" that has been serving consistently great food for 28…read moreyears. As a new Philly resident I knew I had to try it when I was doing business in Old City. As one of the first diners to hit the door for lunch, I was greeted by the hostess and the bartender. Both were friendly and helpful as I decided where I wanted to sit. The restaurant is cozy - a small bar is the first thing you pass as you make your way to a dimly lit dining area. The open kitchen is at the far end. Of note: the kitchen was busy yet quiet. It was a wonder to see - no zoo glass to deflect sounds or smells - just professionals doing what they do for all diners to see. Having had an exceptionally trying week I really wanted a cocktail, but I was intrigued by the non-alcoholic offers. I ordered Crimson and Clover. When it arrived with a thick lemon garnish on the rim, spritzer immediately came to mind. I was thinking it would be more like an Old Fashioned, don't ask me why. At first sip, it was holiday forward without the stereotypical cinnamon-pumpkin cliche. It was a sweeter than I would have liked, but not unbearably so. I was kind of expecting a more earthy taste based on the name. It was good. Of course now the song is living rent free in my head. I ordered hanger steak (mid-rare) and frites. The steak was well seasoned, yet as sometimes happens with the cut, about 1/3 of it was medium to well. The frites were actually fries. While tasty, I was expecting pommes frites. Garlic aioli and a chimichurri sauces and a basic green salad accompanied the dish. The sauces were outstanding. The flavorless arugula and frisée salad was a welcome side, but I kept thinking, "this is an example of more is not more." The greens were unwieldy and crowded the plate. I would have preferred a smaller portion of dressed greens. A touch of acidity, salt and pepper would have made all the difference. An unexpected treat was the broccoli soup. It was chock full -- but not too full -- of perfectly seasoned and crisp croutons. At first bite the bisque (it was more bisque than soup imo) tasted too butter heavy, but the finish was all broccoli. The butter seemed to prime my taste buds for the sometimes bitter cruciferous vegetable. I also liked the combo of creamy bisque, chunky broccoli bites, and crunchy croutons. There was a drizzle of chili oil that was more color than flavor. I think I would have preferred a drizzle of a crema more. And then there was dessert. I ordered the chocolate sesame cake. It was not at all what I expected ... it was so much more. What a way to end the meal. The tall, thinly sliced, rich chocolate cake with decadent ganache between each layer was good, but with the raspberry sorbet, butterscotch miso and smoked peanut, it was perfection. Let's talk about the butterscotch and peanuts. Together it reminded me of an elevated, deconstructed peanut brittle. This Southerner was so happy with those flavors; it reminded me of my grandma and New Orleans. Add a bit of cake and sorbet and the dessert becomes other-worldly. I look forward to returning to Fork for many years to come.

    Photos
    Fork
    Spelt spaccatelli, pork ragu, torn basil, breadcrumb
    Spelt spaccatelli, pork ragu, torn basil, breadcrumb
    Crimson and Clover, na

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    Crimson and Clover, na
    Glory Beer Bar & Kitchen

    Glory Beer Bar & Kitchen

    4.6
    (330 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    Glory Beer Bar & Kitchen is a must if you're in the Independence Park area of Philly! My wife and I…read morevisited while we were there and loved it! They aren't lying when they say that they have an extensive beer menu! I had a Dancing Gnome Kolsch which was very good and then a Corsendork Christmas Ale which was fantastic! I normally don't like spiced beer, but this one was perfect! My wife and I shared the cheese and salumi plate which was so delicious! My only re is not getting the large! My wife had the crispy chicken sandwich which was really good. The crust was crunchy and the chicken was tender and juicy. I had the porchetta sandwich which was recommended by our waiter and was SO DELICIOUS! It is a must! At first my wife was concerned about the limited menu. They may not have an extensive menu but what they do, they do right! Our waiter was really great and very welcoming, especially as we were from out of town. The place has a rustic vibe which fits with its old town location. We loved it! If we ever find ourselves back in Philly, we will definitely visit Glory again!

    Pretty good overall!…read more Considerably big space for Philly. They had an upstairs too but I am not sure why it wasn't open during majority of the night. When the big crowd from the conference left they opened the upstairs. The Mac and cheese is SO GOOD. Very creamy and rich, the bread crumbs were an amazing surprise edition. This fatty finished it before the beer came. Lots of beer choices. I took off a start be size they were under staffed. So we were just waiting around for the check and the waitress kept forgetting what we asked for. Honestly, not her fault. There were like ~100 people and only 3 employees that I saw. So no designated waiter for tables. These poor 3 employees were the bartenders and the table waiters.

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    Mac and cheese
    Mac and cheese
    Chipotle lime wings
    Chipotle lime wings
    Glory Beer Bar & Kitchen

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    Sassafras Bar

    Sassafras Bar

    4.4
    (457 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    I wish Jen and I had shown up in matching flapper dresses because Sassafras feels like stepping…read morestraight into the 1920s. Huge bar, giant wall of liquor bottles, dim lighting, and a cool old-school vibe. I told the bartender that ordering a beer in a place like this felt like I was insulting him. He laughed and told me not to worry about it. The drink special was called "Naked and Famous," which honestly sounded like the perfect cocktail to order in honor of Jen. But then I spotted a dark beer on the menu that sounded too good to pass up. If you follow me, you know I'm slowly becoming a dark beer guy. I liked it a lot. The sandwich special was a cheesesteak. Sorry, I should've taken a picture of the menu. But I really enjoyed it, and for $18 it came with a mountain of seasoned fries, which feels like a bargain these days. Bomb Shell: the two people working absolutely crushed it. I don't know if they were understaffed or if Monday night got busier than expected, but they were working their tails off the entire time. Even with that, they stayed polite, friendly, helpful, and incredibly accommodating to the guy carrying around a mannequin. Great visit to Sassafras!

    Found this on the first day of our trip and ended up going back the 2nd night as well. The drinks…read morewere such high quality and they had something for absolutely everyone. We also ordered a grilled cheese with sweet potato fries which was so so good. The service was top tier. I cannot recommend this place enough.

    Photos
    Bar
    Bar
    Pretzel
    Pretzel
    French 95

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    French 95
    Elwood

    Elwood

    4.7
    (76 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    I took my dad and our family here to celebrate his birthday for our first visit to Elwood. I…read morecouldn't believe this restaurant existed and we've walked by it countless times over the years and has no idea ! Honestly - I wanted to love this place, but it didn't hit all the way home for me. What it did hit home for me were the vibes. I loved the interior decor, the small homey vibes , and I could feel the love and passion that went into this place. Small inside, cozy, and I think I only saw a total of 3 staff that ran the place. I really wanted to love them! To be perfectly honest, I'm probably not the best reviewer for this spot. I eat 80% vegan .. and cannot not remember the last time I had beef prior to this meal. However - I didn't find it to be particularly mind blowing. It was cooked to a good temperature , served with salt for you to tailor to your taste and oh I can't forget to mention how much I loved the chefs homemade hot sauce ( which they do sell on site ! ) it was solid , but not something I was personally blown away by for $90 and not something I'd "cheat" on my diet for again to eat. I felt similarly about the striped bass. It was cooked well, but I found it under seasoned. Overall, I don't think it's the spot for me but I DO think it's the spot for many. I definitely recommend you check out this small humble restaurant and give them a shot. It's beautiful and warm inside, and you can feel the love in this establishment Check out Elwood!

    Elwood is such a hidden gem. It's so easy to walk by and not know it's there, but it really never…read moredisappoints when you're looking for a meal that feels both familiar and unique. The space is cozy and welcoming, and the service is always great. It's a perfect spot to have a family-style meal with family or friends (definitely go for the ham on Easter). They specialize in classic local recipes and techniques, but don't let that fool you on flavor. If you haven't had Pennsylvania Dutch food, etc. it's definitely worth going to Elwood to experience a great execution of this style. The menu is always changing, but expect large portions meant to be shared, so we always prefer going with large groups. We've had almost every dish on their menus so it's hard to go back and reflect on all of them, but definitely start with the pierogies, get your meat of choice, and order the funnel cake for dessert. You can't really go wrong!

    Photos
    Elwood
    Egg & beet amuse-bouche
    Egg & beet amuse-bouche
    Elwood

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    Helm - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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