Appetizer Sweet potato + mussels Dinner pork + noodle Brussel sprouts Dessert Grapefruit dessert Everything was 5 stars. Brussel sprouts was our favorite. read more

Exceeded expectations. Farm to table, BYOB, amazing flavor, fantastic service and overall one of the best dinners in Philly. This is a must go-to date night spot! read more

I impatiently broke my own rule and dined here the first week it was open. It was just perfect timing and I love the idea of quality dining reaching up towards my neighborhood and within Kensington, at the same time! My meal was excellent and made me wishfully flirt the idea of a group of foodie group dinner there in the near future. My group tries some of the best places around Philly and Helm was happy to entertain us for an evening. In fact, the guys at Helm were enthusiastic about the idea. We asked the local brewery, St. Benjamin Brewing co. which is just a couple blocks away, to join us and they paired the multi-course meal with their excellent beers. Everything was exceptional and my group of 30 had the best time. The restaurant kept bringing out family style, shareable enormous amounts of food that included locally raised and foraged ingredients (so much, Im sure I'm forgetting some of it): leeks with tewskberry and goat yogurt, grilled asparagus with wild boar and poached egg, homemade pasta with spicy mussels, arctic char with broccoli rabe and wasabi sauce, aged duck breast on top of duck confit hash, roasted pork shoulder over a rich dirty rice, and amazingly, after all that food we had no resistance to the incredible dessert: Gateau Basque with tonka and grapefruit. * there was a lot of delicious food to say the least and I was too busy enjoying the company and gorging myself that I didnt note what the vegetarians had offered for alternatives to the meat dishes. (shrug). I can't simply tell you how great the food was; you just have to get there. read more

I checked this place out recently after a few raves from friends, but I'm just not feeling it. The space is great, but VERY noisy. The menu listing only a few ingredients is lovely to look at, but the servers' lengthy recitation of every item's description is overwhelming and contributes greatly to the noise. I would much prefer a printed menu. Our appetizer - a roasted red pepper ravioli- was amazing, but entrees (cod and steak) were just ok, and pretty salty. The steak was reported to be more than a bit tough. Dessert, the bourbon pears, was tasty, but presentation wasn't especially appetizing, considering the plate and food were the same color. Overall, worth the try, but I probably won't go back. read more

Great gem. Menu is constantly changing. Keeps me coming back for more. These guys know what their doing trust me

Helm was one of the best meals I have had in recent memory. Service was extremely impeccable and friendly. The food was creative, approachable, and perfectly cooked. The place has a homey vibe. Loved it all! Plus, it's a BYOB. Try the squid, skirt steak, and make sure to get the grapefruit tart for dessert! read more

I was visiting Philadelphia for the weekend & looking for a BYOB place. I stumbled upon Helm and decided to give it a try. I'm so glad we did. What a gem! The space is small, intimate and cozy... the type of space that makes you feel right at home. The service was wonderful and attentive, without being overly aggressive. They have a way of reading tables, which is certainly an art. And of course, the food was top-notch. We ordered the leeks, brussels sprouts tortellini and skirt stake The flavors were rich without being overbearing. A nice balance. We ended the night with the grapefruit tart. I wasn't sure about it, but our waitress insisted it was the best dessert on the menu. I'm so glad we trusted her! It's on of the best desserts I've ever had. Trust me, and everyone else, order it. Bottom line... give this little gem a try! read more

This has become one of my favorite BYOBs in Philadelphia. The cuisine is modern and creative - always promising new combinations. The menu is succinct with about 5-6 options on each of the small-plate and entrée menus. The waitstaff are very attentive and knowledgable in all of the dishes and their ingredients. I highly recommend Helm for either a romantic date night or for dining with larger parties. Definitely take advantage of their family style service for parties of 6 or more, which will include most things on the menu in addition to a large "gateau Basque" for desert, their delightfully sweet and fluffy, Basque-style cake with seasonal accompaniments. read more

I had probably the best meal of my life at Helm on Sat 8/1. We had a party of 6 and ordered just about everything on the menu, including the 4 or 5 desserts. I can't say enough about this place and our meals. The food was incredible and the atmosphere was great. I forget our waiter's name, but he was awesome and the owners even came over and chatted with us after our meal. I've already told a dozen friends about this place and plan on going back soon. read more

Helm - Awesome green peppers. Out of this world! - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great service! Jasmine was superb, except I had to ask for water refills and they substituted a different entree, but we are flexible. Waited 15 minutes for our reservation, but we weren't in any hurry. Food was very unique, bread came with too little butter for a table of four. Dessert was delicious, ordered on of each. Lots of grilled items, uniquely prepared in an open kitchen concept. Had a great dinner and will be back. read more

This review is a few weeks late, but I was so disappointed in my meal as well as the service I received at Helm and I thought a review needed to be written. I got the monkfish and my friend got the chicken entrée. Let's just say the monkfish tasted like they cut all the fatty pieces off of the fish, boiled them in water, and plopped them on a plate. The chicken was slimy and tasted like it was frozen and out of a bag. I was excited to dine here considering I had eaten at South Helm months before and was blown away. I can guarantee I will never return to Helm! On top of the food being terrible (at best), the waiter was inappropriately sarcastic and had an unnecessary attitude from the beginning of our meal throughout. I don't mind paying good money in return for a good meal. However, I do mind paying good money for disgusting food and poor treatment. My friend and I were so shocked that she suggested it could've been an "off night" which may be so, but it definitely left a bad taste in my mouth both literally and figuratively! read more

The most delicious meal I have ever had in the city. Every dish we had was a homerun (lamb, ravioli ragu, carrots, asparagus).

Went here for a tasting collective event and wow this was wonderful. All the food was A-amazing. I mean really I could write a 20 page paper about how I could eat this food everyday but I will put it sweet to the point. We had many different dishes from citrus poached shrimp to brussels sprouts ravioli. My top and most favorite dishes were the castle valley grits with the lamb bolognese. I mean come on the richness and texture in this was so yum. If the chef came out and told me they just had this I would eat a pot of it myself. Also another dish I really enjoyed was the roasted pork loin with galumpki. If you are not aware of what galumpki is trust me you should try theirs. It is an amazing polish/ eastern European food of stuffed cabbage and it is a must try. We ended on a giant Gateau Basque which was oozing with a chicory coffee anglaise and just topped the night off. This place is a hands down must and I will be going out of my way to come back to try even more. read more

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Loved Helm. Its a super cool, cozy, and intimate BYO in an area that could use a few more options. I like the writing the menu on the chalkboard. We got there and were seated immediately and the server was kind enough to go over the menu with us and explain the specials. We started off with the apples with guanciale and the octopus. They were both really great and a perfect light start to the meal, the octopus was a cool take on ceviche and was really creative. For dinner we went with the rabbit and the steak. Again everything was really good and the portions were hearty but not so big that you couldn't finish them. The prices of Helm are super reasonable and for the quality of the food and the dining experience overall it's a steal. Definitely will be back soon and you should head there if you haven't aleady. read more

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Welcome to the neighborhood, Helm!!! As soon as Helm opened, it's been on the top of my list and boy I'm glad I made it a priority. The ambiance is like your typical philly byob, small and quaint which works great for me. The menu changes all the time as they work with seasonal ingredients which I just love. Some higlights for me were the artic char which was perfectly poached, the skirt steak with an aged jalapeno puree (delicious!) and the corn tortellini with long hots. The tortellini was so unexpected. I couldn't believe how much I loved the sweet corn and spicy flavors together! Unfortunately, by the time we got to dessert, we were all too stuffed so I'll have to save some room for the next visit! read more

So, we won't be re-inventing the wheel here. It goes without saying that this was an exceptional experience in the increasingly crowded and diverse Philadelphia restaurant world. The question then is what exactly separates 'Helm' from the remainder of the quotient? Without spilling the beans to much, the answer is Hospitality. Their are many underlying definitions of Hospitality so if you were to ask The Duo, we'd tell you that is as simple as inviting us into your home for a good evening. This is exactly what we received as we sat enjoying our Valentines dinner with Bruce playing triumphantly on the record player and the swirl of hospitality bouncing around the room. I could tell you about the Mussels with a Shisito peppers that were delicate and full, the perfectly poached Squid with a hint of acidity and heat or the Chicken that was so perfect it made me question whether or not we were actually involved in a cookbook photo shoot, but no, you need to go and experience this on your own. It's the hospitality which will have us coming back for more. We will happily return with our favorite Mamas & the Papas record, a nice bottle of Bordeaux and a smile on our face -- only to be bested by the excellence which is the team at Helm. read more

Went here for the first time on New Year's Eve and will be going back for sure. Great addition to the food scene outside of Center City. While not normally the case, it was a pre-fixe ($75) four-course meal with 'complementary' stiff and delicous cocktails for each course plus it was still BYOB. A lot of booze was flowing! Even better than the booze was the food. I ended up going with a venison appetizer that was amazing...perfectly cooked and seasoned, followed by a pasta course, main dish of NY Strip with jalapeño sauce...once again perfectly cooked and seasoned, and dessert. Two out of the four people at our table were vegetarians, they were not disappointed either. Very accommodating without diminishing the integrity of the dishes or food options. The competency of the wait staff was impeccable, knowing the ins and outs of each menu item. Looking forward to a return trip! read more

Only went once, but dying to go again. The ingredient deck in each of the dishes is thoughtful, interesting and well-prepared. Happy that it is a BYOB too!! Not to mention, cool kitsch bathrooms. read more

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My friends and I came to Helm on New Years Eve. $70 per person for 3 courses. Two of us got the lamb entree. I can honestly say that I have never in my life tasted saltier food. It was unpalatable. Both of us could not finish the dish, and we both informed the server. It was extremely disappointing given the jacked up price for NYE. I don't think I can return to this restaurant. (Disclaimer: this was my one and only visit at Helm, so I cannot comment outside of this one meal) Paying close to $100 (including tip) should provide a memorable dining experience, and unfortunately, that did not happen. read more

Helm was really, really good! I personally love the relaxed vibe of a neighborhood spot; not too fancy for a last-minute reservation. We had the lamb, navy beans and a few other dishes. All of which were knockouts! Our waitress was also phenomenal. The reason I am giving Helm four stars is because I cannot rank it up there with some of my other mind-blowing culinary experiences that I have had. With that said, at its price point, I give Helm a 5/5; I'm just trying to be consistent: restaurants to restaurants, bars to bars. I will certainly be back!! read more

I went her with my daughter Saturday night. We got there early but we're graciously seated. The staff were all very nice, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. They anticipated out needs by automatically opening the wine and brings the correct glasses. My daughter and I shared the leeks with Tewsbury cheese and the squid starters. The squid was prepared perfectly and tender. We then shared the Monkfish for two with sides of roared carrots and Kale. I would have given five stars except for two things. The food very good but I felt a little under seasoned and my knife had a hard time cutting the leeks. I would definitely go back again read more

Helm - Monkfish for two - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This 5 star review is strictly for the food. My wife and I came here Saturday night for our Valentine's date. BYO YUM As per usual, we checked Yelp to get an idea as to what to order, but due to the ever changing menu here, it really didn't help. So I'll do my best to guide you. We ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. The appetizers were legit the best appetizers we've tasted in Philadelphia. You know how sometimes, one dish during the meal really outshines the others? In this case, both the appetizers rose to the occasion. We ordered the brussels and mussels dishes. The entrees were both excellent as well, but because the appetizers were so good, I was slightly disappointed in the Duck dish at the time. Telling you which dishes we got really isn't going to be that helpful, I think what Helm does exceptionally well is sauces. All of the dishes that had a saucier component were amazing. So that would be my advice to you as you explore the menu. Ambience is good. Nice and cozy and not really formal. Service was decent, but could have been a little more friendly to begin with. After we began ordering, everyone warmed up a little. Hopefully that was helpful - my wife and I greatly enjoyed this place and will most definitely be back. It's not a cheap meal, but definitely worth it on a special occasion! read more

Fresh, relaxing, new, healthy, brilliant. The restaurant is wonderfully done! Can't wait to come back! read more

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My girlfriend planned a great birthday weekend for me and the Helm was in the rotation. We don't generally frequent BYOBs but we are glad that we did. The staff was very accommodating, friendly and polite. Our server was very well versed on the menu and answered all of our questions. We enjoyed our meal as the food was delicious and full of flavor. We will be back. read more

Top 5 worst service experiences of my life. Went in with a party of six and had the tasting menu. The food was generally interesting and delicious, though some of my party felt it was over salted. However, the story is really around the service. We had a reservation on the later side on a weekend night, the restaurant was full but we were seated quickly at our reservation time, so far so good. It was an incredibly long time before our order was taken but we were having a good time so that was OK. The first two courses came out very slowly and after the second course our waitress told us she had to leave because she wasn't feeling well but the other servers would take good care of us (based on later events I suspect she just walked out). No other servers stopped by to check on us for a significant time until we called one over to ask for more bread at which point she told us pretty brusquely that there was no more bread. She said it so flippantly that at first we assumed she was kidding. After that a waiter arrived to tell us that our next course would be out soon but was delayed because our previous waitress hadn't told anyone she was leaving. The course did not arrive "soon" but the 2:30 mark in our dining experience our third course came out and one of our friends commented to the waiter that the delay was excessive at which point he snapped at her aggressively on a diatribe that included the following quotes: "How many years have you worked in restaurants?" (Worth noting that at least half the people in our party have a fair amount of restaurant/food service experience in their lives) "There is no manager here because the owners are too cheap. There is no one supporting us." Clearly he was at his wits end at the end of a difficult night. He eventually came back and gave us a "non-apology" apology and as compensation he offered to not include the mandatory gratuity usually attached to a party of six which is no compensation at all. Eventually we got dessert with no offer of coffee or tea. There are enough other excellent BYOBs in the city that we won't be making the trip back to Helm. read more

Tonight I shared the apples, mussels, duck, cod, and, pears for desert. What really stood out was how fresh the ingredients tasted, loading every bite with flavor, some very distinct while others hid around corners. Everything was perfectly cooked and prepared. My only contention -- one that I have at most restaurants -- was how some elements were overly seasoned with salt, masking some of the flavors. I don't know why small spaces play music. It's an unnecessary layer that competes with all of the conversations already bumping into each other. Service was great. Smart and attentive, not overly. read more

Inventive favors, friendly servers, and BYOB. This is for the modern / adventurous eater. There is nothing plain on the menu. Highly suggest the carrots and radishes. read more

I'm still having trouble grasping the concept of BYOB, and why so many restaurants in Philly have it. Everyone in NY has an alcohol license, but not so here! Let's hope that doesn't change. Helm was recommended by a coworker with impeccable taste in food, and boy, was she spot on. The menu at help is written on 2 chalkboards and changes often. Servers walk you through the *entire* menu and answers questions you have. They also keep whatever beverage you brought chilled. The hickory smoked carrots were outrageous. The white beans and chorizo? Delicious. The lamb bolognese was excellent, and the celery root puree perfect. Brussel sprouts were cooked flawlessly. The ham ravioli stole the show for me, though. Totally homemade, incredible flavor, unreal broth. I will be back. It's a little pricey ($50/person), but completely worth it. Can't wait to see what's on the menu next! read more

We liked it. I got the chorizo appetizer and the chicken as my main dish and my husband got the squid appetizer and the lamb bolognese. All the dishes were great. A smidge overpriced but expected from a byob. read more

Really unique and amazing tasting food. Everything was extremely fresh, flavorful and savory. As many mentioned the board is super confusing because it just lists three ingredients, but not how its prepared...i.e. the three ingredients are actually ravioli, etc. Our waitress gave us the high lights, but it still wasn't too clear what we would be getting. The first app was a clam type dish (which was gnocchi) which we think we ordered, but no one told us what it was when they put it down. Either way it was delicious. We also got the ravioli and monk fish. Both were so savory, soft and melty. Finally, for dessert we got a delicious pear cake and amazing lemon tart with the creamiest tart lemon custard on top. I also really loved the little book nook with a table for two, and the overall casual bookstore vibe. One star off because I don't like feeling confused when dining, otherwise it was excellent! read more

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I liked this place a lot aside from my three stars and I'll explain. The concept is really cool and the ambience was great too. We got there at 6:30 and it was quiet but once a bunch if people came and the place was packed, it was loud. I didn't mind though but others who read this might. My issues: my friend got 2 apps and I got 1 app and 1 entree. The food was overly salty - and that's saying something because I love salt and add it to everything! But it was a little difficult to swallow and I was chugging water to bring down the taste. It's so sad because I could tell the food was incredible under all the salt... she got the cauliflower, shrimp, avocado which was really great! Enough shrimp on the plate to make you feel like it's actually what you're paying for. She also got the night's special of pirogies with something I forget but this is what was suuuuuper salty! I got the roots, duck ragu and it was pleasant but also really salty. For the entree, I got Hake ( white fish), saffron and this was meh. The fish wasn't my favorite... it was tasteless and the saffron sauce they poured overtop the meal didn't really add flavor. I had belly pains after and I think it's from the meal. Dessert was reallyyy different and incredible! This apple lemon almond custard thing (yum!) and the special of cheesecake with like goat cheese and chocolate which was interesting mix and worked well. Service was very professional. Got seated right away, asked about allergies, prompt ordering and water refills. Waited for food for a little longer but we didn't mind cuz it gave us more time to catch up and talk! I will say this too... the bathroom was very gross. It smelled of stale urine (thing subway) and was dirty... add some incense and basic cleaning! I think I will come back and try something else on their ever changing menu and hope they chill with the salt! I'm all about second chances... read more

The food is amazing but the service is so bad! It seems to be run by some young people who think the good enough is good enough. Take the risk if you dare. read more

I was excited to see this byo open up a few blocks from my house and it more than lived up to my expectations when I stopped in Saturday night. Everything was super fresh, well prepared, and delicious. I will definitely be back! read more

Delicious dinner! We sampled lots from the menu but some standouts were the asparagus/bore/yoke app, poached artic char, and Brussels sprouts with tortellini. Service was fabulous and we were pleasantly surprised by so many layers of flavor on the menu. Great meal. read more

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Last night being my third time dining at Helm and I must say it keeps getting better. The food is exceptional and hyper-local sourcing is a a great way to get to know local purveyors and what our city has to offer. The service is warm, friendly and relaxed. After several more time dining here since my initial review. Helm continues to improve on what was outstanding. Very attentive service and inventive well prepared dishes. read more

Amazing food and dining experience. We went at 5:00 on a Friday and we're the only ones in the restaurant. Very personable service. One of our favorite spots in the city now. read more

Unbalanced. Uninspired. Underw-helmed. Too salty. Everything looked great on the plate they were small portions for the price. The tilefish smelled bad. read more

Meh. I wouldn't call it a bad meal, but I will not go back. Service was adequate but did not seem very happy to be there. Carrot appetizer was delicious and inventive. Easily the best plate of the night. Also the only item on the menu that has been on since they opened, according to the server. If you go, eat your carrots. Spaghetti squash appetizer was not good and incredibly lazy for this caliber of restaurant. Basically a latke of squash with prosciutto and some melted cheese all over it. Not freshly melted even. Incredibly salty. Rubbery. If a friend made this for you on a whim late night it would work. To serve it in a restaurant is inexcusable. Sweet potato ravioli main was not much better. They tried to mix Szechuan spice with a cream sauce. It didn't work. So they salted it, a lot. What resulted was too heavy and conflicted to finish. Since this was written as a sweet potato dish you might assume it would feature prominently. Not so. Couldn't taste sweet potato at all under all of that. Lamb main was better. Beautifully cooked piece of lamb. Just perfect. Over salted, but only a little. If I only ate carrots and lamb I would have written a nice review. Lamb was paired with a slab of aggressively salty scalloped potatoes. Almost too salty to eat. Lemon custard dessert with apples and almond crumble was quite good. Solid finish to a real mixed bag of a meal. What a disappointing experience. The lamb, carrots, and dessert were good. The rest was bad to awful. When the food missed it was truly some of the laziest, saltiest food I have ever encountered in a well reviewed restaurant. This meal did not come anywhere close to expectations and wasn't worth the time. There are way better meals to be had at this level in this part of the city. Start with Wm Mulherins If you need a recommendation. read more

HOLY CRAP. If you're looking for good food. Go here. Don't ask questions. Just. Go. Prices are reasonable. Food is ABSOLUTELY delicious.

If I could replicate one restaurant and put it on every block in my neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, it'd be Helm. My darling and I decided to spend our special weekend in Philadelphia and we reserved a table of 2 for 8:30 at Helm. Reading the reviews, we knew we'd be in for some tasty food, but we were absolutely blown away with EVERYTHING the restaurant had to offer. Upon finding out about our special day and reasoning for my sweetheart and I's visit to Philly, our server Justin bought us a bottle of champagne. REALLY GOOD CHAMPAGNE. We were absolutely blown away with how kind the gesture was and everything just went up from there! We ordered the brussel sprouts with hazelnuts and the root vegetables with duck confit to start. Incredible as expected - my other doesn't usually eat vegetables and he managed to finish both plates! Then came the chicken two ways (probably the moistest chicken breast I've ever bitten into) and the steak with jalapeno. Unbelievable. Extravagant. Over the top. All the while, enjoying champagne, each other's company, and the service of Justin. I'd come to visit just for this place. Thanks, Helm, for making our night one to remember. read more