Absolutely so delicious. The food here is so fresh and veggie forward - always good to have some balance a fine diner! The portions are actually quite large particularly for the price that they are charged. The restaurant itself is a little out of the way but the inside is very sweet and reminds me of a rustic French cafe. We came here after overhearing the chef at Laurel recommend this restaurant to a nearby table, and I am so glad we came. read more

This place is quickly gaining traction and for good reason. Everything on their menu is unique and perfectly crafted. They take care in their menu items and pride in their work. This is the real deal folks. I've been here twice- their menu changes slightly but some highlights for me were the escargot, mussels (de-shelled and in the most delicious broth), and for dessert- the Gateau Basque. read more

I feel anything I write here would not do my multiple experiences here any justice. Delicious. Delicious. Unique. Delicious. If you have not been to Helm, just go. Really. That's the only advice I can give... Oh wait, make sure to get a pasta and whatever pork dish they are serving. Personally, I would avoid the carrots. THE END. read more

Helm is a wonderful addition to the area, something the Northern Liberties / Fishtown area has been missing. Each dining experience with Helm thus far has been refreshingly new and comfortable. All of the dishes were fresh, flavorful and aromatically pleasing; in other words - very good. The "poached" arctic char has been my close favorite, but all of the entrees have resulted in long slow "mmmmms", laughter and the subsequent interrogation of the server trying to figure out how it's made. The service is attentive, attractive and knowledgeable. Each time I've dined here, the food was well supported by servers who have been able to anticipate needs and requests. Plus, they're really cool and inviting. Thanks again Helm! read more

Cannot say enough about this place. The menu (although ever changing) is unbelievable. We had a fantastic experience from start to finish. The servers and chefs are polite, informative and take pride in their creativity and display. The food was amazing, our table of 4 shared several apps and entrees and did not have a bad bite the whole night. From the vegetables to the meats, everything was grilled, seared, steamed, and plated to perfection. read more

Everything was awesome, from the food, to the seating, to the service by Shannon. We got the spaghetti squash, the Brussels sprouts, the hake, and the sweet potato and crab ravioli. The dishes were inventive, delicious, and definitely not overly salty (as mentioned in several previous reviews). Looking forward to going back soon. read more

Went on their opening weekend. Had the polenta dish, which was very tasty in flavor if a bit soup-y in texture. Tortellini with brussel sprouts and cheese curds was super delish. My chicken dish was a little bit dry but good flavor overall. Hubs had the pork dish, which sort of came in a broth-y soup bowl that made it a bit difficult to eat (this could be easily remedied by putting it in a low bowl instead, I think,) La Colombe baguette, homemade butter, and relaxed/cozy decor plus BYOB make this a good choice for a nice dinner out with friends or date night. A few kinks to be worked out but nothing that I wouldn't expect on opening weekend. We will be back! read more

Great new BYOB in south kensington. Very pleasant and comfortable atmosphere and friendly staff. Interesting menu consisting of locally sourced ingredients. We had the Arctic Char and skirt steak entrees and both were absolutely fantastic. Desert was great too. We will definitely be back! read more

Holy wow!! The food is ambitious and interesting and comes together beautifully. My favorites were the smoked carrot appetizer and the skirt steak entree. Prices seem fair and portions are decent-sized. My neighbors dining to either side were raving about their dishes as well. The decor is cozy and casual, nice subtle lighting, little touches everywhere like a cookbook bookcase, turntable, and a small two person nook. I want to sit there next time. I made my next reservation before leaving the restaurant! Downsides are minor - hideous bathroom and not so good chocolate dessert. Service was on point. I recognized some familiar industry faces from Fork and Stateside, to name just a couple. This is BYOB and when I decided I hated the wine we brought, the manager magically produced a lovely bottle of rosé and we traded! Can't wait to eat here again very soon! read more

Helm is probably my favorite restaurant in Philadelphia right now. The food is delicious and memorable. We have been here four times and it is always great. read more

Pretty awesome food. They were able to squeeze us in last minute. Carrots were great. Mussels were unique.

The tasting menu was fantastic. The ingredients are fresh and everything we had was delicious. Very romantic atmosphere and BYOB to boot!

Went there last night. Every single dish was over salted by a mile. Sent one dish back because it literally was not able to be swallowed due to the salt. The last dish they sent out, after having sent back the previous dish because it was too salty, was salted even more. Inedible. We gave up. We paid the bill. Tipped nicely. And left. Will not be back. read more

This is a hidden gem. The food is all unique, and the menu frequently changes. The menu is written on a chalkboard and features sides and food combinations I have never seen anywhere else. It is a BYOB, which also is helpful because it saves money on booze! You will not be disappointed. This has been our go-to "special occasion" restaurant for over a year now. read more

BYOB and very intimate setting. Food was unusual, but very tasty! I will definitely go back.

Incredible. I have been to a lot of Philly's best and was taken by surprise at the quality of the food served at Helm. We were fortunate to try all of the appetizers. No one in our group could pick a favorite. Each one was outstanding. We each ordered a different entrée and no one was disappointed and no one was willing to share. Although this is a farm to table restaurant and it is January in Philly, flavors were fresh and complex. Our group agreed that we would come back every couple of months just to see what else the kitchen can produce. Can't wait to go back. The service was as good as the food. You have to go. read more

Our meal was delicious, fresh, and satisfying. Very low key, welcoming atmosphere. Upscale food without the pretentiousness you might find at other fine dining establishments. The grilled leeks were amazing and I got the Arctic char, which was perfectly cooked. My boyfriend got the Chicken which tasted awesome too. I will be back for sure! read more

The presentation and food preparation was amazing. The sweetbreads were done perfectly and probably the best dish i have tasted. We ordered the carrots with the chevre which were cooked perfectly and very balanced with the rest of the dish. The green salad was not just a salad, presented perfectly on our favorite potter - Felt + Fat. Service was very attentive and i like that the cooks come out to present the dishes. Highly recommend and we will be pack. read more

Amazing BYOB!!! Incredible service, unbelievable food! This is a hidden gem! My new favorite BYOB in Philly!

I went to Helm for the first time for dinner recently and it was amazing! It's a pretty small restaurant, intimate but doesn't feel like you're sitting on top of other diners. The service was excellent - the servers had great knowledge of the dishes (and had them all memorized) and did not rush the meal. The food was outstanding- tons of textures and flavors that worked well and was not overwhelming. We ordered 2 appetizers (mussels and root vegetables) and 2 entrees (pork with 18 hour cabbage and the pasta option). The pork was cooked to perfection and I couldn't stop eating the pasta. I was pleasantly surprised at the large portion size and that we had leftovers to take home! Definitely one of the best farm to table BYOs in Philly and can't wait to go back again. read more

See all

Unique means one of a kind and Helm is unique. Fantastic combinations of food that you might not think of together. The food is fresh and creatively prepared. The service is excellent and friendly. Helm is a must try. read more

Went with family and friends for 60th birthday. Absolutely great place to celebrate a milestone with family and friends! An incredible kaleidoscope of tastes, and laid back but great service (not easy to pull off!) Really fun place to have dinner and relax - and eat the most amazing root veggies with chili spice you could ever imagine, not to mention 15 or 16 shared plates that were unique and flavorful. read more

We went to Helm to celebrate a birthday and had nothing but a five-star experience from the time we walked in until we paid our bill and left. The staff is welcoming, polite, and it is evident that they enjoy what they do. They were knowledgeable of the menu and were able to answer all of our questions. The food was outstanding and done exactly as proposed. They offered food accommodations if needed and went out of their way to ensure that our dining experience was all we had anticipated and much more. I look forward to going back very soon! read more

The food was good overall. The portions are on the smaller side. The service was ok which is the main reason why this is getting a 2 star review. We were asked to leave because we were chatting a little longer than usual and they had other people to seat that had reservations. Not my favorite way to leave a restaurant, especially since I've never had that happen before and we weren't there that long. Also there were other couples that were there just as long if not longer. The place was pretty small and the tables felt somewhat close together. It's BYOB which is fine, but I've spent less money at places with just as good of food and alcohol included in the price. Would not go back there again read more

5 bells in my mouth!! This food was fantastic! Did a tasting of pretty much everything on the menu and it was all fantastic! Wax beans- omg! Arctic char- melt in your mouth! Sirloin was cooked perfectly atop the best potato I've ever eaten! Yum! Will definitely be coming back again. And again! Yum! :) read more

Definitely lived up to the high praise that they have been receiving. We had 3 appetizers: hickory smoked carrots, Brussels sprouts with escargot and the squid. All 3 were excellent but the squid and Brussels were tied for first. The sauces that both of them came in were unbelievable. For entrees we had the NY strip steak and the kale duck ravioli. Both were great. The ravioli were an odd shape and they exploded with flavor when bitten in to. The duck that came with the ravioli literally melted in our mouth. The steak was a perfect medium rare accompanied by delicious broccoli and potatoes. The chocolate custard and ricotta dessert was phenomenal. We will definitely go back. read more

Helm is one of my top 10 restaurants in Philly at the moment and definitely the best new BYO in town. Staff is so friendly and do a great job at explaining the whole menu, written on chalk boards. I have eaten there 5 times and continue to be wowed. You can't go wrong with anything on menu. The carrots are a must, steak and pork were amazing when I was there last week. Helm is small and intimate, but can get quite loud. Parking is still easy and free on the street. read more

Flew into town yesterday and LUCKED OUT to find this gem AND get a table for 2. Absolutely impeccable service, caring staff, and STELLAR meal of smoked carrots and the chicken done two ways. Don't miss this place! read more

I have to say, this is the first time I've been to a restaurant where I was underwhelmed by the appetizers, but wowed by the entrees. Usually, it's the other way around (if at all - it's also possible to be equally great!). For appetizers, we got the Brussels sprouts and escargot, and a lamb pie. Caveat - I'm not a huge fan of escargot, but as my dining mate was eager to try this app, I gave it a try. So, perhaps it's not entirely fair for me to rate this app. I will say that the Brussels and the sauce were done very well. The lamb pie was tasty, but to me, was reminiscent of an overpriced empanada. The entrees, however, are where it's at. I got pork with two different kinds of cabbage. The pork was cooked perfectly - tender and flavorful. One cabbage was apparently from a head of baby cabbage that was roasted for 18 hours. That was good, but not too much taste. I sadly don't remember what the other type of cabbage was called, but it was prepared as a pickled slaw, and was wonderful. I wish they sold it in a jar, which I would take home and promptly eat the entire thing. My friend got kale tortellini with duck confit. The duck was very good. The kale tortellini were amazing. Both entrees were sized well - I'm always hesitant to go to nicer restaurants because I tend to leave hungry, but I was stuffed by the end. I think my main issue with the appetizers was that I felt like they were slightly pricey for what you get. But, that would certainly not deter me from coming back and trying new entrees! read more

For a place so acclaimed, I was quite disappointed. Had a reservation for two on a Friday evening. We were seated immediately, so that's good. But the place was extremely loud. Having a conversation at the tiny table was difficult. Most tables were full but emptied out eventually. My complaints concern the atmosphere and the service. The food was very good, for the most part. The smoked carrots with chevre were way too smoky; i felt a bit like i was eating charcoal briquettes. We didn't finish that one. Pea-curry ravioli were delicious. They know what they're doing with pasta. I didn't get a main course because they had no vegetarian options. Not a big deal, but the waiter didn't say anything when we only ordered two appetizers and one main course. No "the apps are pretty tiny -- you sure you don't want anything else?" Maybe he was just distracted because he was the only waiter for the entire 16 tables. There were various other staff members there; they just, for whatever reason, were not taking orders but simply running food, etc. It was very difficult to place an order, get refills of the small water glasses, or track someone down to open a bottle of wine. The waiter had no personality and seemed annoyed when spoken to. The wait times increased towards the end of the evening, and we sat for quite some time waiting for the check. The desserts were good as well, and my partner's cauliflower-pepper-pork ravioli was very good. But i don't think i'll be coming back. The city has places with similar food at a similar price point and much better atmosphere and service. read more

While the three-ingredient listing of the menu items can be a little mysterious, you really can't go wrong with anything you order here. The Octopus-Squash-Olive appetizer was delicious, the Carrot-Chevre-Basquaise was perfect. The Cod-Squash-Caesar was amazing, but the real stand-out was the Pork Tortellini Long Hot--I don't eat meat, so I didn't order it for my entree, but I tried two of the tortellini on my gentleman's plate and they were something to write home about (The pork was served on top, not inside the tortellini.) The portions were exactly right, and we got both of the desserts they were offering--similarly outstanding. Being a BYO makes the final bill less shocking as well--two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts for less than $100. Not only did I already recommend this place to four people in two days, I hope to head back before too long. read more

Fantastic food. I was worried that portions would be small and I'd leave hungry but that was far from being the case! We couldn't even order dessert because we were so full. We started with the smoked carrots (Phenomenal and good size) and I chose the pork (~$26) as my main while my boyfriend ordered the lamb entree (~$25). Both were out of this world. We also loved that it was BYOB and they take credit cards. Service was helpful and friendly. Overall, great experience and insanely good food. read more

We used the Helm team for our rehearsal dinner which was held on a Friday night at Tierce. The booking process with them was super easy and they were open to any and all of my questions. The dinner was incredible-they served all 35 of our rowdy, hungry guests with such ease. They sent out plate after plate of incredible food that our guests raved about. We were told it was the best rehearsal dinner food many people had ever had-also shout out to the fried leeks that were BOMB. If I could give Helm 10 stars I would! They made our rehearsal dinner fun, easy and so delicious. Highly highly highly recommend them for any private party! read more

What a wonderful addition to this neighborhood. Service was amazing! Food was fresh. The brussel sprout tortellini dish was ridiculous. We ordered the pork which melted in your mouth and the skirt steak. I highly recommend this restaurant. It was a wonderful surprise. read more

Helm - Brussels Sprouts Tortellini!!! Delicious!!!! - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Wow!! Went last night. Food A++. Great service as well. Check this place out for sure.

The two chefs are imaginative and creative and the food distinctive. Every restaurant with pretensions of greatness offers dishes with multiple, exotic ingredients but these chefs achieve genuinely creative AND tasty results. A few things induced me to give four rather than five stars. The restaurant's layout is a bit awkward given the immovable walls. A west facing window brings intense sunlight into diners' eyes at sundown. The music played is too loud. This is not a problem unique to this restaurant and as an old foggy I recognize I am (pardon the pun) not entirely in tune with what young people want. However, the restaurant was occupied by as many older folks as young ones and the music, played as much for the staff's benefit as the patrons', could be lower. European restaurants rarely if ever play music. They recognize dinning and conversation are the attractions. The second reason I gave four rather than five stars is that the entre portions are too small. One of our party was quite dismayed by the small amount of duck breast in her dinner. I found the lamb portion also quite small, especially when I looked at the pile of fat that accumulated on the side of my dish. The portions are reasonably priced but not sufficient. the Arctic Char was reasonably portioned. The appetizers are the highlight of the menu. Inventive. Creative. Unexpected (smoked carrots, clams in a tzatziki. The staff was very accommodating. In the end I would certainly return, but I would not be impatient for my next visit if the same issues noted above persisted. read more

A delicious and truly heartwarming BYOB. My friend and I had heard good reviews of Helm and decided to give it a try, as we are both foodies and are always out to adventure! It did not disappoint, from finding out that it really isn't located in Kensington (which was what was described on google, but surprised us by leading us to Northen Liberties -and thus even closer than we thought-) to the verbal explanation that details the full menu (it let us know where the locally sourced ingredients came from and showed us that our server really knew the dishes). We started with the sweet breads....(recommended by our server Justin, who was outstanding) Each bite was more delicious than the previous, we both actually declared that at the same time. Our next selection was the Rabbit Eggplant and Gouda (for me) and the Steak Jalapeño and Potato (for her - but of course we both tasted and evaluated both dishes!). Ahmazing, the sauce for the Rabbit on the very first bite just invited me in... keep digging, it implored. The steak, cooked med - med rare, came with trimmed fat on... (that's when you know you are in for a real treat). We ended our dinner and long catch up girl talk, over one of the more savory desserts... a cheese peach sweet potato dish. It was a perfect finish to our meal as we sipped our last wine and appreciated the line that was growing at the door in wait for tables. Definitely go if you are considering a unique dining experience in a casual but "knows the importance of food" environment! We will be back! read more

5 star on all levels. Service was comfortable and attentive. Food was devine. Had the brushes escargot. Root vegetables duck confit with yolk. Kale duck tortellini and chicken spaghetti squash. All on point. Very tasty read more

What a great experience at this BYOB in lower Kensington. Though the street it's on is a little sketchy, it's only a block or so above Girard Avenue. The ambience is exactly what Id hoped for-casual and lively but not so loud that one couldn't enjoy a conversation. But the best was the food. Each course an adventure in different flavors. The cuisine is probably French inspired but definitely influences from Spain and the Mediterranean in my view. Had the mussels, tenderloin and chocolate mousse. Probably the best meal I've had at a Philly restaurant in years. read more

Is there a 6th star? This place deserves it. The risk and guts that it took to open in this location was HUGE and it so paid off. It just goes to show that when the talent is there and the food is good, it doesn't matter WHERE you are. We took a gamble tonight and decided to wait for a late reservation...it was worth every minute of waiting and every dollar we spent! Philly is an amazing city for eating, and this place just adds to the list. Go go go!!! Beyond worth it. Food, service...BYOB! It's just different, fantastic experience that I will undoubtedly be back to enjoy :) read more