The top 3 meals I've ever eaten. The combination of flavors was amazing, nothing was average, I went with a friend so we made sure to get different options. This is a 3 course meal for very reasonable price. Everything we ordered was spectacular, the chef was amazing! Definitely a must stop if you are are in Philly. A little hole in the wall that will blow you away. Bring your favorite wine and enjoy read more

Incredible date night! I really enjoy the BYOB environment, and Helm has been on my radar for a while. I finally snagged a reservation, picked up a bottle of wine around the corner, and made it just in time. The staff was very nice, and food restriction aware as well. We sat at a small table in the center of the place, which filled up very quickly after we sat down for dinner. The food was incredible, and the swordfish, maitake, and apple was one of the best combinations I have tasted to date. The fresh bread with butter and salt is a very good way to start the meal, and the dessert was on point too. We got one of the desserts to split - it was basically a flour-less chocolate cake with cashews and a delicious drizzle of caramel on top. read more

Helm - Flour-less chocolate cake - with cashews and coconut filling. - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Helm is a great hidden gem in olde kensington. The food is some of the best I've had in the city, and they have a fun customizable prefix menu format. Very affordable for what you get read more

When I've come to Helm in the past, I've been blown away by my meal. I came again recently with a group and although we had a great time and enjoyed it for the most part, I think it's gone downhill just slightly. I came with a group of 8 and we opted for the 55/person tasting menu where they bring out basically almost every dish on the menu in shared portions in a 4 course plating. It was an awesome suggestion for a big group. They accommodated one member of our party who is a vegetarian and brought her out specially made veg-friendly options to replace some of the meat items we received. It was super nice and we appreciated it, as not every restaurant will do this. There are still lots of good things about this place. Most of their veggie plates were delicious, including the beets, carrots, fried eggplant. Their pasta courses were also great, especially the ravioli dish. Some of the dishes were WAY too salty, especially the fried wontons... almost inedible. The monkfish entree was bland and the fish was chewy and unappetizing, especially disappointing for being a red curry dish that should have been packed with flavor. I was so full by the third round of courses, I could barely eat the meat entrees. Fortunately, my second stomach opened up for the dessert, because these were all delicious. I'm not a huge dessert person, but each one was great. We had great service the whole night and I was very glad we brought our group here. There are just some dishes that need to be refined (or removed) and the salt level can be cut down a bit. read more

The food is simply amazing! The staff explains every single item and it's so fresh and delicious. Well worth the wait to get a resy. The Brussels, scallops and pulled pork (along with everything else) especially to die for! read more

Helm is a small little spot with an intimate setting and a unique menu. It's the kind of place that doesn't title their dishes, but simply lists a few key ingredients leaving it up to the diner to decipher what exactly each dish is. Or, of course, you can ask your server for recommendations and to explain what some of the dishes are. All of the dishes are unique combinations of ingredients, with unexpected pairings of flavors and textures. We ordered 5 dishes to share between the two of us. The FIG, BLEU CHEESE CUSTARD, PROSCIUTTO was unique and delicious! The funky blue cheese "custard" was smeared on the bottom, and complemented the sweet fall figs and the crispy pieces of prosciutto. A perfect fall dish with sensual flavors! The SMOKED BEETS, BABY CARROT, PISTACHIO, AND JERKY was also an interesting pairing, but not one of my favorites. The dish consisted of an herbed creme of some sort on the bottom, topped with carrots that were too crunchy IMO, smoked beets (yum!), crumbled pistachio bits, and jerky. It just was lacking for me. Another disappointment was the SUNCHOKES. I was hoping for fresh sunchokes, when they actually came battered and fried, which was not specified in the menu. And even with being fried, they lacked the ideal crispness that comes with a fried dish, and were a bit mushy. The last two dishes were my two favorites. The FENNEL, CHORIZO, SCALLOP, TARRAGON, was light, savory, and just plain old yummy! Two perfectly seared scallops were atop a bed of greens with fennel, and crumbled bits of chorizo to add a nice level of spice to the dish The CORN AGNOLOTTI, CHANTERELLE, BLUEBERRY, was by far the most confusing of pairings, yet after eating it, it made the most sense. These pastas had a sweet corn filling, and were served with earthy chanterelle mushrooms, corn, and a sweet blueberry compote. The sweetness of the corn and blueberry paired nicely with the earthy mushrooms for a pasta dish like you've never had before. So unique and amazing! Helm was good, but definitely had some things I think need improving. First and foremost, the menu needs just a BIT more clarification (aka are the sunchokes fried?). Some of the dishes didn't hit the mark for me, but then again, this place isn't for everyone. If you have a sophisticated palette and are looking to try some new foods you wouldn't have anywhere else, it's a great place to try!o read more

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First time at Helm and it's definitely a top restaurant in Philly! Amazing food, friendly staff, and BYOB. As a table we ordered the carrots and greens for our appetizers, the pork and lamb for the entrees, and the blueberry and and crumb strawberry for dessert. The food was some of the best I've had and you really can't go wrong when ordering. The desserts are a MUST! You have to try this restaurant- we'll be back for sure. read more

Helm - Current menu - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Interesting way to set up the menu! Enjoyed our meals! Particularly enjoyed the ricotta icecream.

Went during the covid pandemic and got two, 3 course prix fixe meals. Overall a great experience! Menu was posted on instagram. You could either call in after noon, or email them at any time. I emailed my order in at 9AM and got a response confirming it within 10 min. Gave a pick up time of 6PM. Good system was in place to keep social distancing in place while getting your food. For appetizers we had the Burrata and mushroom pie. Burrata was delicious but not enough bread for the amount of cheese. Mushroom pie was a generous serving and very flavorful with fresh veggies on the side. Had the coconut curry rice with chicken. Rice was delicious but the chicken was on the dry side. Also had brisket over pasta with broccoli. Meat was very tender and tasty but the sauce was a bit heavy. Desert,,,oh man...had the chocolate Swiss roll...so soft, and incredible! Coconut, nuts, so many flavors. Also had the ginger cream puffs which were nice and fluffy. Everything was packed very nicely and presented well, even though it was in cardboard boxes. Lady at the front taking payment and handing out food was very nice. A bit of a wait even though we said what time we were coming which was a bit irritating since we were all standing out in the cold waiting for the food. Overall a great experience with delicious food and all for a very reasonable price (we were STUFFED after eating everything). Go support your local businesses and check them out! read more

I visited helm after they first opened. It was eye opening. Went back again, about a year later, and they were still holding it down. I went again last night, and all I can say is, wow. For the third time, they've knocked it out of the park. Its very easy to forget what a creative kitchen is working in there. Amazing. I'm not going to go into detail, but I tasted the best octopus of my life last night. And what kind of wizard can make a deep fried porkloin, stuffed with cheese, seem light? These guys can. Just go...be surprised, and thank me later. read more

Helm - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Dining at Helm was a much more unique experience than I initially gave it credit for. Upon arriving, I rolled my eyes at the chalkboard menu featuring farm-to-table fare with dishes listed by their three primary ingredients (i.e. "beef, kale, sunchoke" and "lamb, polenta, bolognese"). It seemed pretentious. (Full disclosure: I also resented that it was BYOB and I forgot wine. Poor me, right?) Soon enough, I realized that Helm creates and serves the sort of dishes that don't need flowery descriptions because the ingredients powerfully speak for themselves. All five dishes I shared with a friend were total standouts - and we were STUFFED by the end. A succulent lamb bucatini dish, fragrant paella with crispy rice, scallop-stuffed squid with tabbouleh, a rich, decadent mushroom & eggs dish and some pierogis (I forget what these came with). Fresh, simple dishes with some seriously tremendous flavor. I get it now. Helm is truly a special place. While the dishes are small, they're quite filling & completely satisfying. Only $60 for dinner for two! I'd be back in a heartbeat if I lived closer. read more

Helm - scallop stuffed squid - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wow! Blown away in the quality and flavor of the food. Our family had such a wonderful meal this evening.

I love farm-to-table, small, candlelit, kinda homey byobs with the ever changing menus. Not super loud and crowded, but just lively enough. I've tried Pumpkin and Russet in Center City, and I'll say that Helm wins my heart in creativity with just a few ingredients per dish. The chalkboard is fairly simple-three ingredients in each dish. But, the waiter give you a detailed description of each dish that makes you think twice about what to order. After making our decision, quick to appear on our table was house-made, soft, lightly salted butter with bread from High Street. Our appetizer, made from tuna, peach, and radicchio. The dish was a colorful stack of poached tuna, bell pepper, and grilled peaches upon a foundation of radicchio and butter, all topped with a lemony vinagrette and something crunchy. An incredibly complex dish of flavors and textures. The tuna, though mostly raw, was hardly fishy at all. A light opening to a wonderful meal. Next up were the two main dishes. Pork, zucchini and apple-a cordon-bleu-esque take on pork, accompanied by cubed zucchini, slivered apple, and a pickled cabbage. The crispy shell on the pork was fairly light, and the cheesy filling was rich and salty. A well-executed dish. Artichoke, octopus, olive-very acidic ravioli with braised octopus on top. The sauerkraut on top helped cut through the acidity. We wrapped up our meal with the gateau basque-a shortbread-like cake with bourbon-glazed peaches and housemade vanilla whip. My friend and I agreed that this was the dish we would go back to Helm for-unlikely given their penchant for keeping up with the seasonal ingredients. All in all, besides that we had picked dishes that were on the acidic side, I really enjoyed my dinner at Helm, and remain thoroughly impressed by creative use of a few ingredients in each dish. read more

Absolutely hands down my fav restaurant in Philly! Everything on the menu is excellent. The carrots are phenomenal, you'd think "just carrots" but no they are that good. And the best part of it all is-it's BYO. read more

This restaurant was on Philly's top 50, so we decided that we had to try it. We made a reservation and glad we did because the place is small. Weirdest thing was that their menu is on a chalkboard - and it only has the 3 main ingredients. So the waiter came by and ran through every item. Which is great for their memory recall, but it was hard to figure out what I wanted to order because I'm a visual person and she just verbally told us. Anyways, we ended up getting: Apps: Spaghetti Squash, Marinara, Pepato and Sunchoke, Brussels, Szechuan Dinner: Chicken, Sunchoke, Confit and Lamb, Spinach, Sour Cream Everything was really salty. My least favorite dish was the lamb - never been a big fan of lamb - but the potatoes on the side were AMAZING. I think my favorite dish was the chicken. It was cooked so perfectly and the skin was AMAZING. Also note that this place is BYOB! Not sure if I would come back to this place, just because there are so many other places in the city that I want to try and this place wasn't out of this world. read more

I ate here a couple months ago and loved every bite. So, I returned with a party of 8 expecting a similar experience. This was not a good meal. We had the chef's menu due to our party size. At the first course we felt the food was salty, but did not comment. On the second and third course, we let the waitress know the food was incredibly salty. She said she would let the chef know. Our waitress, Megan, was very kind and friendly. I'm sure she let the chef know our comment. But, that does not change how inedible the food was. It was honestly terrible. I will not return. Two stars only because the servers were fantastic. Overall disappointing to spend so much money for a bad meal. read more

Sweet love of all byobs, howdy Helm! Adore, adore, adore. It's been so long since I've frequented an amazing byob in these parts, I had almost given up, but then Helm walked through my door... or ahem, I walked through their doors and sat down with anticipation. I was apprehensive, because I wanted this place to be amazing and it was, in every possible way. The food, my friends, the food! Interior, so coolly casual, like the service. Restrained, informative, well-paced. Ingredients fresh and executed so perfectly. To start asparagus with boar ragu and an egg (each asparagus spear grilled and succulent); the grilled leeks with goat yogurt and soft shell crab with a basquaise sauce. Then the amish chicken and the delectable lamb with turnips and garlic with all the proteins cooked to temperature. Ending with a buttery gateau basque and the whole meal finished in a quiet flourish. Oh me oh my, welcome home Helm. read more

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The best new BYO in town? Maybe it is (it is). Maybe it isn't (lies). Either way, any restaurant with this caliber of food that is not above having a keg of Miller High Life to serve to waiting patrons (or my husband who could care less about the nice bottle of wine I brought) is okay by me. Nice touch, Helm. Nice touch. And their pasta game is ON POINT. If you don't order AT LEAST one pasta dish, you're a fool and we have nothing more to say to each other. The red curry ravioli special and the kale, duck and gouda tortellini were solid winners for our party of three's favorite dishes of the night. Dare I say they were *almost* as good as the pyramid pasta at Mercato? I dare. And the apple gateau? Save some room for this one. I consider myself a tenured professor in the desserts department and this is one of the best Philly has to offer. Easily one of my favorite meals of 2015 (no lie). read more

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WOW! After our meal, I walked into the kitchen and I told the staff, "this is better than Laurel." And it is! A premiere BYOB a little bit north of the action in Northern Liberties, Helm shines brightly because it is so set apart from its Rittenhouse and Passyunk East counterparts. A thoughtful, seasonal menu coupled with a cool, hip atmosphere makes Helm one of the best restaurants in the city. I have to remark first and foremost about its modest price point. Two starters, two entrees, two desserts came under $100. That's just unbelievable considering the incredible quality of ingredients and the evident care that the kitchen put preparing our meal. I ordered a swordfish, maitake, apple appetizer--tender fish blasted with high heat allowed for a great contrast of flavor and texture. The eggplant tempura was ethereal! A creative appetizer delicately prepared and very hard to mimic. As an entree, it was rare lamb with meatballs and scalloped potatoes. Also expertly prepared with umami all over, and a surprisingly delicate rutabaga side. My data got the sweet potato and crab ravioli, she remarked on the seemingly odd pairings, but most notably that they worked. I agree. Thoughtful, interesting, and well curated. For dessert it was pumpkin pie set in a French pate sucree crust, and chocolate, cashew, and caramel. Both were outstanding. Such an incredibly satisfying end to our meal. Hip and humble. Helm is a star in Philadelphia. Highest recommendation. read more

I love food more than anything in the world but I've never felt compelled to post a Yelp review until now. I'm writing because I support what this place is doing with the food they serve and I want them to succeed. And because some of the dishes we tried there rendered me speechless, save for a few blissful moans but more on that later. Helm nailed it; interesting innovative menu, refined technique, complex dishes with simple platings. A cozy, intimate feel with chalkboards, bookshelves and a record player which felt reminiscent of being in someone's living room but with a lot of stemware and serious talent in the kitchen. It's a bit of an off-the-beaten-path location, (a block north of Girard) which translates to the sweet, sweet ample on-street parking that's become increasingly scarce these days. We were able to get same day weekday reservations for a medium-sized party. Eating out can be hit or miss, but I always jump at the chance of trying a new place with a bigger group and tasting the menu family style in order to try "all the things" in one dining experience. It is pretty much my favorite thing ever. Another thing I liked about Helm was its relaxed but attentive service. At first the menu *does* read a bit foodie, and needs a good bit of explanation but when the food hit the table it just felt like good eatin, no pretension. I enjoy watching the culinary scene here evolve and flourish, but some chefs are in show-off mode, one upping each other with trendy ingredients, techniques, artful plating, and overly conceptualized dishes. I grow wary of it and I was worried Helm would fall into that territory, but it did not. I am a fan of a more approachably worded menu however the food itself was simple, and well prepared with heart and soul innit. Don't be afraid to look stupid and ask your server what things are if you're anything like me and your eyes glaze over and you start fantasizing about the joys of dog ownership while someone is standing at the head of the table reading specials. Dishes like basquaise, piperade, with brandade and guanciale. What. Last night I ate all the things and I still don't know what a sunchoke is. Just shut up and get in my mouth. If the menu didn't change regularly based on local availability but I'd return for the: potatoes with mussels, smoked chèvre carrots, stewed tomatoes, smoked swordfish, cod entree, saffron sweetbreads, and the rabbit eggplant pasta. As a refreshing change of pace, the chefs and line cooks ran our food and gave another breakdown of each dish, with a sense of pride and satisfaction. I really, really loved that touch. We also tried all three desserts of which we unanimously agreed the standout was the apple gasteau, a buttery bisquit tart pie thing. That gasteau was so retarded. Eloquence isn't exactly my strong suit but I am a pretty huge loudmouth and I couldn't even speak after I ate it. I needed a personal moment of silence. I could have slapped the forks out of everyone's hands and took the whole glorious thing to my face. I'm getting jittery just thinking about it. So many of the dishes here are perfectly executed, on a I-wouldn't-change-a-thing level. The only thing I'd pass on second time around was a shaved apple salad. I would also like to see Helm offer more options before I'd send any vegetarians here, as the large majority of starters and all of the mains were meat/seafood based but then again their menu is fairly small. Regardless, Helm exceeded my expectations and I'm looking forwards to returning! read more

Helm - Menu 9/30/15 - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Everything about this is place is just a Yes!! Small BYO establishment in an area of the city that has not been overly doused with yuppy nonsense. Sadly if I can think of one thing negative to say about Helm is that this will bring in a lot of that because it is so great. An ever changing menu, my group of four got as much as we could and I am so happy we did that. Entree meats were cooked to perfection, appetizers and sides were refreshing, different, and inventive while still being understated somehow. Call up and make a reservation, it is so worth it. read more

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So helm happened last night and it changed the way I feel about crossing Girard for byobs. Dinner with the GoodMans could not have been better. Wine opened and menu reviewed with us by our server (audible menus usually aren't my thing but they also list them on a chalkboard) Our server made everything sound so amazing we had a hard time deciding . Eventually we went with the Brussels , carrots and a Ravioli special to start and we shared two entrees the duck ragu tortellini and the cod. Helms pasta game is so tight our favorites of the night were the ravioli starter and tortellini . Both filled with the right amount of stuffing and cooked perfectly . I didn't eat any of the ragu but the Goodmans said it was bomb. Desert changed the way I feel about saving room for extras the gateau was amazing Apple ,Carmel , and salt perfection . 3 apps 2 entrees and a dessert was the perfect amount of food to share between 3 peeps. *protip helm is byo but in the event you forget you have the option of ordering a beer or glass of wine gratis. read more

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This is my favorite restaurant. My last meal here was a bit disappointing but once you've had them at their best, you develop a certain faith in food. I don't have faith in people but I have faith in good food and with that, in helm. I had their ravioli and it was simply sublime. The service was more that I could ask for and they were accommodating when I showed up late and gave me a free appetizer when My party waited a few minutes for our reserved table. I still Remember those carrots... they haunt me. read more

I LOVED IT!!! What a lovely experience from our enthusiastic server to the delicious food and chill ambiance. I dined with 2 other friends and we shared 6 plates and 2 desserts. Total was $123.00. It is BYOB, but they do take credit cards (smart!). As the night progressed, some of the accompaniments on the menu chalkboard changed. It's a very clever way to move product. We had the Duck Breast with sauteed greens, but then as the greens ran out, the other diners has theirs with fava beans. I took photos but tried not to be That Chick. But the sun coming in through the windows offered a light that I could not ignore! There is lots of energy and heart put into this project. I am spreading the good word out of my big mouth and telling everyone to get over there. And don't forget to tip your server in cash because we really appreciate it! read more

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I don't know why it took us so long to return to Helm but we won't make that mistake again. To avoid using the same terms over and over again to describe our meal, feel free to plug in any or all of the following to depict our experience: amazing, unique, unusual, beautiful, incredible, etc, etc. There are some items that appear to remain on the menu for longer periods, but the majority seem to change. So keeping the above terms in mind, we thoroughly enjoyed the following: Carrot - Chevre Basquaise Green Curry Pea Tortellini Nettle, Duck, Ricotta Ravioli Pork, Ryeberry, Jalapeno And for dessert, a shared Gateau Basque. Every item on the menu is described by the Host or a server. As last time, with tax & tip, the bill came to around $100 an incredibly small amount for an overwhelming meal. Because it is a small room, it can become quite loud but either come as early as you can to try to avoid it or maybe during the week. But in any case, this is a Must Not Miss Restaurant. Remember - it's a BYO. read more

Entirely underwHELMed by this experience. My husband and I took another couple out to Helm in Kensington to celebrate their recent engagement. He and I concurred we'd rate the experience 3 out of 5, considering the food, ambiance and service. The other couple said they really loved their food, but we were pretty disappointed. To keep it short and sweet, the food was blatantly over-salted. A place that is charging $25+ per entree needs to do better. The flavor of my pork chop entree was blasted into space by the salt level. I had a bite of my husband's lamb, which was less salty, but not really cooked through. After chewing a tough bite for 40 seconds, I had to give up.. The "menu" (or lack thereof) was annoying and unhelpful. On a blackboard there is a list of a series of ingredients (e.g. "carrot, chevre, something"; "lamb, something, something" ). I asked the waitress what she would recommend, and she offered no suggestion whatsoever. She said, "Anything I say would just be me guessing." Which made me wonder, doesn't the chef ever have the wait staff taste the food? Part of the job. read more

Went to Helm last night with a group of 4. We wanted to try everything, so we split a bunch of dishes (4 small plates, 3 larger ones, and 2 desserts). Really creative menu, great service, and BYO! We started with the leeks, sweet potatoes+mussels, butcher bloody polenta (colored with beets), and whole fennel+poached squid. The leeks and the squid were our favorites! So much flavor and really unique preparation for the squid. The polenta was good, but nothing too exciting about it. Next we had the skirt steak, the pork, and the Brussels sprouts+tortellini. The skirt steak was cooked perfectly! Super tender and really delicious. The Brussels sprouts were really surprising and ended up being my favorite dish of the night! The pork was a good dish, but compared to the steak and the sprouts, just not as memorable. Desserts were great! I don't remember the details (we had 3 bottles of wine at this point), but I remember liking the grapefruit dessert a lot! Overall, I'm really glad this place exists and I'm excited to see how the menu evolves. The server was awesome and super knowledgeable about the sourcing of the ingredients (a lot of hyper local, urban farmed stuff). Great experience! read more

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Wonderful meal hear at Helm over the weekend during a visit to the city. This BYOB established is a great addition to the area! My mother and I arrived early for our reservation but were still able to be seated immediately. The staff was very attentive in opening up the bottle of wine that we brought and bring the correct red wine glasses without prompting. We split two appetizers: Leeks, Tewksbury cheese and goat yogurt as well as the Rhode Island squid with fennel. Both were well executed and flavorful. The squid was cooked perfectly and not chewy at all! The main dish we split was the Monkfish for two that came with a side of kale and carrots with mushrooms. Beautifully plated and presented by the chefs. Yes, that's correct, the staff takes the orders but the chefs serve their food. This really brought the experience to a new level for me and its wonderful to see an establishment that is so proud to serve their food. Seasonings are light with the fish but allowed the flavors of the monkfish to shine through. The carrots and mushrooms were roasted and cooked to perfect caramelization. I had chocolate custard with ricotta and buckwheat for dessert. I was just too full to finish it. I definitely recommend Helm to any of my Philadelphia friends and would come here again when I visit the city. It is a bit noisy so better for an outing with friends over a romantic meal. read more

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This was by far the rudest and most unprofessional service I have ever experienced. Don't waste your money on this joke of a place. We dared smile and make a small joke during the menu reading, which was a complete menu recitation that none of us asked for, and a rude and insulting comment was returned from the server. Totally uncalled for. We were having a good time and were about to spend a lot of money on food and tips. We said we would likely be leaving after he decided to be rude to us, and frankly expected an apology, but were met with more insulting, aggressive and threatening behavior from staff. At one point the particular server was leaning over me as I was seated in a chair and was aggressively asking my name, where I worked and threatening to come there. All the while telling us that Helm has been in business long enough not to need our patronage, and being otherwise insulting. Everyone in the place was shocked. This guy should be fired. Not even debatable--he is going to assault someone one day. Total maniac. Do yourself a favor. Don't go to this pretentious, overpriced, overrated hipster "restaurant." The owners should be ashamed of themselves. Terrible experience. read more

Helm is your quintessential farm to garden joint, made sweeter with a BYOB option. Must get: lamb, trout, cabbage Meh: veal w/bok choy, monkfish Missed: dessert My wife and I were able to sneak into a reservation on a busy weekend afternoon here at the famous spot. As much as I hate to admit that some of the entrees were small in size and heavy in cost, I have to say in full retrospect, the food was top notch with some favorites and some small misses. The menu changes with the season, so I'm sure that many of my dishes may not be available, but I listed the favorites above. The lamb was served in two ways, both as a sausage, wrapped in intestines casing, and the cabbage w/romesco and feta was out of this world (in terms of uniqueness). I also enjoyed the trout appetizer, since the skin was perfectly crispy and countered well with the sauce and the shrimp. Unfortunately, the veal was tough and the monk fish with the octopus didn't really leave much of an impression and we were already full with multiple servings of the sourdough bread. I would have loved to order more food, but was limited by the cost. I would much prefer smaller portions with cheaper costs to sample them. Perhaps a tasting menu would be lovely. Food: 4 stars Price: 3-4 stars Service: 3-4 stars Ambiance: 4 stars read more

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Love Helm in Kensington. One of our favorite, go to restaurants in Philadelphia. The menu changes and EVERY time it's amazing all around. Don't sleep on the sides, they're fantastic. Highly recommended read more

Thank you Helm for helping to raise my property value! Without a doubt the best new addition to the ever growing Girard/Kensington area. Helm takes a great leap by opening in an area mostly void of any establishment...bravo! The meal was remarkable! Starting with the amazing carrots with chèvre, and the pork with wax beans and egg. I've never had or probably ever will have better prepared vegetables. The mains were the perfectly crispy duck and the skirt steak with aged jalapeños. We also opted to share the aged corn filled tortellini as an extra added accompaniment. Yum! Desert we had the famous gateaux along with some grilled haloumi. The peach gateaux was the stand out. Buttery and not too sweet. Reasonable prices, takes credit cards, and BYO along with the expertly prepared food and seasonal menu makes this a must go to! read more

A BYOB with charm and elegance. You actually feel as though you are in someone's living room. The best dishes I had were a carrot appetizer, duck entree and blueberry tart for dessert. I say favorite meaning they were out of control delicious to me but the other things I ate were still top not delicious. The service was great and wait staff really needed to know all the ropes. It was great to interact with them so much. The menu is not handed to you, just posted on two huge chalk boards. So they wait staff needs to review and answer any questions. I thought it was great. The only con I would say is that it is small, reservations are a must. Not the place to bring a grandparent who can't hear and not great for kids. But oh well, more for you to enjoy! read more

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My friend picked Helm for our first post COVID outdoor dining restaurant experience and I do not regret it. If anyone who knows me, I am extremely picky. I love to eat by looking at previous pictures on yelp. However since their menu changes weekly it hard to find previous pictures. Their menu is different since it only lists the main ingredients. We made a reservation and sat outside at one of their 3 outdoor tables. They were offering a special for 3 course meal for $25. We brought a red wine since it was byob. I believe they offered beer. For the appetizer I ordered the grilled lettuce, shiitake mushroom, and blue cheese. It was delicious. It had a smoky flavor and dressed with blue cheese dressing. My friend ordered the fried squash blossom that was filled with cheese. For the main course we both order scallops, asparagus, and spring garlic. The scallops were tender and cooked perfectly. The sauce was white with greenish color oil. I have no idea what it is but I would love to find out. For dessert, I chose the blueberry cobbler with chamomile cream. The flavors complimented each other well. Definitely will be a returning customer!!!! read more

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I have to say, this was one of the best meals I've had in Philly in quite some time. Menu appears to rotate frequently the food we had this time (appetizers: asparagus with goat cheese, pork al pastor with avocado mousse, roasted cauliflower with scallops; mains: sea bass and squid rice, duck breast with gratin, mushroom pie; desserts: strawberry crumb, gâteau basque) were exceptional. Service was also very strong. Will definitely be coming back! Thank you Helm team for a truly delightful evening read more

Food was heavily salted. Our tongues tingled for half an hour afterward. Dishes were not balanced. Flavors stood out and did not blend. The explaining the entire menu thing, rather than giving you an actual menu, is cute in theory. But does not work in practice. This could be a great spot. Hopefully they smooth out the edges in the next year or so. read more

Great food! Loved the fare. The reason this place gets 2 stars is we got asked to leave towards the end of dinner (it was 2 hours to be fair and we were only finishing a drink at that point). We spent a pretty good amount of money and tipped really well (as always) but server came over as we were finishing last drink and asked us to leave because "a party of two had an eight o clock appointment and were waiting" ( it was 8:07). We were already getting ready to go soon and we're honestly only upset on how they asked and the fact that they had at least 3 tables open and other couples still at the tables that had been there as long. Oh also it was my birthday :/ thanks a lot helm....you should train your staff to manage their dining room better instead of making good paying customers feel unwelcome. No matter how good your food is your service can ruin the experience. Edit: called and the person that answered did not seemed concerned. He said it wasn't "standard practice" but did not ask who I was, when we were there, or who served us. I don't feel like helm cares that much about their service or else they'd actually investigate. I'd rather spend my good money else where. There's plenty of better places in Philly that deliver a better experience. Edit: someone responded to me on Facebook and said "I remember you and you were told you had to leave at 8 and we asked you to leave at 8:11" (they never said that when they sat us and if they are saying that to people that is ridiculous lol) "asking you to leave after 2 hours is not unusual and seems reasonable" (it had not been two hours even) "we are less expensive than many other byobs" (not in context of how small the plates are so just no lol). I can't believe their response to my complaint was just justifying themselves hahaha what a joke! Changed my rating to one star. Never going back to this place. read more

Gourmet food at affordable prices. The portions are small but one bite and you know why. They are clearly using the best, freshest ingredients in an eclectic way. I mean who likes brussel sprouts? There's a reason why they are not the most popular vegetable or the most widely offered in diners across America. HELM elevates one of the least popular vegetables in our country to a virtual masterpiece. Of the 3 appetizers we ordered (ravioli, mussels, and brussel sprouts) the brussel sprouts stole the show. They were charred and cooked with some hazelnuts. I tasted lemon. Some kind of creamy sauce. My God! Don't think about dining at HELM, just go. A reservation is a must. You won't be disappointed. And remember to order the brussel sprouts. A word of caution.... The entrees were salty. They were not inedible but they were saltier than even the fast food restaurants. I cook with salt so I'm used to it, and the food was still salty for me. But I loved it and would recommend others to go. You don't want to miss this ! Take your blood pressure pill and make sure there is water at your table. read more

Helm - A little bit of each appetizer on one plate. Ravioli at 12pm. Cauliflower at 3pm. Brussel sprouts at 9pm. - New American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great farm to table. The menu is written on a chalk board and the wait staff walks you through everything. We had pork chops, monk fish, and some cucumber salad starter. Every ingredient in each dish worked perfectly with each other. Very good service in a casual and cool atmosphere. BYOB. read more

We went to Helm last Saturday for dinner. The food was excellent, and the service was attentive but unobtrusive. The bread basket was just okay, but the butter was lovely, and I really appreciate a fresh butter. We ordered a trout and shrimp appetizer that was flavorful but overly salty. I am not sure if they went too heavy on the salt or if the crispy trout skin was just naturally salty. My husband ordered the lamb with a celeriac bolognese. The lamb was medium rare and a decent but not overwhelming portion. He said it was flavorful. The celeriac, which was whipped, was amazing. The bolognese sauce on top was interesting, but overpowering. I ordered the monkfish and octopus in a light red curry broth. The curry flavor was subtle, and slightly salty. Nevertheless , I asked for a spoon to lap up the broth. The octopus and monkfish were perfectly cooked, very fresh, and healthy-tasting. We shared the lemon custard with poached pears. The custard tasted like the filling of a lemon meringue pie--a lovely mixture of sweet and tart. The plating was attractive but nothing extraordinary. Overall, it was a highly enjoyable meal and I definitely recommend this unassuming little BYOB. read more