First impression, I stepped in and was hit with fragrant spices, which made me hungry!…read more The service is great, our waitress was very attentive, efficient, and welcoming. She gave us great recs too! The Persian Garden was great. I'm not a big fan of ordering coffee/espresso/lattes but the rose flavor was something I didn't expect to like. The baba ganouj and beetroot tzatziki were both hits for the family. The baba ganouj had the smoky flavor I was looking for and the tzatziki was fresh and light. The pita was thick, soft, and warm, perfect for dipping. The kofta, tuna tartare, and crispy grape leaves weren't too bad. The kofta is quite large and the lamb didn't taste too gamey at all. The arugula and tahini really brightened the flatbread. I enjoyed the tuna tartare but I was looking for more of the tuna flavor. As for the crispy grape leaves, it was a bit like an eggroll but mushy inside. I wasn't the biggest fan of this and tzatziki dipping sauce but that's just me. Finally, the chicken mohammar and grilled kofta were both great! We enjoyed the chicken mohammar much more though. The sauce was smoky and savor while the chicken was extremely tender. The pita was perfect to encapsulate the chicken and soak up the sauce! As for the grilled kofta, we did like the wild rice and lamb. The arugula and onion went great with the lamb. It was a great introduction to mediterranean food for my parents! I'm glad we came here and I'd consider coming back!

Renata's has awesome drinks from morning bevs to evening mocktails and cocktails. I loved the n/a…read moresangria and fresh mint lemonade I had. The hummus, baba ghanoush and pita are award winning any delicious (as promised). I would go back for more apps and bevs! The mussels were plentiful (fries felt like an after thought). The meals around the table with tasty. Thanks Renata's Kitchen!

I came here for a reception and loved it! The space was so light, with lots of windows and space…read more The food was appetizer-style. I had a few mini empanadas and the quiche, both of which were nice and crispy. The empanadas were nicely filled with meat that was super well-seasoned. Our servers were excellent. They were super kind and attended to every need. There was both sparkling and still water. I would definitely come back to do a sit-down meal here. The quality of food and ambience were excellent.

Headed over for an early lunch on Wednesday with our party of two and got seated immediately. They…read morehad a pretty straightforward menu and a special crab fest menu when we went. The staff gave us some recommendations for items and the items came out quickly all within 20 minutes of ordering. The interior was also very aesthetic, bright and modern with a nice bar on our side. Olive and Rosemary Focaccia - Had a nice crust on the outside with a soft inside. We preferred the red pepper dip as it had a richer flavor while the basil oil didn't have much aroma or flavor. Lemon Parmesan Brussel Sprouts - I loved the crunchy brussel sprout texture with the lemon aioli. It was creamy and cheesy which tasted good in the beginning but did become a little too heavy. Rigatoni Alla Vodka - Pretty underwhelming. The dish itself came out leaning lukewarm to cold and while the pasta was a soft texture, the dish itself didn't have much flavor from the vodka sauce. Crab Cakes - One of the special items and it was pretty fresh, and had a decent crab flavor. We enjoyed the creamier sauce paired with this. While some of the dishes did have decent flavors, not much stood out to us and we expected a little more from the prices we were paying.

We came here to try the burger and it did not disappoint! Pro tip: The tasty sauce that comes with…read morea burger. Make sure you ask for some extra on the side so that you can dip your skinny perfect fries in the sauce. I'm excited how close this place is to our home and we will definitely come back for more tasty meals. The service was impeccable and the ambience is very date night really romantic and intimate!

We walked over for lunch at around 1 pm and they were packed from reservations but luckily our…read moreparty of 2 was able to get seats at the window counter. The menu was pretty interesting with some fusion items and comfort foods. Dutch Baby - They described this as kind of a steamed pancake and it was pretty tasty. Besides being piping hot, it had the best chewy eggy texture and reminded me of a popover. It wasn't too sweet and got most of the flavor from the berries and light syrup on top. Pork Katsu Breakfast Sandwich - This one sounded the most interesting to us and it came with the pork katsu, egg, aioli and arugula. The chicken was crispy and light and I really enjoyed the sweet brioche bun but it could have used a bit more sauce. The thin crisp fries on the sides were nice too. Overall, we really enjoyed their brunch dishes and do want to come back to try some of their other more popular items like the french toast banana foster that ran out that day.

Not sure if this place is a hidden gem since I am an out of towner and was just visiting my buddy…read morewho was in town staying at the affiliate hotel. The decor and ambiance is very awesome. Out waitress, Laural, she was awesome, she not only waited on us but she also spoke to our group exchanging tales of our past lives. I ordered the following: anna breakfast 22 two eggs, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh chickpeas, le puy lentils, maquis herb sausage, semolina toast semolina pancakes 22 huckleberry balsamic jam, pine nut streusel, whipped honey The Anna breakfast, I had the option to order poached eggs and that made me pretty excited. Never had lentils for breakfast, but it was a nice hearty touch. The sausage was a nice touch too. Also, thank you for the tangerine, it made a nice snack after the meal. My best friend and I split the pancakes. They were delicious. However, it came with a light green sauce that was far from sweet and an acquired taste. We tasted it, but it was left unfinished. I can't wait to take my wife here. I would also love to stay at the hotel.

After dining at Bastia for brunch last year around this time (and leaving disappointed) we decided…read moreto be a bit nostalgic and give them a second chance. This time, dinner service. First off, Hotel Anna & Bel is gorgeous, and when you enter the dining room, you feel like you've been transported back to a Corsican hotel circa the 1940s. The dining area is medium sized, with an expansive open bar, and while the two tops are small, they're not crammed so tightly together that it becomes awkward every time you get up to go to the bathroom. Once seated, we were greeted by our waiter who asked us if we'd ever dined there before and after telling him "yes" he quickly ran through the menu without much personality or insightfulness, telling us for two people opting for two small plates, a pasta and two entrees was standard. So, left to our own devices and not being mega hungry, we opted for two small plates (one off their daily specials), a pasta, and one entree. Bread & Oil $0: Each table is presented with a small bowl of massive green olives swimming in lightly flavored olive oil and house made sourdough. This was appreciated and acted as a good vehicle to sop up some of the sauces, though not very memorable like some other bread services I've had. Cucumber & Pistachio Soda $10: This arrived beautifully presented with a huge sprig of fresh mint and a bubbly chartreuse color that aligned with the bright, herbaceous flavor of the cucumber and almond-forward pistachio. 4 out of 5. Worth the order. Skate Cheeks with Heirloom White Polenta & Jimmy Nardello Brown Butter Crisp ($25): Despite being one of the most talked-about dishes on the menu, this one didn't live up to the hype. For nearly the price of an entrée, we got four tiny bites of flaked skate cheek which were nicely seared, buttery, and tasting mostly of... butter. The polenta was, well, polenta and brown butter crisp was good but just layered on more butter flavor. Delicious? Sure. One note? Absolutely. Worth $25? Not even close. I expected much, much more. 2 out of 5. Skip it if you came hungry. Amberjack Crudo w/ sundried tomato passata, saffron anchoiade, pickled fresno & marcona almonds $24: This was the second favorite dish of the night. Thin slices of fresh amberjack sat atop of flavorful and bright passata sauce. The pickled Fresno added acidity and saltiness while the almonds added a nice crunchy contrast. The anchoiade, however, was MIA. 4 out of 5. Order if on the menu and you're looking for a lighter bite. Storzapretti ricotta dumplings w/ guanciale, arrabbiata & fiore sardo $27: These were the favorite of the night. Hearty ricotta dumplings were bathing in a chunky, rich and intensely flavored arrabbiata sauce. While the dumplings were a bit heavy and dense, the guanciale sparse and the chef may have been a bit heavy handed on the Calabrian chili (or did they use smoked paprika?), the flavors were well received. The heartiness was also much needed after the lack of heft in the first two rounds. The grated fiore sardo added a nice salty punch and, all in all, this was a solid dish. 4 out of 5. Order this if you want a belly hug. Lancaster Ivory Chicken with Cannellini Beans, Fennel, Clementine & Calabrian Chili $36: I know this is chicken, but somehow it was the most chickeny tasting chicken I've ever had, and not necessarily in a good way. The bone in breast and thighs were dry, while the skin was flaccid and lacking flavor. Thankfully, the beany broth and caramelized fennel and clementine helped save the dish (and were honestly the best parts) 1 out of 5. Skip this and go for the pork short ribs or swordfish instead. Our dining neighbors ordered both and not only did they look fantastic, they confirmed they were delicious. We were presented with the dessert menu which felt uninspired and honestly after the meal we had, we didn't want to risk being let down even more so opted to get ice cream at Weckerly's instead. Bastia looks nice on paper, heck, it even looks nice inside, but unfortunately the food never quite catches up to the setting. I gave it two chances and got two strikes. In a sea of great resties around Fishtown, that's more than enough to knock it out of the running, and I don't see myself dining there again anytime soon.

Vibes: low-key, intimate but spacious; bring a friend or a few…read more Tasting notes: - Pierogies: crispy skin but still a doughy bite; plenty of texture and from the slaw and onions; shareable portion for two - Halibut: excellent Maillard crust on flaky, tender fish; sweet carrot cream and crème-fraiche type cream are picked up well by the fragrant Jasmine rice - Chicken schnitzel: more sweet than spicy; uniform, crunchy crust; mashed potatoes are well-whipped Other thoughts: - Above meal was satisfying for two hungry adults - Drinks came out quickly after initial order, and plates came out at a moderate pace - Friendly, attentive service on a weekend evening Thoughts: very solid execution! Would consider coming back to try a cocktail at the bar!

The staff was friendly and the restaurant had a nice intimate atmosphere. I also appreciate that…read morethe menu featured a lot of items from Eastern and Central European cuisine, which get overshadowed by French and Italian cuisine, despite being very tasty. Prices were fair and the wine list had good variety, including Austrian, Hungarian and Georgian, many of them by the glass. I think if I had just been there for drinks, I would have been very happy. But I was there for dinner and the food underwhelmed me. We got pierogi, mushroom soup, Hokkaido scallops and chicken schnitzel. The pierogi were good, but on the level of good homemade pierogi I can get at a Polish store in northeast NJ. At a nice restaurant like this, I thought they would have more flavor and make more of an impression. The mushroom soup was good, though I thought it odd to include pieces of desiccated mushroom that didn't absorb any liquid from the creamy soup. I liked the seasoning used on the Hokkaido scallops, but its spiciness overshadowed the flavor of the scallops themselves. The rest of the dish was a mild risotto with peas, surrounded by "turnip crema", which I can only describe as a moat of cream. I did not taste any vegetable flavor, just cream and the occasional spice from the swirl of chili oil. The last few bites were unappetizingly reminiscent of a soupy porridge. The dish I liked the least, however, was the chicken schnitzel. The chef took a dish that, in its traditional form, is fried perfection, and doused it in a cup of hot honey. It was ridiculously sweet, evoking Southern fried chicken and waffles instead of Austrian schnitzel. It was accompanied by some nice mashed potatoes, but mixed around it were big globs of mayonnaise (supposedly garlic aioli, but in that quantity it was like mayonnaise from the jar). Thinking back, every dish leaned heavy on the cream (whether "crema" or "aioli" or "horseradish creme fraiche") and some leaned too hard on the sweet or spicy or both. This chef has a heavy hand and most of the food didn't sit well with me after dinner, despite me growing up on Polish cooking.

What a disappointing breakfast. We shared the Philly Special. I will say it was good size portion,…read morebut the flavor could use work. First, the home fries were overly salty. I generally like stronger flavors, but this was too much. It overpowered the other flavors, so while the spices and other flavors were good, the saltiness made it difficult to eat. Oddly enough, the Benedict itself was under seasoned. I couldn't even tell if there salt in there. The Benedict portion tasted rather bland. The one good thing about the inconsistency was that I could combine the fries with the Benedict to balance out the flavors better. Also, when they described it as pork, I wasn't expecting a pulled pork consistency. I will say that the service was good overall. They were attentive, even asking if we wanted an extra plate for sharing before we could ask. It is also a nice ambiance. I originally did not want to write this review because I believe every place deserves at least two chances (and sometimes it can be an off-day). However, after hearing someone else who stayed at the hotel say they had similar experience with the food at dinner, I felt I needed to write this review. If it weren't for the $20 credit that needed to be used, I likely wouldn't eat here again.

We usually make a stop in Philly on the way home from either Christmas or Thanksgiving. We stay at…read moreeither the Kimpton Monaco by Independence Hall, or here at the Kimpton Palomar by Rittenhouse Square. For Kimpton Palomar, the bar/restaurant is Square 1682. It's at the corner, and off the lobby, so stands on its own in addition to being a haven for hotel guests. We stopped in the evening for drinks and then took wine to the room, but then came back in the morning for breakfast. The service is very, very good. Staff are friendly, prompt, and helpful. No issues. The ambiance is a modern hotel bar, upscale. It's a welcoming enough space, with a variety of seating options. The food was great. For breakfast I forget the exact name, but it was basically a play on cheesesteak but as an eggs Benedict. I love a good Benedict for brunch, and this hit the spot. The potatoes were OK. They were really crispy and good, generally but there was some pockets that were oversalted, like the balance was off. Recommended, but not a full 5 stars due to the salting.