What a lovely ambiance the minute you walk in the door at Leo's! We arrived early for the $55 pre-Theatre fixed price menu. The host greeted us warmly and immediately found us a table right by the window so we could people watch. The bartender showed us a menu of drink options and we chose the apple spritz. There were several types spritzes, so we chose the classic. He prepared it with pride and presented it to us. It was absolutely delicious! The music was mellow and modern in the restaurant. We were there early, so it was not overcrowded. We did make a reservation just in case. The restaurant is located directly inside the Kimmel Center which allowed us convenient parking. We were very impressed that there were several gluten-free options on the menu which made life much easier. We ordered the yellowfin tuna and the Amish chicken as an entrée. But we were really impressed with the appetizers, which were perfect sizes for us. The carrot entrée which seemed more like a wonderful, no village of some sort was captivating and scrumptious. Our server took the time to talk to us about each entrée. He was enthusiastic and kind catering our every whim. We were offered a flight of mini desserts and barely had room to taste them because we were so full from the rest of the meal. I inquired about a gluten-free option and they immediately brought me a delicious fruit sorbet, which was the perfect palette cleanser for the night. We had plenty of time left to stroll the streets and wander over to the Academy of Music for the show. Epic night as far as I am concerned. Its convenience, surprising elegance and thoughtfulness was appreciated. Bravo Leo! We give you a standing ovation for this orchestration. read more

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Went to my first taste collective event at Leo. This place is located in the Sidney Kimmel Center. I started out with a Pine~app~le Chord. I really liked the jalapeños with pineapples. It was a spicy yet kind of sweet experience. This was a 5 course experience. Course 1 was Lettuces by Leo- I really liked this dish. It definitely went above a traditional salad. It had nice healthy long lettuce with whipped feta and bell pepper hot sauce. It was amazing- honestly wish restaurants would make this quality salad. Course 2 was Badger Flame Beets. I usually don't like beets but the sunflower seed with blackberry really added to the dish. It had a good peanut butter feel to it. Course 3 was Coriander Cured Hiramasa. I really liked the sushi feel with the Sicilian olives and cherry. It added a unique feel to the dish. Course 4 was Burnt Honey Duck Breast. It was decent for duck and the course stuffed me. Course 5 was the Polenta Cake. I didn't like how they tried to do their twist of cheesecake with it. I don't feel like the polenta really added to the dish. read more

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My wife and kid surprised me with dinner and the Philadelphia Orchestra recently. Since my wife did not want to walk too far in the cold we stayed in the Kimmel Center and ate at Leo Restaurant which is in the old Volver spot from Jose Garces (really good memories). We were slightly late from I-95 and 676 traffic, but we still got an awesome table facing the kitchen so I got a second show to watch the well oiled dancing of the kitchen staff getting all of the pre-show patrons in and out in time for the Orchestra. We started with a bread basket of Mighty Sesame Sourdough and honey butter. Fresh and tasty. It was nice that the butter was spreadable. We had two drinks of the Solstace which was Amaretto with lemon and cherry and simple syrup. Tasted like an alcoholic cherry wooder ice. I loved it. My wife had a vodka cranberry with Tito's and it was a good mix. We all chose the Pre Theater deal which is $55 including an appetizer, main, and dessert. Some had an upcharge. My wife and kid had the upcharge grilled shrimp and I went with the salted beet salad with sunflower seeds. For mains, my wife and kid chose the gnocci and I had the yellowfin tuna. The deserts were three mini pieces of vanilla cake, carrot cake, and a pear gelatin cube. All of the food was well prepared and tasted fine. My tuna was a little dense and the gnocchi was nice tasty balls of potato with a flavorful sauce. The cake desserts were not that great and maybe were old? They were almost hard and not light and fluffy. The pear cube was awesome. Service was quick and attentive. One error was made where we were served two tuna and one gnocchi when it was supposed to be two gnocchi and one tuna. For this error the Manager comped the two drinks as they had to make a new gnocchi on the fly and you could tell they were not as tasty as the first one (I tried both.). Overall, they served us well and the Orchestra was even better. We'd come back! $210 for three adults including tax, not including tip. $27 comped due to the serving error. read more

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The photos speak for themselves, but yes, everything tasted like a work of art. Very interesting textures and colors, packed with rich flavors. And the drinks were strong. Loved my espresso martini, especially before going in to watch the performance. Service was polite and relatively quick, but make sure you reserve ahead of time to ensure getting a table. It's a new restaurant in a very convenient location, which means seats get pretty limited there, especially before a packed show. read more

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Named in honor of the legendary Leopold Stokowski, music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1912 to 1941, Leo recently made its debut in the Kimmel Center space formerly occupied by the late Volver. Leo had been open a scant nine days when my dining partner and I paid a call. The first thing we noticed were the subtle changes in décor, which added a pleasantly soft touch to the previous ambiance. And the restaurant's powers-that-be had obviously decided to hit the ground running, as both the food and the service proved to be right on the money. The cuisine, described as "global with a Mediterranean twist," is basically inspired by Executive Chef Chris Cryer's worldwide travels and zealously enriched with seasonal locally-sourced ingredients. Sounds good, doesn't it...? And it tastes even better. Just one caveat... The menu is rather esoteric in nature and will definitely not appeal to the diehard meat & potatoes crowd. It may also, upon occasion, send even the most sophisticated diner in search of a gastronomic glossary. We began with the Hiramasa and Lettuces, respectively. The former is the Japanese name for the high-quality sashimi grade Yellowtail Kingfish, which is farm-raised under the strictest standards. In point of fact, the fish is so highly regarded in Japan that it is hand-packed in order to avoid bruising. Its pale pink flesh is firm of texture and offers diners a sweet, rich flavor. At Leo it was companioned by slices of pomelo (a citrus fruit native to southeast Asia that has the taste of sweet grapefruit), artichoke, and Castelvetrano olive (a variety of green olive grown in Sicily and famous for its mild, buttery flavor, meaty texture, and bright green color). A definite winner in every respect. Lettuces certainly sounded innocent enough... The presentation, however, as you will note from the photo, was captivatingly colorful; and it only took one bite to realize that texture and taste were right on target as well. Seasoned breadcrumbs, morsels of candied citrus fruit, and a zippy bell pepper sauce added their own unique contributions... but it was the incomparably delicious smooth-as-silk whipped feta cheese that not only succeeded in ameliorating the roughage but also in providing diners with an extremely satisfying gastronomic gestalt. Moving on to the entrées, our piscatorial pursuits continued with the Yellowfin Tuna. Seared until seductively rare of countenance, it arrived at table swimming in a Madeira sauce supplemented with charred leek, hazelnuts, and trout roe. A triumph of both taste and texture. The Ricotta Dumplings were presented in a creamy Italian sauce infused with taleggio, a cheese known for its smooth texture and delightfully tangy flavor, accompanied by morels and rainbow chard, and crowned with a parmesan crisp. This culinary combo was, in a word, extradinarily delicious... It was also, I would hasten to add, incredibly rich and quite filling. So, unless you happen to possess the appetite - and the capacity - of a starving yak, you can count on departing with a rather ample doggie bag in tow. Dessert choices are extremely limited... After much debate - and I freely confess that I would have preferred the Walnut Cake with white chocolate and toasted vanilla ice cream - my dining partner and I eventually decided to share the Chocolate Caramel. As it turned out, the laced with caramel smooth-as-silk mascarpone and chocolate mousse sandwiched between slices of crispy chocolate turned out to be a delightfully delicious choice. In the meantime, a word about prices... They do represent, in my opinion, pretty much the going rate for upscale Center City restaurants. Appetizers peak at $21.00 for Roasted Shrimp and Foie Gras; and main courses range from $28.00 for Ricotta Dumplings to $41.00 for the Flat Iron Steak. There is also a pre-theater menu priced at $45.00 per person. This may seem like a real bargain... but it is not. First of all, your choices are very limited. Secondly, that $45.00 price tag includes appetizer and entrée only. If you want dessert, that will set you back another $12.00 or $13.00. Then you add on a few other accoutrements, tax and tip. See what I mean? My dining partner and I recently traveled the pre-theater menu route; so, permit me to add up the bad news for you. We each enjoyed a single pre-prandial libation, shared a dessert (as noted above), and ordered coffee and tea, respectively. With tax and tip, the total check exceeded the $150.00 mark. Is the food worth it...? Yes, in my opinion (although I do think that our cocktails and some of the bottled wines are significantly overpriced). Just be prepared for a major assault on your pocketbook. read more

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Service: Fantastic. The staff was attentive, friendly, and made the experience feel seamless. Let's keep this energy up. Food: The appetizers definitely hit stronger than the entrées. There were a few standouts and a few that fell a bit flat. I prefer more hits than misses. It seems the chef leans into spice, which I don't mind. -The steak sauce had a unique peanut-y, spicy kick to it.The clam pasta was fresh and well-balanced. I really enjoyed the hiramasa - super fresh and flavorful. The duck was just okay- I was hoping for a crispier finish. Ambiance: Subtle, slightly dark, and intimate. Not over-the-top, but clean, stylish, and perfect for a relaxed evening out, maybe after work. read more

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Had a great meal! Dishes were pretty and tasted just as good. I really enjoyed my duck read more

Leo Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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We loved everything from the first delicious fig cocktail to the last dessert. We were a party of six, and we literally ordered the entire menu. We had all six appetizers, all six dinners, and all three desserts. Everything we ate was absolutely delicious. There was not a thing we ate that was not perfectly executed and would not be ordered again. read more

Leo Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Very nice bartender. Food was mediocre. Merguez were burnt and inedible. Manager reprimanded my husband for bringing his own tea bag.

Great service, great flavors. We appreciated them asking if we had a show afterwards to keep us on time. read more

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I really love this restaurant! It was so unexpectedly amazing. I am a super foodie with a sophisticated palette. I take my food very seriously. This restaurant totally blew me away. From the start, I usually grade restaurants on their bread service. This bread came out warm with delicious sweet and salty butter. The lettuces with whipped feta were so bright and delicious! The heirloom tomatoes were perfectly executed with a touch heat. The beets with tahini and chili was such an awesome combination. The grilled shrimp was perfectly cooked. We also really enjoyed the duck breast with grilled peaches, not sure how they grilled the peaches so perfectly so that they were still crispy. Some kind of magic chef art! The pasta with crab was awesome. Desserts was tasty as well- personal favorite was the polenta cake. Everything was solid and delicious. I would highly recommend this restaurant! read more

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Dining at Leo is a great prelude to a concert at the Kimmel Center! We arrived a little bit late thanks to the bad traffic, but the staff accommodated us in an efficient but unrushed manner, and we were able to enjoy our meal before the concert started. We especially enjoyed the lamb merguez appetizer as well as the roast duck and the tuna - the menu is small and contains several interesting choices as well as more traditional choices for less adventurous palates. We enjoyed it so much that we went back after the show to enjoy dessert and the late night happy hour! We will definitely eat at Leo anytime we are going to the to a concert at the Kimmel - the refined but relaxed ambience, the quality of the food, and the ease of getting from the restaurant to the theater make for a remarkable dining experience! read more

Four of us went to Leo and we loved everything about it. The food was excellent and one of the best meals I have ever had anywhere. Some of us chose from the pre theater menu. I enjoyed the beets appetizer and then tuna for my main dish. My friends had gnocchi and duck breast which they loved. The desserts were fabulous and we shared two. The service was excellent as well. The location is perfect if you are catching a show at the Kimmel Center or just out in the city and the ambience was just as perfect! read more

Incredible from start to finish! The staff were welcoming, the dishes exquisite, and the atmosphere delightful. Every bite felt special. Easily one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. read more

The food is excellent. So many flavors perfectly balanced. Our table had the sourdough bread, the beets, grilled shrimp, lamb merguez to start. Entrees we tried included duck with burnt honey, spicy crab pasta, gnocchi with chanterelles. Topped off the night with polenta cake. Incredibly nice and welcoming staff. Oh and great cocktails too! read more

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We had a fantastic experience at Leo! The food, drinks, and service were all excellent. The standout dish for me was the gnocchi - absolutely delicious! Plus, the location is unbeatable, just steps away from all the Broad Street venues. read more

We went for dinner after a recent Philadelphia Orchestra concert. We were never fans of the previous occupant of this restaurant space, but friends recommended that we try Leo. Let me say this was a wonderful recommendation and I will certainly be returning. One of us ordered the Duck Breast and requested that it be cooked medium well. Unlike other experiences we have had, here the breast came out medium well, but still moist and just perfect. The other main was the steak, which was also requested medium well, and it, too, was cooked to perfection and still moist. In both cases the sauces and the accompanying vegetables were great matches. The service was attentive without being intrusive. They also have a very good selection of wines by the glass. The only thing I would give a bit of a critique of is that the music is a bit loud. I would say that Leo is now my go to place when we have events at the Kimmel. read more

Food was delicious, waitress was gentle and polite, would absolutely recommend for my friends, this place is really good for couples.