The staff was friendly and the restaurant had a nice intimate atmosphere. I also appreciate that the 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. read more

Vibes: low-key, intimate but spacious; bring a friend or a few 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! read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Halibut - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Got to visit this restaurant for the first time with some friends and it was lovely! The place is beautiful and the staff was kind enough to give us desserts on the house for having a small wait Everything we ate was also incredible! It was my first time trying schnitzel and it was sooooo good!! The portion sizes are great too so you can try multiple things (my favorite) read more

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This is a hidden treasure tucked in on a side street across from Rittenhouse Square! We had dinner at 6:30 on a weekday night, and it was the perfect elegant townhouse where one could meet someone for a drink and stay for a glorious dinner afterwards. The ambience is glorious! You feel like you've walked into some elegant Parisian bar. My ginger, pineapple mocktail was stupendous! The menu is broken into cold and hot starters, and then mains and then desserts. It's the kind of place that just has enough variety without being overwhelming, which I think gives the kitchen the ability to focus on delivering spectacular results. Started with the golden beet salad, which looked like it could've been a main on its own! It was huge, fresh and amazing, and it was followed by scallops on a spring pea risotto with a turnip Crema topped by crispy kale. I've never had such crispy, shattering kale that added the right amount of texture and a hint of acid to a dish. We didn't have space for dessert, but this kind of place makes me want to come back again and try everything else. Should be mentioned that the service, from the person who welcomed us to our server, radiated warmth and kindness, something not all RS establishments can say for themselves. Highly recommend! read more

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Very solid restaurant! It has a great location since it's near Rittenhouse and easily walkable. I ordered the mussels and salmon. The mussels were okay, there were a LOT of mussels but the meat inside was small. They also only gave two pieces of toast that were not enough for the number of mussels they gave and also a little burnt. The vibe inside was very cute! The staff were extremely nice but service was slow and it was hard to flag down a waiter when needed. We waited quite a bit in between or apps and entrees. read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Mussels - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Saturday afternoon in the city and I randomly strolled by and decided to pop in for a drink. The stoop felt like the perfect place to sit, relax, and read a book that I couldn't put down. Ended up ordering the Paris is Burning. Well balanced cocktail with a fun foam on top. Staff were awesome and very friendly. We chatted about books and cocktails. They know the menu well and provided top tier service. I'll have to pop back in to try the food. read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Paris is Burning - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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For context we were here for Valentine's Day which was also the day of the Eagles Parade so I'm sure tensions were high. Our reservation was for 7:30pm, we got there at 7:15 and we were not sat until around 9pm. At first we were told we could go somewhere else and they would text us when the table was ready but we eventually saw two seats at their bar open up and we sat and talked with people while drinking their espresso martini. The staff were all very positive and helpful and we were really impressed. As for the food and drinks: The espresso martini would have been better without the nutmeg in our opinion but if you really like that flavor then go for it. It seemed a bit over powering to us. We also got a Valentine's Day special cocktail which was great and midnight in Budapest which was delicious. The milk buns were awesome, the beef tartare was a 10/10. Happy with the oysters. Lobster ravioli was a little spicier than we were anticipating but it was good. Duck foie gras was good but I don't think I would get it again. The grass fed ribeye was STAND OUT. delicious and cooked perfectly with an amazing sauce. The mashed potatoes and vegetables were served a bit colder than I feel they should have been but tasted great. The tiramisu was good but I would skip their cheesecake. All in all it was a really unique experience but I think $340 for two people was a little over priced for what we got. It was also disappointing how long we ended up waiting after our reservation. I don't think I would go back but I don't totally regret going. The only other thing I would note is that 20% gratuity was automatically added to the check which may have been due to the holiday, but keep in mind so you don't mistakingly tip 40% read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Lobster ravioli - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Amazing food and service! A hidden gem! Fantastic cocktails (Budapest), appetizers (beet salad, crab), entries (scallops, halibut) and desert (layered chocolate mouse ... and mixed fruit)... and expresso. Ambiance was very pleasant ... not too loud... able to have nice conversations. read more

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Blink and you'll miss this elegant eastern European restaurant nestled at the northern end of Rittenhouse Square. I visited on a Wednesday for their Restaurant Week lunch after immediately being enamored by their menu options online. I had an absolutely lovely experience for my meal! My drink had the flavor profile of a margarita, which was a sweet balance to my entree. The Chicken Schnitzel itself was a very large portion, and both the jalapeno and hot honey garnish provided a delicious kick. At first I was concerned that the size would be too small from online photos, but looks were deceiving! It was very filling, and made for a great entree before the Strawberry Graham Parfait Cake. The dessert itself was very light, airy, and made for an excellent finish to the meal. Wanted to also shoutout the service as well during my meal, where my waitress always checked in throughout the meal and gave great suggestions for my drink of choice. I didn't feel rushed even with a busy restaurant, and would definitely revisit for a dinner and extended meal. read more

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Great happy hour at bar until 7pm. Cocktails are delicious and great food choices. Bartenders were friendly and the space is cozy. read more

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Ive been a few times and am impressed with this up-and-comer! Friendly but classy and well informed staff. A great space with interesting character, and all food has been tasty. Great date spot I would imagine. And if you catch the dapper manager guy... Michel, was his name I think?... he's smoother than a sommelier at a Ritten-steakhouse! read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Sprucing - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Absolutely abysmal food and service. It's random slop on the plate, there's is no rhyme or reason to texture, or flavor profile, or spices. The waiters will take forever to serve and then act like brats if you seek anything. The owner is a nice man who we felt bad for, he's trying to run a business but the food and drinks were terrible tasting. Cheap wines, the cocktails weren't well mixed. Don't waste your $, go somewhere else. read more

We came here for our annual siblings holiday dinner and had an amazing experience. While we had a reservation (for 5), luck was on our side (twice) as we arrived early (thanks to finding good parking easily) and they were able to seat us a few minutes early. I'll shake things up by talking about service first. From end to end, service was top notch. Our waiter seemed to know perfectly when to swing by to check in and take our orders versus giving us room to talk. The bartend was on point with the making of our drinks even with the busy dinner crowd. We never reached the bottom of our water glasses. And they provided honest and accurate recommended for us to enjoy. The cocktails were fun and tasty. The presentation, including smoking at the table, of the One slip at a Time was unique. Certainly worth getting if you like whiskey or bourbon. The Midnight in Budapest was such a hit we ended up getting about 3 over the evening. If you like sweeter, the Passion Lounge is for you. Food quality was great and the portions more than fair. If I had to pick just one app to highlight it would be the Octopus. Likewise, for mains, I'd recommend the scallops. We usually try somewhere new for our annual siblings dinner, however, we might repeat Aleksandar at some point. I know I'll certainly be making around reservation for myself sometime well before than. Enjoy! read more

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Stopped in for dinner and drinks and was not surprised at the quality of food and service, as friends have been raving about it for a while. Excellent cocktails, service (Hunter was exceptional), and food. Definitely a must visit next time in Center City. Try the Pierogis, you'll love them. read more

Our first time dining here-so good! Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. The food was amazing! And because it was a Friday in the summer, we lucked out that it was not crowded. read more

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Food was delicious I'm surprised by the low reviews. Pirogi, salmon, and chicken schnitzel were all great. Service was good, however they cleared plates while others were eating. Quiet, cute atmosphere. read more

Beautiful restaurant inside. Classy elegance make it good for nicer occasions but it's also good for casual meet ups. I tried during restaurant week. I was a little disappointed that the vegetarian meal listed wasn't available when I arrived but they were able to change the pasta dish to make it vegetarian. The pierogies were delicious and cooked perfectly. The pasta was basic but had a really good flavor. Desserts were ok, but not fantastic. Worth another visit to see if the full menu has more veggie options. read more

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We went on Valentine's Day and it was clearly overbooked and understaffed - we waited about an hour for our 7:15 reservation and finally got seated at around 8:30. Having to put a credit card down to book a reservation and then running an hour behind is crazy. That being said, the staff working were very friendly and clearly working hard - must have been a decision of upper management because the servers/ bartenders/ hostess were trying their best! Everything about the experience showed that this is a restaurant that is trying really hard without quite meeting the mark. The aesthetic and ambience were good, but the seating was really crowded and the paintings were hideous. They had cute heart napkins for the holiday and they changed out the silverware with the courses, but I honestly think people would have preferred to be sat faster and have been fed quicker in place of a lackluster "fine dining" experience. The food was ok at best, nothing really stood out as being exceptional. I think it would probably be better given the opportunity to select beyond the prix fixe menu. I will say that the cocktails were excellent! I would probably come back and give it another chance, but this experience was definitely a little bit underwhelming. read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Heart Napkins for Valentine's Day! - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This was one of the more egregious dining experiences I've ever had. Our reservation was for 6:30 on a Saturday night. We were early and were seated around 6:25 in the back of the dining room with a vantage point of the entire restaurant. We ordered, the first course came out in a reasonable timeframe, and the food was fine. Then the restaurant filled up. We waited progressively longer for each course, which left us ample time to observe the complete derailment happening around us. Our waiter was waiting on 12-15 tables at a minimum while there was one other server at the front half. He barely came to our table the rest of the night. After some time the second course came to our table. It was brought over by a young guy in a black t-shirt who seemed out of place given the fine-dining-y feel of the restaurant. We were fairly certain he was one of the busboys as he (1) said very little and (2) never knew where to put each dish and (3) was clearly underdressed compared the rest of the front house staff. We also noticed the hostess had started to chip in both serving and bussing tables in the front of the restaurant. Despite all the extra hands, no tables turned over as far as we could tell in the time we had been seated. The longest wait of the night for the dessert which finally arrived to our table at 8:45. The apricot dumpling was basically a big undercooked ravioli with the equivalent of smuckers jam inside. The other dish was just a quenelle of ganache made to look pretty with a heavy handed dose of orange liqueur. We finally left the restaurant at 9:00pm after pleading for the check. Judging by other reviews this seems to be a reoccurring theme for this restaurant. On top of it all it was restaurant week and they had the audacity to both select the $60/person option and include an automatic 20% gratuity regardless of the size of your party. You'll get better food and service for a better price just about anywhere else in the vicinity of this restaurant. If you do go, best to try to get a table off hours so that you are not waiting an eternity. read more

I have never written a restaurant review before, but my experience here was so bad that I feel the need to warn others. I went for dinner during restaurant week. The first course (I had the beet salad and my partner had the butternut squash soup) was okay. The second course (stuffed cabbage and chicken schnitzel) took a very long time to come out and was fine at best. We then waited more than 45 minutes for our dessert. Our waiter came to apologize for the delay, but it took at least another 15 minutes after that to get our dishes. The apricot dumpling was undercooked and barely edible. The chocolate ganache was nowhere near as good as would be expected. The 20% gratuity that was added in advance was presumptuous and almost seemed like they were prematurely worried about what customers would tip after the disastrous service. I can see that this has been an issue that many others have noted over the past few months/years. Though it seems that management responds to some reviews and insists that they take feedback seriously, I can confidently say that they have not learned from all of the bad reviews in the past. If I could give this 0 stars, I would. I will never return. read more

I have been to Alexsandar a few times for happy hour recently. Very nice waitstaff, unique menu with great deals (esp loved the perogies!), and an varied cocktail selection. Would highly recommend for people in the Rittenhouse area! read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Came here twice, once for brunch and once for Restaurant Week. Although brunch was OK, the restaurant week visit IMPRESSED me. The food was absolutely amazing and really showcased the chef's talents. Highly recommend! read more

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Visited Restaurant Aleksandar for restaurant week and it did not disappoint! The food was great, service was quick and the overall vibe was great. Will definitely be returning! read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Butternut squash soup - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Highly underrated, Center City hidden gem! The restaurant was strangely not crowded on a Friday night, which is shocking given how good the food is. I got the lamb "shepherd's pie" with shepherd's pie in quotes because as the waitress described it, it's a deconstructed shepherd's pie. Forget traditional shepherd's pie, this was so tasty and you could taste each component of the dish well. The service was great and the waitress was super helpful guiding us through the food and drink menu. 5-stars. Looking forward to returning! read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Lamb 'Shepherds Pie' - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Aleksandar was a total letdown for Valentine's dinner. The night started off strong with quick service with the oysters and milk buns. I have to say their milk buns were the highlight of the night. Aside from that, it took them OVER 1.5 hours to get us our duck foie gras app - that ended up being a tiny half toast with NO foie gras flavor. (Looking at other reviews, I realized they forgot to give the second foie gras app). They admitted our ticket was forgotten (???) and gave us a glass of wine to apologize. The foie gras came out after a while but it was SUPER overpowering with onions. And on top of that, they came out with our cheap cut ribeye that was cooked well done (we ordered medium rare) BEFORE the foie gras app came out. Don't even get me started on the ribeye... it was chewy and not an expensive cut at all. You'd think they'd at least give a better cut with the $112 price tag on dinner? Dessert is ANOTHER STORY. They advertised tiramisu or cheesecake for dessert. What came out was an ICY and weirdly warm (?) "ice cream" that had NO ladyfingers in it as advertised... and as we were leaving the restaurant, we saw another table get an actual tiramisu for dessert. Very confused by this. We spent a total of 3 hours at the restaurant ... most of it just waiting around for food. The place was way overbooked, staff was running into customers' chairs. Not a warm romantic ambiance at all. We did the Valentine's Day prix fixe menu ($112/person) and had 2 cocktails each - totaling the bill to roughly $400 with fixed gratuity. Honestly, I wouldn't even come back to try their menu on a regular day. Total letdown :( Gave them 2 stars because we loved the milk buns. read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Oysters and milk buns - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This place is so good. It's gorgeous inside. The food is beautiful. The short rib was the best I ever had. Delicious. read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Root Beer Braised Short Rib - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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We didn't even get to eat here. Reservations for 8:30 on Valentine's Day. Arrived at 8:20 and was told they were an HOUR behind. Host tried to blame it on people lingering at the tables, but reading other reviews here it is apparent that they were behind on getting food to the tables all night. Clearly overbooked. We left and went to another place for a drink. Aleksander said they would call us when the table was ready. I called THEM back at 9:35 pm and was told it would be another 20 minutes. I cancelled the reservation. Had dinner at the bar at A.bar, which was promptly delivered and fantastic, even though they were packed. That place is a gem. Look, if it's a Wednesday evening and you want to try the food out, fine. But you'd be insane to trust this place to deliver good food and service for a special occasion. Grossly mismanaged. They'll try to blame it on the Eagles parade, or anything other than their own incompetence, but go back and look at other reviews. This place needs to tear it down and start over. Personally, I'll never go back. Too many great options within walking distance who seem perfectly capable of walking and chewing gum. read more

Restaurant week is here! So we were super excited to try this spot. Though it is out of our usual stomping ground and I got parked in by a white Tesla and a white Alfa Romeo. It took me about 20 maneuvers to get out of that pickle. So back to the review. We came in 10 minutes before our reservations but they seated us right away. It was pretty empty but filled up later. Staff were super attentive. Our water glasses couldn't even get to half empty. First course was the squash soup and burrata. Both were so good. The burrata was like a salad almost. Honestly that may have been the best thing we had. Main course I got the beef short rib and she got the sea bass. The sea bass was so light and fluffy with a creamy sauce over it. The beef was tender and cooked to perfection with baby mushrooms and a small side of potatoes/carrots. Both were absolutely delicious. For desert I got the vanilla ice cream that came with graham crumbles. The crumbles had a hint of lime or lemon in the that really topped it off. I did order a mock tail that was not good. I think it's because I hate the taste of alcohol and I picked one made with 0 proof something of other. So really it was me being dumb. I heard ginger beer and was like oh I like that! We were only there for an hour but the seats were pretty uncomfortable. My hind quarters fell asleep and afterwards and it was annoying. Maybe it was just the table we sat at. Overall the food was really good. My wife said she will be going there for brunch next time she has a spa day. read more

This was my first time at Restaurant Aleksandar and it was a great experience. The service was friendly and they provided great recommendations. The atmosphere of the restaurant was enjoyable with low lighting, upbeat energy and quiet considering it was a busy dinner rush. The food was amazing as the flavors matched the freshness of their ingredients. read more

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Everything was amazing; food, service, ambiance, and drinks were all 10/10! Honestly it was Valentine's Day weekend but we were out for my birthday and it was hard to find someone to accommodate us all, and this place surpassed my expectations read more

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This place is a hidden gem. The ambiance was amazing. It was my wife's birthday and the service was top knotch. I cant remember my waitress's name but she had a beautiful london accent and she was so fun. The food made me step out of my comfort zone. The spicy crab Rosti was amazing. The manager came over to thank us for dining with them. They also gave my wife a dessert crème brûlée which she said was outstanding.. read more

My friends and I went here for New Year's Eve dinner and it was a major letdown in terms of the food and service. We did the Chef's Tasting Menu ($120/person) and the additional wine pairing ($90/person). With a price point this high, I expected the food, service, and overall experience to be of quality, especially for a NYE dinner. The Chef's Tasting Menu was a five-course meal, which was SUPPOSED to be paired with five different wines. However, each course did NOT come paired with a wine. We actually got to the last course (dessert) and were still missing three wines, which is unacceptable. Even worse, our waiter rudely put down the check on the table and even acknowledged that we still had three wines coming and was just leaving the check in the meantime. I had two big problems with this. 1. How does a food establishment expect its diners to pay WITHOUT serving all food/drinks that were promised? 2) It seemed like we were being rushed out when we had made a reservation for a HOLIDAY DINNER. The shift manager or GM came to pick up our checks shortly after, and we expressed that we were still waiting for our last three wines (and that our waiter was aware of this). The shift manager or GM apologized and told us that our remaining drinks would be coming out right away. He then asked us if we could move to the bar area in the meantime, which we absolutely refused since again, we had made a table reservation for NYE dinner! It wasn't our fault that our drinks were slow to arrive, and now we were being asked to move to the bar area to free up space essentially? Absolutely not. The shift manager or GM was apologetic again and said that part of our checks would be comped. This did NOT happen. He came back later with our three remaining wines, which included the Moet rose champagne (listed as the fifth course wine pairing). However, he very enthusiastically expressed that the mini Moët champagne bottles were on the house for the poor service when the MOËT CHAMPAGNE IS PART OF THE WINE PAIRING MENU THAT WE PAID FOR. This "nice gesture" was basically a scam. Lastly, overall, the food was not good. The Norwegian king crab that I had for my first course was very over cooked to the point that the crab's texture was rubbery. The knife could barely cut through it. I got the sea urchin bucatini for my third course, and the noodles were sticking together and clumpy, which again is completely unacceptable. The wild stripped bass (fourth course) tasted very gamey and unseasoned to the point that my friends and I could not eat the course at all. The only quality course was the second course, specifically the scallops. Between courses, silverware was not replenished efficiently. Multiple times, our courses were served with no silverware. We physically could not eat until we got the attention of our waiter and requested for silverware. In addition, a worker spilled a glass of water at our table, which got all over my coat. My friends and I were very disappointed with our experience here and would not recommend this place at all. We left with a bad taste in our mouth (literally and figuratively). read more

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My homegirl and I were so excited to try this restaurant once we realized it just opened about a month ago. I will be honest, parking was a challenge, but the food and service was definitely worth the headache. We popped in around 3 on a Tuesday afternoon for a late lunch or early dinner however you want to look at it‍ We were a little disappointed to learn how limited the menu is for mid-day until 4 pm because we were hungry, but we opted to try a few drinks to pass time and it was the best decision. Sarah was our amazing bartender who made me a dirty and girty that was so yummy...... I think it was the jalapeno infused vodka that elevated this drink to the next level. My homegirl had an IPA banana milkshake beer that she enjoyed. Ok so here's the good part, the food duh! I ordered the brussel sprouts and let me tell you, superb Do yourself a favor and get them and you can thank me later. I literally ate the entire bowl and barely shared. My homegirl ordered the burger medium well and it was accompanied by fresh cut fries that she raved and raved about, I was too busy with my brussels to indulge. We also had the cabbage rolls, which were equally amazing as the brussel sprouts. I was floored by how flavorful the veggie options were at this restaurant. I had to meet the person responsible for these creations and guess what, I did! His name is Montana and his dishes are top notch! He is very passionate about his craft and that day I was the lucky recipient All of the staff are WONDERFUL, very customer focused, inviting and attentive. Bottom line you all need to get here and have these delicious dishes, I will most certainly be returning for the scallops, they caught my eye! read more

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My friends and I went during restaurant week, so not their standard menu. The ambiance was nice and cozy, and the service was very attentive. The fois gras was too sweet paired with the orange and marmalade. It covered up any of the actual fois gras flavor. The lamb was well seasoned but a bit dry. Overall, the food was fine but nothing too special. read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Herford Lamb Chop - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I quite literally created a Yelp account to talk about how bad my experience was. I dined on the evening of February 15th, 2025. I'll mention the pros: 1. They warned me in advance that there would be a long wait, I appreciated that. 2. The ambiance is really nice, beautiful spot. 3. Milk buns were pretty good. Now here's everything that was awful: 1. They were about to cancel my reservation 4 hours before my dinner that I had made days in advance. 2. We quite literally did not get the dessert we paid for, we saw other people's it was a fixed menu. I got mostly whipped cream for my Tiramisu, and other tables actually got a damn Tiramisu!! My girlfriend got the cheesecake, same situation. 3. Portions for everything besides the main course were absolutely tiny. Everything was pretty mediocre. 4. The server LITERALLY IGNORED ME and only spoke with my girlfriend. As in, he would ask her if she wanted a glass of water and only refill her glass?? They were also complaining about how much pent up anger they had. Incredibly unprofessional behavior. Then, when it came time to pay, they looked at me with gleaming eyes and smiled and said there is a 20% fixed gratuity for the holidays. What holiday? The day after valentine's day? Gratuity is usually for large parties, I've never seen this at any restaurant, let alone the high end ones. 5. My girlfriend had to send back her sea bass because it was so damn salty and not fresh. She got a replacement, and it still was insanely salty. Overall, there were a lot of things that upset me. I think the biggest was the server's behavior -- I mean who wants to feel ignored when they are spending $300 on a dinner? Combine this with mediocre food, not getting what we paid for, non-standard gratuity policy, for a substantial price? Everyone at the restaurant that day had the same vibe: they were all pissed but trying to stay polite because it was supposed to be a valentine's day dinner. The table next to us said 'Please give us the dessert to go, it has been over 2 hours'. It was a complete disaster. I'm telling EVERYONE I can to make sure they never eat here. read more

We had several appetizers and entrées, some were very good, some missed the mark. It was a very quiet evening and service could've been better also but wasn't bad. The duck came recommended and indeed was memorable. Cooked right with a very nice jus to accompany. Kids loved the duck and especially the clafoutis that came with it. That was pretty much the highlight. Octopus appetizer was rubbery. Perogies were cheesy mashed potatoes and no one cared for them. Had scallops entree and while the scallops and oyster were done nicely, they didn't seem to go well with the barley risotto which was a bit bland. Finally also had a fish. Dry and overcooked bass I think. Very disappointing. We had gone for my daughter's birthday and food was so average we decided to do dessert elsewhere. Service was ok, but our half of the restaurant was entirely empty. Not what I had in mind for what seemed like a higher end restaurant. My star rating legend: 5: A+ Worth a special journey (ie. I would go out of my way, maybe even take a flight somewhere just for this; exceptionally amazing) 4: A excellent, a must try, solid place 3: B good; nothing extraordinary, but would definitely go again 2: C personally would never go again (unless invited by someone and I didn't get to pick the place), but I can see how others might find something appealing 1: Fail.  I would never return and recommend no one else goes either. read more

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Restaurant Aleksandar is right in the heart of the city with a very hip and elegant feel to it. My partner and I went for a date night and shared the bread rolls as an appetizer and 2 entrees. The butter that comes with the bread is seasoned and very delicious. The entrees come out beautifully plated as if they are art pieces. Both seafood entrees were cooked and seasoned well but my favorite were the scallops. The service was great and they were attentive to course timing and refilling our waters. They also do a happy hour during weekdays. Would recommend checking out this place! read more

Restaurant Aleksandar - Scallops - Modern European Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Overall, we had a positive experience at Aleksandar, but were a bit underwhelmed with some of the dishes. The restaurant is tight quarters but the ambiance and decor are great. The service was also very good during our entire dining experience. My husband and I chose the tasting menu (1/2 portion each of a dish from every section of the menu for $95 each). In hindsight, it would have been a better deal to just buy 1 full sized dish from each section of the menu but we wanted to sample a good variety. We started with cocktails - the Dirty & Gritty martini was overwhelming with the jalapeño - I had to dilute it with water. My husband ordered the 1891 Manhattan which was very good. The bread service was absolutely delicious but very small (one little roll for each of us). We started with the pumpkin soup - unfortunately this was really bland and I would not recommend. The tuna crudo on the other hand was excellent and beautifully plated. 2nd course: we had the Pork Belly (pretty plating and tasted delicious with the grits, apple and mustard greens - but the meat itself was sort of dry) & Philly Jawn pierogis - the meat was awesome and the banana pepper relish on the side was delicious. 3rd course was the best - highly recommended both the crab pasta and tortellini pasta - the brown butter sauce was outstanding. If I were to return, I would likely just stick with full portions of pasta. 4th course - Wagyu steak (yummy, and enjoyed the root vegetables paired with the meat) & root beer braised short rib (sort of underwhelming - I guess with root beer in the name we expected that flavor to come through a little more). Finished with the carrot cake and apple tart. Both were delicious and surprisingly large portions. Overall- I would likely rate a 3.5 because we spent a lot of money and weren't blown away by several dishes. With that said, some dishes (pasta, tuna crudo and pierogis) we really, really enjoyed! read more

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Had an amazingggg dinner here! Highly recommend getting the scallops. Our server was great and easily answered all our menu questions. Seems perfect for a date night but also good for any other occasion. read more

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Came here to Restaurant Aleksander on a busy Friday night. We were pleased with our experience here! For our appetizers we ordered the cheeseboard, Brussel sprouts, and potato pancakes. Definitely recommend the brussel sprouts!! For our main course we ordered the scallops, Branzino (fish of the day), gnocchi and short rib pasta. All the dishes were really delicious and flavorful. They had a very small dessert menu, we got the deconstructed blueberry cheesecake, but I wasn't a fan of the dessert. I didn't order any drinks so will definitely have to come back to check out their drinks! Overall I really enjoyed dining here and recommend this restaurant! read more

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