serpico

delightful service, quick and attentive, very knowledgable. bean salad was outstanding, as was the chicken/snail lasagna. cool ambiance, cool connection with the open kitchen. will gladly go back!

benihana anyone?. sitting at the "chef's table" at this restaurant i was struck by the fact that this concept was started many years ago by the mediocre chain called benihana. i realize that it is trendy to go to a new restaurant that is trumpeted as another super "starr" creation but seriously, just because you have a chef who mixes cuisine concepts, offers their version of cocktails only (take it or leave it), and has a wait staff that appears and disappears with long gaps in between does this really raise the bar among restaurants in philly? there are just so many new places that are offering superb food, cocktails to your orde,r and a wait staff that remembers when they last paid a visit to your table. it just seems that when a new restaurant opens in philly and a certain food critic raves about it everyone jumps on board and drinks the "koolaid".

eleborate food and sophisticated cuisine is what i can describe the experience. the concept is an open plan kitchen that is in proximity to the tables. you can ovelook the chefs preparing the food. you can even sit at the bar seating on the chefs station and get served at hand distance by the chefs themselves.
the service is impecable. friendly efficient and poficient of all the served food. we had the artichoke soup that had little surprises inside of bacon and other ingredients. the carrot confit with vermicelli is a must try. we also had the hand torn pasta with bechamel and paprika. it's heavenly. we were pretty full by then and still didn't get to share the main
roasted chicken with brussel sprouts fennel and p plantains. the chicken melted in our mouths. the vegetables were a delicacy. great restaurant with a great concept.

for them it was described as duck, for us it was chicken, for them it was a beef consommé, for us it was oxtail. i’m not sure if this too was a result of them feeling rushed, but it would be important to make sure they were all on the same page. - see more at: http://www.abbeyskitchen.com/blog/review-serpico-philadelphia-pa-restaurant-review/#sthash.zex7v7db.dpuf

summary: 7/10 to start, .... summary: 7/10

to start, this is my first time at this kind of restaurant - the kind with somewhat strange concoctions that some top-tier chef has come up with, the kind of stuff you see on "top chef" that is both intriguing and scary. which summarizes how i felt about my experience.

the positives: i loved the atmosphere! from the exterior the restaurant is almost invisible, understated amongst the noise and bustle of south street. you walk in, and it's a classy and casual, young and sophisticated vibe. i didn't sit at the chefs table, but i saw multiple couples move there after seeing how fun it looked! the service is amazing; knowledgable, friendly, and fast. the decor is super cool.

the ok: the beer selection was minimal, but my dates loved the three different brews he tried. i opted for wine; i wish there were more by-the-glass options, many were bottle-only. the riesling i ordered was tasty. i also wish there had been a little more room between the tables - there was less than a foot between us and the two-person tables to our right and left!

the food: my date and i both ordered the 12-course chefs specialty taster menu thing. $85 a person seemed a bit overpriced, but it came down to about $7 per course, which makes it seems not so exorbitant! i thought it was generally just ok. there were some courses i did not particularly like, particularly around courses 3-7. these included a cold mushroom salad and an egg custard with caviar. the textures of both were odd and the flavors underwhelming. not to mention the first course - two potato chips. i kid you not. i also hated one of the two desserts: shaved foi gras with apple jelly and peanuts. i couldn't get past the fact that i was eating thinly shaved duck fat. texture and flavor were both unappealing.

the other 7-8 courses were generally good. all very small, as is to be expected, i suppose. the i did like the fish courses, but was not wowed. the three main course/savory meat dishes were very good, especially the oxtail with daikon. the sauce/marinade was to die for. the final course (the second dessert) was delicious and a great way to end the culinary adventure.

all in all, i would probably go again, but i would order from the menu to be more assured of receiving food i was likely to enjoy. expect to spend a lot here: 2-3 dishes per person plus drinks will add up. but for a unique dining experience that is both fancy and fun, i would definitely give serpico a shot.

money well spent, but still my least favorite star restaurant. all dishes were on the bland side, and service didn't live up to his usual standards (long wait between courses with no contact... drinks sitting empty...)
ok for a change of pace, but certainly not a place you'll want to come back to considering the many better options at this price point.

and then there's the service. attentive, friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. ask them a question about any dishes components and they'll confidently rattle off an explanation.

thick, delicious cuts of lamb meat fell right off their skinny bones, making it easy to mix with accompanying japanese eggplant, scallion, mint, yogurt and black olive oil. these ribs topped off a meal that started off great and only got better with each bite.

kudos for opening on south street. steven starr deserved kudos for taking a gamble for opening an upscale restaurant on south street. it seems to be paying off. our first time there was on balance positive upon first reading of the menu, i didn't think i would want to order anything. but after some explaning by our server we found several items to order and enjoy. so my message don't be thrown of by w a g y u chuck flap .it's really delicious version of spare ribs,.