talula's garden

we went to talula’s last saturday to celebrate my and my good friend’s birthdays. i already want to go back for my anniversary! one of the most enjoyable and delicious meals i’ve ever had. our server, corey, was professional, fun and ‘just right ‘, in terms of attentiveness. we opted for à la carte, but someday would love to splurge on the 8 course tasting menu for the table! for appetizers, we shared the fried oysters and the chicken liver mousse.... both amazing. i had the striped bass for dinner, with spring peas and couscous. we also kept getting little “gifts” from the kitchen! a brioche that melted in your mouth, a lovely cheese sampling.. and 2 beautifully scripted happy birthday plates with 4 perfect salted caramel squares and a candle! therestaurantand garden are beautiful, too! i love the floating orchid boxes on the rear wall, the art everywhere, the lighting... even the restrooms were beautiful...

this was our second visit to talula's. therestaurantis warm and inviting and the bar is a great place for a pre-dinner cocktail. of the starters for our party of 5, our favorites were the heirloom tomato, cucumber and bacon salad with a creamy herb dressing and the tuna crudo with a little jalapeno. for supper, the ricotta and butter bean ravioli, seared salmon and the half-chicken with cheese grits, greens and an egg on top were the standouts. and then there are the cheeses! there is an entire cheese menu or you can design your own cheese plate. this is where our server really demonstrated his knowledge and passion; he very patiently answered lots of questions about individual cheeses and made some great recommendations. talula's clearly cares about all of its food and trains its staff very very well. we had a lovely evening, ate delicious food and finished with incredible cheeses.

by far the bestrestaurantin philadelphia, irrespective of comments. when you go the first time, the menu seems kind of short and you wonder what to order and how it would turn out? but once you start eating, the hesitation goes away. the palate of cheese has to be had every time

tucked away next to talula’s daily  and across from washington square park, therestaurantappears like a surprising little gem as you walk into twinkle lights and heat lamps. the night that we went was a bit chilly, so we unfortunately didn’t get to sit in the lit up garden, but the interior of talula’s is incredibly warm and beautiful, so it wasn’t too much of a loss.

it was okay.. i visited thisrestauranton friday by myself, after seeing the cool decor in philly current. the magazine did not lie...the atmosphere is very inviting and intriguing. it was a little before 5, and the servers were having a meeting, but they sent someone down to the bar to help me right away. the bartender was very attentive and warm. the menu looked great...very veggie-centered and creative. i ordered the maple brussels sprouts to start. the first thing that came out was this warm buttered roll, which was very good, but i would have preferred the butter on the side. the sprouts were tasty, but the temperature wasn't quite right...they needed to be warmer. a minute or two in the broiler would have perfected them. there was also too much cheese on top, and it was clumpy. for my entree, i had the scallop dish with the tangy yogurt and cous-cous. this was full of flavor, and the portion size was just right. i had no problem cleaning my plate :) however, again, it needed to be warmed up. i did not complain, though, as i found the dish enjoyable nonetheless. as for dessert, i usually like to order it when i go out, but i was not offered it until my check was given to me already. i would have been much more inclined to order dessert if the rather large bill was not already in front of me. i politely passed. i found this place to be overpriced for the experience, but it was all in all a good night out, and one of the better dining experiences i have had in philly so far. i bet it is really cool in the summer...that patio is beautiful!

just ate there last night and had an incredible experience. from the thoughtfully presented dishes and dynamic waitstaff to the tasteful decor and atmosphere no detail was overlooked. the chef prepared dishes featuring local ingredients and layered flavors to give your palate a wide array of experiences. with prices commiserate with the thoughtful presentations of the dishes this is arestaurantworth the trip. i'm looking forward to seeing what chef santoro will present next!

pretentious. such a disappointment! pros: beautiful outside area; decor is lovely inside
cons: food is tasteless! at the beginning of the meal, bread is given with jam and butter. too sweet! tiny appetizer brought out in a huge bowl with covered lid. quite funny! ordered chicken fricasse, and it was bland. waitress was nice but clueless about the menu and beer selection. i really would like arestaurantto do well in this area but this place will go out of business- too bad-