Laurel

HMM I was here several months ago and thought i wrote a review but I guess not.
This is the place to go for a fun, creative, inspiring, delicious dinner.
They know how to experiment with flavors and blow your mind.
frozen and shaved foie gras my brain couldn’t figure out that i wasn’t eating ice cream, well i I was wasn’t I?
Really, If you are interested in the «molecular gastronomy» type of cooking try Laurel. It will satisfy that curiosity without being so weird that you feel like you are in a science class.
On the other end of the spectrum there are also courses that are plain old friggin awesome food. All courses were awesome to be clear!
the restaurant is upscale, small, intimate with impeccable service.
I’ll be back for sure.

Having traveled all over the world, our dinner at Laurel was easily among the best, if not the best, we’ve ever had. Le Bec Fin comes to mind in terms of the food, wine pairing, and exceptional service. Each dish was a triumph of creativity and complex flavors. The wines beautifully complimented the food, and should not be missed. Also, Chef Nicholas Elmi frequently checked on his guests, which made the experience even more memorable. Reservations are very hard to get, so try calling in case there are cancellations.

Be prepared for an incredible gastronomical journey while dining in the intimate ambience of Laurel (I highly recommend the corner table back by the kitchen). The combinations and preparation styles were extremely innovative (e.g., shaved frozen horseradish served with charred mackerel, cocoa-​cured chilled foie gras served with granola). Definitely upgrade to the Kobe beef because it was cooked to melt-​in-​your-​mouth perfection. Service was impeccable — our waitress even had the forethought to save some of our champagne so my boyfriend & I could enjoy one more glass with our champagne sorbet amuse bouche before dessert.

If I could describe this place in one word, it would be BOUGIE.
Let’s just put it this way: the couple next to us discussed wine decanting for like their whole meal and I only know this cause I was millimeters away from their table. Here’s a fun drinking game: try not eavesdropping on conversations and when you eventually do (and you will), take a swig of wine. You’ll be loaded. Simply put, it’s INTIMATE, foodie speak for TINY.
Came here for my birthday and the meal was, from start to finish, pretty damn impeccable as far as incredibly unique, refined tastes and spot-​on presentation goes. Don’t come here if you’re someone who likes places advertising the words «all you can eat» or «shrimp extravaganza» or «if you can finish this burger, you’ll get a t-​shirt.» I am one of these people. And while I wasn’t in my usual (preferable) roll-​me-​out-​the-​door food coma, I was still quite satisfied and comfortably full in a normal, healthy way. Keep in mind we brought cheap, pink pomegranate prosecco to pair with our meal, so we aren’t exactly Laurel’s target audience.
I’d like to note that the dinnerware and utensils were adorable in that they were either comically small, comically large or made me ask the question, «okay, so what do I do with this? Do I like, scoop it?»
So to get the full spectrum of flavors/​components of each dish here, you must go in balls-​deep, so to speak. If you don’t get a spoon/​forkful of all the elements in one bite, you’re not picking up what the chef is putting down, nahh mean? After what I can only describe as an off-​putting beet cotton candy puff as the pre-​dinner teaser, I made the mistake of pussy-​footing around each dish. Do not do this. Just dive in.
Here’s my take on the $ 85 per person chef-​tasting menu, in layman’s terms:
«THIS IS F***IN AMAZING»:
–Snails & mushrooms in a mystery cheesy sauce and topped with what tasted and looked like turkey bacon– it was delectably creamy and addicting with just the right amount of crunch, served with warm bread and homemade butter… THAT BUTTER THO… salty and sweet heaven. I could eat it like yogurt.
–Icelandic cod in another mystery sauce, perfectly cooked– literally the best morsel of fish I’ve ever had the privilege of putting in my mouth and I shit you not, I felt like I was getting kinda emotional.
–Kobe Beef (at a whopping $ 50 upcharge) — served on the rare side, it was THE most tender, amazing piece of beef I’ll ever get to eat in my lifetime. Again, felt like I wanted to cry. Substantial and filling and totally worth the upcharge. No, really. BF opted for the 40-​hour braised pork cheek and he also said it was the best piece of meat he’s ever tasted.
–Savory cow’s milk cheese dessert with tart crabapple– choose this if you really love strong, sharp cheese and an adorable apple to compliment it perfectly.
«HMM, PRETTY TASTY»:
–Fancy fish in horseradish snow (definitely unique but too horseradishey IMHO), foie gras in pear/​granola (some bites were like «oh wow!» and others tasted like wet sawdust), jersey scallop with fried chicken bits on top (super tasty but no different than Ippolito’s $ 2 scallops TBH)
«WHY THO?»:
–Pre-​meal «finger food» (carrot and other mystery vegetable and beet cotton candy puff– mehh), sweet potato cake dessert (not bad, per se, but still kind of savory for being their ‘sweet’ dessert and the density just didn’t strike my fancy).
The meal ended with two minuscule ceramic pots containing white chocolate/​cherry pudding crack. OMG. The check came out on a palm-​sized clipboard. Adorable all around.
Overall, the chef definitely had an odd obsession with adding a mystery crunch element to each dish which, while fun on the tongue, started to become kind of one note after a while. Some dishes obviously reigned supreme over others. Some were good but not great, and at these prices, everything should be great. Service was spectacular– they knew when to interject, when to take away dishes, how to describe dishes– sometimes cloyingly sweet, but hey, at least they weren’t snobby or pretentious. My only complaint in this area is that the server offered to take the coats from the couple next to us, but we weren’t offered. Nitpicky, I know, but the place is so cramped, it would be a nice gesture so I didn’t have to struggle to take it off without elbowing someone else.
We didn’t get the alleged knockout gnocchi for a $ 40 upcharge (which I really am not losing sleep over), so the grand total for 2 people including tax and tip at a BYOB was $ 300. Is it worth it? Let me work it. For a special occasion, yes. You’re paying for the experience. But will I return and tell all my friends to empty their checking accounts? Probably not. A great one-​and-​done deal.

Been to Laurel twice. Food is outstanding, atmosphere is really cool: the chef’s table is actually outside, which made for a very cool experience. I had the venison which was a winter menu item and it was truly fantastic. Tender as a great steak, not gamey at all, just perfectly prepared. They were exceptionally accommodating (especially considering the tasting menu) of food allergies and dietary restrictions.
My only real complaint is that the tasting menu was more or less the same both times I’ve been there, but I don’t think that’s uncommon among restaurants featuring a tasting menu.

We’re coming from a perspective of previously very satisfied Laurel diners, having found it pricey but well worth it in our past four previous visits.
The newest prix fixe menu, however, is not great, at least not for our palettes. High points were the Kobe beef and the gnocchi with truffles, both of which were wonderful… but were also both $ 50 add-​ons. The scallops, snails and the final tiny custard were good. The amuse bouche of beet meringue, carrot and radish was also ok, but also extremely tiny. The foie gras was… very little, at least not much that I could taste, and I’m a bit of a foie gras fanatic.
In between these high/​ok courses, however, were the low points: raw/​undercooked courses, any *one* of which would have been fine… but not all together in one meal. The raw oyster with caviar, the frozen raw yellowtail/​horseradish and the horrendously undercooked cod all combined to make our stomachs rumble, and not in a good way. We love raw sushi and sashimi, but a hockey puck of translucent, undercooked cod is not a good thing: not sure what this award-​winning chef was thinking when he set the cooking time on that one.
After all this raw/​undercooked seafood, the pork cheek promised a welcome cooked course… but it turned out to be gamey and far from a high-​quality dish in our opinion. Two of us had tried pork cheek on occasion elsewhere and liked it, but this one was not good.
Perhaps our tastes are not refined enough for this more exotic menu, but in our opinion this was not a good combination of tastes/​types of dishes, and the only things we truly liked were add-​ons, not even part of the normal menu.
Price-​wise, the whole thing was $ 400+ for four people… and that was at a BYOB, and with tiny, tiny dishes. That’s perfectly fine for amazing food, but this was far, *far* from amazing.
Laurel is a great spot with a wonderful ambiance, a talented chef and a great staff, and what used to be a remarkable menu. We’re hoping that this is but a brief dalliance with unfortunate dish choices that have gone too far to the experimental. In our opinion, they should return to their roots and go back to the old Laurel that we knew and loved… and we want the last three hours and about $ 200 back. ;-)

I’m looking at the reviews here, and I can’t make sense out of what I’m seeing. Either (i) I don’t realize what an unsophisticated rube I am, (ii) people are afraid to give a fancy, high-​profile place a low-​star review, or (iii) Unilocal is a scam and Laurel pays them a bunch of money to keep low-​star reviews out. Laurel is, at best, unremarkable, except for the prices, for which Laurel has managed to set a new standard in Philadelphia. Dollar-​for-​ounce, it’s by far the most expensive place in the city.
‘Fois gras’ always sounds good when it rolls off waitresses’ lips, and it tastes even more decadent than it sounds. But when you say it, there should actually be some fois gras in the dish — at least enough to taste it. All I tasted was the most expensive granola I’ve ever had; I prefer some of the granola in those containers at Whole Foods.
The one dish I did think was excellent was the gnocchi, which I gather is their famous dish. It was good, but I feel like I’m paying for its fame at an additional $ 55. I notice other reviews discussing it only months ago for $ 20, $ 40, $ 45. No matter how good it is, I don’t think it’ll be worth it in a year from now when it’s $ 125.
Many reviewers note the tiny portions. They are, to be sure, miniscule, but I actually don’t mind that, so long as the taste is a knockout. Here, we received eight dishes — one (the gnocchi) was excellent, one (the Burgundy snail dish) was very good, and six literally made us laugh at ourselves for voluntarily being robbed of $ 300. That’s $ 300 — at a BYO. Remarkable.

This was a restaurant I bookmarked on Unilocal for awhile and finally had a chance to try it. This was a special occasion since my friend is moving away. I came in with high expectations; however, I left disappointed. This was listed as one of the top restaurants by foobooz and considering the difficulty it was to even book a table, I really did look forward to this dinner. If I could use one word to describe the interior, it’s SIMPLE. The restaurant is also small; however, I hear they are expanding next door.
So this is a 7 course tasting menu.
1. Hamachi (lacked flavor)
2. Cocoa cured Foi gras with grapes (frozen and flaky) — I very much enjoyed this dish
3. Wild burgundy snails — didn’t even know that I ate snails, that’s all I can say, not a fan
4. Seared scallops — meh, it was kind of slimy
5. Brown buttered arctic char
6. Corned pork cheek
7. Caramelized white chocolate pudding
We also ordered the gnocchi on the side ($ 20 extra).
Overall, it was a pricey meal for the lack of quality in dishes. I was not wowed by anyone of the dishes. The dishes were small in portion; however, they were indeed filling by the time you are done the entire meal. Oh, presentation of the dishes were kind of lacking as well. If the dishes are small, they usually present it quite well in appearance but nothing to see here, move it along. Will I be back? Likely not, i’ll take my hundred beans elsewhere with the many choices available in Philadelphia.

Laurel may be God’s personal entrance to heaven.
Enter into a warm, cozy, rustic eatery, ready to fulfill an romantic night with loved ones. Courses are pristine, crafted with slight of hand, and will have you oogoling all night. Service is unique and friendly as you are welcomed to eat in this fine establishment. Perfect for a hot date night: birthday with a loved one, valentines day, or anniversary dinner. To say the least you must make reservations far in advance, and don’t expect to come here with a large party.
Laurel is as intimate as it gets.

Laurel did not disappoint. It was everything I thought and wanted it to be. From start to finish Laurel lives up to what fine dining and great culinary is all about. Our server Jordan, was very professional and made me feel very comfortable and welcomed. Big treat tonight was the chefs were able to get a hold of some Australian truffles! They were shaved over risotto by one of the chefs. Great touch!
Laurel is a very small restaurant. It is now byob, but is going to get a license for alcohol soon in addition to expanding the dining room. Laurel is still hoping to keep the byob option open for guest if they wish.
I am looking forward to my next reservation.
Laurel, a foodie’s paradise! :-)

If a restaurant is listed in the top 100 restaurants «fit for foodies» in America by OpenTable, and you realized after the little dance your thumbs did, while trying to find a table for the past two months, that scoring a reservation is a hard-​score challenge. You know, YOU MUST be persistence and patience to get in. As Audrey Hepburn told me once: «Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!» And that’s, my friend, how I did get a reservation once upon a time along with high dose of luck.
If a restaurant made the cut to be named in GQ magazine as one of the «25 Most Outstanding Restaurants of 2015,» you sure know you owe it to yourself to try it. Food critics, Unilocalers, tastemakers, and foodies have tried, loved, reviewed and have given this premise A+, two thumbs up, and five Stars. If a restaurant was voted to be number one of the best 50 restaurants in Philadelphia, you know you will bookmark it, to make your life easier for future exploration.
Once upon a time, I was informed by my fellow Unilocaler, Matthew H, that it was posted on twitter, that Laurel had some availability for the first seating of that night, so I called and I reserved it. That was a stroke of luck and I knew big things are about to happen.
I believe that Laurel is a true American cuisine with a French touch to it. The service was very classy, professional and excellent. Meredith, my waitress, was very knowledgeable and patient as she was explaining the menu. At that time, the restaurant didn’t move exclusively to the tasting menu yet. So, I had the luxury to choose between À la carte or the 7 courses Chef tasting menu. I opted out for the À la carte menu, which was divided to 4 courses, chilled, warm and savory, entrée, and desserts. The chef recommended getting one of each for a full experience, I ordered the Salt Roasted Beets, Truffle Crusted Wagyu Beef with the Braised Cheek, and their favorite dessert that is always on the menu Caramelized White Chocolate Pudding.
The food was beautiful, elegant, and exotic and if you are, like me, someone who appreciates the art of food, Laurel would be a real treat. My first course was the chilled salt roasted beets. The beets were cooked three different ways, salted, baked and dehydrated for richer taste, and finished with a nice touch of hibiscus foaming mouse. On a side note, don’t skip the bread and the brown butter with sea salt, it was so delicious. The truffle crusted wagyu beef, and braised cheek entrée was very tender and enjoyable. The dessert on the other hand, was not as successful as I expected it to be. I had the white chocolate pudding, and it had an odd and predominate flavor that I didn’t like, nor I was able to identify. However, since the pudding is the restaurant favorite, it may just be my taste buds.
After Vetri, I’ve raised my bar too high, especially, there are many fine dining options in Philadelphia. The ambiance at Laurel, was definitely warm, and inviting, very much worth the indulgence money and time. Meanwhile, in the lap of the luxury, Laurel didn’t top Vetri, even with the unique dining experience.
Four Unilocal

So… I’ve been waiting awhile to write this review… finally! Let me start out by saying I have always detested mushrooms… well my favorite dish was the escargot with mushrooms… this is how special this chef is… the service is superb… the staff are very personable and the interaction is wonderful… the food! Horse radish snow!!! Come on… and it works! OMG… then the staff quietly and efficient sweeps in removes the course and sets up for the next… each one building up to the climax of the entrée which was perhaps the single best piece of meat I’ve every eaten… I’ve had bigger pieces… more expensive meals… but never better. Bravo… Bravo…Bravo. My wife and I were just blown away by the quality and atmosphere of This place and can not wait till our next meal there