Came here for happy hour and it was great! The portions were small but perfect for happy hour and the cocktails were delicious. The interior was so cute and the decor was perfect for this vibe. read more

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Fun place to go. Good was great, service attentive, prices reasonable. We'll be going back with a few friends

WOW! I wish I could give more stars! In summary, incredible food and drinks, incredible vibes, incredible service! Overall, the vibes are so lively and fun, and the quality decor and details of the entire place were stunning from top to bottom! We started with some delicious cocktails - the daiquiri was perfect, just the right amount of sweetness and velvety finish with the egg whites. For our app, we got the hamachi crudo which was beyond flavorful, and the added pistachio crunch was a perfect balance. For our main, we got the lamb shank which quite literally fell off the bone, no knife needed! Was beyond tender and flavorful. To top it off, the entree came with the best mezzes I've had in the city! Standouts were the olives, pistachio mint yogurt, and the smoked beets, but seriously they were all incredible! The cherry on top was the soft serve with caramel walnut topping that was also included with the entree. Just getting the app and one entree (which comes w mezzes and dessert) was plenty of food for two people, so really amazing value. Finally, our server was incredibly friendly and attentive. Can't wait to come back! read more

Dear Daphni - Lamb shank was so tender! All of the mezzes (included with the entree) were delicious! - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Came here with a few friends for Center City SIPS. The restaurant decor was beautiful. The happy hour drinks were well made and tasty and our waiter was attentive. It was busy and also loud! I think the SIPS crowd brought out a lot of people and a bit of wait for food was expected. Our food was very good. The chicken kebab was so flavorful, shawarma was also really good. The taste of the food was very memorable for me so I will be returning. read more

Upon first glance of their menu, it looks promising - a Mediterranean restaurant where you get a nice selection of mezze with an entree for reasonable prices and a few a la carte dishes here and there. Mediterranean happens to be one of my favorite cuisines and you can definitely see the format as paralleling that of laser wolf / zahav and suraya, but in rittenhouse under schulson. I came by as a walk in on a Thursday night and immediately noted the chic decor, which unfortunately is the highlight of this visit because everything else was underwhelming. They were understandably booked so the server pointed out they the bar and "side rail" was first come first serve. I take a seat at the rail where I spy a few others enjoying drinks and eating. After waiting at this rail, it wasn't clear who my server would be or if I would get service so I slipped into a bar seat the moment one became available. I felt that the service was okay for a new restaurant (a little disorganized, but understandable for a new establishment) and food came out at a reasonable pace. I ordered a honey-based mocktail and unfortunately it was a miss for me - not very well balanced, acidic, and thin. No one checked in on the drink. Turkish coffee was good though. The mezze was subpar compared to the salatim / mezze of the aforementioned established Mediterranean restaurants. Nothing mindblowing, but enjoyable for the most part. Now why the real reason I'm eating this place a 3 - My entree was the filet kebab was overcooked and surprisingly chewy for a filet. I've had much better beef kebabs st chain restaurants for roughly half the price. The accompanying toum was shockingly bland (texture is wrong, not as garlicky and savory as a real toum- this felt like toum made by someone who's never had toum). Despite the establishment proudly stating their proteins are charbroiled, if you told me my kebab was prepared on a nonstick grill pan on an induction top I would not be surprised. If the kebab was even seasoned with spices i couldn't tell you what it was because there was nothing discerning in how it was prepared. The potatoes were fine but nothing to write home about; it was accompanied with more of that bland toum and a spiced ketchup (presumably an imitation of the schwarma spiced ketchup from cooknsolo.) Rice pilaf was also fine. I was surprised no one checked in to ask if I wanted another drink at the bar of all places but I didn't press the issue since it means i kept to keep more of my money. I asked for the rest of my mezze to go and unfortunately my bartender did not pack my leftover pita. She did nicely put it all into individual 4 oz cups. After waiting for a few more moments she asked if I wanted anything else so I inquired about the soft serve included with service and she said they were out and only had sorbet left. I felt like she or the other bartender could have mentioned that rather than me having to inquire, but being lactose intolerant I would have asked about a non-dairy option like sorbet regardless. The sorbet like most of the meal was unremarkable. In summary, if you, like me, were anticipating the rittenhouse equivalent of suraya or laser wolf, keep walking. I might hate commuting to NE Philly but it's worth it to have damn good Mediterranean. read more

Dear Daphni - Filet kebab w pilaf and zataar potatoes. - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Amateur hour at the hostess desk. It's 15 mins past my reservation time and they can't seat us but a table opened a few mins before 8:15 while I was standing there with my 2 kids. They didn't give it to me because my husband hadn't arrived yet. Very bad start to birthday dinner. Disappointed with hostess and host. read more

Came here for happy hour after hearing all the buzz on social media, and sorry to say that the influencers have gotten it wrong yet again. Most of the plates we ordered were not served hot, even though they were hot dishes. My guess is they make a bunch at once and just have them sitting under the heat lamp until ready to be served, which gives us as the customer a subpar experience. I was also very disappointed in the portion sizes -- only two small pieces of pita served with an entire plate of dip. We had to eventually use our forks to scoop the dip up when we ran out of other options. The two highlights for me were the staff and my Moroccan mule cocktail. Our waitress was very nice and the manager even came by a couple times to refill our drinks/clear some plates. They were certainly packed for a Friday evening, but I wouldn't suggest this spot to my friends. Maybe once they've been open for a few more months and worked out the kinks. read more

Dear Daphni - Dip of the day - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fantastic birthday dinner! I had a cocktail, husband had a mocktail and both were excellent. Also tried the espresso martini, which was great (no beans on top though lol!) We started with the Mezze which had a lot of variety, only complaint is that they only give you 4 pieces of pita and you have to pay $1 per additional piece, which felt a little cheap. Kebab platter (lamb, salmon, chicken) was fantastic! The chicken was my favorite. They also brought out a complimentary ice-cream with a sparkling candle for my birthday which was sweet. Service was fast, efficient, and friendly. Prices were a tiny high, but nothing outrageous. Decor is modern, sophisticated, and colorful- great ambience. I'd love to come back, and the happy hour deals look great! read more

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Service was amazing. Our lamb was overcooked and they remedied to perfection and went above and beyond. Overall, a solid addition to the scene. Not every dish hit though. And value wise you can do better even in Rittenhouse. read more

The food here is great! We had date night and the two of us ordered the mezze, meatball appetizer, shrimp kabob, and lamb chops all to share. Everything was fabulous. I was hesitant to order a plate of dips for $27 - but we loved each one! It is a big restaurant and is very, very loud inside. Service was ok. Water refills were very slow, the servers kept trying to clear plates before we were done, and at one point we seemed to have two servers who were completely unaware of each other. read more

My friend and I visited Dear Daphni for happy hour and it did not disappoint! It has been on my list since it opened and we were excited to check it out. We sat along the window in the back of the restaurant and were able to take advantage of the really reasonable happy hour prices. I ordered two Marrakesh Mules and we shared the dip of the day and Lebanese potato chips. Our server was attentive and friendly. I loved the vibes in the restaurant and how spacious it is. Everything was delicious and we look forward to going back and trying their entrees! read more

This used to be the go to spot in Philly. However they changed things up and EVERYTHING is A la carte. Happy hour is still good but no more Mezze with an entree. So it's a regular old happy hour you would get anywhere. We went for dinner. While the Salmon Kabob was delish I would have liked a scoop of rice with it. Not interested in a giant bowl of rice. Mezze was pricy and absolutely no refills. Not even one! If you have more than 2 people sharing it. It's just a tease. They took away the Mediterranean tradition of sharing. It's a nice dinner. But there are nice dinners all over Philly. Doesn't stand out anymore. I get prices increase and there were abusers of the free unlimited Mezze, but there are better ways to shut that abuse down. A la carte sucks read more

Salmon tartare was terrible. Ambiance was uncomfortable I feel like this place is just a quick cash grab. Waitress was fantastic and kind she definitely seemed stressed. read more

I don't normally write reviews, but my experience here was frustrating enough to warn others. Right off the bat, the waiter forced us to put in our entire food order at once, which felt rushed and completely unnecessary. Even though the restaurant was only half full, service was incredibly slow. We had to ask multiple times for basic things, and when the food finally came, it was practically thrown on the table by a rude, disengaged server. To make matters worse, we were charged for refills on fountain soda (seriously?) and it seemed like everything had an extra charge attached to it. The menu was extremely overpriced for what we received. The only positive was the quality of the food, which was decent -- but that alone doesn't make up for poor service, excessive charges, and a generally unpleasant experience. Plenty of better spots nearby that serve great food and treat guests with some basic courtesy. read more

Was there last night. Atmosphere great. Service very good. Drinks and appetizers were great. The main problem was the lobster special. We ordered two. It was supposed to be a 1.5 lb lobster for $49. It came out and it was nothing but shell. It was a meatless lobster. We removed what meat there was from the tails and claws and all together it was less food than just one of the scallops our friend ordered. I have had 1.5 lb lobsters and 3 lb lobsters and I know what to expect in a lobster. I know 1.5 are small but you can always count on the tail for at least a few mouthfuls of food. These almost seemed like they were a different species - maybe a crawdad or crayfish? -with tails smaller than a jumbo shrimp. We told the waiter and she told the chef and the response was next time he will order bigger lobsters. Didn't help us much as we basically went without dinner. read more

Formerly a favorite restaurant in Philly due to the old menu, which offered complimentary dips and ice cream with the meal. They recently made the entire menu a la carte and decreased the portion sizes on everything. Service was mediocre. Was also at least 85 degrees in the restaurant. Will not be going back any time soon. read more

Wonderful experience. Staff were all super friendly, and food was delicious. Flavor and dishes were great -- gorgeous space, and fun ambiance. read more

Dear Daphni - Hamachi Crudo - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Everything 5 star. Been a big fan of Via Locusta so I was excited to try this place Perfect date night atmosphere Anna was great. Gave recommendations on what she likes Complimentary dessert read more

We visited dear Daphne, when it had first opened and really enjoyed our dinner. However, in returning last week, it was a step above and we really, really loved our experience. Any kinks have definitely been ironed out. A five star. The decision to go to à la carte so that one could enjoy the Mezze separately or with the kebabs was a great decision. Every dish that we had was amazing and we really enjoyed the kebab sampler. New to the Mezze platter were the roasted warm olives, tossed in lemon oil and the babaganush. Delicious additions to all the other amazing Mezze dips and endless warm, fresh pita. Highly recommend that you give Dear Daphne a try even if you've been there before. The atmosphere cannot be beat and the staff is friendly, helpful and just plain fun! it doesn't hurt that the drinks are great too! It is important for me to see management and staff working the floor introducing themselves and looking for direct feedback. Kelsey and staff were very active with customers. A great sign that improvement is a key goal. read more

Great atmosphere. Food was great as well. Very friendly staff! Asked if there were any allergies at the table. read more

Dear Daphni - Filet Kabob - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great Ambiance. Good service. Food was boring and lacked so much. The Turkish dumplings were basically ravioli in a way too sweet tomato sauce. It was giving chef boyardee. The Georgian bread was good but the bread was a little dense. Saami somi in the reading terminal is way better. We got the king prawn and chicken thigh kebabs. They were good but nothing to remember. The cocktails on the other hand were great. Would go again just for drinks. But for dinner, no thank you. There are way better options in the city. read more

Service was sooo good... food was good. It's hard to compare to laserwolf who's amazing! They did good though. The Salatim needs to be a bit better though. read more

Their wine on tap is basically an Italian Pinot Grigio (Crisp and Cold)! We started with the Mezze as it's perfect for 2-3 people (say extra pita even if it's free just so you don't wait for more). Salmon Kebab and Red Snapper was great. Only thing that was sub par was the flat Diet Coke to end the meal. Place is a vibe with the lights dim and it's never too loud. read more

Mediocre experience overall. The food was fine, though a bit bland. Service was slow during our visit. It wasn't bad, just underwhelming compared to similar places nearby. read more

Dear Daphni is basically Laser Wolf with the aesthetic of K'Far if it was in a larger space. Ambiance and atmosphere were nice, it's loud and fun. Otherwise, an average Mediterranean restaurant on the pricier side. The Turkish Dumplings were the best course. The timing of everything was so quick, too quick! As soon as the mezze was served, the dumplings and one of our entrees and rice were served within a minute. The table next to us asked their server not bring their entrees until they were finished with the mezze and apps- highly recommend if you don't want everything all at once. Our second entree, the filet kebab, didn't arrive for almost 20 minutes and we had already finished the rice and lamb kebab. A manager apologized for the delay, which we actually ended up being grateful for since all the other food came at once. I'd stick with established classics in the city like Laser Wolf, Kanella, Zorba's, Suraya or Zahav. read more

The food was excellent and the cocktails were tasty with great prices. The only downside was that the service felt rushed--our drinks, appetizer, and meal all came out too quickly, leaving little time to enjoy each course. If the pacing had been more relaxed, we would've stayed longer and ordered more drinks. read more

The place is beautiful. We had a drink at the bar and it was so nice, we decided to get an outdoor table. It was a beautiful evening but sitting outside on Sansom St was loud. The food was average. Very disappointed that such an upscale Schulson owned restaurant has meh food. Great place for a drink. You can skip the meal. read more

TLDR review: 2.5 stars, rounding up Food: great Ambiance: lovely Service: really bad Details: I couldn't have been more excited for a neighborhood Mediterranean restaurant that didn't require an Uber ride to NoLib/Fishtown or Old City. So I had high hopes for Dear Daphni. The food met my expectations. Delicata squash "salad" was a highlight and the Turkish dumplings were savory. Large portions for starters for sure. Mezze that came with the entree/kebab was good. Pita was decent but the dips were varied and great to try. Our mains were also solid. The lamb kebab was fabulous and the prawns were good (though a bit overpriced for what you got). And the soft serve included as dessert was great. Don't sleep on the honey drizzle. Ambiance is aesthetically great and just lively enough. For an early reservation on a Wednesday the place was buzzing and the bar area which I assume takes walkin's was beautiful. But the service....OOF. There are tons of people working including multiple managers so perhaps that causes confusion? The evening started with us being seated, ordering drinks, and then being asked to relocate tables. No biggie at all and we were given a much better spot so it felt like a win. Fast forward to over 25 minutes later and our new server never appeared. Our drinks were finished, menus pushed aside, and we still hadn't been acknowledged since we were moved. When we finally got a server, everything happened in fast motion. Dishes immediately came to the table. We had to flag down the waitstaff to order wine to go with our food so it didn't get cold. Once round one of rapid fire concluded, one entree and the rice came out but no plates. So it sat there for 15min before we flagged a manager down to grab us some plates. More than 25min after that entrees arrival, we assumed the second entree hadn't been captured but then it arrived via another manager. Cue immediate clearing of all plates, soft serve delivered along with check and we were out in no time. Of note, the bar manager / sommelier was lovely! And so helpful. In fact he may have been the reason that second entree made it to our table. Important to keep in mind, this restaurant is brand spanking new and so they're clearly working things out. That said, some sort of acknowledgement of the fact that this was a mess would've been appreciated. The overall experience overshadowed some great food which is a bummer. Think we'll skip planning a trip back - at least tor now - and let them maybe figure out the operation. read more

The lamb shank was great swordfish was so so Nice place. Service was good but got very slow at the end of the night forgot our dessert read more

Just had drinks there and our bartender assumed his tip was included in the money we had on the bar. Very presumptuous and he didn't even ask how the drinks were. read more

Came on August 7th to meet friends for some drinks and snacks. I asked the host where she would recommend we be seated and she said the bar or outside. We opted for outside and got seating right away even on such a gorgeous day. I was waiting for 2 friends and it was great to be seated right away even though my party hadnt arrived yet. While waiting for my two friends, our server, ANNA, was so kind and welcoming. I have a gluten intolerance and she walked me through the entire menu and provided recommendations. Once my party had arrived, which were two friends I have not seen for a few months, she was so patient with letting us catch up when we didnt know what we wanted yet. She walked us through the menu and how the culinary team likes to have all dishes ordered together. We were there for almost three hours and had a wonderful experience thanks to the hospitality at Dear Daphni. I would definitely recommend the mezze, which comes with refills of pita and crudite, the meatballs and the calamari. I am already excited to come back for a full meal! Oh...and the restaurant itself is insanely gorgeous. read more

The restaurant itself is beautiful however the food is average at best. Way to SALTY! Stay away from the grilled broccoli (dry and tasteless) and the squash (the texture is horrible). The service is also WAY too quick! I felt very try rushed and really couldn't enjoy 1 item before another item came out. The Mezze was the best part of the meal! I will not be returning. read more

Opening a modern Mediterranean restaurant in Philly is a choice...a bad one in this attempt. Started off nice! It's a beautiful space lively with energy. We were sat right away and our server enthusiastically came right over and explained the menu in great detail. We perused for a few minutes and then placed our food and drink order. We ordered two glasses of wine...which took 25+ minutes to deliver. Our appetizer and the mezze course came before the wine. This was a common theme. We were never able to order a second glass of wine anytime that made sense during a 90 minute meal because the server was MIA after the mezze was dropped off. After the entrees arrived and we finished those there was a 20 min wait to decide on our soft serve flavors and 15 min wait for those to arrive. Service left a lot to be desired and unfortunately the food did not make up for it. Appetizer - Gigante bean tabbouleh. The best dish we had. Simple and flavorful gigante beans, tomatoes and cucumbers. Mezze platter - They were all fine. Nothing special. Pita was lukewarm at best. Chicken thigh kabob - cold, lacking any flavor. Basically a vessel for the dipping sauces? Lamb shank - fine. lacking significant flavor. Dipping sauces helped a little Turkish pilaf - cold and tasteless. Legit no seasoning Potatoes - was promised a crispy potato fried in beef tallow and got cold slightly mushy fingerling potatoes again lacking any flavor. Soft serve flavors - chocolate fig and vanilla tahini. Vanilla was interesting but a few bites was enough. In summary very disappointing. Go to Zahav, Suraya, Kanella, Dizengoff..anywhere else. read more

We celebrated my brother's birthday at Dear Daphni and it was a great experience from service to food to ambiance! Our server, Cynthia, was super nice and gave great recommendations. She went above and beyond to make our dinner memorable. The mezze and Hamachi Crudo were delicious starters. We also had the chicken thigh, wagyu, lamb, and branzino which were all great. The manager Geo gave us a nice welcome and we will definitely be back in the future! read more

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This concept is a rip off of laser wolf just not done as well. I tried to email them my feedback before going public since they're new but never heard back. The service was bizarre. Someone was trying to take half eaten items off our table at every moment or standing over us watching. I felt so rushed and almost said can you please let us eat. The pacing of the food was very off and the food overall was ok but there are so many better places in Philly to eat then here so I will not be back. Cocktail menu is nice and ambiance is very cool so points for that. Also our server charged me for a Diet Coke refill which I've never experienced at any restaurant in my life. Just weird and won't be back and don't recommend. Hit up laser wolf instead if you want this food concept read more

Food was good but a bit over priced. The ambiance was nice but tables were on top of each other. Very crowded and very loud for a Wednesday night. It was different to have a conversation without raising my voice. read more

Great experience here. Food, service and overall vibe great! Will be back! Loved the pita and mezzes that were served with our entrees!

One of the poorest experiences I have ever had in a restaurant. Our group had allergies with sesame, tree nuts and goats milk, which we noted in the reservation and the server multiple times. The server would not provide an allergen guide when requested for the menu and we nearly had an allergic reaction as he failed to notify us that many items had allergens. When we spoke with the GM Jennifer Parker and Kelsey Nofer they apologized and stated they would make it right. One person in our party did not eat anything due to allergen concerns. We received the check where they had taken off our drinks and an appetiser. What an epic fail of the management to turn a terrible situation into a better one. We paid the bill and inquired why they did not comp the whole check we any other restaurant would. The GMs told us that the Director of Ope Greg Rotzal had only authorised the removal of the drinks and appetizer from the check. Most establishments would have tried to make it right given the poor experience we have had. Schulson needs to train its leaders better on customer service and hospitality. Poor service poor training and poor operations read more

The ambiance was good, but might be outdated in a few years once new art deco goes out of style. Our server was very nice. However this is just another restaurant stepping into the Mediterranean scene in Philly and not being up to par. Not a lot of food selection and not good as other restaurants doing the same thing. I think it was a risk opening this with its competition and I don't think it's winning. read more

The good: the atmosphere and the service. The bad: the food and the drinks. We've been excited to try this spot since it opened around the corner from us. Disappointed was an understatement - from the amount of hype this place got you would think the bartender could at least make a decent old fashioned. Then there was the food. The tuna tartare had a Mexican vibe. The "Turkish" dumplings tasted like an Italian tortellini dish from Olive Garden. But, hey- the complimentary sorbet was great. Test your sodium levels after departure! read more