We were very excited to try yet another of the Shulson Collective. Entering the space only made us more so, as it is spectacular. Execution was not up to the standards we are used to from this group. Does it really take 20 minutes to deliver a diet coke? The Mezzes and apps were very good (particularly like the beet spread). The kebabs were not. Lamb was excellent. Chicken was good, salmon was undercooked. We will, however try again. I will chalk the service up to newness and maybe the specific server.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Divya Ahuja
Excellent Arayes and Meatballs! Loved the ambience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Pirro
Delicious food and friendly staff! The food platters are big enough to share and the chairs are genuinely some of the most comfortable i have ever sat in.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shawn Nixon
This was my third and best visit to Dear Daphnia me and my friend decided to sit at the bar and we are so happy we did. Kade was absolutely awesome they knew their menu and made great suggestions. Kade personally and service is exactly what I look for when I come downtown to eat and drink.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Albert Bellamy
Amazing place. Food was incredible. The mezze sampler was exquisite (sad I didn't take a picture, it was so pretty) and the meatballs are spiced perfectly. LOVED the bread with the egg yolk.
I had the pork special, which was grilled and seasoned to perfection. The Greek salad was delicious, so fresh and the dressing drew rave reviews from my wife, who is not easily impressed.
Drinks were delicious and perfectly balanced. I had the Birds and Bees, a honey infused gin cocktail. Delicious and very creative. My wife's margarita was just to her liking.
Service was impeccable. The place is packed (Saturday night) and every customer is being served quickly and with personal attention. Our server Connor knew EVERYTHING about the menu, drinks, ingredients and made several excellent recommendations.
The GM Jennifer is EVERYWHERE and leadership is very visible, clearly cares about the staff and customers.
Food was more of a 3.5 bit rounded up. The mezze was fine but lackluster in comparison to local competition. Some of the dishes were good but others were oddly sweet which I found a bit off putting. The lamb shank was good but somewhat forgettable. My favorite thing that I tried was the espresso turk-tini which was excellent!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
H D
Came here for a celebration dinner last night. The space and atmosphere is such a vibe. It’s so pretty inside. Menu is a limited but everything we got was really good. Our server Jess suggested some great dishes. The grilled calamari had great flavor. Tuna Tartar was really good. The Mezze dips is a lot so it’s great to share for the table. Drinks were really good, I had the Persian Paloma and Dead Sea Daquiri.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Hall
I really wanted to love Dear Daphni. The restaurant is stunning — an open, airy space filled with Mediterranean light and soft coastal colors. You can tell real care went into the design; it feels like a seaside escape tucked into the city.
The food mostly lived up to the setting: the kebabs were perfectly grilled and full of flavor, and the cocktails were balanced and bright. The only culinary miss was the eggplant dish, which arrived dry and forgettable.
Unfortunately, the service pulled the whole experience down. Our waiter, Paul, rushed through menu explanations and barely checked on our table, though he gave nearby diners attentive, friendly service. That contrast was hard to ignore.
As someone who dines often in Philly, I’ve learned that great food and beautiful decor can’t overcome poor hospitality. A restaurant can recover from a bland dish — but not from feeling invisible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 1
Rinka Yoshida
The grills were all perfectly done ✨ The open-air dining, summer breeze coming in, and street tables were all amounting to a great vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
N M
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.
What an amazing platter! The best baba ghanoush I ever had! All the dips were really good, the pita was warm and also tried a delicious melted cheese on the side that I can’t wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Brittany
The food was good 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.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Doron K
There is much better restaurant in the area. It’s ok over all I had much tastier Middle Eastern food in Philadelphia
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Todd Kramer
Overpriced, over salted, and over it!
The eight of us had one of the worst dining experiences I could remember at Dear Daphne last night. Service - we had an 8:00 reservation and did not get seated till after 8:30 but that's where I'd call it the efficiency ended. We waited ages just for drinks then again for sides and entrees everything came out late and lukewarm. Food - every single dish was so salty it was barely edible. We actually texted each other this morning comparing notes because everyone woke up in the middle of the night at least twice around 2:00 and 4:00 AM parched and chugging water. The calamari was straight up undercooked. Comfort - our table was awkward and uncomfortable, which didn't help the long waits. Price - for the level of service and quality, the bill was outrageous. It felt like we paid a premium to be ignored and served poorly prepared food.
I rarely write negative reviews but this was a complete mess from start to finish. I can overlook one or two issues, but when the food, service, and comfort all fail while charging high end prices, it's impossible to recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
Cecilia Razo
Delicious food! A perfect combination of aesthetic appeal, excellent service, and amazing food. Oh, and the happy hour prices are excellent too!
We were very excited to try yet another of the Shulson Collective. Entering the space only made us more so, as it is spectacular. Execution was not up to the standards we are used to from this group. Does it really take 20 minutes to deliver a diet coke? The Mezzes and apps were very good (particularly like the beet spread). The kebabs were not. Lamb was excellent. Chicken was good, salmon was undercooked. We will, however try again. I will chalk the service up to newness and maybe the specific server.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Excellent Arayes and Meatballs! Loved the ambience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious food and friendly staff! The food platters are big enough to share and the chairs are genuinely some of the most comfortable i have ever sat in.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was my third and best visit to Dear Daphnia me and my friend decided to sit at the bar and we are so happy we did. Kade was absolutely awesome they knew their menu and made great suggestions. Kade personally and service is exactly what I look for when I come downtown to eat and drink.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing place. Food was incredible. The mezze sampler was exquisite (sad I didn't take a picture, it was so pretty) and the meatballs are spiced perfectly. LOVED the bread with the egg yolk.
I had the pork special, which was grilled and seasoned to perfection. The Greek salad was delicious, so fresh and the dressing drew rave reviews from my wife, who is not easily impressed.
Drinks were delicious and perfectly balanced. I had the Birds and Bees, a honey infused gin cocktail. Delicious and very creative. My wife's margarita was just to her liking.
Service was impeccable. The place is packed (Saturday night) and every customer is being served quickly and with personal attention. Our server Connor knew EVERYTHING about the menu, drinks, ingredients and made several excellent recommendations.
The GM Jennifer is EVERYWHERE and leadership is very visible, clearly cares about the staff and customers.
Unmatched customer experience. 10/10.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mezze Platter, Hummus, Moroccan Meatballs, Chicken Thigh Kebab, Grilled Broccoli
Food was more of a 3.5 bit rounded up. The mezze was fine but lackluster in comparison to local competition. Some of the dishes were good but others were oddly sweet which I found a bit off putting. The lamb shank was good but somewhat forgettable. My favorite thing that I tried was the espresso turk-tini which was excellent!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Came here for a celebration dinner last night. The space and atmosphere is such a vibe. It’s so pretty inside. Menu is a limited but everything we got was really good. Our server Jess suggested some great dishes. The grilled calamari had great flavor. Tuna Tartar was really good. The Mezze dips is a lot so it’s great to share for the table. Drinks were really good, I had the Persian Paloma and Dead Sea Daquiri.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I really wanted to love Dear Daphni. The restaurant is stunning — an open, airy space filled with Mediterranean light and soft coastal colors. You can tell real care went into the design; it feels like a seaside escape tucked into the city.
The food mostly lived up to the setting: the kebabs were perfectly grilled and full of flavor, and the cocktails were balanced and bright. The only culinary miss was the eggplant dish, which arrived dry and forgettable.
Unfortunately, the service pulled the whole experience down. Our waiter, Paul, rushed through menu explanations and barely checked on our table, though he gave nearby diners attentive, friendly service. That contrast was hard to ignore.
As someone who dines often in Philly, I’ve learned that great food and beautiful decor can’t overcome poor hospitality. A restaurant can recover from a bland dish — but not from feeling invisible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 1
The grills were all perfectly done ✨ The open-air dining, summer breeze coming in, and street tables were all amounting to a great vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
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.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
What an amazing platter! The best baba ghanoush I ever had! All the dips were really good, the pita was warm and also tried a delicious melted cheese on the side that I can’t wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
The food was good 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.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
There is much better restaurant in the area. It’s ok over all I had much tastier Middle Eastern food in Philadelphia
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Overpriced, over salted, and over it!
The eight of us had one of the worst dining experiences I could remember at Dear Daphne last night.
Service - we had an 8:00 reservation and did not get seated till after 8:30 but that's where I'd call it the efficiency ended. We waited ages just for drinks then again for sides and entrees everything came out late and lukewarm.
Food - every single dish was so salty it was barely edible. We actually texted each other this morning comparing notes because everyone woke up in the middle of the night at least twice around 2:00 and 4:00 AM parched and chugging water. The calamari was straight up undercooked.
Comfort - our table was awkward and uncomfortable, which didn't help the long waits.
Price - for the level of service and quality, the bill was outrageous. It felt like we paid a premium to be ignored and served poorly prepared food.
I rarely write negative reviews but this was a complete mess from start to finish. I can overlook one or two issues, but when the food, service, and comfort all fail while charging high end prices, it's impossible to recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
Delicious food! A perfect combination of aesthetic appeal, excellent service, and amazing food. Oh, and the happy hour prices are excellent too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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