Great spot. Did the tasting menu and loved it. Everything was perfect. Would highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hesam Azimi
This was one of our most memorable dinners of 2025 so far — everything we ordered was delicious.
We started with the marinated tomatoes with stracciatella and the focaccia, then had the Thai basil tagliatelle with crab and the breaded pork chop as mains, and finished with the corn brûlée and blueberry pâte à choux for dessert.
The marinated tomatoes with the focaccia were an excellent pairing, and the tagliatelle was a surprisingly delightful fusion — spicy, flavorful, and very well balanced. The pork chop was excellent too: juicy and flavorful, though slightly undercooked near the bone. The corn brûlée was fantastic, while the pâte à choux was the only dish that didn’t quite hit the mark.
Overall, the food was outstanding and the space was very cozy. Our only wish was for slightly better ventilation in the restaurant, but otherwise, it was an amazing dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Tony Nunno
Everything was incredible. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Abby Sensenig
Literally too good. And no where near as expensive as you would think. 10/10 would recommend- delicious classics and amazing new spins!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Duncan Kilpatrick
Had a great dinner at Elma. All of the food was delicious (focaccia, meatballs, marinated tomatoes, eggplant, spaghetti). Service was great and personable. Not necessarily bad but dinner was served and we were out the door within an hour. It’s a small place and there were a lot of flies near the door inside which were distracting
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kamaria Mion
cute lil restaurant perfect for a date night. everything we had was amazing especially the yuzu appetizer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jake Lawson
Elma is a delightful spot for Italian cuisine! The dishes are flavorful and authentic, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. I can’t wait to come back for more!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Jason Paul Heiselmann
Incredible food and a unique setting. We loved everything we ate. The pork chop was wild in the best way. Tangy and spicy and perfectly cooked. All the pastas slammed and I am still thinking about the Thai flavors of the crab pasta. This place is tiny and our server Maureen was friendly and helpful. The chef visited all the tables multiple times while we were there (it is an open kitchen) and you could tell he really loves the food. I will be back again very soon! Make sure and save room for dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nina Guy
Amazing, simply our best restaurant experience in Philly Just go, don’t hesitate
Tara
Elma was fantastic! The food, service, and ambiance were incredibly unique. Each item we got was delicious. The restaurant is small and cozy with only about 7 tables. The kitchen is open allowing you to see the passion going into each dish- along with the fun being had by the chef. The chef, James, was heavily involved (in the best way) constantly circulating through the restaurant greeting guests and checking in. He is the epitome of anticipating guest needs (noticing we had a lot of sauce left on our plate and needed more bread to “sop it up”). His attention to detail and concern for the guests enjoyment was much appreciated and not commonly seen in most restaurants. Our server was also fantastic noting our friend was googling an ingredient and immediately coming over to address her questions stating “ask me! I’m your Google!”. Elma was a great experience and a must visit!!
This is a very nice small BYOB Italian restaurant in the Fish town area. The food and service were exceptional. Love all the dishes we ordered. The prosciutto, focaccia and marinated tomatoes were all, excellent as starters. The Spaghetti pomodoro was perfectly cooked, especially the spaghetti. Claim linguine was cook to perfection and the claim was so fresh. The fried chicken Caesar salad was so good. Highly recommend to try.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Deepak Prabhakar
A great meal at Elma for the a la carte night. We will be back for price fix! The pasta was great, chef/owner was super personable and spent time with all diners. Highly recommend stopping in! (Also once a month, great sandwiches on Sundays!)
Chris Chung
Fantastic Saturday night dinner at Elma. You can tell that the menu is carefully thought out—balanced, multi-faceted, playful, and most importantly, damn delicious. The chef is deeply hospitable and wonderful to talk to, but knows how to stay out of your business so that you can enjoy your evening. All in all, will definitely be returning for another weekend dinner, and also can’t wait to try their cheesesteaks soon!
Phinon Woodside
Stunning thoughtful delicious food with improvable friendly service and an intimate vibe. Each course was well planned and explained with ingredients that were chosen with intention. The small space never felt small but did feel intimate and cozy. If there is an additional course available I would highly recommend indulging.
Alex Canady
My wife and I had a reservation at Elma this past Saturday (4/19) at 6:30pm, and we were genuinely excited to try it after hearing so many glowing reviews. While the food absolutely lived up to the hype, the overall experience left us with mixed feelings.
The Positives: the food was nothing short of outstanding. Every course of the tasting menu was thoughtful, creative, and flawlessly executed. The Iberico Cabecero was one of the best dishes I’ve had in recent memory—deeply flavorful and cooked to perfection. The entire menu reminded me of Marigold Kitchen, one of my all-time favorite Philly restaurants, which is high praise. At $125 per person, the pre-fixe menu offers incredible value for the quality and inventiveness of the meal.
That said, the pacing and service dynamic took away from what could have been a truly memorable evening. The entire five-course experience was over in exactly one hour. Courses were being fired almost immediately after the previous ones hit the table, leaving little time to savor and digest such a rich, intricate meal. A more relaxed pace would’ve elevated the experience significantly.
We were seated at a table adjacent to the kitchen, closest to the counter, where we had the pleasure of being served by Evan—who, we learned, is not only the sous chef but also the restaurant’s sole server. He was friendly, attentive, and brought genuine warmth to the evening. However, our interactions with him were noticeably disrupted. Early in the meal, after a light-hearted joke about him grabbing a glass of wine and joining us, the head chef abruptly shouted, “NO BEVS” in a way that felt jarring and uncomfortable. As the night went on, we overheard additional reprimands directed at Evan for being “overly friendly” with guests. These moments, while not directed at us, were hard to ignore and created an awkward tension, especially being seated so close to the action.
In summary, Elma has all the ingredients of a standout restaurant: incredible food, a unique format, and real talent in the kitchen. But hospitality is more than just what's on the plate. The energy and atmosphere, especially in such an intimate space, matter just as much—and unfortunately, that piece was lacking for us. We left feeling conflicted: impressed by the culinary experience, but uncomfortable with the dynamic behind the scenes.
I sincerely hope the team can fine-tune the experience and internal culture, because Elma has the potential to be one of Philly’s greats. We want to root for them—but for now, we're hesitant to return.
Great spot. Did the tasting menu and loved it. Everything was perfect. Would highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was one of our most memorable dinners of 2025 so far — everything we ordered was delicious.
We started with the marinated tomatoes with stracciatella and the focaccia, then had the Thai basil tagliatelle with crab and the breaded pork chop as mains, and finished with the corn brûlée and blueberry pâte à choux for dessert.
The marinated tomatoes with the focaccia were an excellent pairing, and the tagliatelle was a surprisingly delightful fusion — spicy, flavorful, and very well balanced. The pork chop was excellent too: juicy and flavorful, though slightly undercooked near the bone. The corn brûlée was fantastic, while the pâte à choux was the only dish that didn’t quite hit the mark.
Overall, the food was outstanding and the space was very cozy. Our only wish was for slightly better ventilation in the restaurant, but otherwise, it was an amazing dining experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Everything was incredible. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Literally too good. And no where near as expensive as you would think. 10/10 would recommend- delicious classics and amazing new spins!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a great dinner at Elma. All of the food was delicious (focaccia, meatballs, marinated tomatoes, eggplant, spaghetti). Service was great and personable. Not necessarily bad but dinner was served and we were out the door within an hour. It’s a small place and there were a lot of flies near the door inside which were distracting
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
cute lil restaurant perfect for a date night. everything we had was amazing especially the yuzu appetizer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elma is a delightful spot for Italian cuisine! The dishes are flavorful and authentic, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. I can’t wait to come back for more!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Incredible food and a unique setting. We loved everything we ate. The pork chop was wild in the best way. Tangy and spicy and perfectly cooked. All the pastas slammed and I am still thinking about the Thai flavors of the crab pasta. This place is tiny and our server Maureen was friendly and helpful. The chef visited all the tables multiple times while we were there (it is an open kitchen) and you could tell he really loves the food. I will be back again very soon! Make sure and save room for dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing, simply our best restaurant experience in Philly
Just go, don’t hesitate
Elma was fantastic! The food, service, and ambiance were incredibly unique. Each item we got was delicious. The restaurant is small and cozy with only about 7 tables. The kitchen is open allowing you to see the passion going into each dish- along with the fun being had by the chef. The chef, James, was heavily involved (in the best way) constantly circulating through the restaurant greeting guests and checking in. He is the epitome of anticipating guest needs (noticing we had a lot of sauce left on our plate and needed more bread to “sop it up”). His attention to detail and concern for the guests enjoyment was much appreciated and not commonly seen in most restaurants. Our server was also fantastic noting our friend was googling an ingredient and immediately coming over to address her questions stating “ask me! I’m your Google!”. Elma was a great experience and a must visit!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This is a very nice small BYOB Italian restaurant in the Fish town area. The food and service were exceptional. Love all the dishes we ordered. The prosciutto, focaccia and marinated tomatoes were all, excellent as starters. The Spaghetti pomodoro was perfectly cooked, especially the spaghetti. Claim linguine was cook to perfection and the claim was so fresh. The fried chicken Caesar salad was so good. Highly recommend to try.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
A great meal at Elma for the a la carte night. We will be back for price fix! The pasta was great, chef/owner was super personable and spent time with all diners. Highly recommend stopping in! (Also once a month, great sandwiches on Sundays!)
Fantastic Saturday night dinner at Elma. You can tell that the menu is carefully thought out—balanced, multi-faceted, playful, and most importantly, damn delicious. The chef is deeply hospitable and wonderful to talk to, but knows how to stay out of your business so that you can enjoy your evening. All in all, will definitely be returning for another weekend dinner, and also can’t wait to try their cheesesteaks soon!
Stunning thoughtful delicious food with improvable friendly service and an intimate vibe.
Each course was well planned and explained with ingredients that were chosen with intention.
The small space never felt small but did feel intimate and cozy.
If there is an additional course available I would highly recommend indulging.
My wife and I had a reservation at Elma this past Saturday (4/19) at 6:30pm, and we were genuinely excited to try it after hearing so many glowing reviews. While the food absolutely lived up to the hype, the overall experience left us with mixed feelings.
The Positives: the food was nothing short of outstanding. Every course of the tasting menu was thoughtful, creative, and flawlessly executed. The Iberico Cabecero was one of the best dishes I’ve had in recent memory—deeply flavorful and cooked to perfection. The entire menu reminded me of Marigold Kitchen, one of my all-time favorite Philly restaurants, which is high praise. At $125 per person, the pre-fixe menu offers incredible value for the quality and inventiveness of the meal.
That said, the pacing and service dynamic took away from what could have been a truly memorable evening. The entire five-course experience was over in exactly one hour. Courses were being fired almost immediately after the previous ones hit the table, leaving little time to savor and digest such a rich, intricate meal. A more relaxed pace would’ve elevated the experience significantly.
We were seated at a table adjacent to the kitchen, closest to the counter, where we had the pleasure of being served by Evan—who, we learned, is not only the sous chef but also the restaurant’s sole server. He was friendly, attentive, and brought genuine warmth to the evening. However, our interactions with him were noticeably disrupted. Early in the meal, after a light-hearted joke about him grabbing a glass of wine and joining us, the head chef abruptly shouted, “NO BEVS” in a way that felt jarring and uncomfortable. As the night went on, we overheard additional reprimands directed at Evan for being “overly friendly” with guests. These moments, while not directed at us, were hard to ignore and created an awkward tension, especially being seated so close to the action.
In summary, Elma has all the ingredients of a standout restaurant: incredible food, a unique format, and real talent in the kitchen. But hospitality is more than just what's on the plate. The energy and atmosphere, especially in such an intimate space, matter just as much—and unfortunately, that piece was lacking for us. We left feeling conflicted: impressed by the culinary experience, but uncomfortable with the dynamic behind the scenes.
I sincerely hope the team can fine-tune the experience and internal culture, because Elma has the potential to be one of Philly’s greats. We want to root for them—but for now, we're hesitant to return.
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