Excellent food, service and atmosphere. A great place for a great dinner or for special occasions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J C
A good experience but definitely something of a mixed bag. This place is very expansive and elegant - lovely decor and a stunning bar greets patrons upon entry. The wines are frankly overpriced, however. Moderate quality offerings and the cheapest by-the-glass red is about $25 if memory serves. I had a beer instead and started with the oysters, which were delicious - a great way to kick off the evening. We followed those with the tuna tartare, which was served on a burned piece of rustic bread, I think it was a sourdough. Of course the burned flavor permeated everything it touched, most notably the delicate fish. Poor execution. For entrees we both chose the sea bass. It was well-prepared with a nicely crispy skin. Very tasty. Service was fine but not elevated in any way which I would expect for a meal at this price point ($300). Our server was wearing jeans and that didn't fit the environment, either. The last thing I would mention is the rather manipulative tack utilised by the waiter when he brought our check. A patron shouldn't be forced to pay electronically and leave a pre-determined tip while the waiter stands table side. That was clearly manipulative and frankly unprofessional. Three stars out of five for a work in progress.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
J Johnson
For the last 3 years the population of Philadelphia has declined as people run from the city due to crime, immigrants and hyper inflation. Vernick is a wonderful place to grab some fish on your way out of town.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
MoTD
Every dish was incredible. Just what we were looking for. My husband had the oysters and the scallops, I had the ceviche and sea bass. All fantastic. Impeccable service. Fun to eat at the open kitchen counter and watch the cools do their thing. I'd visit again.
ednivi
This was a fantastic experience. The food was incredibly delicious from start to finish. All the raw selections were awesome, and the Nocci was out of this world. Being lunch, perhaps portions were a bit small, but prices are steep. So, while you know you are going to an expensive place, at least portions should be adequate. Other than that, I will definitely go back, but this time for dinner.
BrianT
The potato gnocchi were perfect and the spicy sauce was to die for. We had a Dover Sole special which our waiter deboned at the table with a SPOON! Really, really good. The roasted cauliflower was the best we ever had. This is a GREAT restaurant.
Peter Mercado
It was absolutely incredible. Killer meal and service. It wasn't cheap but worth it. Some of the best food in the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
sidp
Lunch was wonderful. I had the "lunch special," which was the swordfish sandwich. I would give this a 4 out of 5 stars. My reason is that on my last visit I had the tuna reuben sandwich and that was definitely 5 stars. The bread it was served on was much better than that of the swordfish sandwich. But the bottom line is that I would be back for either of these once again. My wife had the scallops and of course I had to try one...........loved it. Thanks to Greg Vernick and the staff for doing such a wonderful job in Philadelphia. Sid P
Carla Kobilinski
Incredible food and really attentive (but not over the top) service. I’d highly recommend getting as many small plates as possible and whatever crudo specials are running. A little pricey but definitely worth it for a nice celebration dinner. The ambiance is romantic and fancy without feeling stuffy.Before or after dinner, grab a drink at the hotel bar on the 60th floor. It’s gorgeous!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Julio Corcino
Food was incredible. The service was great,Mike was suggestive knew the menu inside and out. The raw bar was good too. The drink menu was great too. Wine selection was good for center city not over priced.
Staff and manager are very unaccommodating and rude. We were coming here for our anniversary dinner — I got pulled over on the way and it caused us to be running late. The reservation was for 5:45 PM. I called the restaurant and let them know that we were running late and trying to find parking at 5:55 PM. I didn’t have time to call earlier as I was dealing with being pulled over. I let them know I was finding parking, why I was late, and that I’d be in there shortly. The person on the phone advised that it was okay. The restaurant has a 15-minute grace period, meaning we would be okay until 6 PM. We ended up walking in at 6:03 PM and went to the front desk to check in for our table. They told us they can’t seat us at our reserved table because we were past the 15-minute grace period and that we’d have to sit at the bar or counter in front of the kitchen. What’s crazy is that I went out of my way to over communicate with them that I was going to be late and they assured me it was fine, only to show up at the restaurant and be denied our table. I reminded them of the call we had just a few minutes ago and the situation that caused me to be late. There were 4 staff and a manger at the host stand for this, and all of them just gave me a snark look when I said this, didn’t reply with anything, and just said they can offer us the counter seat. The restaurant was 75% unoccupied at this time and no one was waiting for a table. I understand that the restaurant has policies and wants to follow them, but refusing to seat us at our table after everything I went through that night, having an almost completely empty restaurant, taking all possible steps to communicate with them prior to my arrival, telling me it was okay on the phone, AND the restaurant knowing that we were repeat customers and it was our special anniversary dinner… it’s a disgrace. Something funny worth noting — we ended up sitting at the counter seat and only got 1 or 2 things and left all within an hour, and as we were walking out, the restaurant was still more than 50% unoccupied. Simple deduction skills show that we wouldn’t have interrupted any of their later reservations with the timeline we were operating with. We ended up going somewhere else after to get a full meal.Also, I thought it was funny that when we walked in the first front door, the manager looked me up and down through the window with a nasty judgmental look, for I assume what I was wearing? Mind you, I have worn nearly this same exact outfit to places such as Morimoto, Jean-Georges, Barclay Prime, Volvér, etc. with no one even batting an eye or making me feel uncomfortable. Meanwhile, the wait staff at Vernick Fish wears jeans? Comical.It is clear that Vernick Fish staff and management are petty and don’t care about the customer. I hope the literal 3 minutes you saved by not seating us at our table was worth losing thousands of dollars of repeat business. I was shocked to receive this kind of experience at a Four Seasons establishment. If you care about your experience and how a restaurant treats you, avoid this place. Either that, or just make sure that any life situations that are out of your control don’t occur when you have a reservation with them :)
JosephL
Top flight Philadelphia restaurant experience. Fantastic meal from start to finish. Tuna tartare, the sea bream crudo, were standouts in the small plates. Scallops were amazing and even the steak was incredible. Drink program was great, albeit a bit pricey. Service and ambiance both top notch.
K1234
The shrimp and sardines appetizers are good, as was the cauliflower side dish. The wines are excellent for pairing with fish at reasonable prices. The fish are however slightly overcooked relative to the ideal. I expected slightly better since it is a fish restaurant, but a solid place.
Staff and manager are very unaccommodating and rude. We were coming here for our anniversary dinner — I got pulled over on the way and it caused us to be running late. The reservation was for 5:45 PM. I called the restaurant and let them know that we were running late and trying to find parking at 5:55 PM. I didn't have time to call earlier as I was dealing with being pulled over. I let them know I was finding parking, why I was late, and that I'd be in there shortly. The person on the phone advised that it was okay. The restaurant has a 15-minute grace period, meaning we would be okay until 6 PM. We ended up walking in at 6:03 PM and went to the front desk to check in for our table. They told us they can't seat us at our reserved table because we were past the 15-minute grace period and that we'd have to sit at the bar or counter in front of the kitchen. What's crazy is that I went out of my way to over communicate with them that I was going to be late and they assured me it was fine, only to show up at the restaurant and be denied our table. I reminded them of the call we had just a few minutes ago and the situation that caused me to be late. There were 4 staff and a manger at the host stand for this, and all of them just gave me a snark look when I said this, didn't reply with anything, and just said they can offer us the counter seat. The restaurant was 75% unoccupied at this time and no one was waiting for a table. I understand that the restaurant has policies and wants to follow them, but refusing to seat us at our table after everything I went through that night, having an almost completely empty restaurant, taking all possible steps to communicate with them prior to my arrival, telling me it was okay on the phone, AND the restaurant knowing that we were repeat customers and it was our special anniversary dinner... it's a disgrace. We got 1 or 2 items at the counter seat and left within an hour, and it was still more than 50% unoccupied. Horrible experience.
Xena89
Great experience our server was wonderful. The ceviche was the best ive had. One of our entrees the sea bass was too salty and dessert was not that great it was Hard chocolate cake. Entrees: Jerk Red Snapper was soo good
Excellent food, service and atmosphere. A great place for a great dinner or for special occasions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A good experience but definitely something of a mixed bag. This place is very expansive and elegant - lovely decor and a stunning bar greets patrons upon entry. The wines are frankly overpriced, however. Moderate quality offerings and the cheapest by-the-glass red is about $25 if memory serves. I had a beer instead and started with the oysters, which were delicious - a great way to kick off the evening. We followed those with the tuna tartare, which was served on a burned piece of rustic bread, I think it was a sourdough. Of course the burned flavor permeated everything it touched, most notably the delicate fish. Poor execution. For entrees we both chose the sea bass. It was well-prepared with a nicely crispy skin. Very tasty. Service was fine but not elevated in any way which I would expect for a meal at this price point ($300). Our server was wearing jeans and that didn't fit the environment, either. The last thing I would mention is the rather manipulative tack utilised by the waiter when he brought our check. A patron shouldn't be forced to pay electronically and leave a pre-determined tip while the waiter stands table side. That was clearly manipulative and frankly unprofessional. Three stars out of five for a work in progress.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
For the last 3 years the population of Philadelphia has declined as people run from the city due to crime, immigrants and hyper inflation. Vernick is a wonderful place to grab some fish on your way out of town.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Every dish was incredible. Just what we were looking for. My husband had the oysters and the scallops, I had the ceviche and sea bass. All fantastic. Impeccable service. Fun to eat at the open kitchen counter and watch the cools do their thing. I'd visit again.
This was a fantastic experience. The food was incredibly delicious from start to finish. All the raw selections were awesome, and the Nocci was out of this world. Being lunch, perhaps portions were a bit small, but prices are steep. So, while you know you are going to an expensive place, at least portions should be adequate. Other than that, I will definitely go back, but this time for dinner.
The potato gnocchi were perfect and the spicy sauce was to die for. We had a Dover Sole special which our waiter deboned at the table with a SPOON! Really, really good. The roasted cauliflower was the best we ever had. This is a GREAT restaurant.
It was absolutely incredible. Killer meal and service. It wasn't cheap but worth it. Some of the best food in the city.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lunch was wonderful. I had the "lunch special," which was the swordfish sandwich. I would give this a 4 out of 5 stars. My reason is that on my last visit I had the tuna reuben sandwich and that was definitely 5 stars. The bread it was served on was much better than that of the swordfish sandwich. But the bottom line is that I would be back for either of these once again. My wife had the scallops and of course I had to try one...........loved it. Thanks to Greg Vernick and the staff for doing such a wonderful job in Philadelphia. Sid P
Incredible food and really attentive (but not over the top) service. I’d highly recommend getting as many small plates as possible and whatever crudo specials are running. A little pricey but definitely worth it for a nice celebration dinner. The ambiance is romantic and fancy without feeling stuffy.Before or after dinner, grab a drink at the hotel bar on the 60th floor. It’s gorgeous!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was incredible. The service was great,Mike was suggestive knew the menu inside and out. The raw bar was good too. The drink menu was great too. Wine selection was good for center city not over priced.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Staff and manager are very unaccommodating and rude. We were coming here for our anniversary dinner — I got pulled over on the way and it caused us to be running late. The reservation was for 5:45 PM. I called the restaurant and let them know that we were running late and trying to find parking at 5:55 PM. I didn’t have time to call earlier as I was dealing with being pulled over. I let them know I was finding parking, why I was late, and that I’d be in there shortly. The person on the phone advised that it was okay. The restaurant has a 15-minute grace period, meaning we would be okay until 6 PM. We ended up walking in at 6:03 PM and went to the front desk to check in for our table. They told us they can’t seat us at our reserved table because we were past the 15-minute grace period and that we’d have to sit at the bar or counter in front of the kitchen. What’s crazy is that I went out of my way to over communicate with them that I was going to be late and they assured me it was fine, only to show up at the restaurant and be denied our table. I reminded them of the call we had just a few minutes ago and the situation that caused me to be late. There were 4 staff and a manger at the host stand for this, and all of them just gave me a snark look when I said this, didn’t reply with anything, and just said they can offer us the counter seat. The restaurant was 75% unoccupied at this time and no one was waiting for a table. I understand that the restaurant has policies and wants to follow them, but refusing to seat us at our table after everything I went through that night, having an almost completely empty restaurant, taking all possible steps to communicate with them prior to my arrival, telling me it was okay on the phone, AND the restaurant knowing that we were repeat customers and it was our special anniversary dinner… it’s a disgrace. Something funny worth noting — we ended up sitting at the counter seat and only got 1 or 2 things and left all within an hour, and as we were walking out, the restaurant was still more than 50% unoccupied. Simple deduction skills show that we wouldn’t have interrupted any of their later reservations with the timeline we were operating with. We ended up going somewhere else after to get a full meal.Also, I thought it was funny that when we walked in the first front door, the manager looked me up and down through the window with a nasty judgmental look, for I assume what I was wearing? Mind you, I have worn nearly this same exact outfit to places such as Morimoto, Jean-Georges, Barclay Prime, Volvér, etc. with no one even batting an eye or making me feel uncomfortable. Meanwhile, the wait staff at Vernick Fish wears jeans? Comical.It is clear that Vernick Fish staff and management are petty and don’t care about the customer. I hope the literal 3 minutes you saved by not seating us at our table was worth losing thousands of dollars of repeat business. I was shocked to receive this kind of experience at a Four Seasons establishment. If you care about your experience and how a restaurant treats you, avoid this place. Either that, or just make sure that any life situations that are out of your control don’t occur when you have a reservation with them :)
Top flight Philadelphia restaurant experience. Fantastic meal from start to finish. Tuna tartare, the sea bream crudo, were standouts in the small plates. Scallops were amazing and even the steak was incredible. Drink program was great, albeit a bit pricey. Service and ambiance both top notch.
The shrimp and sardines appetizers are good, as was the cauliflower side dish. The wines are excellent for pairing with fish at reasonable prices. The fish are however slightly overcooked relative to the ideal. I expected slightly better since it is a fish restaurant, but a solid place.
Staff and manager are very unaccommodating and rude. We were coming here for our anniversary dinner — I got pulled over on the way and it caused us to be running late. The reservation was for 5:45 PM. I called the restaurant and let them know that we were running late and trying to find parking at 5:55 PM. I didn't have time to call earlier as I was dealing with being pulled over. I let them know I was finding parking, why I was late, and that I'd be in there shortly. The person on the phone advised that it was okay. The restaurant has a 15-minute grace period, meaning we would be okay until 6 PM. We ended up walking in at 6:03 PM and went to the front desk to check in for our table. They told us they can't seat us at our reserved table because we were past the 15-minute grace period and that we'd have to sit at the bar or counter in front of the kitchen. What's crazy is that I went out of my way to over communicate with them that I was going to be late and they assured me it was fine, only to show up at the restaurant and be denied our table. I reminded them of the call we had just a few minutes ago and the situation that caused me to be late. There were 4 staff and a manger at the host stand for this, and all of them just gave me a snark look when I said this, didn't reply with anything, and just said they can offer us the counter seat. The restaurant was 75% unoccupied at this time and no one was waiting for a table. I understand that the restaurant has policies and wants to follow them, but refusing to seat us at our table after everything I went through that night, having an almost completely empty restaurant, taking all possible steps to communicate with them prior to my arrival, telling me it was okay on the phone, AND the restaurant knowing that we were repeat customers and it was our special anniversary dinner... it's a disgrace. We got 1 or 2 items at the counter seat and left within an hour, and it was still more than 50% unoccupied. Horrible experience.
Great experience our server was wonderful. The ceviche was the best ive had. One of our entrees the sea bass was too salty and dessert was not that great it was Hard chocolate cake. Entrees: Jerk Red Snapper was soo good