Elma — Restaurant in Philadelphia

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...

I visited Elma with a group this past weekend, I live in the neighborhood and have been looking forward to trying this restaurant but was waiting for a special occasion to visit. I was thoroughly disappointed with the way we were treated. I had emailed prior asking for the December menu as my partner and I dont eat pork. I noticed only one dish on the menu listed pork so I didn't think we'd have a problem picking 4 dishes for the tasting menu. To my suprise, our server informed us "everything has pork in it". Perhaps these details should be on the menu? This is where things took a turn for the worst, the server seemed visibly annoyed by our confusion and proceeded to treat us poorly throughout the evening. We were left feeling as though we were inconveniencing him simply by asking questions about the menu. Plates were dropped in front of us with no explanation, and when we asked for details about the dishes, we were met with a curt, "It's on the menu." This lack of professionalism was surprising, especially given that we were paying around $100 for the tasting menu.

As for the food itself, it was underwhelming. While I had high expectations for a fine dining experience, the dishes were, at best, average. For a restaurant at this price point, I expected not only delicious food but also top-tier service, which was sadly lacking.

The best part about this place was that it was BYOB.

In the end, I can't recommend Elma. What was supposed to be a memorable evening was instead marred by poor service and mediocre food. For the price, there are definitely better options out there. What a...

GO TO ELMA! Seriously I cannot say enough great things about this place. My wife and I went for her birthday last August and had such an amazing time that we decided to go again for my birthday this week. Both services were truly outstanding. The seatings are so intimate and personal that it literally feels like Chef James and his team are cooking for you in their own home. They go above and beyond in their service and the quality and creativity of the food. You can taste just how much passion there is in this tiny little spot. But the real standout for us is that they will make modifications based on dietary restrictions. My wife is pescatarian, and so we are often at the mercy of restaurants with this format. But Chef James not only caters to her needs, he specifically crafts incredible dishes exclusively for her. If we could afford it, we’d eat here every month....