Harp & Crown — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Harp & Crown in Philadelphia has a lot of potential, but unfortunately, my recent dining experience left much to be desired. The hostess seemed overwhelmed with three people standing behind the hostess stand, but our server Amber was a bright spot with her sweet and attentive service.

The location of the restaurant on Sansom Street in the heart of Center City is convenient, and the ambiance is elegant and inviting. However, the lighting was too dim, making it difficult to read the menu without using a phone light.

As for the food, it was a mixed bag. The Crispy Brussels Sprouts with apple jam and onion were a standout, earning a perfect 5/5 rating. However, the Roasted Beets were lacking something, and the Grilled Octopus was undercooked, receiving low ratings of 3/5 and 2/5 respectively.

The pizzas, including the Margherita and Mushroom & Truffle, were disappointing with soggy crusts and lacking in flavor. The Roasted Salmon was raw and the Steak Frites were served rare instead of medium, both dishes earning low ratings of 1/5. Steak frites was also not a NY strip but bone in Ribeye.

We opted not to order dessert and were surprised to be charged for a birthday tart with a sparkler. The pricing of items like water and the odd smell of something burning towards the end of our meal added to the negative experience.

Overall, I do not recommend dining at Harp & Crown and will not be returning. The chef's execution of dishes was inconsistent and disappointing, making this visit my last. Pros included the drinks, Brussels sprouts, and service, while the cons included the food, parking, and lighting. Street parking was a nightmare, and Vegetarian options were limited, with only approximately four dishes available.

Food ordered: ROASTED BEETS - feta, almonds, dill. something was missing still not sure what it was. Rating: 3/5

CRISPY BRUSSELS SPROUT-apple jam, onion, peppercorn. This was everyone favorite dish it was perfection very fresh and flavorful with a nice charred flavored. Rating: 5/5

PIEROGIES - smoked creme fraiche, caviar, chive. This was our second favorite. Everything was very good. The caviar wasn’t great it didn’t taste fresh. Rating: 4/5

GRILLED OCTOPUS - tomatillo, chili, lime. Not good the octopus was not grilled long enough more like seared. Rating: 2/5

MARGHERITA - mozzarella, tomato, basil. The pizza was very thin and somewhat soggy had no crisp whatsoever which is odd when the dough is that thin. Rating: 3/5

MUSHROOM & TRUFFLE - arugula, fontina, sherry. Pizza also very thin, soggy and super heavy there was too many mushrooms which caused the heavy sogginess. I also don’t recall seeing any arugula. Rating: 2/5

ROASTED SALMON - gigante bean, andouille, dill. The salmon was completely raw, even after we returned and pointed it out it seemed to be only seared after it came back the second time. Not good at all actually disgusting. Rating: 1/5

STEAK FRITES - chimichurri, black garlic, n.y. strip. Ordered medium served rare it was seared and purple inside also not NY strip but ribeye. Had to also return. Also not served with true chimichurri. Their chimichurri is this disgusting butter with parsley flakes and red pepper flakes in...

We had an incredible experience at Harp & Crown on a Friday night.

We initially called for reservations and the person on the other end of the phone was very kind and patient, willing to help us get a reservation that fit our desired times.

The ambience and vibe inside is stunning. Our server, Tara, was absolutely outstanding and their vibe was incredible. They were knowledgeable about the menu, helping guide our options and ensure we had enough food. They were knowledgeable about gluten free options which was a huge plus.

Drinks were delicious, but small. We got two espresso martinis that were delicious but definitely relatively small. For the time and place, it was honestly perfect for our outing.

The food was outstanding. We started with the burrata which had so many favors that complimented each other between the sourdough, leeks, and walnuts. Tara even brought us out more bread to finish up our burrata. I got the grilled squid and brussel sprouts. The brussel sprout serving size was very large and I brought half home. The grilled squid looks small at first but it is easy to underestimate the denseness of the squid. It was filling and appetizing. It was truly perfect. My friends split a mushroom pie and mac and cheese. For dessert, my friends split the cosmic brownie sundae and we all split the crème brûlée. Everything was perfect.

Overall, we left saying over and over how happy we are that we ended up there. It was perfect for a quick girls night out.

We only had one compliment of the entire night… Upon being dropped off by the uber, the sign for the restaurant is NON-EXISTENT. We walked up and down the street confused at the storefront looks like an abandoned place aside from a small, brass sign to the right of the door. If you are not actively looking for the sign, it’s impossible to see. That may be something to be reconsidered for those who have impaired vision or just to get some more attention to the restaurant itself. The sign is pictured for reference for those looking to come to the restaurant. This is a very small thing to look past for a...

I went here for restaurant week. We had 7 items on the menu. It was a good meal with some amazing dishes. I did not get to try a lot of the meat dishes because I was with a vegetarian but I'd highly recommend the restaurant regardless.

H&C Salad (4/5) - good combination of red lettuce some sort of squash and pear. It could have done well with a little extra dressing but that maybe personal preference.

Hamachi (4.5/5) - This was an refreshing dish with avocados sauce, lemons, and grapefruit on yellowtail. The dish is rather acidic but quite tasty. I'd recommend it.

Prawns (5/5) - We received two perfectly cooked and seasoned prawns. The prawns were served on a bed of hummus and topped with spicy chiles among other things. This dish was great.

Margarita Pizza (3/5) - This pizza was alright. I understand that serving many pizzas during restaurant week at a place that offers numerous other dishes is challenging. But this pizza was very greasy and lacked the distinct basil flavor of margarita pizza. There was too much tomato sauce but not enough tomatoes - if that makes sense.

Gnocchi (2/5) - This was the most disappointing dish. The sauce lacked depth and flavor. The gnocchi was over cooked and dry in the middle. I would suggest a different pasta.

Scallops (5/5) - the scallops were fantastic. They were perfectly browned on both sides. Inside they were very soft and flavorful. There was also what looked like a beet sauce underneath which worked very well with the dish.

Brussels Sprouts (5/5) - spicy and a little sweet, brown and crispy. This is a must order. It was a great way to finish our meal.

For dessert we had the chocolate cake, it's a big piece but well worth it. The ice cream is great, the cake is great, the caramel that come with it is great.

Overall it was a pretty good experience. I understand that restaurant week is busy so a restaurant has to make certain adjustments to serve everyone. While there were some dishes that could have been better it was a great experience. The atmosphere is great and I'd definitely like...