Honeysuckle Restaurant — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I can't say enough about Honeysuckle Restaurant. I unfortunately never had the opportunity to visit their former establishment, especially to try the vegan hoagie, but I have ordered many of their breakfast boxes distributed West Philly which my family and friends loved. So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw that Cybille and Omar were creating a space, and absolute vibe when you eat. I am vegan, and I love a great restaurant that has amazing food that all members of my family along with dietary restrictions can visit and come out with an experience. And that is exactly what Honeysuckle did, although Vegan options were not shown on the menu, the host team assured me that there was at least 1 x plant based option on the menu for each course, including desserts (which was a bonus might I add...I can't wait to try the hummingbird cake if they ever make a vegan version). From the Welcome into the door before getting seated to the fine details of the restaurant staff patiently waiting to describe your food to you or clear your area if you have completed a plate, the attention to detail was refreshing, I mean it was definitely giving me eleven Madison Park vibes, IYKYK. The music was skillfully and craftfully arranged to fit the ambience and I loved the artwork, my favorite pieces of the decor was the wooden radio, the bar, ebony magazines, and the photos on the post resembling a family tree. One thing I hope to see improve is the balance of the servers describing the meals while music is playing...don't get me wrong the music was 10/10 and just the right volume to almost give you a feeling that the restaurant was alive or had its own unique heartbeat, but when servers came over to describe the beautifully prepared dishes it was very hard to hear them. I also, would love to see the front two tables serve as an extension to the bar, as it was a bit hard to get down with your meal due to the chair and low booth seating, but trust me we made it work and we were not letting that take away from our wonderful meals. So, if you prefer a quiet dining experience try going early before dinner is in full effect or if you prefer a formal table, I would suggest making a reservation in advance.

Now the food, the palate cleanser serves like to us was awesome and if I heard correctly the vegetables came from Honeysuckles garden. It was a great way to start the night off. I tried a Janaican rum drink with their own in house ginger beer, and all I have to say us genius. The devices eggs can be swapped for radishes and become a vegan item and our goat suggested this to us and we were not disappointed, if you want an alternative to eggs, definitely try this. We also, got a spread of veggies, Tempura and black eyed pea spread. I did not know what to expect, but the vibrant colors gave me a cross over of south meets Asua, because many of the veggies gave me a ramen or Izakaya feel, but the black eyes peas gave me that down home feel of my grandmother making a stew. It was really good. Our entree was the barbecue sweet potato, and this exceeded all expectations. I typically don't want my sweet with savory, but this was perfect in all the right ways it is a must try if you plan to share. My mom got the chicken as her entree and everything looked tender and she loved all of it. For dessert, I had the champagne water ice and what a treat it was. It was refreshing, especially on such a warm day. There is so much more I can say, but in a city where hospitality, service, and dining experience has bern lacking, it was a joy to feel at home at Honeysuckle with all the high end perks that a true dining experience should provide. I look forward to coming back again, even if just to visit the bar and experience the vibe there. Congratulations Honeysuckle,...

I was so excited to try their new location and I understand that the first few weeks of opening a new restaurant can definitely come with it’s challenges but our experience was definitely not what I was expecting. I needed to pay $70 (35pp/2) to reserve the reservation, which is annoying but understandable for last minute cancellations. Upon arrival the restaurant is beautifully decorated, the ambiance is fantastic. we were greeted right away by the hostess and she was very nice. We were there early so we sat at the bar and ordered a few drinks and the drinks were fantastic. We were seated, our server was very attentive and went over the menu everything was going well. Nothing has a price on it so you do not know how much any of the items are. We waited a little while for our food and when it came out, the second course came out, without the first arriving. I let our server know and she quickly grabbed the two first course selections but one was still incorrect, so we let her know which we ordered again. In terms of food, the items we had in our opinion were very small portions, under seasoned and lackluster especially for the price. The oysters only tasted of only the hot sauce, The salad was very small with the dressing all on the bottom of the plate, I did enjoy the spaghetti and thought that that was the most flavorful dish of the night . We both ordered the fish (fush) which was under salted and lacked flavor as well. The chocolate tart had a gelatin coating on top that was unpleasant to eat. We had ordered a drink at the bar and a glass of wine with our dinner (2 drink's each) when we received the check we were charged the prix fixe with drink paring option ($135) This is not mentioned anywhere on the menu or website so you don’t know this exists until they charge you. The original prix fixe is ($95pp) . I had read the Philadelphia Inquirer’s review on the new Honeysuckle restaurant which was posted April 16, 2025 saying that the drink paring was two drinks with dinner and a glass of wine with dessert. I brought it up to our server who said that that was not true. I’m not sure if that changed upon their opening or not but either we paid for two drinks we never revived or we paid $20 each for a glass of wine. Out the door is was $360 with tip for two people to leave still hungry with food that could use improvements.i will gladly spend money of food I just don’t think for the money your spending here you’re getting what you pay for. Maybe the restaurant will make some adjustments after these few weeks but I would come back for the drinks and ambiance...

A recent brunch experience at Honeysuckle Restaurant on Sunday, July 20, 2025, regrettably left much to be desired, raising questions about transparency, menu offerings, and the very definition of "fine dining."

Reservation Frustrations To secure a reservation, patrons were required to pay $35.00 per person, with the understanding that this amount would be applied towards the final bill. However, upon receiving the check, this deduction was conspicuously absent. When questioned, the waiter claimed a recent policy change dictated a separate $140.00 refund, a detail not disclosed until the overcharge was pointed out.

Ketchup Controversy Honeysuckle advertises itself as a fine dining establishment. Yet, the absence of ketchup, even upon request for their fries, was a puzzling detail. Even in the realm of upscale cuisine, the option of a condiment is not unheard of. Furthermore, the claim of being a fine dining restaurant, reiterated by the server, felt unnecessary, somewhat pretentious and defensive. True fine dining speaks for itself through the quality of its food, service, and ambiance.

Limited Menu and Unaccommodating Requests The brunch menu was notably limited, offering a narrow selection of choices for a Sunday brunch. While understanding a no-substitution policy for some dishes, the inability to offer a simple egg white omelet raised questions about the restaurant's flexibility. This rigid approach to the menu raises concerns about the use of fresh eggs and a willingness to cater to basic dietary needs. Although the crawfish omelet received positive feedback from those who tried it.

Finally, the most disturbing incident occurred upon leaving the restaurant. A dry erase board, clearly visible to all patrons, displayed the deeply offensive phrase "N-word (spelled out) IN BLOOM". In the current political climate, such a display in a public establishment, especially one positioning itself as "fine dining", is unacceptable and inexcusable.

While Honeysuckle aims to provide a unique and thoughtful dining experience, issues surrounding the reservation process, limited menu, lack of respect and an inflexible approach to basic requests detract from the overall impression. For a restaurant striving for the "fine dining" label and the accompanying price point (including a $65.00 burger called "McDonald's Money"), addressing these concerns would undoubtedly enhance customer experience. Needless to say, I will not be returning, and I suggest others carefully consider these factors before making a...