K'Far Cafe Philadelphia — Restaurant in Philadelphia

3.5 Stars

Edit: Tried their dinner menu a few days ago. It is strictly average as compared to their breakfast menu. Had the baked feta which had some very strong and salty flavors, moussaka which had an earthy but flat taste and cauliflower salad which tasted the best among the dishes we ordered. We were disappointed because our expectations were very high after repeatedly trying their breakfast menu.

Another important thing: They stopped serving hot freshly baked potato borekas after their first visit. Now every time that we go there (irrespective of how early or late we go), we are still served lukewarm or cold borekas which is a huge turn-off especially when the taste is so good. Really need to work on that. The ricotta toast is still their best dish and a must try.

OLD REVIEW:

We were walking in the Rittenhouse square area looking to grab some breakfast when we came across K'far cafe. We went inside only to realize it had opened just an hour ago and we were one of the first customers. It is an Israeli bakery and the food has a Mediterranean touch to it. I have to start by saying that the place is aesthetically very pleasing. There are plants all around the bakery and the furniture too is very modern.

Coming to the food here are some things we ordered and how they were:

Potato boreka: One of the employees recommended the potato boreka to it and boy were we pleased? It was the best dish from among all the dishes we ordered. The smooth mildly spiced potato filling inside a rich buttery and flaky puff pastry. It was sprinkled with the everything bagel topping consisting of onion flake and sesame seeds. A beautiful amalgamation of flavors and a MUST TRY if you visit this place.

Swiss chard boreka: Swiss chard is a leafy vegetable with a similar taste as spinach. This too was good and the flavor profile was subtle however, it was no match for the potato boreka.

Brown sugar and ricotta toast: What a unique flavor the toast had. The sweetness of the syrup and figs was balanced by the saltiness of butter and ricotta cheese. I absolutely loved it. However, it wasn't toast like because you expect toast to be crisp and this wasn't.

Chocolate rugelach: This was good but was probably my least favorite among the things we ordered. Reason: it was too chocolaty for my liking. The pastry too had become a little soggy. The chocolate luckily had a better taste to it but it wasn't too overwhelming. This is a good dish for anyone who is very fond of chocolate but personally, it needed something to complement the chocolate.

Chocolate babka: This was better than the rugelach and had the complementary flavor which the former lacked. It had a fruity flavor along with a chocolate which I think came from berries or cherry but a good dessert to finish off the meal with.

Yemenite latte: The coffee had spices such as cinammon and cardamom giving a strong flavor. It was like something that I hadn't tasted before. Somehow for someone who doesn't prefer too many whole spices in my food this was a little overpowering but it tasted good nevertheless.

I won't be surprised if K'far becomes the hub for those looking to have good breakfast in Philly. It is also associated with Zahav which has won accolades for its food so the bar has obviously been set high. It is not too expensive but even if it was, I wouldn't mind paying if the food were to be this good. You should definitely visit the place if you are here in Philadelphia. I am certainly going back to try more things...

K’far is about to change your life. This cafe is unbelievable for so many reasons that I can’t wait to get into. I went here 2 days in a row, got the exact same meal, and both times was as equally amazed, let me tell you why.

K’Far provides a very unique menu, that is carefully thought out, not overly complicated and executed to perfection. It’s the only place that I’ve been to for brunch that i can say NAILED all categories. The coffee is insanely flavorful, the drip and iced coffees are packed with flavor, ZERO burnt aftertaste and so robust. The pistachio sticky bun is EASILY the best pastry I have had all year. There’s literally nothing like it anywhere and it’s served warm with a soft, but crunchy texture, not overly sweet at all and it’s honestly life changing.

Then the entrees, and I gotta say thank you for ruining any other bagel I’ve ever had. The Jerusalem bagel egg sandwich is a blast of flavor. The crisp, not overly bready or salty bagel is so good and even though it looks simple, there’s nothing like it. The classic Philly Coopers sharp, soft egg and crunchy bagel are a match made in heaven. I suggest just adding the avocado on the side as the only modification. The Arabic salad is packed with flavor, with a subtle but delicious lemony sauce and earthy Za’taar make for a match made in heaven.

I am also blown away by their consistency. I honestly came two days in a row, ordered the exact same items and they tasted the exact same on both days. That’s a very difficult thing to do.

All of this is brought together by the beautiful interior, attentive service from their knowledgeable staff, and also the comfort of their reasonable prices. I’ll be dreaming of that Jerusalem bagel and can’t wait to come back to Philly to come back to K’far. This spot was way better than some of the popular places that get all the attention which in all honesty fell short of expectations for me.

Don’t doubt it, come to K’far and see for yourself. This place does things so well, it comes access as simple. But it’s far from it, it’s unique...

This newish addition to the neighborhood is still working out some kinks. (1 star for value and service (long wait, selection), extra star for quality (very tasty), extra star for staff and ambience (friendly and upbeat). Firstly, they are not an “all day” cafe as advertised. It appears they have plans to be, but as of now, they open at 8am and close at 2pm. Second, they operate more like a restaurant, not a cafe. What I mean by this is, the line to get coffee to go is the same as the line to get food to stay. Upon ordering, you get a number on a stick which you take to an available table and wait. Thirdly, they don’t make enough pastries to last “all day”. I visited yesterday at 11am. I waited in line for no less then 15 minutes for coffee and a pastry. By the time I got to place my order, all but 3 slices of walnut cake and a few chocolate chip cookies remained. If you want any of the pastries you see advertised, get there early. If you have more than an hour and don’t mind the wait and are flexible with your pastry choice or none at all, I will say the drip coffee was very good and the walnut cake was fresh and delicious. That said, expect to get less for your dollar here. Mugs of coffee (the higher priced option) are on the small size and my slice of cake was half to of what you get at other cafes for the same price. I was with a friend who ordered one of the bagel sandwiches. He said it was tasty but again, for the price, other cafes would also give you a side salad. It wasn’t very big and he commented he would have to go someplace afterwards to eat. His mocha and sandwich came to $17.82 without tip. My cake and drip coffee came to $6.50. Both left us wanting more. The decor is great—clean, upbeat, modern. The staff was very attentive and friendly. The music was way too loud to converse comfortably. We asked the manager to turn it down which made it a bit tolerable. I’m not sure if I will return. Maybe to try a pastry that wasn’t available on my first trip, but certainly not for lunch. I can get more bang for my buck at many...