Bliss

My party was greeted by two very attractive yound ladies..That answered questions by one of the guests.They seem to knoow their stuff. This was the best experince I have ever had in Philadelphia it was great from start to finish more

used to be good. i live a block away and the stupid hostess has to ask the manager if i can be seated or not. i guess hours do not matter. conversationa t the bar, conversation in the kitchen all that should be behind closed doors. i hope this place closes for the mgmt and poor staff are complete idiots. Pros: okay food Cons: stupid hostess, manager and bartender talking crap for all t more

Bliss used to be one of our favorite restaurants, the food was good, the service was outstanding and the place was always packed. However, it seems that as time has gone on the standards have seroiusly slipped. Our most recent visit to Bliss will definitely be our last. \r \r We dined at about 6pm on a Thursday evening, and when we arrived there was no one there to seat us, we waited for about ten mins before we just wandered into the dining room, where there was only one table seated. We then stood in the middle of the dining room for about five mins while the bartender and waitress finished their conversation. Eventually the waitress wandered over and tossed us some menus on a table. When she finally came back to take our order she couldn't answer any questions about the menu.\r \r So on to the food...the dinner rolls served which at one time came hot and soft were cold and stale to the point where I couldn't bite through it. We got the crab gnocci appetizer which we used to love but as mentioned in a prevoius review seems to have been changed to bottled sauce. Also the crab is almost nonexistent, perhaps to save money...however there's plenty of shell to pull out of your mouth and place on the side of your plate. My fiance ordered the filet oscar done rare, and I had the chilean sea bass. His filet came out so over done I would have classified it as very well, verging on charred. When we told the waitress and showed her she look puzzled and asked what she should do about it, we had to suggest she take it back and they make another. Now we can hear the full blown argument in the kitchen about whether it's overdone or if we're ""just a couple of a**holes"". Nice. What came out was not a cut of filet but what looked like maybe strip steak, but at least it was cooked ok. I then turned over my sea bass to find a charred side, but didn't want to get called any more names so I just picked the ok parts off and ate that.\r \r During all of this the one other table leaves and four of the bartenders friends come in and sit at the bar and they're getting louder and louder. Then the bartender shouts to them ""Hey, you guys want to hear some Lionel Richie??"" And suddenly the nice quiet music that was playing is stopped and Lionel comes BLARING through the speakers. I like Lionel and all but this was so loud we couldn't have a conversation over the speakers and the raucous singing of the bartender's friends.\r \r In short, this place is a Kitchen Nightmares episode waiting to happed! Pros: like the decor Cons: service and food have gone down the crapper more

My fiance and I have been to Bliss three times now and each time has been a pleasant and enjoyable experience. The food is always delicious, especially the pear salad with vanilla-ish dressing, mozzarella pizza, and desserts! They also have a good wine list and are rarely overly-crowded. Pros: Food, service, ambience Cons: a bit pricey more

I have been living in Center City Philadelphia for over 10 years and this is easily the WORST dinner experience I have ever had.\r \r We had reservations for 8pm on a Saturday. When we walked in the restaurant was less than half full - and stayed that way through the evening. An empty restaurant on a Saturday evening should have been a clear sign as to how terrible it was. We ordered drinks - they were OK. We ordered the gnocchi appetizer, which tasted like it had store bought bottled sauce on it. Then I had the lamb - I've never had anything that dry and tough. They gave me a steak knife after they saw me struggling to cut it with the knife in my place setting. It was still too tough to cut easily. My friend ordered mahi mahi. The waiter (not the one who took our order) set it down saying ""Here's your swordfish"". My friend said, ""No, I ordered mahi mahi."" The waiter said, ""Oh yea, that's what I meant"". So my friend started eating even though it didn't look or taste like mahi mahi. About 10 minutes later the waiter came by with another plate and said ""Oh! Here's your dish"" and picked up my friend's dish (MID-BITE!!) and replaced it with another one. No apologies for the mixup. Then the next day I got an email from Open Table claiming I never showed up for my reservation which means Bliss did not record it. That place is a MESS -- I would advise people to stay far far far away!! Pros: nothing! Cons: Everything!! more

a few friends and i ate at bliss before attending a theater production on broad street. i ordered a shaved fennel salad for my first course and a duck breast entree. both were excellent. the rest of my party seemed to enjoy their meals very much as well.we will definitely eat here again. more

We went to Bliss for dinner last night before seeing a play in one of the local theaters. We go out to eat in Philadelphia quite often and this restaurant used to be one of our favorites. After we were seated, it took our waiter about 15 minutes to bring our drinks over to the table after taking the order. While our drinks sat at the bar waiting to brought to the table, our waiter chatted with the other staff and starting lighting candles around the restaurant. When he finally appeared with the drinks, we mentioned that we were attending a play at 7:30 and needed to make sure we finished our meal in time to get to the play before it started (at the time it was 6:00 pm). After another delay, the waiter came over to take our order. He struggled to remember the specials. Our dinner was unremarkable. The food tasted average and was not what we were used to from Bliss. Our dessert (Creme Brulee) was buttery tasting and very thick. This could be because there was a very thin layer of the dessert in the dish to begin with and I think this caused the custard's consistency and taste to change. Despite informing the waiter of the time issue, we still had to track him down to get the bill. We ended up leaving the restaurant with minutes to spare. Bliss used to be a favorite Philadelphia restaurant but is seems as though the ownership may have changed recently. The wait staff seems new and the menu is not up to previous standards. We will not be returning. Pros: Location, Decor Cons: Food average, poorly trained staff, long delay to get food more

My wife and I had dinner here after the Flower Show in March. Food was good, very high quality, very small portions. We were seated right next to the door with a very significant draft at our backs, that's what you get for making a reservation on open table. The able was small and off balance. Waitress (Margo?) had almost no personality. After our tiny meal was served no one bothered to see how our meals were. When our table was cleared no one asked how the meal was, just an impersonal ""can I get you anything else"". As a former professional waiter I can overlook a lot of shortcomings at a restaurant, but not service. There are plenty other restaurants in the City that I would rather spend my money. Pros: delicious food Cons: over priced, poor service more

Visiting Philadelphia from NYC last weekend, I stopped in here on Friday night with a friend and we did not have reservations. We got a booth right off the bat, no problem. The waitstaff was friendly, pleasant and professional. The food was delicious--one of the best salmon dishes I'd had in a long time. My friend had the veal dish and enjoyed that very much. Appetizers of spring rolls and a three cheese pizza were also very good--especially the three cheese pizza. We shared a bottle of red and lingered with that well past when we were done with our meal and no one was rushing us out at all. The atmosphere is quite pleasant and although we sat downstairs, they do have an upstairs mezzanine which looks cozy. They do play music, but it was unobtrusive. Atmosphere very nice, food very nice and service very nice. I'd go back! Pros: Atmosphere, food, friendly Cons: None I can think of. more

This has to be the worst restaurant experience I have ever had in Philadelphia. During a recent brief trip home to Philadelphia from London fr the holidays, I visited Bliss with my older sister and 70 year old mother. We had specifically reserved a booth a week prior, as the seating is more comfortable for my mother who nows walks with a cane due to extensive surgery. We were assured this would be fine. However when we arrived we were told- that they were ""sorry but we had to be put at regular table in the center of the restaurant because the owners precious children were coming and wanted the booth."" What happened to ""the customer comes first."" There were no apologies offered. After finally taking our non requested reserve seats- we were handled very rudely by the waiter who when we told him that we had a show in an hour and half time- he said ""well we do not rush our meals"". From the taste of the food they probably do not care about the quality of the food they serve either. I ordered the egg rolls as a first course (12$) they were both cold and stale and when I pointed this out to the waiter he shrugged his shoulders. Both my dining partners were equally dissappointed with their fare. It appears to me that Mr Martorella has let his ego get the better of his product. To top it off his precious family did not end up showing up at the restaurant until over an hour into our dinner.\r \r After spending the past 6 years in London- I have become quite familiar with horrible food and poor customer service and unfortunately Bliss gives them a run for their money in both these departments. . Pros: good for those who are on a diet- you won't want to eat again after going here. Cons: overpriced more

I have never been so dissapointed with a restaurant experience than I have with a recent visit to Bliss. . We ordered a bottle of wine, an Alsatian Pinot Blanc for aprox. $35, one of the more affordable on an overpriced list. \r \r When we received the wine it became very clear that the wine was a late harvest Pinot Blanc, not the dry white we were expecting to go with the food at bliss. When we asked for a different bottle that was not a sticky dessert wine we were met with an uncomfortable 'ok'. When a manger aproached with a bottle of Rose that we requested instead she proceeded to tell us that she is happy to pour our new wine but that we would be billed for the original bottle since their was nothing wrong with it! When I explained that they were serving the wrong vintage that appears on the wine list and that it is a dessert wine that was not stated on the list we were met with a policy of 'sorry charlie'. \r \r Enter the Chef/owner Francesco Martorella who aproached our table in an intimidating manner with arms raised and voice loud accusing us, and I quote, of ""trying to break his b*lls"" ""Everyone knows that all Alsace Pinot Blancs are late harvest"". We were told to ""go f*@k ourselves"" in front of an entire restaurant. we were charged for our food (not the wine) and we promptly left as dazed as boxer who was just knocked out of a prize fight in the first round! We were speechless at the arrogance, lack of knowledge and complete disregard for 'the customer is always right"". \r \r Never in my life have I met a bigger bafoon. While I felt embarassed at the time it is Mr. Martorella that should be ashamed. Not only will I never go back, I will tell as many foodies, writers, travellers, businesses in the area and anyone who will listen about my experience. Smart stuff for Mr. Martorella over a bottle of $35 wine. But I have the feeling this is more about his ego. Pros: lovely restaurant setting Cons: knucklhead chef/owner, terrible customer service more

Very nice place. The decor is romantic, they do have tables outside on nice nights. The food was very good. The portions are on the small side, but made up for it in the taste. The staff was good. Overall I would recommend this restaurant for a nice date spot. Pros: romanitc, food, plenty of garage parking nearby more

My boyfriend took me here for my birthday dinner, and it was a lovely experience. The atmosphere was light and casual, but the food was simply to die for. The portions were definitely NOT American, so if you're looking to fill up you might want to try Applebee's a couple blocks away. However, the food is to be savored. We split a sashimi appetizer (which we didn't realize was one piece) and each had a fish filet for the entree. Despite the small-ish portions, it made up for it in taste - each bite was to be savored as long as possible, and I have never had such an incredible desire to let food linger on my tongue for so long, as well as torn to eat as much as I possibly could in case it was all a dream. Our waiter was slightly cartoonish, but he was also attentive and friendly. I'd recommend this place for either a casual dinner or a special occasion. Pros: comfortable, delicate and delicious food Cons: small portions, pricey more

The name ""Bliss"" might be a little pretentious, but this is a very good restaurant. Our party of 5 sampled many items on the menu, including dessert, and everything was really good.\r \r In addition to the food, this is a very comfortable restaurant with a great atmosphere and top-notch service. On the gorgeous warm Saturday evening that we dined here, the doors were opened to the Broad Street sidewalk and it was simply lovely.\r \r Of course, this is not an inexpensive restaurant, but I think we paid for what we got. As I recall, there wasn't a glass of wine on the menu under $9, but the 2 wines we sampled were excellent. So again, we paid for what we got. Pros: Food, atmosphere, comfort. more

I've never been to Bliss for dinner, but have been there many times for lunches (personal and business). It's not as stuffy as so many other places that cater to the business lunch crowd, and the food is great (I've never had a soup of the day at Bliss that I haven't loved). Professional, friendly service and a quiet atmosphere make it an excellent place to take somebody when you actually want to hear what they're saying. Pros: Quiet, tasty food, good service, big windows for people-watching more

I was suprised to peruse this site and read the review below. I have been to Bliss many times and have had a great meal every time. I think their staff is polite, knowledgable, and very accommodating.\r I also happen to be asian and I have been treated fairly and professionally each time I visit. Its ashame to see that you are turning away an entire amazing restaurant because of one staff member. Oh well..... more room for me. Pros: parking next door, friendly staff, great food, bar breadsticks Cons: early hours more

I went to Bliss on Friday night. I had a great time. Food is great and service as well. It's small portions but when you get to desserts you will be full. I will be visitting this place again soon. Pros: Food, Service more

I went to Bliss during Center City Restaurant Week. The food was good, however the portions were fairly small. I had the Tuna Carpaccio appetizer which was one 4""x6"" sliver of tuna. The Duck entree with figs and sweet potato was also good but again smaller than I would have expected. The Chocolate Creme dessert was very tasty but I felt it was very unoriginal for an upscale restaurant. It was essentially chocolate pudding with a dab of whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top. The drinks are extremely pricey, starting at $6 for average beers. Our server Gerald was good, on top of the water and checking in a few times without being too obtrusive. One other downside was that we were seated at the table immediately next to the entrance (where there is quite a draft) even though there were multiple other tables for two still available. Overall, my meal was good but I wouldn't go back because I don't feel you get much for what you pay for. Pros: Food, Service, Ambience Cons: Small portions, pricey drinks more

I had dinner at Bliss for my birthday with a few friends last week and I knew I had to spread the word right away. Kudos to the chef/owner and his staff for an absolutely flawless experience. We began our night at the cozy little bar while waiting for our friends to arrive. The bartender was absolutely adorable and professional. She also made the most delicious drinks we have ever had! After the hostess ( very sweet and friendly) sat us at the exact table we requested, the server came by right away to say hello and tell us about the fabulous special dishes for that evening. Overall, the night was fantastic. The server was so knowledgable and attentive, but never bothered us. What a wonderful staff and restaurant! I will be back many many times! Pros: Staff, Food, Convenient Parking more

I'm sure I could have ordered anything on the brief but thorough menu and been pleased. Salads were perfectly dressed and refreshing, the braised short rib was succulent with an amazing depth of flavor. Atmosphere is casual sophistication with a very friendly, informed and professional waitstaff. A bit pricey, but worth every penny for a flawless meal. Pros: Food, service more