Estia Restaurant

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1407 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Philadelphia, PA 19102

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(215) 735-7700
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Estia Restaurant - Philadelphia, PA
Estia Restaurant - Philadelphia, PA
Estia Restaurant - Philadelphia, PA
Reviews
( 25 )
( 9 )
( 3 )
( 3 )
( 3 )

Best

Estia accepts 1 YourCauseCard with a $100 min. Estia is participating in the YourCauseCard fundraising program. When you buy a $5 YourCauseCard a bonus donation is made to the ca...

Worst

We went last night (and have been once before). Once again, we loved the elegant decor and the food.------ They have $30 'pre theater' dinner (app, entree & basic dessert -wa...

Average 6/9/2007

Definitely cool to pick out your own fish, but the food was just ok. The real problems was that we were eating outside and after picking out my fish, I came back to a fly in my wine. I was given some bad attitude from the server..."I'm sorry sir, may I ask what was wrong with the wine?" "There was a fly in it." "Are you sure there was a fly in there?" Anyway, just ok.... Pros: fresh fish Cons: service, ambiance, price more
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WONDERFUL 5/9/2007

If you enjoy the freshest fish around, you must go to Estia . If this is your first time, the waiter will show you all the fresh fish and explain the different types. No matter what you choose, you won't be disappointed. Some of my personal favorites are Estia Chips, Stuffed Calamari, and the Greek yogurt for desert. Soft shell crabs were a special the night we were there and they were delicious. Live Greek music entertains on the weekends. Valet parking is also available at a discount. Pros: fish, entertainment, service Cons: very expensive more
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fresh fresh fish 4/14/2007

great new restaurant, beautiful architectural details, fresh whole fish, accomidating, wonderful chocolate lava cakes -- delicious more
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My Most Favorite Restaurant 4/6/2007

Estia provides a wonderful dining experience; the food is excellent!! I have ordered from both the dinner and pre-theatre menus. Yes it can be expensive when ordering from the dinner menu, but one can also have a fabulous, reasonably priced meal by ordering appetizers. My personal favorites are: Spanakopita, Spread Pikilia, Romaine Salata and Kotopoulo. The atmosphere is superb and if you are lucky, you may get to hear live traditional Greek music. When you go, you should make sure you walk around the entire restaurant. I have dined at several restaurants in the area and I keep coming back to Estia. I am hooked!! Pros: Ambience, Food, Service Cons: NONE more
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I loved it 3/9/2007

This place was great! Beware its very expensive though. We did everything family style which was nice to get a good taste of everything. Loved the scalops saganki and the feta cheese was really good .the fish was fresh and you have to try the yougurt with honey and almonds at the end. it was the best thing ever. my father is greek and he loved this place. the waiter was sorta of annoying but if you lay your foot down he backs off. otherwise two thumbs up! Pros: Good wine excellent food Cons: pushy waiter more
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great!! 2/4/2007

Delicious food. Tender octopus, perfectly cooked lamb, and yummy baklava for dessert. The waiter was great too - just attentive enough. Good cocktail list too. The only reason I would not frequent this place is because it is expensive. Cons: a bit expensive -but good for a splurge more
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Great for Group Dining- Wonderful fish meals 12/8/2006

Fresh fish without any cloying sauces. Tastes great, nice and flaky. Had a dinner for 12 on a thursday. Some drawbacks though- there's alot of sales pressure. The head waiter tried to make us purchase more and more things. Appetizers, more wine, more sides, etc. The fish prices range from $20 - 40. There's no sides that accompany the fish. Also, they charge you per pound, but thats before they clean the fish. You usually end with 8-9 oz of clean fish. Nice atmosphere- the decor is fabulous. Would definitely go again. Pros: Fish, wine Cons: sales pressure, cost more
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best fish in the city 11/20/2006

I would venture to say this is one of the best restaurants in the city. The fish is so amazing, so tender it just crumbles in your mouth, plus the selection is huge! Definitely would recommend this restaurant to anyone. Pros: food selection, ample seating more
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Sumptuous greek cuisine and fish 9/27/2006

Having been to almost all of the top places to eat in Phily this has become our favorite. The preparation is unique and terrific. Their selection of greek food and fish is super. Pros: Greek salad and Fish specials more
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Good Choice for Fish 9/15/2006

I went to Estia for restaurant week. I must say it was a very good experience. The waitress was attentive. I had the grilled octopus for appetizer which was very good and tasty and the Lavraki (sea bass) for main course which is one of their specialties. The ambience and everything was also good. The only thing that's a bit of a drawback is the wait for your food to come out. But still overall, I recommend it Pros: Food, Ambience Cons: Parking more
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Wonderful Pre-Theatre Restaurant! 7/16/2006

Being from the Allentown area I really didn't know what to expect from Estia. I was wow'd from the food and the service. I had the grilled octopus as a appetizer -- scrumptious and perfectly prepared. The swordfish loin skewer was fabulous as was my companion's sea bass skewer. The wine list was full of Middle Eastern wines I have never experienced. I highly recommend the Israeli Merlot. The dessert was a perfect ending: fruit with Greek Yogurt and cherry marmelade. If you are going to the Kimmel Center or the Merrien Theatre -- you must start your theatre experience here at Estia Pros: service, ecclectic wine list, spectacular food Cons: none more
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A wonderful experience... 4/6/2006

Our party of four dined at Estia after seeing Wicked. From the moment we walked through the door until stepping back onto the sidewalk, we had a fantastic experience. The food was phenomenal, with service to match. My wife and I have dined at many of Philadelphia's upscale resturants and Estia has the best fish around, bar none. The Tsipoura was very memorable, and the Lethrini was good although a tad boney. We also had Stephen M. as our server and he is impeccable. He said he had only been there for a month, but you certainly couldn't tell. He was friendly, knowledgable, and very attentive. I concur with some of the other reviewers that the prices are on the high side, but I challenge anyone to find better food and service at any price. This place rates 10/10 for me. Go and enjoy - you won't regret it. Pros: cuisine, service, atmosphere Cons: price more
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A Greek Gem... 3/27/2006

Wow, when we began our meal at Estia our enthusiastic and fantastic waiter, Steve M. (not to be confused with any other Steves) guided us through a truly unique culinary experience. We began with lightly fried and thinly sliced zucchini and eggplant with tangy yogurt dipping sauce. There are no words. Then each of us ordered one of the fish from their extensive selection. Simply prepared with capers, lemon and olive oil it enhanced the delicate fish flavor. The side of vegatable stew had whole chunks of garlic, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers (though a bit salty, it was DEE-LISH). The only complaint: the strawberry crepe dessert was too hard and frozen. Pros: Service, freshness, beautiful decor Cons: pricey desserts more
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A decent experience but we would not go back 3/22/2006

A party of 6 of us dined at Estia a few Saturday nights ago. The atmosphere was warm and cozy but we thought overall that this place is very overpriced. We started out with a tomato and cucumber salad and warm pita bread. Then everyone at the table had either the grilled fish or grilled lamb. Dessert was a small piece of spice cake. Including 2 glasses of wine per person the bill came to $200 a couple. We all thought that was too much considering the food provided. You can get a much more formal dinner at other locations in the city for that price. Pros: Inviting atmosphere, Tasty Food Cons: Overpriced more
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Great food for a great deal 3/7/2006

I went with friends from out of town for lunch and we all chose from the waiter-recommended prix fixe menu selections. The portions were plenty and the food was uniformly yummy. The restaurant is huge and family friendly but there are plenty of romantic type alcoves too. more
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Estia knows fish, wine and service!!! 2/15/2006

My boyfriend and I had our third dinner at Estia on Valentine's Day, and we were treated like special dining clients or family. We've dined at many places of different cuisines and styles, and Estia is the most enjoyable. If you are not familiar with Greek cuisine, fresh fish varieties and wine, just describe your favorite fish and wine tastes and textures... what you've had in the past and they serve to please! One might not even have to look at the menu but simply describe to a server (the owners and hosts too seem to always be around if difficult and detailed fish and wine questions come-up)what you like, and you will get something special. This large restaurant of stone and wood design feels warm and intimate. I tought that Greek restaurants like this were only in Greece and South Beachk, FL area! It's a joy to come here. Pros: Food, Wine, Service more
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Great romantic date place 2/5/2006

this restaurant was superb!!! this is the perfect place to go on a date or to dinner with some great friends. the lobster was the best ive ever had....the service was excellent...and if you are looking for a good piece of fish you are able to pick it out yourself from their fish market...and they do not rush you to eat and get out. its a beautiful place with candles and arched stone ceilings. they also have a great wine list!! this is a place you must try. Pros: Wine List, Romantic, Great Seafood Cons: Parking more
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Good by day, great at night 2/3/2006

Been to Estia a few times and was very good for the most part. As appetizers try the grilled octopus and the "Estia chips" which seem to be lightly tempuraed thinly sliced zucchini and eggplant. Try the whole fresh fish for dinner including the pompano and sinagrida. Both were grilled with olive oil, lemon, and capers, and had to be the freshest fish we ever recall having. However, the choices for lunch are more limited and the fish is not as fresh, probably left over from the previous evening as evidenced by our second trip there. For dessert we had bananas foster flambed tableside by the Maitre D' Max. The interior of the place is amazing with carved stone and a faux marketplace with fresh fish displayed. They also have a large downstairs with extensive banquet facilities and discounted parking in the garage above the restaurant. more
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The WORST restaurant experience in Philadelphia 1/19/2006

Spending over $90/pp on dinner at this place is INSANE! The appetizers, served "family style," were presented WITHOUT UTENSILS! They sat on our table for 10 minutes before someone came over to inform us that they were the only appetizers on the menu that are "not family style." Our oysters arrived on one large tray; this meant fumbling across our dirty appetizer plates (which were not cleared) to grab oysters that came WITHOUT cocktail forks. I was told to use my tablespoon to put cocktail sauce on them! My entree (langostinos) was priced at $45/lb. I requested ONE pound of them and was charged $70. The tableside-preparation of the bananas foster for the entire table was amusing. It was served in ONE martini glass for 6 people to share. RIDICULOUS! When we tried to eat it, the shell was so hard it resulted in a broken glass. I am disgusted!!! Pros: Location, Parking Cons: Novice service, Ridiculous prices, AWFUL music more
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A joy, Pricey but worth the money. 1/9/2006

Finally a new restaurant in philly that doesn't dissappoint. I've read a few reviews and almost all comment on the price. Like most great restaurants in Philly, (or any city) price brings quality. Like Morimoto, and Striped Bass, Estia is a destination restaurant, expect to spend, but expect to have a great evening. I must say that the food was phenomonal. I can't say enough about the Estia chips or the octopus. I had for an entree a striped bass. I've never tasted fish so fresh and elegant. The price, while higher than average, was well within reason for the quality and service (the service was knowlegeable and consistent ). I found the Greek music to be a nice touch that really accentuated the georgous atmosphere. The Mat're de Max was a joy to talk to and prepared an absolutely delicious crepes dessert. I can't wait to go back. Pros: Awesome food, Beautiful Atmosphere, attentive service Cons: $$$, but worth it more
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Menu for Estia Restaurant


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Editorial

  • In Short
    Business-crowded by day and theater-packed at night, this gleaming, multi-room, 200-seat Mediterranean restaurant promises to become Center City's foremost destination for...

  • 11/3/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon. - Thu. 11am - 10pm;Fri. 11am - 11pm;Sat. 12am - 11pm;Sun. 12am - 10pm
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Discover, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Center City, Rittenhouse Square
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