Meritage Philadelphia Rstrnt

I walked into Meritage for the first time and felt so welcome with the owner/bartender Irene. She is so knowledgeable and accommodating. The food is well prepared and delicious! We had such a fun time at the bar with wine flights and food pairings. We will be back every week! Pros: Music, Food, Service more

Our first time to Meritage and it was perfect! The owners are hands on and really make sure your experience is stellar. The place is warm and inviting. Cozy dining room where you have some elbow room and not packed with as many tables you can fit. Service is excellent, not intrusive or pushy. The food is reasonably priced and nice portions. Highlights are duck confit, risotto, lamb and butterfish Pros: discounted parking lot, large wine selection, service, seasonal menu more

I went there with my wife on jan 2009. We were very impressed with the atmosphere, very romantic and we were able to actually hear one another and not our neighbors conversations. I was not very impressed with the food. i had the tuna tartare which was okay but nothing to wow me. My wife had the brie appetizer which we enjoyed. The dinners however lack any flavor and infact were very undercooked. the filet and the lamb both were very boring and were undercooked. The desserts were equally as disappointing. I had the lemon berry cake and it was actually stale. the service was also less than stellar. Our waiter did not tell us the specials, never came around to the table, never poured our wine. Basically he was nonexistent. Given how expensive this restaurant was with our wine tab, I will probably never go there again given all of the other wonderful restaurants that are here in our great city Pros: the ambience was very romantic Cons: the food and service were terrible more

What was supposed to be braised short rib was closer to potroast or a poorly cooked brisket. The risotto under the medium sized scallops was at times tough. The pumpkin pie desert was average. Pros: Atmosphere is very romantic Cons: Food is average and not good enough for the prices they charge more

Sunday is out traditional brunch day but we always end up going to the same few spots... we tried to do our homework, but most menus looked pretty much the same. The French toast always lures me in, so we tried Meritage... So happy we did! The place looks very unassuming from the outside, but it was very nice inside - small, but no too small; very nice, but not indimidating. The French toast was fabulous (I actually think it ranks higher on my list than our usual wait-in-the-rain-for 2hrs-spot), the eggs-benedict was also very good. Our waittress was so friendly and attentive, but not smothering. It's only been a day since we went, and already I've told most people I know about how good it was... Pros: no wait - attentive service - amazing food Cons: slightly older crowd more

After going to their website and making sure I did not place bad comments for the wrong place I realize this is the average restaurant that I visited during restaurant week. The menu sounded good so I thought my husband and I should give it a try. Unfortunately, the only 2 tihngs I did enjoy were the quaint atmosphere and my chicken and polenta meal. Our dessert was not sweet, sadly and the waitress was not pleasant at all which made this somewhat pricy meal un enjoyable. My husband baffled me by giving the full 20% tip. It was ok, at best. We're not planning on going back. Pros: Polenta and Chicken were good... Cons: Service more

I recently discovered the restaurant a week ago with a friend. About two blocks pass the rittenhouse square hubbub, lies a lovely intimate fine dining experience called, Meritage. It is a small, quiet restaurant with great ambiance, friendly service, and great food and wine. They have recently acquired a new chef, Jason Goodman who has completely transformed the menu from it's former self. We first started with the spicy tuna tartar and the seared scallops and truffled risotto, both very good. Next I had the gnocchi with wild mushrooms. (Better than in Italy) My friend had the Duck with okiawa sweet potato puree. She let me sneak in a spoonful of the okiawa puree. These potatoes were so sweet and buttery, it was hard to believe that it was a vegetable. Though the sweet potato puree would have been enough for me for dessert, we ending up splitting the Citrus Napoleon. Crisp layers of phyllo circles, with fresh berries, limoncello syrup and a lemon custard filling. This custard was amazing like, sweet lemony satin sliding down your palate. more

Recently had Sunday Brunch at Meritage. Food was excellent.. Enjoyed (Live Jazz) Pros: (LIVE JAZZ) at Sunday Brunch more

I work in center city at the University and often frequent many restaurants during my work week. A co-worker and myself, on a recommendation visited Meritage on a weeknight. We didn't have much time, so we sat at the beautifyl bar at the entrance of the restaurant. The service was attentive and professional. Excellent wine selection! In addition, we were able to order from the complete menu from the bar area. I enjoyed an outstanding ""Paella"" and my associate was able to order a lighter fare from the ""Street Food Menu"", a pulled lamb sandwich. We will return often. Pros: Great Location. Great variety of food more

My friends and I often go out as a small group to celebrate certain events, birthdays, anniversaries and small holiday gatherings. I made an on line reservation via ""open table"" website for Meritage Philadelphia for six people. We arrived at 8 pm on a friday evening. Our group was made to feel very welcome by an excellent hostess and staff. We were seated immediately in a fully attended set of dining rooms. Within minutes we all had our drinks and had ordered a variety of lucious appetizers. The service was prompt and attentive and answered our many questions guiding our group through the menu offerings. The steak was served to perfection, the Veal Oscar was presented as a palette delight and those of us that ordered the Tunisian Meritage, signature dish and were very pleased. We were serviced by one of the owners, Michele Di Pietro, a Sommelier-Wine Specialist and selected our drinks from an extensive menu. The atmosphere-music was delightful and complimented our food/wine. Lastly, we completed our fine dining experience with a tasty delight of desserts, coffee and tea. Prices were in line with fine dining experiences in center city Philadelphia. This will be the first of many visits to Meritage Philadelphia Pros: Great Food more

Went last night on a Friday evenning during the holidays for our anniversary. We were down in the Rittenhouse square area and wanted to try something different but romantic. Read the reviews for this restaurant and sounded good. When we got here around 7pm there was only 2 other people eating dinner here when we couldn't get a reservation for the same time at some other places and that should have been our 1st clue. This was my 3rd choice for dinner reswervations. Service was fine. Atmosphere OK but nothing special. Romantic...slightly maybe. Lobster bisque soup was good and only highlight of the night. The other soup ordered was so so. My steak was undercooked and also so so as was my wife's chicken dish. All in all way below average for price. Would not recommend and not sure how this place stays open. I doubt they get much repeat business and I know I won't be coming back. There are way too many other ""good"" restaurants in Philly. Pros: Service, Lobster Bisque Cons: Everything else, food so so more

Excellent food, personal and knowledgeable service in a relaxed, cozy atmosphere. Meritage is a small restaurant with a highly innovative menu and an extensive list of fine wines at a very reasonable price (no huge markups). The owner is very friendly and is very attentive to her guests. It is evident she takes a lot of pride in her work and it shows because everything on the menu was superb. Our check for 2 people was approximately $100 (including wine) and the experience was worth every penny. I can't wait to come back! Pros: Creative menu, well priced wines, great service more

The place has a very nice, warm atmosphere and the cuisine is to die for- Tasting menu was delicious, decent-sized portions, and were very creative; since me and my guest both had the tasting menu, the chef gave us different things so we could share each others plates. Nothing was dissapointing about this experience...by far one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia. Pros: Cuisine, atmosphere, tasting menu Cons: Location more

At first I felt I was eating in some diplomat's rustic townhouse, which was awkward because I was on a blind date, but the brazilian Jazz was relaxing. The lighting was dim(yeah!) and the server made us both laugh at our nervousness! By the time we were into our second course I was charmed by the spellbound dishes (better than the kiss goodnight) & loved the paired wine! I'll be back, with or without the blind date! Pros: discount parking, hallway small, genuine servers Cons: wish it were a B&B, closet ate my coat! more

This was one of the best meals i've had in a long time. the chef sent us the provencal soup, he wanted to start us off with something since we hadn't ordered an appetizer. it was delicious. my tunisian dish was a delicious, cooked to perfection. the umbrian polenta was a dream. there is not one bad thing to say about this restaurant. the service was more than one could expect. plan on going as much as i can. Pros: service, appetizers, wine Cons: lighting more

very nice food(appetizer) and dessert. do try the rice pudding and mousse. the service is nice too. Lovin it! more

Easily one of the best restaurants in this city. We were well attended to, it was not to loud, the wine list is great and very well-priced. But it is the food that makes this restaurant so wonderful. Very imaginative and wonderful flavors in every course we had. Pros: Great food, Discounted parking, wine list more

We love tasting menus, especially at a highly rated restaurant where the chef can showcase his talents. Unfortunately we'd gotten a rather ordinary meal here. The marinated vegetable salad for starters was great, and things went downhill from there. An asparagus spear with some garnish followed, then beef strips that were a little tough with salad and shaved asparagus...Ho Hum. The dessert was a big bowl of chocolate mousse....not exactly creative. The wine pairings were good, but not generous. The regular menu might be better. Pros: Nice ambience Cons: Pricey parking, Noisy more

Meritage manages to strike an incredible blend of high sophistication and comfortable, cozy dining. The wonderful, relaxed service sets a new standard for Philadelphia, making new diners feel like old friends, slow to want to leave and eager to return again. The tasting menu ($49 for 4 courses)--Belgian the week we dined there--was outstanding, particularly when paired with perfectly matched wine ($20 extra per person). The somnelier introduced each wine with fascinating detail and knowledge, and ""tasting"" portions were so generous I could not even finish my incredible chocolate mousse dessert. I will be glad to return to Meritage as much as my budget can afford it! Pros: friendly service, outstanding food, wonderful wines Cons: a little dark more

I took my wife to Meritage a week ago for her birthday. I have to say these guys are great! We had the tasting menu with the wines, and at 69 a person for a four course meal you cant do any better. The food is some of the best Ive ever had and the wines worked great with what they served. Service is great too, and the discount parking. I'll be back soon. Pros: great good, great wine prices, discount parking more