Pearl

I second the review below. Could not have said it better. The food is quite good, however the way you are treated from the moment you walk in the door is not worth a morsel. Pros: Food Cons: Everything besides food more

The problems start at the door. The bouncers are most rude, obnoxious, and disrespectful doormen that I have ever encountered. Once inside you will find the bartenders are slow, sluggish, and overcharge for drinks by tipping themselves. Management is cocky and has no respect for their customers. There are several great venues in Philadelphia to enjoy for dinner and nightlife but Pearl is not one of them. Do Not Visit Pearl even as a last resort. Pros: They won?t last long Cons: The worst establishment in Philadelphia more

This was my first time dining at Akoya, my fiance and I went on Valentine's Day and I doubt we will return. The downstairs bar is a nice area to relax (albeit very small) and the drink menu had some eclectic choices and lots of sake options. Our food, as far as taste goes, was good. Portions are substantial. However, we ordered Peking Duck Spring Rolls, which have minced duck meat in them, and I bit into a gigantic piece of bone Now, I am not the type to complain or look for "freebies". I have been in the service industry and our waiter was very nice, so I made sure I was very polite when making him aware of the peice of bone, which I had wiped off and placed on my plate for him to see. I recieved a brief apology from the waiter, but to be honest, I expected the charge to be wiped off of the check. To my surprise, when the bill came, we were charged for the spring rolls. This was definetley dissapointing. On top of that, tables are VERY tightly packed together. One would have to literally move the table a foot or so for even the slimmest of people to maneuver through. It also does not allow for much privacy, as you can hear every word the people are saying next to you. To sum it up, if Akoya was a bit bigger, and the food was more thoroughly prepared, this would be a 3-4 star establishment. Instead, my fiancee and I both agreed to go back to some of our other favorites in the city and skip Akoya. Pros: Nice drink menu. Decent prices. Nice location. Cons: Careless chefs. Tables are way too close together. more

For my birthday my friends wanted to take me out to bar/lounge/restaurant type place. When they told me i was going to Pearl i thought ugh i dont want to go to another place like that! But as soon as i walked in the door i realized it was very different from any other place. It was very trendy and the atmosphere was great! Now it is my favorite place to go on a Friday and Saturday night! I even met my boyfriend there a few weeks ago! If you ever want to go to a good place in Philly, Pearl is a MUST. Pros: The DJ is great! Cons: Can get very busy so make reservations. more

Recently, my friends and I went to Pearl for dinner. We had a great time and the drinks were ah-mazing! The DJ played some really great music and we couldnt stop dancing! We are deff going back next Friday night! We couldn't belive we haven't found Pearl before! Pros: Basically everything Cons: Parking more

My friends and I went to Pearl and had a Great night! We loved the martini list, the mojito was the best I have ever had. The food was great to share in a group, and the service was friendly and attentive. We are planning on going back in a few weeks! Pros: Great Salads, drinks, attmosphere Cons: parking more

My wife and I recently went back to Pearl after they changed their menu and renamed the restaurant Akoya. We brought several friends and we all loved the changes that were made. We shared numerous appetizers with cocktails while we decided what to order as our entree. The women ordered several of their new martinis, which we all sampled and loved. Several of us could not decide whether to continue ordering more appetizers and salads or to order dinner. We then made a split decision with three of us ordering the short rib sliders, the hamachi tacos and the calamari salad. The other three of us ordered dinner. The lobster surf and turf was great as well as the Miso Pork Belly and the Orange Crispy Duck. We shared everything and no one was disappointed with what was ordered. Do not miss this restaurant, it is great. more

the thong song only begins to describe the wretched music that my friends and i were forced to endure on a random saturday night. to put it bluntly, i wanted to spoon out my own eyeballs. in the time span of 30 minutes, i heard 6 kanye west songs, basically everything he's ever put out that's popular. please hire a new DJ. only to be followed by $10 dollars to get upstairs and a $3 coat check. who on earth charges that much to hang up a damn coat!!!! then when one of my friends wanted to smoke a cigarette outside she wasn't allowed to take her coat unless she was willing to pay the three bucks again. the crowd was amateur at best, from the coked up gotti boys to the grandfathers checking out the hussies in shorts (on a night where it was 20 degress outside) i was more entertained than ever. these characters offered constant conversation due to their tragic fashion, music, and taste in significant others. on a lighter note, the staff of pearl was quite pleasant and accomodating. and that's all i'm saying positive!! basically, just don't do it!!! Pros: made me appreciate the other bars i go to much more Cons: need i say more? more

A really great little restaurant tucked away in Rittenhouse Square. The food and service were impeccable and the place is lovely. It is a bot crowded and loud but that is overcome by the fine food and service. Do make reservations early. Pros: great place good luck more

The best advice you may ever receive in your life... DONT. WASTE. YOUR. TIME. Oh, and no stars is not an option. Pros: really? Cons: this would be too easy more

We were at Pearl on Saturday night for dinner. The food was really good. The entrees took a little longetr than I would have liked but they were worth the wait. We ended up ordering an extra rock shrimp tempura for the table and an extra hamachi. Both Awesome. The drinks were really good as well. The asian mojito was something i had never had before and I tasted my friends margarita which was amazing. As we were finishing our meal, our server asked us if we planned on extending the night in the upstairs lounge, We obviously accepted. Next thing we know we are being escorted upstairs to a completely different scene. Probably about 150 people. Awesome DJ. Good loocking people. Girls dancing everywhere. It was really cool...even for Philly. The night was topped off by Shia Lebeouf (from the movie transformers) walking right by me and asking me where the bathrooms are. I pointed and he left. A second later, i looked up, and Michael Bay was standing right next to me. I guess this place pulls the A listers when they are in town. I can see why, It looked like they were having some fun in the VIP room. I would definitely go back both for dinner and nightlife. Pros: good food, cool scene, celebs Cons: entrees took a little while more

Just visited Pearl for the first time and was totally blown away. Went in after work with some girlfriends to have a few drinks. We were having such a great time we ended up staying for dinner. The Hamachi was to die for as was the Tempura Rock Shrimp and the main courses were even better. I recommend the Lobster (which had this amazing ginger butter crust on top) and the Scallops. This is my new favorite spot!!!! Pros: Food & Service was great! Cons: none more

pearl was a mouthwatering experience, the food was superb and the attention to detail was impeccable and the service and wait staff were excellent, a great evening for all. the fish was delicious. more

I am glad I disregarded previous negative reviews about this place. I have to disagree with a lot of the poor reviews prior to this one. My experience started with a more than gracious welcome and consisted of excellent food. The menu caters to people that are a little more conservative( like someone at my table) to the more adventurous eaters. The server was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and even asked us if we had any food allergies. The chilled carrot soup amuse was to die for, probably one of the most incredible things that was brought to the table. The tuna tartar with house made japanese sweet potato chips and the grilled hamachi were perfect starters. My boyfriend wouldn't let me try his wok chicken, i took that as a good sign, but i tasted the lamb and the scallops and they were unbelievable. I am not a big cocktail fan but from what i recall they were inventive and little on the pricey side. I guess sometimes you get what you pay for. After the entrees we were totally stuffed but managed to share a pot-de-creme and chocolate dipped banana with peanut miso sauce. Rumor has it, a disgruntled ex-employee has been teaming up with others to intentionally defame this restaurant, jeopardizing the livelihood of its owners and employees. I definitely recommend you to disregard these awfully immature outlashes and try this place on your own. Pros: Food, Service Cons: extremely busy during peak hours more

My girlfriend and I went to try this new restaurant in philly looking for a place to get good food and get some drinks for my birthday. I couldn't have asked for a better night! As appetizers we ordered the short ribs and the duck spring roll to split. The ribs were so tender and juicy and they literally fell right off the bone and the spring rolls were the best i have ever had. She got the chicken Caesar salad and i gave it a try, I thought it was delicious with the combination of crunchy dried noodles, juicy chicken and dried pear. I had to get the filet, because it was my birthday and i felt the obligation to treat myself. It was made just the way i like it (medium rare) tender and juicy. We split the 7 layer chocolate cake and i was simply blown away. We stayed for some drinks and went upstairs to listen to the dj. The atmosphere overall, was very relaxed, tasteful and stylish. Pros: food, service, atmosphere, music Cons: short wait (15-20 mins) more

Usually when I hear pan-asian, my eyes glaze over and I stay far away. My good friend wanted to celebrate his birthday with 7 of his friends and I have to say that I am glad I didn't miss out. We went on a friday night and it was busy but not overly crowded. We waited about 20 minutes for our table which is fine, considering the reservation was made last minute. The manager sent out some kumomoto oyster tempura with osetra caviar to compensate for the short wait. After that, we gave our server, adam, complete control of our order. Calamari salad, rock shrimp tempura, hamachi sashimi and flash grilled hamachi were the most memorable. Followed by a killer pad thai, wasabi lamb chops, pistachio truffled scallops and braised king prawns. They brought out a seven layer chocolate cake for dessert with candles in addition to a tamarind peanut butter ice cream. Overall it was an incredible experience, food and service were inventive, well seasoned, knowlegdable and quick. Later on, we were escorted upstairs to the lounge and ended up staying the rest of the night. Pearl is a great addition to rittenhouse square, I am looking forward to my next visit!! Pros: food service drinks Cons: none more

This place is awesome. The food is really good and they have a great bar scene. I have been to Pearl 6 or 7 times and there is always a great crowd!! The drinks are fabulous and they get some great DJ's from NY and the West Coast on the weekends. I would definitely recommend Pearl if you are looking for a great place to eat or somewhere to hang out and have a good time. Pros: food, drinks, music Cons: none more

Finally, a place in Philly has gotten it right. My friends and I have been looking for a place downtown where we could eat as well as stay and hang out. Pearl delivered. We had a 9:00 res on a Friday night. We did have to wait about twenty minutes before we sat down. Not a big deal as we had some drinks at the bar. Once we sat in the dining room we realized the scene was exactly what Philly has been lacking. A very New York feel. The right people, the right music, and the right ambiance. Simply put, the food blew us away. We ordered a Zensai, which is a raw bar sampler. All of the seafood was fresh and the unique asian inspired sauces distinguished it from the run of the mill raw bar you can find at so many other places. We ordered a bunch of apps also. The Hamachi, tempura short rib, and peking duck spring roll were all very good. Also, I have never seen them at any other restaurant in Philly. They also have the basics: calamari salad, asian chicken caesar and dumplings. For entrees, the table ordered the scallops (best I have ever had period), lamb chops (prob in the top 2 or 3 that I have ever had), lobster with some sort of ginger breading which was amazing, salmon, and crab pad thai which was also very good. We ordered a few desserts as well. The chocolate covered banana with some sort of peanut sauce was great as was the cheesecake. Highly recommended. We will definitely be back soon. Pros: Great Food, Great Ambiance, Great Service more

All I can say Is the whole time I was there it was the worst , most pretentious place I have been too . There was nothing good about it from start to finish. i do not recommend this place to anyone unless they want to waste alot of money and have a dreadful time. Pros: BAD Cons: BAD more

Shut this place down! Worst bar on the East Coast. Do not go there! Management: Terrible (they had no comments) Security: Terrible Staff: Terrible Food: Terrible Prices: Terrible (trying too hard to be something they are not) Bartenders: Terrible (and ugly) (and dont know how to make drinks) Decor: Terrible (and again, trying too hard to be something they are not) If you see a line in front, its not because they are popular or overcrowded, it's because they are (one more time) Terrible and trying too hard to be something they are not!!!! I'm counting the days till this place shuts down and something else opens that's not soo embarrassing to the city of Philadelphia! -Terrible! more