Farmicia Restaurant & Metro Cafe

I love the "locally grown" idea behind the restaurant, and had heard they were vegetarian-friendly. I went once a few months ago, but left having no real feelings, good or bad. Interesting drink menu, though. Went for the 2nd time a few days ago for lunch, and had the strangest experience. After asking the waiter for some recommendations on vegetarian options, I ordered the lentil salad, and halfway through encountered a hunk of bacon. Then encountered more. Smelled like bacon, looked like bacon, and, according to a bacon-eating friend I was with, tasted like bacon. Called over the waiter, who insisted there was no bacon in the lentil dish. When shown the bacon, he reluctantly agreed to ask the chef. Returned 10 minutes later to once again reiterate that there was no way the lentils had bacon. He then left without offering to take away the offending meal or replace it with anything else, and proceeded to avoid our table the rest of the meal. 10 minutes later, we were approached by a woman (the manager? we don't know - she never introduced herself) who aggressively demanded to know who at the table "had a problem". I started explaining that the vegetarian lentils clearly contained bacon, and was interrupted by her vehemently stating that the dish "100% did not contain bacon". I tried to show her the bacon, piled on the side of my plate. She ignored the evidence, and insisted again that there was no way there was bacon in the dish. I said, "so event hough there is bacon on my plate and my friend has tasted and agreed that it is bacon, you still refuse to acknowedge the possibility that there is bacon in the dish?" She responded, irritatated, "yes." and walked away. Defeated and kind of amused, I carefully separated all bacon pieces from the lentils for the rest of the meal. On our way out, I told the waiter to just be aware that no matter what they said, bacon had somehow ended up in the dish and they should probably not recommend this particular batch as a vegetarian option. He just looked at me with no expression. I felt like the restaurant was populated by brainwashed zombies, not people, and it was truely a crazy experience. Like that movie with Julianne Moore where she knows she's lost her kid but everyone else in in denial. Or was it Jodie Foster? Anyway, I'll never go back. It was the worst customer service experience I've ever had - like they were deliberatley trying to be rude.

I can't not with good faith recommend this restaurant to anyone. We went there for restaurant week and it seemed questionable that during one of the busiest weeks of the year the place was less than half full. We went in anyway and were highly disappointed by the menu, food, flavors, wine, service and experience as a whole. It is a very nice atmosphere and the shame is that no restaurant will ever do well there based on people’s poor experiences at this restaurant. The good news is that there is no way they can continue to keep their doors open when they’re putting out food like this. Hopefully there will be one more poor restaurant off the streets of Philadelphia. I would have rather gone to Pat or Gino's.

Always a good meal, natural/organic/locally grown food, good atmosphere, nicely decorated, surprisingly never super busy so you usually would not need a reservation. Service can be a little slow but other than that very very good. I've eaten here many times and brougt my friends and family and everyone has always enjoyed. prices are consistent with the rest of old city. Decent portions. Lump crab salad is excellent ,really great brunch and desserts as well