M Restaurant

Superb service. Awesome food. Don't miss the sauteed exotic mushrooms, the sunchoke velote, the gem salad, john dory fish, sauteed soft shells and the fall -off -the-bone tender short ribs. Their chef Kyle Beebe has replaced two lousy ones who previously were at the helm and has a clean, creative style using ingredients grown at the owner's farm. We were there for an anniversary dinner and couldn't have been more pleased. IHe came out unexpectedly to talk about his preparations, which was a nice touch. If you want to feel like you are in another world, come to M and sit in the garden. It is a setting like no other. Loved it and can't wait to go back. Overall A+!

We ate at M and ordered the chef's tasting menu of five courses for $55.00. It is by far the best meal in the city for the price. No where can you get the intricacies of molecular cooking paired with really fair prices for the quality of food here. That coupled with the best garden setting in the city make this a getaway into another world. You do not feel like you are in Philadelphia!! It has a quaint European feel. Service was attentive and very helpful. Nothing on this menu is more than $20.00 and it is all medium plates, a real plus for those of us who like to try many things. The portions were just right. This is not a restaurant for the cheesesteak crowd. If you are looking for big, oversized American food, you will not like M. Their menu is for those of us who appreciate finesse in cooking and organic local ingredients. I have a gluten allergy and not only did the chef accommodate me, but made five gluten free courses for me. That has never been done before. We will definitely be back. This is a hidden gem in center city that is truly a special place. The only regret is that we do not live in Philly but we will be back very soon.

Believing it is best to stay positive - nice enough ambiance, plus the music is good. It's just such a darn shame the food is lousy; the service crappy and the prices insanely high.

We went here for brunch for Mother's Day (yes, the atrociousness of the experience has been lingering that long). We were excited to try the place because we heard they had a new chef from some of our favorite restaurants in New York and we live next door to the restaurant. First, the food. The portions were almost microscopic. The slivers of salmon that composed my husband's appetizer were so thin that they were almost invisible. They had run out of potatoes, which are a fairly basic brunch staple and one you would think they would care to keep in stock, especially on a popular brunch day like Mother's Day. As a substitute, I was given a dry old piece of brioche the size of a matchbook. The "Perfect Sunnyside Eggs" are a complete misnomer unless by "perfect" you mean a slightly warmed over RAW egg. Prepared tableside in a hot skillet, they have apparently gone with empty showmanship over basic cooking skills because the egg never cooked. We pointed this out to the waiter but he seemed nonfazed at the prospect of serving someone a gelatinous mass of quivering egg white and raw yolk. As for the service, it was basically on par with the food. We asked for the wine list when we sat down and it never appeared. We waited ages for our food even though the place was 2/3 empty and had to hunt down our waiter for ever single service request. Needless to say, we won't be back, which is a shame since we were looking forward to having a nice restaurant so close. I do have to say we do enjoy the jazz on Wednesday evenings that we can hear from our balcony, which overlooks the restaurant, but do so while eating at home rather than subjecting ourselves again to a substandard dining experience.

This little neighborhood gem is just that. A gem. The new chef is truly gifted with a style that is refreshing and beautifully presented. We had a red kuri squash soup, hamachi sashimi and a fois gras app, followed by the best skate I have ever had in my life, the leanest duck breast and poussin. All of the dishes were perfectly done and absolutely divine. We are total foodies and expected a lot less and got a lot more. The staff, although small, was attentive and professional. Their bar is small, but then again the whole place is on the intimate side, so we did not mind. We got lucky in that it was a Wed. nite when we went out and got to hear live jazz during dinner, a really nice touch. We def. will be back, as this one is not to be missed. The new chef should be applauded for bringing creative, new dishes to a city that is always craving something new and different.

High expectations /low results They ran out of items on the limited Restaurant Week menu. The food was tasteless. The portions were small and cold. The dessert was served frozen- it was not ice cream. Restaurant week is an opportunity to showcase not disappoint.

Ate here at the suggestion of a friend. I had been here when David Katz was the chef[2 years ago] Had the beet and also the lobster salad followed by a gazpacho. For entrees we had the salmon[wild] and the chicken. Both were very well presented however the chicken did not have much taste. We followed with the cheese plate and a tart for dessert. Tha "gougeres" a bread substitute were the only part of the meal that I did not enjoy. Both our server and the hostess were lovely as was the garden. Pricewise I felt it was exceptionally reasonable[$124 including tip!] I am returning this weekend for a followup meal and will report!