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Categories: American (New), Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Penn CenterMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
3 Courses, 2 People, $20. Juicy Burgers & Tender Ribs. You Choose!
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You can tell that whoever is behind Matyson really cares about finding, cooking and serving top-notch ingredients in a creative and delicious way. Everything I've eaten here speaks to the chef's deep passion for food and attention to detail - the cooking is flawless.
Vegetarians might be put off by the lack of options on the menu, but at Matyson, it's almost an advantage because they will cook something just for you and it will be awesome. On a slow night, they've asked me what I felt like eating, and the chef made something based on that - exceptional service. Also, if you're out with a few veggies, they make something different for each person, which is thoughtful and appreciated.
I wish they weren't on the wrong side of the foie gras debate, but that is the only thing I'd change about Matyson. It's fantastic.
Sorry to burst your bubble, my dear Phillies, but this place is totally overrated and overpriced. Good ambiance and service, I will give you that. But I feel like I've eaten a thousand versions of your unimaginative menu--most of them executed far better.
Oh and why is it that everyone who eats here is old & white??? Maybe that's why you keep raking in the 4/5 star reviews. Cuz seriously? Blah.
I never know what to do when I go to a place that is clearly a high quality, wonderful place, that I simply don't personally enjoy. I obviously can't give it a high rating, as I didn't enjoy it that much, but it also doesn't seem fair to give it a poor rating and lower its overall score.
This clearly isn't a problem with Matyson, as it has no paucity of glowing reviews.
For birthdays, each of my friends picks a place that they want to go to for their special dinner - a new place they're excited about, an old favorite - and everyone has to go and buy them dinner there. It's a nice system.
It's also a system that took me to Distrito, cilantro capital of the eastern seaboard.
Matyson is an old favorite that I haven't been to before this. I heard the raves: the menu is different every time, and everything on it is fantastic!
Apparently, the variety is wonderful, and you'll always have a different experience. They have a fairly reasonably priced tasting menu (it was $45 this week for lobster, with 5 courses including the special item, plus dessert(no lobster there), which they were happy to switch out for someone with an allergy), soups of the day, and an ever rotating menu of culinary creations.
The problem is... I don't WANT a culinary creation. I like my food to be relatively simple. I want to know what all the words on the menu mean, and I don't want to wonder what that odd combination is doing to a base food I really like.
It's sacrilege on a site like Yelp, where appreciation of good food and original menu items is expected, but I feel like some people must come on here just to see how they'd feel about a restaurant, so if you're like me, you may not have as easy a time finding something to eat.
I will say, one friend got the halibut, and it was light and very tasty. Another got the scallops, which were large and cooked perfectly - no rubbery seafood here. And I got the New York Strip, figuring that was a safe bet. And it was cooked to absolute perfection... except that it was grilled and had that 'blackened' taste. Which, again, many people love. I personally feel that it takes away from the flavor of the meat itself.
I passed on dessert, but one of my friends got a toffee garnished mouse cake thing with a strawberry that was absolutely to die for.
So what else about this place? It's BYOB. The wait staff was professional, friendly, and attentive. It's a fairly small room, and it has pictures of food on the walls, some of which seem almost sexual. Entrees are ~$20-$30, appetizers and desserts encircling $10.
I think it's safe to say that if you enjoy a well crafted, perfectly cooked, original meal out, you will probably love Matyson. If you prefer something a little safer, more predictable and familiar, it might not be the right place.
I'm happy to have gone, but on my birthday, I'd still like to go to Beau Monde.
My husband picked this place for dinner one night after seeing some great reviews on yelp. We don't often dine in center city for dinner but i wanted to try a new place. the service here was the best i have ever had, anywhere. the entire staff was extremely knowledgeable about the food and even wine at this little BYOB. we trusted everything the sever recommended and had an amazing meal and experience at Matyson.
Pretty good, nothing special. Matyson has both generically pleasant food to match its' generically pleasant atmosphere.
The service is kind and attentive. One perk was the very good looking gay gentleman who was my server.
The meat was cooked well but I have been to a hundred places like this and Matyson doesn't have that extra spark of flavor that makes a place special. The sandwhiches and steak frites are well sized but unfortunately I ordered the scallops, and the measly portion on my large plate was extremely disappointing considering it's not up to the standards of the fancy French restaurants that can get away with small sized but delicious meals.
If it's convenient and you're craving a good Nouveau American meal, check it out. If not, you're not missing out on a whole lot.
Went last week for the tasting menu - the focus was on local, seasonal produce. This was probably my 5th visit and every time has been rock solid. I've done the tasting all but one of those times.
Tastings are perfectly proportioned - I leave sated but not stuffed. Honestly I think this is the best value in the city.
If I could give this place an extra star I would!! Seriously, one of the best meals of my life. Adventurous eaters: You MUST (and I do mean MUST) order the foie gras and the sweetbreads. I command you!
As a native Californian, I am not a fan of, nor do I understand, the BYOB thing, but I have to admit, the bill was far less than expected due to the lack of alcohol.
I won't be selfish and tell you this place sucks so that you won't make me wait for a table when I want to eat here (which will be often), but I will share with you the goodness that is Matyson. Enjoy, my Yelpers!
I have been to Matyson twice. The first time the food was divine, so when my friends from Miami came to visit, I selected Matyson as a must do.
Well, I... can say that the food was simply OK, not divine. I don't know if changing the menu frequently (which they do) is a good idea after all. I know they want to be creative and what not, but I was really craving what I had the first time, which was a filet mignon to die for, and to my horror, it had been removed from the menu. What the hell?
I ended up ordering something that sounded as the next best bet. It was a pork chop in a bed of corn and black beans with supposedly some interesting sauce. Although it was good, it is something I can totally replicate home. The chop was way too dry (I hate that feeling of chewing, and chewing, and chewing. oh lord). The corn and beans were tasty, but again, it tasted like, uhm, corn and beans (sauce was either hidden or invisible). Presentation was awesome though.
My friends had the lobster gnocci (which was overcooked) and the sirloin (this was good but undercooked) with truffle fries (which were greasy like hell).
I don't know about you, but when I eat out, I need some WOW factor in my plate in order to consider the experience memorable.
Memorable was the service though. We showed up with a bottle of white wine that was at room temp, and the waiter said he would have it chilled for us in no time. He came later with the bottle really cold and explained he wrapped it in salt and put it in the freezer. He could just have put it in an ice bucket and forget about us whiners, but he went out the extra mile. That was cool.
Plus, they were great in terms of honoring my reservation time. It was for 9PM and we were seated by 9PM.
Let's see. Maybe I should give it another try for the sake of variability and normal distribution...
10-4 for now...
S
we don't get out much to nice restaurants too often, but when we do, we like to maximize our chances for a nice evening so yelp we did.
Very much enamored by the small neighborhood feel of this place, from the quaint store front, which was easily missed when driving by, to the cute waiting couch up front. Of course the hardwood floor and industrial exposed duct work all contribute to the no-nonsense, familial environment, if not to the ear splitting decibel count. Interesting realist paintings of food on the walls, accompanied by old school saloon-like tilted mirrors. The service was nice and professional.
On the whole the food was well prepared with a deft touch. My roasted halibut with succotash was very well cooked, the halibut still moist and tender and the succotash with a creamy texture made complex with the bite of the fresh corn and beans. Only wished that there were some notes to liven up the flavor which was unfortunately bland. This was typical of the plates we got: well executed but could have had some additional flavor or texture for some wow factor. Such was the case with the crispy sweetbreads, the smoked lobster (the wife got the lobster themed tasting menu) with grilled corn and the lobster consomme. The sweetbreads were perhaps a bit too heavily breaded, making them look like brain mcnuggets, but the sweet and smokey chili sauce was good. The accompanying crab cake was tasty and fresh. The consomme was starkly thin.
However, the two most memorable plates were the lobster ceviche and the poached lobster. the ceviche was graced by a memorable mango mustard the was flavorful and well balanced. we used the rest of our bread to sop up the nectar. And the poached lobster was sublimely tender as well as the beautifully seared foie gras.
Desserts were good, but like the plates, could have done well with an additional spark. My wife's chocolate cake with toffee was better than most. My coconut cream pie didn't have that richness that I was anticipating. However, my last bite included the basil garnish and i thought that was revelatory.
Presentation was nice. Food was spaced a bit too far apart, i thought. we sometimes waited 20 minutes between courses. They need additional rest rooms.
All in all, we really enjoyed our time at Matyson's. Next anniversary, perhaps.
One of the best dining experiences of my life, and I've eaten at my share of places. Every plate in our tasting menu was incredible, highlighted by the most delicious thing I think I've ever tasted, a Moroccan spiced lamb chop.
Truly truly incredible, and a nice atmosphere to boot. I'll look for any excuse to go back.
One of my absolute favorite BYO's! The place has been around for a while now and for good reason. Matyson delivers unlike almost any othe and it's very reasonably priced for a restaurant in its class. I can honestly say that in the many times I've dined here, I've never had a bad meal or bad experience. Reservations stack up somewhat quickly so it's difficult to go here on a whim. This time I really enjoyed the escargot appetizer and the bronzino entree.
Matyson and Marigold are my two favorite byo's in Philadelphia. What gems! Although I haven't been to Matyson for a longgg time, I will never forget the scallops I had here. They were out of this world! If you are a scallop fan, you know they can easily be served overcooked and chewy. Matyson's were neither! Soft inside, crispy on the outside and just plain delish! And they were accompanied by hearty risotto, giving the meal a bit more substance. A very fine dish. Definitely check this place out for the exciting seasonal menu, charming atmosphere, and overall good time!
Typically this place blows me away. I went on Saturday night and had a great table, service was great as well but something was off with the food. It tasted like they simply forgot to add salt and pepper. I will go back because I think chef's can even have nights off but I must say I was disappointed when I talked th place up so much to my fiance.
I was pretty excited about trying this place out after all the glowing yelp reviews. Perhaps it's because I'm a pescetarian and a bit limited in my eating habits, but I just wasn't enamored. My friend and split the lump crab cocktail and I ordered the scallops for an entree. The food was tasty but in my opinion, the portions were a little small for the prices. I'm tiny and I left dinner feeling hungry.
However, I will say that the atmosphere is very cute and relaxing. Oh, and that butterscotch pudding is heavenly! I could drink that stuff.
I am determined to name my first born child Matyson. Do people usually name their children after restaurants, or is that a little weird?
Course #1: Margarita Cured Diver Scallops, avocado, mango, salsa Verde, guajillo oil
These were melt-in-your-mouth delish. Everything. And the menu failed to mention the non-fail popcorn on top-a huge hit with us open-minded types!
Course #2: Tostadas Al Pastor: Smoked pork shoulder, roasted pineapple, pickled red onion & jalapeño, cilantro crema
I forgot that this was pork-it almost tasted like a game foul because it was so tender. The menu descriptions really do not fully portray the complex flavors in every course. This one was crunchy, tender, smoky, meaty, fresh, green, and saucy. Yum.
Course #3: Rock Shrimp & Wild Mushroom Tamale, Soft polenta, truffled huitlacoche sauce
Who knew about huitlacoche sauce? I didn't! Hello, version of mole! Yay! This light dish was also earthy. The mushrooms and sauce worked with the fluffy polenta and tender shrimp. Nice contrasts.
Course #4: Carne Asada & Mexican Corn: Grilled chipotle marinated skirt steak, spicy black beans & cotìja cheese
The main reason I chose the tasting menu was for the carne asada. I knew it would be cooked perfectly-they didn't even ask us how we wanted it cooked, because Matyson (my first born) cooks it the way it should be cooked (medium rare) no matter what. Corn: eat it up yum. YUM! The cotija cheese is being entered as a top spot on our "Endangered Cheese" list. We will find it.
Course #5: Tres Leches with fresh strawberries. I do not prefer wet cake over dry cake with icing. But this. This. THIS. That's all. Just this. I did not need the strawberries, whipped topping, or fancy chocolate. They helped, but the hunk of cake was mouth-watering and deserving of dreams by itself. Independent tres leches is always good.
I wish I could go to Matyson every week. Every week is a different tasting menu. Every week I would be in heaven. But I may get spoiled, and I don't want that.
you know, there's something to be said about consistency... i haven't been there in almost 2 years, but when i went back last night, it was still pretty darn good.
mother dearest got the tasting menu (theme: spice!) and i got the chilled avocado soup and swordfish. the service was great, once again, and even sans bottle of wine, the food stood up on its own.
highlight for me: the duck was melt in your mouth tasty, and came with a foie gras spring roll. i think a little piece of me died and went to heaven.
i have now been to matyson three times, and it's pretty darn good. the service was friendly, the… Read more »
Calling Matyson a "breakfast" restaurant is totally misleading. No restaurant, that is not open before 11 AM, can be called a breakfast restaurant. That bit aside, this is a good restaurant for lunch and supper.
Best meal in a long time was had at Matyson. Everything was great, including the desserts. They have a pastry chef which means interesting and well executed sweets. Even if I got the brownie sundae which is the simplest dessert but always my fave --it stood out.
The rest of the food and service were outta sight too.
I simply cannot conceive of giving Matyson less than 5 stars.
I've probably had at least 6 meals there now (with both sets of owners), and each time I have left raving about how good my meal was and thinking about it for days. The dishes are not just great ideas in terms of pairing flavors and textures, but are almost always PERFECTLY executed. They take a simple thing like a potato croquette and somehow make it seem like the best thing you've ever eaten. They take already-delicious foie gras to a whole new level of yum. Order the dessert, even if you normally don't get excited over sweets, and your eyes will probably roll back in your head in pleasure. Really, it's that good.
The servers are apparently all foodies themselves who sample the specials every night, so they know their stuff and you can trust that their recommendations are based on more than just the desire to upsell. They are people, not robots, who add to your dining experience with charming and attentive service.
Matyson is definitely as good as it gets among Philadelphia BYO's.
Life altering meal.
I'm not much into game.. I mean, I've eaten venison a couple of times, but I didn't grow up in "that house" with the deer head over the mantle and the weird pheasant posed next to the tv, so my game eating has been kept to a minimum.
Until now, after my meal at Matyson. I went here a couple of weeks ago for my birthday, and literally had the best meal of my life. My fiance had the tasting menu, which was a game menu, and I chose off of the dinner menu.
The tasting menu included a 5 spice venison carpaccio, which melted in my mouth and made me want to eat beef sushi every day, a rabbit loin wrapped in bacon (oh bunny you're so smokey!!) a wild boar puttanesca, and duck in a vanilla / coffee sauceI think? Every dish came out, and we're like.. OK no way they do it again.. Yet, they did. As each dish arrived we gushed, again and again.
I had this lobster benedict that had deep fried poached eggs (?!?!?!?!), and something off of the dinner menu called Pork Two Ways. It was a sort of pan roasted / braised combo (two different cuts) that just melted away... dissolved on my tongue as I took each bite. I can taste it now when I think about it two weeks later...
Did we get dessert? Yeah, I mean we were two bottles of wine in (hint: there were two of us), so it was pretty much a free-for-all at this point. The creme brulee was great (though not the best I've ever had), and my lemon custard was seriously off the charts and ended the meal perfectly. I want to go back here every single week for their tasting menu. I mean, this week it's Soul Food.. How unreal is that going to be.. Sigh. Must return.
Oh, Matyson, where to begin? With the delightful, welcoming dining room? The byob-ness, enabling us to get a reasonably priced bottle of wine from the store around the corner to enjoy with our meal? Or maybe the right way, with the appetizers, the perfectly grilled cheese accompanying watermelon slices, a savory dish of dessert ingredients that, as fi pointed out, made perfect use of the incredibly unique texture of watermelon. Maybe with the avocado mousse accompanying melt-in-your mouth sashimi. The entrees too were amazing, the look of delight on fi's mouth as he enjoyed the steak thrilling. And, of course, the dessert, a white chocolate key lime tart the perfect ending. Service was spot-on, the perfect balance of attentiveness without being overbearing. Matyson, thank you for so much deliciousness.
Matyson is a true gem! The food here is creative, inventive, and well executed. A great spot for date-night or a dinner with visiting parents. The story behind the restaurant I left full and happy and eager to return.
Although I haven't tried it, their $45 tasting menu (changes frequently - http://www.matyson.com...) is supposed to be amazing.
As with nearly every meal at a well-rated restaurant I have had in Philly, the appetizer was excellent and then the remaining courses slid sharply downhill from there. First came a slice of fois gras over a cube of very hot crispy polenta surrounded by dried fruit chutney; the polenta was overly spiced and salted by itself, but combined with the sweet dried figs, everything worked very well. Due to many poor fois gras experiences I could not attribute the success of this dish simply to its containing this expensive ingredient. In this case its texture was wanting but the flavor, entirely free of gamey or sanguinous overtones, performed well. For the main course, four seared scallops looked dumbly out upon the pile of curried chickpeas and blood-orange salad that they surrounded. The scallops were cooked properly, the oranges nearly tasteless and the chickpeas sat, voluminous, waiting to be eaten. The dessert, hazelnut crepes burdened by so many ingredients (hazelnut toffee, 'vanilla' ice cream, yet more blood-oranges, chocolate shavings, possibly some kind of caramel sauce..) that only a vague impression of candy came through, failed. Service was excellent though nearly snarky, and so compared to the average place in Philadelphia I consider it quite good. But if you have ever been anywhere besides Philadelphia, it must be clear that the food expectations have to be... scaled back somewhat when you come here.
The only good think about PA's neo-prohibition, are the great BYOB's in Philly. I've only been to Matyson once, but I had a big meal and everything was spot on.
There were two great highlights. I had delicately fried Sweet Breads, served with a simple spinach and shaved red onion salad and a perfectly poached egg. Its hard to beat this tasty simplicity.
The second really great dish was Pork Tenderloin wrapped in a cured ham (could have been Virginia, prosciutto or jamon) stuffed with Wilted Collard Greens, over Blackeyed Peas and a red bean sauce. Wow. Though the dish had southern ingredients the flavors were decidedly Spanish.
The service was prompt, friendly and direct. My new favorite, and the perfect antidote for those bored by Steve Starr.
One of our favorites in the last couple of years.
Matyson has a seasonally changing menu of creatively prepared dishes with some repeating elements.
Most of the dishes I had there were really well made and thought out.
I've had some great steak fritz, escargot and sweetbreads.
Last time I was there I tried and loved the escargot, and empanadas for appetizer - both were great. For entrees I had an OK crispy skin salmon, I tried the pork chop which was delicious and moist as were the scallops.
We had a very well made apple desert and a crepe that was very satisfying.
Service is generally good and attentive decor is nice. Atmosphere is good, a little on the noisy side - later reservations are always better - gets emptier towards the end of the meal.
BYOB - and they accept credit cards.
I nned to let you know how great my goat cheese & beet salad lunch was here today and that you need to RUN OVER here this week to try the "Phillies Victory" Chef's tasting menu. They have a home-made Butterscotch Krimpet.
I am not kidding. Go this week or you'll miss out.
Matyson used to stand for Matt y Sonia - but, alas, the original owners have fled the coop.… Read more »
This place was truly amazing. I was in town for a week and I ate here twice. That should be telling you something.
The chef is inventive and playful, but not weird for the sake of being weird. The flavors he matches together really work together to create some amazing tastes.
The service was great, too. The waiter really seemed enthusiastic about the food.
What a great concept - BYOB (this doesn't happen in CA)! We brought our own 2 fabulous bottles of wine, and then enjoyed everything they served us. From appetizers to entrees to dessert, the whole experience was fantastic. Definitely give it a try!
My bf took me here last week and it's one of my fave BYOBs now. Perhaps it was the Caymus?
I rank it up there with Melogranos and Mercato...
Actually, I like even more than those two because it was more interesting and worth paying the extra premium whereas for a fancy bowl of pasta I think anything over $15 is too much. (My bf still LOVES melogranos and said that's his fave Philly BYOB so far)
I tried the $45 weeknight tasting menu--the Vice menu and it was delish. We split that with my bf's skate stuffed with crab, which was AMAZING, and the waitress then recommended it to some other people afterwards.
The dessert was this amazing flourless chocolate cake (which I don't tend to like) but this one was more mousse/ganache/truffle like and just divine.
Probably the most dependable restaurant in the city. Matyson puts out exceptional food every time I visit. Service is solid. Decor nice if a little boring. Space can be cramped occasionally.
You will probably not have a "meal of a lifetime" type experience here, but you're always happy you made the decision to come. They excel at all types of food (fish to pasta to game), and change well with the seasons (Fall is their best for my money). Go, take friends, and expect to be satisfied.
I've been getting in the habit of Yelping places, like Matyson, that I used to keep for myself; I guess I'm getting better at sharing in my old age.
Matyson often has a table when other trendier places are full-up and pumping out the decibels and "you should've made a reservation" attitude.
Their Monday through Thursday five-course tasting menu is a treat at $45. You'll easily pay double for comparable food elsewhere in the city. It's a great place to take out of town guests (including your parents), or to celebrate when you have an appropriate occasion (like tonight!). The service is perfect.
They're BYOB, but there's no need to make a one-off trip to the store before you arrive if you don't have anything laying on the shelf at home; there's a Premium liquor store less than a block away (down on Chesnut and to the right).
Tonight's "Let's Get Nutty" themed tasting menu included:
- Roasted Chestnut Soup: Foie Gras croutons, pickled wild mushrooms (Mmm... so good. The chestnuts were roasted with duck fat giving them a decadent silkiness once they were pureed. Additionally, there were actual chunks of foie gras in the soup. Unforgettable.)
- Lemongrass Poached Lobster: Peanut sambal, quick kimchi, mint & cilantro (Included a really generous half of a lobster tail which was amazingly flavored by the lemongrass.)
- Seared Jumbo Scallop: Almonds, chickpeas & chorizo, smoked paprika-almond broth (The perfectly prepared, tender scallops were slightly overpowered by the spicy chorizo, so we just picked out the chorizo.)
- Pistachio Crusted Lamb Loin: Toasted quinoa, currants, black olive tapenade (A perfect culmination of a wonderful meal.)
- Dulce de Leche Napoleon: Pecan caramel sauce (Not subtle in the least, but I'll take four out of five odds any day...)
Not bad for $45, eh?
Wow. This BYOB is a great place for a romantic night out. Monday - Thursday they have a special tasting menu thats updated every week, and the house menu is delectable.
As for my meal, I got the olive gnocchi to start. The gnocchi were incredibly light and fluffy and garnished with an incredibly fresh tomato basil puree, complimenting the dish perfectly. I had the bronzino with a crab & artichoke risotto for dinner. The fish was light and flaky, but made with a perfectly crisped coat. Speaking of crispy, if you like crispy but amazing, they've got it down pat. My girlfriend had a dish with a crispy polenta side. Amazing.
Dessert did not let down. While butterscotch puddling doesn't sound fancy, it was sweet and creamy. They also have a chocolate bread pudding which is also supposed to be quite good.
Final words, im excited to eat here again.
I had been wanting to go here for a few months now - but with all the other great restaurants in Philly this one always fell by the wayside. Went there for my bday 2 weeks ago and I have to say this place definitely lives up to the hype!! For the appetizers we ordered 2 of the specials - a celery root and bacon puree and the rock shrimp over a wasabi creme ( i forgot the exact name of it). I honestly never order soup at restaurants, but I think Matyson may have changed that for me - the soup was extremely flavorful! the rock shrimp was very tasty as well (with a definite little kick!)
For the main courses I ordered the diver scallops w Truffled mash potato, black trumpet mushrooms, lobster-red wine reduction - I'm a HUGE fan of scallops and these definitely did not disappoint! Perfectly cooked!!! The wife ordered the braised short ribs and it was perfectly cooked as well!
We normally don't order desert when we go out - but the waitress recommended the butterscotch pudding so we decided to give it a try. AMAZING! the waitress said it isn't always offered so if its available when you go definitely try it out!!
I would put this place in the same tier as Mercato (and coming from me..that is SUPER high praise - cause mercato is my fave restaurant in the city)
I was told this place went downhill...but although this was my first time here, I thought it was pretty damn good. If it went downhill, it must have been incredible before.
Our service was awesome. The place is not cramped at all, which was nice. The food was excellent. The place was just very pretty in general.
The date appetizer wasn't the greatest thing in the world, but the quail app was awesome. My duck breast was absolutely delicious. I eat duck constantly and this was possibly the best I have ever had. The seafood bouillabaisse was very good, but needed salt and a little more saffron. The chocolate profiteroles were good too.
Overall, I would definitely come back here. The prices are totally reasonable, they use Opentable (so you can get points) and the food and service were very good.
I enjoyed the ambiance and dinner here. Though a bit loud for my kind of dining, this place reminded me of a SF bistro. It's a narrow restaurant and at one point the restaurant was filled with smoke from something that burnt in the kitchen.
I recommend the seared scallop and the octopus appetizers. The grilled steak had a delicious dry rub and my tender lamb was accompanied by flavorful quinoa.
The ice creams are homemade and if you are a fan of coconut, try the coconut cream pie. The coconut filling reminded me a bit of haupia. There was also a layer of rich ganache.
Our table brought our own bottles of wine to enjoy with our meals.
Best scallops I've ever had in my life. Even better than Chloe's, and those are pretty damn good! They combine interesting ingredients to create unique flavorful dishes.
I was so excited to go to Matyson after reading the reviews on Yelp as well as talking to numerous people about the place. I had a chance to take my partner there this weekend after a wonderful day in New Hope. Anyway, we got there and the dcor was pretty cool. The mirrors added a nice bit of depth to the room. I did, however, find the floor slightly crammed and noisy. I was also expecting to have a nice romantic kind of vibe there. This wasn't the case. I can see how people would get that vibe, I didn't get it at all.
So the food... right... well, we heard about the specials and decided to go with the squash soup and the rep pepper soup. Both were outstanding... not too overwhelming at all. For our main courses, I got the pork chop and she got duck. My pork chop was outstanding, totally off the hook!!! Her duck, not so much. It was pretty much raw. A person at the table next to us got the duck too. Our duck was a lot more pink than theirs. I suggested to send it back, but she was pretty full. She told me that she would just take it home and cook it a little bit the next day. What a trooper!!!
Anyway, I can see the appeal of Matyson, and I might try it again, but I think that there are a bunch of other places that I would like to try out first before I return.
I was a little fearful of being suckered into a pricey prix fixed menu on valentine's day, but was thrilled to see that they had their normal menu with some fantastic specials. For starters we had the sweetbreads with a perfectly poached egg on top- delicious. The egg was cooked perfectly (not an easy feat) and complimented the saltiness of the sweetbreads. Plus it was entertaining to keep my husband guessing as to what sweetbreads were. For dinner I ordered the whole branzino. Super impressive the way the fish was deboned. I was expecting to choke on a bone at any moment, but the entire thing was served intact and deboned. Oh it was super super good! For dessert we had a hazelnut crepe, which was just amazing. We both greedily inhaled the dessert and wished for more. Great restaurant if you're looking for a byob without the cramped byob feel.
i have been in philly exactly two weeks now and i finally made it to my first BYOB. i love this concept - as this is a total rarity in los angeles. i guess this is one example of puritanical alchohol laws benefitting the end consumer!
my mom has been staying in my hotel room for the past week and i spent a solid 48 hours with her taking her around DC and Lancaster county and i needed some booze.
i grabbed a bottle of petit syrah i brought with me from LA and walked on over. the hostess and server were great and the food is some of the best i have had so far. the food was simple but very well prepared with great ingredients.
started off with a grilled quail and baby spinach salad. super awesome dish! perfectly cooked. chinese people love their forms of fowl: from pigeon, goose, duck, sparrow (ortolan) , quail, and game hen. my mom was all over this dish sucking on the tiny bones.
oh HELL no! you didn't just think that about my mom!
second was a housemade tagliatelle, which was oversalted, but the staff took care of that with a smile.
main course, steak frites made with new york strip cooked a perfect medium rare and excellent herbed frites. this is what we came for and they delivered. it was a generous portion and moms blood thirst was sated.
for dessert we had a homemade fig brown butter tart with honey ice cream.
the $45 5 course prix fixe sounds like a deal and i will definitely be back for that!
The food is really great here - no complaints.
Hostess is kind of unpleasant. We made reservations months in advance and she tried to seat my party in the front bar-like tables. She lied and said they had a big party coming in that night. Lo and behold, she moved us to a normal table...and guess what? No party at any point in the night.
Food: A , Service: C.
Half Price Bottled Wine!
Neighborhood: Queen Village
FREE wine on Wed. & Thurs.
Neighborhood: Northern Liberties
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Olde City
Category: American (New)
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Cheese Shops
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Greek
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