Fitler Dining Room

Good, not great. For me it did not live up to the high praise that it has been getting. The grilled romaine with oysters was very good. The salmon was also good, could have been cooked a bit less. The biggest disappointment was the short rib. It was on the dry side. With hundreds of great short rib dishes all over the city this one fell short. Also, the peach cobbler was in desperate need of ice cream. I would go back and try some other dishes. Our waiter was great.

There is something absolutely magical about Fitler Dining Room. I’ve walked by many times and been eager to stare into the windows of this dimly lit restaurant. The inside is cozy, quaint, and romantic. You can grab a stool at the bar right outside the open kitchen and watch the cooks bustling to prepare your meal. I prefer the booths for 2 on the left side of restaurant which allow you to sit romantically side by side. In the warmer months there is some outside seating, but overall this restaurant has limited seating ideal for parties of 6 or less. FDR is open for weekend brunch, lunch, and dinner, reservations can be made on Opentable. The wine list has limited options for wine by the glass and many more full bottle options. For restaurant week we started with the Mussels and Chicken Biscuit. The Mussels came in a lovely tomato broth, smoky tasting with bits of ham. The Chicken Biscuit was served open with a sweet marmalade on the biscuit. We sampled the Short Rib and Pork Chop for our entrees. I found my Pork Chop to be extremely buttery and flavorful with a pot pie gravy and arugula and fingerling potato salad. My boyfriend enjoyed the Short Rib, but wasn’t a fan of the onion rings. He said he wouldn’t preferred a soft, moist side dish like polenta to compliment the soft texture of the Short Rib. For dessert we were a bit disappointed by the Apple Cobbler which seemed like it was just missing something. However, the Whoopie Pie was a pleasant surprise, it tasted like chocolate cake with marshmallow filling. Overall I had a very pleasant dining experience and would love to come back here for a nice brunch.

NYE 12÷31÷15 with a pre fixe menu was very nice. Only 10 tables in this corner restaurant but the service was excellent and the atmosphere was cozy. A little smoky in the open concept kitchen but we didn’t mind. We chose one of everything and were pleasantly surprised by some of the dishes. Pork cheeks and collared greens were slightly salty but super tasty (what is your secret seasoning? Maple syrup? Delish). The Waldorf salad was super tasty with bacon and grapes. The strip steak was cooked perfectly and we loved their interpretation of a whoopie pie. Overall what did it was the excellent staff and our corner seat. We will be back on a regular day.

Great place for a nice dinner. Cute ambiance and friendly service.
My duck special was cooked well, though I found the flavors a bit lacking. The arctic char was decent, and the short rib looked really good. Everything was good, but I wouldn’t say anything was standout spectacular. Overall, a solid choice for a good time.

When one of the best restaurant groups in Philadelphia owns a bar and a restaurant within one block of your apartment, I would say you’ve hit gold. Pub and Kitchen and Fitler Dining Room are two amazing establishments that both have totally different dining experiences, each great in their own way. My landlord (and friend) wanted to treat my roommate and I to a Holiday Dinner and asked us to pick a chart topping restaurant in Fitler Square /​Rittenhouse that has delicious food, romantic ambiance and would be quiet enough to chat and catch up. Fitler Dining Room was the answer.
We strolled in Wednesday night around 9PM with a few other tables of patrons and were immediately seated at a four top by the open air kitchen. The hospitality from our waiter Drew was impeccable– he could tell that we were catching up and looking over the menu wasn’t the priority at the moment, so he gave us the menu highlights and intricately described 4 dishes that we HAD to order.
We started with the fried pimento cheese fritters which were lightly fried balls of pimento with a sweet and delectable jam on top, which complimented the cheese quite well. Next came the Parisienne Gnocchi which was definitely my favorite dish– pillowy and delicate gnocchi over sunchoke purée with perfectly sautéed oyster mushrooms, cauliflower and onions. A must! To keep things balanced and healthy we also started with the field green salad with cauliflower, shaved carrot, brioche croutons and a squash vinaigrette– a perfect autumn salad. It’s hard to imagine that the rest of the meal could top the starters but they definitely lived up to my expectations.
My roommate and I both ordered the Hudson valley duck leg confit which was a very winter appropriate dish with braised white beans and pork belly. The duck breast was lightly yet perfectly fried and beyond flavorful. Definitely one of the most underrated dishes on the menu– we both cleared our plates without a bite to spare. Lee (our landlord) ordered the artic char with toasted faro, fennel with a roasted beet vinaigrette. He RAVED about his dish and ate every bite within 5 minutes. Drew surprised us and brought out the roasted Brussel sprouts with pork belly and cranberries topped with cheddar cheese– definitely a side that you MUST order! Absolutely amazing!
Since we were chatting for a while and didn’t inquire about dessert, Drew surprised us yet again with an amazing homemade delicacy– a candy bar made with milk chocolate and speculous cookie butter accompanied with graham crackers and marshmallows– the perfect sweet ending and big enough for three to share!
As we were walking back to our apartment we all raved about the inventive and absolutely delicious meal we just had at FDR and the attentive, refined and terrific hospitality /​service that we had just experienced. We will all definitely be back for another dinner, brunch or lunch in the near future and am grateful to have an amazing restaurant just around the corner!

Left very hungry! Came in for lunch Saturday. Had the friend chicken sandwich and the $ 5 brunch punch. My date had the mussels with tomato. The «lunch» is far from a full meal and the food was just okay. I don’t know how a tiny bowl is considered a whole lunch or why the sandwich only has one small piece of chicken and a few greens. It’s not very filling. The service was quick and friendly. The restaurant is nice and clean.

Dined at this restaurant a couple of weeks ago and it is now one of my favorites in the city.
Ambiance is intimate and casual. While the restaurant is small the tables are spaced far enough apart that you do not feel crammed in. The open kitchen is a nice feature.
Very good service, attentive but not intrusive. However the star is the food, which is amazing to say the least. The Caesar salad with the fried oysters is one of the best appetizers I’ve had in a long time. The cod, chicken and short rib dishes were all fantastic as well.
The restaurant serves wine and beer, but does not have a full bar. The wines we tried were very nice.

This restaurant is a gem in Filter Square. The food was prompt and delicious, and despite a few road bumps with our service, it was handled professionally and with excellent customer service, which is very important to me.
Two of the people in my party had the special fish, which they said was delicious. I had the braised short rib, which fell apart with a touch and was a very generous portion.
Overall I was very satisfied and look forward to going again.
Only comment, it is a little loud at times, good for small groups of 2 – 4, but larger groups might have trouble hearing each other. Not a problem, just something to note.

This restaurant is right around the corner from my house and my wife has been there twice before she brought my daughter and me for dinner the other night. What a wonderful surprise! This is a delightful place with a simple but carefully prepared menu which features many flavorful surprises. I had a wilted romaine lettuce salad with a peppery ranch dressing. To add to this wonderful dish, included were three fried oysters which were both tender and prepared with great care. Often fried oysters are chewy or bitter, these were neither. My oysters were tasty and flavorful and the breaded coating was light and crunchy.
For an entrée, I had a delicious roasted chicken dish on a bed of wild rice and mushrooms. Throw in a side of Brussel sprouts with pork belly and cheese and you have a perfect meal! My wife and daughter had the short ribs which were equally delicious.
From the outside Fitler Dining Rooms looks much more fancy than it is on the inside. It is a true bistro menu which is both unpretentious and casual. Their food is not simple because it has complex flavors and the attention to detail in the dishes is impressive. For example, the wilted romaine salad with a peppery buttermilk dressing would have been a great starter at any restaurant, add three wonderfully prepared oysters and you have a signature dish! The short ribs were some of the best I have ever had at a restaurant.
This is a gem of a spot. While some of the reviews indicate that there might be inconsistency in its food preparation, I can only say that the night I was there, the menu was exquisitely prepared and flawlessly presented. For an informal but a sinfully delicious menu, this is remarkable restaurant.

If I were rating on looks alone, I’d definitely give Fitler Dining Room five stars. I love the charming outdoor seating, the I’m-Not-Trying-Too-Hard interior decoration, and the rustic-​chic serving presentation. What I and my eating companion were not blown away by, however, was the food.
We shared the following:
Scallops
Nicely seared on the outside, translucent but firm in the center– all around solidly cooked. It’s been a few weeks since I ate here, but if I remember correctly the scallops were served with a sauce made from leeks and with microgreens on top. No complaints here, other than I wish there had been more than two scallops on the plate!
Atlantic Cod
This was the most disappointing of the three dishes that we tried. The dish as a whole had only one note: salty. The deep grey hue of the charred leek cream created an unappetizing backdrop for the salty cod and cockles. While the turnips offered contrast in texture, they ultimately did not lend a hand in balancing flavor.
Pork Belly
We were not impressed with the cookery displayed by this dish. Contrary to the menu’s description, the skin of the pork belly was not crispy. The pork had an off-​putting flavor that made us wonder if it had been properly cleaned prior to cooking. What we did like was how the fat melted into the meat, and the succotash was fresh and colorful.
We also had the option of having Sunday Supper, but we opted out because we could not pick and choose from the special and regular menu. Had we been able to, we would’ve loved to have tried the grilled watermelon. There were only two other parties dining while we were there… perhaps other restaurants would’ve been willing to make an exception for us?
That night, we left Fitler Dining Room thinking, «Okay, that was a nice meal.» We thoroughly enjoyed the scallops appetizer but were unimpressed by the entrees that followed. Luckily, our enjoyment of the first dish left a pleasant enough impression that we still want to come back. Now that we know what we DON’T like at Fitler Dining Room, surely all that’s left is what we DO. The glass is actually half full, right?

This restaurant was a pleasant surprise :). The atmosphere was quaint, intimate & inviting! The staff was pleasant, attentive & engaging. From the moment we entered the restaurant, until we left, the staff continued to check on us.
I went here for restaurant week and found the menu to be diverse for every palet. I had the crab Louie wedge salad for my appetizer. There was ample crab throughout my plate & the dressing was the perfect amount. The short rib entrée was succelent, tasty and well seasoned. The meat was tender and seemed as if it melted in my mouth :). The dessert I had was called the krimpets which is a play on a type of recreation for a famous Philadelphia snack cake. The cake was moist and the sauce was sweet, yet not over poweing.
This place is surely somewhere that I will revisit. If you are looking for an evening out with great food & good ambiance, this place you must visit. I promise your palet will be tantalized :).

My last trip was very disappointing. Great crab louis salad but the rest was really ill prepared and certainly not worth the money. Tough flavorless skirt steak with potatoes and greens that were nothing to write home about. Eclairs for dessert where the cream filling tasted like pudding mix and the pastry was dry, bland, seemed like it came from a box not from a real pastry kitchen. The menu had no seasonal items.
The restaurant was empty, and I now see why. I had been so excited about this place and now I doubt I will go back after the completely lackluster meal we had.

Came here and completely forgot it was restaurant week. We had to have the full three courses, and I am NOT complaining!
The interior is pretty small and has a French bistro vibe. The service was great and the menu was very easy to choose from. They only gave a few options, all sounding delicious, which made it simple to decide. We had the tuna crudo (my favorite of this meal), the crab louie salad, the chicken over rice, and the skate wing. For dessert, a smore tart and the butterscotch crimpet. Everything was high quality, but very simple and fresh. The flavors were all straight-​forward and clean — nothing was over the top.
I would definitely come back here, sit outside in the daytime, and enjoy a glass of wine with a light appetizer. See ya soon, Fitler.

Had a great meal here for restaurant week. First thing I noticed was the very comfortable seating for couples and a very friendly and knowledgeable waiter. The bread that comes out first was warm, with butter, just the way I like it. Started off with mussels, which were excellent. Followed by a delicious short rib entrée. Dessert was an interesting take on the krimpet. Also had a chance to try the s’mores dessert, which was tasty but tiny.
I left very happy with my restaurant week choice!

What a great place! Apparently its been around for 3 years, and I wish I checked it out earlier. It has the coziest, yet upscale feel, with 0 pretensity about it. The restaurant feels like a large dining room somewhere in Europe. The service was outstanding, when we got to our table there was a birthday card (!) signed by the restaurant waiting there, this is the first time I’ve ever seen this, and it is absolutely adorable. We had no idea it was restaurant week, so our choices were pretty simple. The crab and tuna salad, both were really good portions, light and delicious. The bread is nice and crusty with awesome soft honey butter. Our water was always refilled so we didn’t have to get parched, as in most places. FInally, the fish and chicken were both outstanding. Slightly sweet and savory flavors in both, with perfect portions for splitting. And our waiter was absolutely awesome and even let us try a couple gnocchi’s because I’m sure he could sense the tormet eminating from us on trying to decide between the gnocchi and the chicken, and not being able to sample ALL three entrée choices. The struggle. Finally, the perfect dessert was the butterscotch krimpet and then the crunchy chocolate s’more deliciousness, topped with a bday candle. I can’t wait to return and try their regular items. Everything was top notch, I think this is defintely one of those underrated places in the city still. Go there on a date, you will not regret it! Or by yourself! Since there is a nice bar top in front of the cooking areas for observing and dining. Defintely one of my top 5 Philly restraunts now.

We were driving up 22^nd on our way to Rembrandt’s when we passed this little corner place with sidewalk seating and it looked too cute to pass up. I’m so happy we decided to stop in.
Luckily for no reservations there was a table for two right by the street (though the chairs were foldout metal chairs that weren’t all that comfortable). The décor is very rustic chic and on a fall or winter night, I would love to sit on the inside with the subway tiled walls and open-​air kitchen. I noticed right off the bat the very limited menu, which is always a good indicator that they’re confident in their dishes. Drink menu is a nice selection of wine and beer and a homemade sangria (but surprisingly no cocktails?).
Server was super friendly and attentive and listed off additional specials for the night, which was a nice treat since the menu is so small. The kitchen was a bit slow, however. It took longer than expected for everything to come out and our meal time was pushing close to our 2 hour parking meter limit.
Quick rundown of what we ordered:
–Appetizers (I would suggest this since the entrees come in tiny portions): half dozen oysters on the half shell and bacon-​wrapped scallops (on special that night). Oysters were fresh and the scallops were absolutely amazing, with thick bacon almost like ham and a green pea sauce. Very tiny, though delicious.
–Entrees: Boyfriend got one of the specials that night– roasted quail with what looked to be a couscous or a quinoa (still haven’t figured out what it was) served with al dente carrots. Gamey, crispy, delicious.
I opted to try the braised short rib entrée off their regular menu and I’m so glad I did. I think it’s one of the best dishes I’ve had in the city for 2015 so far– a nice heap of perfectly cooked, juicy short rib (usually I find it flavorless, but this was fantastic), served with some pieces of fried gnocchi (which was the most heavenly, fluffy, pillowy piece of starch I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth), grilled peaches for a nice added touch of acidity, sweet corn, and covered in some amazing white buttery sauce. My only complaint was that the sauce, which tied the whole dish together wonderfully, was super scarce, so by the end I was just left with meat and none of that good-​good to dip it in.
We didn’t get dessert cause our bill was already racking up pretty high (but the homemade Kit Kat candy bar sounded amazing).
Would definitely be back here if I was in the neighborhood.

We love FDR. First went there on for our anniversary and now it is one of our go to spots when we want to treat ourselves to a nice dinner out. Great atmosphere and service. It sounds silly but the warm bread and butter are amazing. The fish and veggie dishes are all great. Great sized portions and super delish. Def get the soft shell crab special if they have it on the menu.

I recently visited Fitler Dining Room for a family graduation brunch. It’s a very intimate restaurant (I counted only 6 tables in there), but the 7 of us were still able to comfortably fit at a reserved table. The food is reasonably priced, the entrees are generously portioned, and the service was great. Our waiter was very sarcastic and funny and efficient — if only all waiters were like that! Keep in mind that they only do brunch (not lunch) during the day on weekends, so be prepared to order accordingly. I ordered the fried chicken with a fried egg on top. It was lathered with a delicious Russian dressing (think Thousand Island) and also contained some braised kale. It was served on a biscuit. Very delicious and filling! Overall, I really enjoyed Fitler Dining Room and I would certainly visit again in the future.

Warm weather calls for al fresco dining and I was able to get my first fix for the 2015 season at Fitler Dining Room.
Amidst a long walk with my husband, our friend and two dogs, we decided it was time for a brunch break. There was a table for two available outside and they were kind enough to pull up a third chair for the third human member of our party. When another nearby table became available, they let us pull it next to ours to create a little more space for ourselves.
The outside tables at the Fitler dining room are ideal for people and dog watching. On a nice day, you’re bound to find both types of creatures making their way to and from the Schuylkill River Park and trail.
The service was great for both the human and doggy members of our party. Unfortunately, the restaurant only has one dog bowl which was occupied by another doggy diner, but they made sure our pups had water in a glass at all times. The service was all around on top of its game. We received everything in a timely manner, were check in on at the appropriate times and had a server that truly aimed to make sure we had everything needed. Due to the Easter holiday, she had to leave a little early to be with her family. She made it a priority to explain to us where she was going and why she wouldn’t be serving us through to the end. I’ve had servers at other establishments leave without saying a word, so I really appreciated her diligence in explaining her circumstances.
To start, we shared the brussels sprouts and toasted fennel pretzel. The portions were small, but a nice little nibble before our mains. The toasted fennel pretzel came with a mustard cream cheese sauce. It had a nice kick to that even a non-​mustard eater like me was able to enjoy it. The brussells sprouts were fresh, crisp and also prepared with bacon. What more can one want?
Although small in size, I was particularly impressed by my omelet. The omelet of the day consisted of caramelized onion and feta. I typically get egg whites and avoid basic omelets, but I felt compelled to go with this full yolk, simple omelet. Despite its small stature, I found myself very happy with my decision. It was cooked to perfection. Fluffy, melty and cohesive. It also came with an arugula side salad that had the most refreshingly light lemon vinaigrette.
Overall, I was very impressed by my food and experience. The Fitler Dining Room gets a 4.5 star review from me, with the potential of an upgrade to a 5 after another visit.

I’d go back for any meal based on my HH experience here a few weeks back .
Filter dining room is awesome because :
HH is daily — yeah that’s right gtfob
You can sit indoor or outdoors
Oysters (not necessary to even comment)
A daily «cheese special «Camembert just so happened to be in the works when I arrived and it was amazing .
Pitchers or strong summer sangria with peaches and berries (sign me up)
As a table in addition to the HH food items we also tried the summer corn soup and the beans (they were all so good)
I can’t wait to check out a full on dinner and brunch .
Basically just go.