What People Are Saying About Zahav
The Editor
Tara Nurin
Citysearch
In Short – Lauded as one of Esquire Magazine's Best New Restaurants for 2008, this contemporary Israeli gem by Michael Solomonov attracts the glitterati set and others who like to weigh in on the latest buzz-inducing establishment. The atmosphere feels classy yet youthful and modern and the servers and managers are not at all pretentious, just very knowledgeable and patient as they explain that the suggested way to order is to first choose from the salatim and hummus menu, then a hot or cold mezze plate, then a skewer grilled over hot coals. An ample Israeli wine list, impressive bourbon…
02/22/09
good and bad
by lenipa
I feel this place needs to broken down into pros and cons, so here goes: PROS- nice decor/atmosphere, very friendly/helpful staff, tasty and unique ingredients, big place with lots of seating. CONS-Website says it's casual and we showed up way under dressed, BIG prices/TINY portions, staff a bit TOO friendly... i'd like to be left alone for longer than 30 seconds at a time, turkish coffee was not made correctly, and portion was even smaller than it normally would be. Sorry, I won't be back.
12/14/08
Don't Go Here
by nosh
I went to Zahav for the first time with 12 people for a birthday party 3 weeks ago. The original reservation was for 17 people, but ended up being 12 people. The moment we were all seated at the banquet table in the front of the restaurant, a waiter hurried over---not to take our order or serve water--but to make sure we knew that even though we were only 12 people that we would be charged for full apps, dinner and tip for 17 people.
We were all flabbergasted.
Supposedly the restaurant had to "turn away" people for the night--meanwhile the restaurant was only 1/4 to 1/3 full that entire Friday night. Empty tables galore. After much discussion, they said they'd "kindly" leave out the tip for the 17 people, but that we still had to pay everything else. Needless to say we were outraged. After another round of not-so-nice discussion with the manager, they finally, begrudgingly agreed to charge us for the actual number of people there.
The food and service was average, and the cost--exorbitant. I have eaten at all the best philly restauarnts, and never gotten treated the way we did at Zahav. We will never go there again.
Shame on you, Zahav.
10/21/08
GREAT!
by outandaboutphilly
Absolutely fabulous! The specialty drink menu was super tasty and the food was to die for! The menu was a bit strange and a little overwhelming not knowing the dishes, but the waiter was very helpful with any questions. Instead of doing too much thinking, we decided to go for the prix-fixe menu. It came with a large assortment of dishes, and there was nothing that we didn?t care for. We left totally stuffed, I cant wait to go back!
- Pros: get the fixed tasting menu, its awesome
- Cons: had a reservation, but OMG had to wait almost 30 mins+ to be seated
The Details on Zahav
Where to Sit:
Bring a group of friends and family and dine in The Quarter --- a 24-seat space where guests can fest on a $65 prix fixe menu that changes weekly.
What to Drink:
Sip Zahav's Lemonanna of bourbon, muddled mint, lemon verbena or Israeli Salad Martini with gin, tomato and cucumber water and parsley.
Parking:
Park along the Society Hill Towers and save a few bucks.
Happy Hour:
Save a few dollars and imbibe from 5-7pm.
When to Go:
On Thursday nights, managers unveil The Quarter, a seductive area hidden by a heavy drape where the chef prepares a surprisingly inexpensive tasting menu.
When to Go:
On Thursday nights, managers unveil The Quarter, a seductive area hidden by a heavy drape where the chef prepares a surprisingly inexpensive tasting menu.
What to Drink:
Order a pitcher of Lemonna (bourbon, muddled mint, fresh lemon and lemon Verbena) that fills about four glasses and goes down easy, or sample the Israeli beer.
Save Money:
A five-course prix-fixe menu costs less than $50.
Save Money:
A five-course prix-fixe menu costs less than $50.
What to Drink:
Order a pitcher of Lemonna (bourbon, muddled mint, fresh lemon and lemon Verbena) that fills about four glasses and goes down easy, or sample the Israeli beer.
Category:
Notable Chef:
Yes
Smoking Permitted:
No
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