This was our third attempt trying out Dear Daphni which proved difficult to find a space with 6 of us the first time, 4 of us the second time but with 3 of us the third time, no problem grabbing seats at the side of the bar. The place was still all booked out so that speaks to its popularity even some 6 weeks in to opening.

Described as a “modern take on Mediterranean cuisine”, Dear Daphni is the latest from Schulson Collective and certainly highly anticipated based on the buzz. The space is great. Nicely appointed, comfortable and well laid out in a brand new building on 20th and Sansom.

We opted against the Restaurant Week menu and went for a mix of Starters and Kebabs. Starters were Meatballs, Filo Saganaki and Turkish Dumpling. The Kebabs were chicken and lamb kofta. Kebabs also come with Pilaf and Mezzes. All dishes were good. The Filo Saganaki was the surprise hit, and the chicken kebabs were the best of the two. Mezze was also solid, the pistachio mint was the highlight there.

Our service was pretty good. We were tucked beside the bar so probably a little more ignored because of our spot but friendly and knowledgeable.

The have a good drink list. We went with a selection of beers, their take on Old Fashioned (Oud Fashioned) and Paloma (Persian Paloma – which was probably the better of the two) but certainly decent.

Overall our experience was a solid good, not great which is possibly a little surprising given how popular it is but certainly warrants a visit.