Dear Daphni
Mediterranean restaurant · Rittenhouse ·
Mediterranean restaurant with shared plates, soft-serve, and warm ambiance
Mediterranean restaurant with shared plates, soft-serve, and warm ambiance
"Located on the ground floor of the Rittenhouse, Michael Schulson’s Dear Daphni opened in December 2024 serving Eastern Mediterranean dishes in a maximalist dining room awash in color. Chef Ryan Lloyd turns out items like Moroccan meatballs, a saganaki starter, lamb-filled Turkish dumplings, and tuna tartare. The mezzes hone in on vegetables — eggplant, cucumber salad, smoked beets — while mains include an array of kebabs paired with pilaf, Tunisian lamb shank, and a whole branzino with lemon and dill." - Maddy Sweitzer-Lamme
"There’s no better people-watching situation in Rittenhouse Square than securing a window table at Dear Daphni. The best move here is to fill that table with Mediterranean small plates, like filo saganaki (a baked cheese with lemon, honey, and pistachio nuts) and Turkish dumplings stuffed with tomato, lamb, and yogurt, plus the signature mezze with its combination of seven seasonal dips and spreads. Don’t forget to try a cocktail, like the Oud Fashioned (tahini butter bourbon, demerara, and spiced bitters)." - Annemarie Dooling
"Polished Mediterranean project from Michael Schulson that debuted in December on the ground floor of the Laurel, marked by a ridiculously big Cerulean-blue door off Sansom Street. The lengthy dining room was packed just past 5 p.m., with rows of well-dressed diners “snacking on silver saucers of dips for days,” and vegetable-heavy mezzes like eggplant, cucumber salad, and smoked beets adding pops of color to a maximalist space. Its daily happy hour (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) is a clear draw — the author’s quartet of lamb-stuffed Turkish dumplings surrounded in tomato sauce ($7) “were half the price as usual.” Seating is at a premium: leather-backed stools are “lined up here like sardines,” the curved bar in the back offers solo seats that disappear quickly, and even lesser-desirable window-facing spots were all claimed by departure time. Menu highlights from chef Ryan Lloyd include Moroccan meatballs, tuna tartare, an array of kebabs paired with pilaf, and Tunisian lamb shank; charcoal-grilled mains such as branzino ($63) are pricey but noteworthy because the price includes mezze, pilaf, and soft serve. Hospitable, attentive servers in nautical stripes contribute to a Grecian-getaway vibe at a bar “sparkling with glassy emerald tones.” One nearby diner even audibly dissed the whole fish, saying she doesn’t do a dish “that stares back.”" - Tierney Plumb
"In a town rife with outstanding hummus, grilled kebabs, and salatim platters, it takes nerve to open a restaurant with much of the same menu—especially when you’re serving it all with dry, cardboard-like pita. But that’s exactly what Dear Daphni in Rittenhouse is doing. The sceney Mediterranean restaurant is the newest from The Schulson Collective, and like Double Knot and Harp & Crown, the massive, untz-untzing dining room is showstopping, from the peach-pink walls and turquoise lamp shades to gold-plated everything else. But the aforementioned offensive pita is served with an oversalted mezze platter, alongside forgettable mains, like mealy prawns and tough kebabs (the chicken thigh is the standout though). If you do find yourself dining here, go for the Turkish dumplings and underseasoned but very tender Tunisian lamb shank. But if good Mediterranean food is what you’re after, you can do better. Food Rundown Hamachi Crudo Most Schulson restaurants have a successful formula for their crudos. This one is similar–thinly sliced, tender yellowtail, topped with a dollop of something spicy (chili peppers) and cool (yogurt). The problem here is an excess of olive oil, salt, and pepper, which distracts from all the good flavors going on. You can skip it. photo credit: Alison Kessler Turkish Dumpling We actually really enjoyed these puffy, chewy dumplings, though the sauce leans more marinara than anything that comes from Turkey. Share an order with the table. Soft Serve The flavors change, but it arrives on the table melted all the same. And the tahini flavor tastes like straight sesame paste, full stop. It made the sad chocolate chip cookie the winner by default." - Alison B. Kessler
"The Schulson Collective has done it again, this time with a Mediterranean restaurant on the first floor of The Harper in Rittenhouse Square. Dear Daphni will be serving a menu of Turkish dumplings, chicken thigh kebabs, Tunisian lamb shank, and a classic vegetable mezze spread that comes with each entree. We checked out Dear Daphni. Read our thoughts here." - candis mclean, alison kessler
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