A sophisticated & contemporary BYO, just off Rittenhouse Square, Matyson offers New American cuisine in a casual setting. Innovative weekly tasting menus spotlight Chef Ben Puchowitz's creativity of fresh, local ingredients. On Sunday evenings we offer a $35 four course prix fixe menu with a changing theme as the exclusive option.
"Went for Father's Day dinner. There was a four course prix fix for $35 per person. The first course of scallops was great, the soup was great, the soft shell crab was a nice portion and cooked to perfection. The desert of a custard with berries was very good as well. An excellent experience!"
Dined on 6/16/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"From the service to the food we could not have asked for better. We went for the Corn tasting menu and course after course was delicious and we couldn't agree on which was the best. That rarely happens!"
Dined on 6/12/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, hot spot, special occasion
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"Matyson remains a strong BYO option in Center City. It is always a dependable lunch or dinner option for a solid gourmet meal. The entree options cover every diner type. It is rare to see this type of consistency and longevity--but Matyson has done it. And it remains popular enough that you need to plan ahead if you are looking for a weekend table."
Dined on 6/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, great for lunch
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"The food was excellent. The Lamb Belly and Duck Breast was fabulous. Its BYOB, but Wine and Spirit store is half a block away. Service was also on point. Only issue is that it's a bit cramped (like many of Philly and NYC restaurants) and the decor was bland. I highly recommend this place."
Dined on 6/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Matyson is located in the heart of Philadelphia. It is a lovely personal bistro where the chef truly seems to explore flavors and he changes his market oriented menu weekly. We ate a cold corn blackberry soup and a kale salad. Both were excellent and had flavors I had never experienced. As the mains perfectly cooked duck breast and sea bass. Even the coconut crème pie for dessert was memorable. The prices are reasonable for this high quality of food and service. An average entrée was about 27 dollars."
Dined on 6/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, neighborhood gem, hot spot, special occasion
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"This was our third time to Matyson and once again we were NOT let down. The service was great, the food was wonderful, and the place is charming. We'll definitely be back again!!"
Dined on 6/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, hot spot, special occasion
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"We tried Matyson after an absence of eight years. We didn't like it the last time but we have seen a lot of praise and decided to try it again. Boy, are we glad we did. Everything was perfect. For Appetizers, the Fois Gras was well worth the extra cholesterol. I chose the Mussels and the combination of the rakes, spinach and peas was heavenly. The Duck Breast and Lancaster Chicken come highly recommended. You'll never get a bad meal."
Dined on 6/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"Matyson's weekly tasting menu, at $45 per person, is a treat. The food is innovative and thoughtful, with interesting ingredient & flavor combinations."
Dined on 6/04/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"We were visiting the city for the first and looking for a special place. This was it. The resturant was charming and funky. for the price One of us had the swordfish and the other had halibut. Both were perfectly done with delicious sauces. Loved the tabouli quinoa. We will be back again."
Dined on 6/03/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic
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"Loved this restaurant. The food was exquisite. I was able to dine gluten free with no compromise in taste as is often the case in other restaurants who simply offer a plain often unseasoned, tasteless version of a tasty dish. My meal was wonderful and the wait staff is delightful. The 3 folks I was with all loved their meals too. There are many selections for the gluten free patron including wonderful deserts even including flourless chocolate cake concoctions. My new favorite restaurant!!!!"
Dined on 6/01/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, neighborhood gem, hot spot, special occasion
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"Have dined several times at Matyson. I can never fault anything. The food is always good, well presented, interesting and the service is always warm, friendly and efficient."
Dined on 5/31/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, romantic, neighborhood gem
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Review 16 for Matyson
Overall rating
(Outstanding)5/5
Great Find!
OpenTable Diner
Dined on 5/24/2013
Food
(Outstanding)5/5
Service
(Outstanding)5/5
Ambiance
(Very Good)4/5
Noise Level
Energetic
"Food selection was small, but everything we had was wonderful. Our server was very knowledgable and answered all of our questions with incredible detail. It is nice to find a BYO with decent prices and incredible food! We will definitely return with foodie friends."
Dined on 5/24/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"What a terrific place! We have been many times and yet Matyson always seems new and inventive. This week the tasting menu was asparagus - sounded odd to me, but it was terrific. Love - love - love this place."
Dined on 5/21/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, hot spot, special occasion
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"This was my second time at Matyson and the second time I was impressed. The first time I went I ordered off of their regular menu and while the food was great, the portions were somewhat small.
This time around I got the tasting menu - which I highly recommend. The chefs are fantastic and with the tasting menu you get unique foods at an amazing price. You are not limited by the choices on the regular menu and each dish impresses you more than the last in ways you never thought simply ingredients could.
I highly recommend this restaurant, especially the tasting menu"
Dined on 5/21/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"Matyson was a great place for a business dinner, but I can see it as equally good for a date, special occasion or get-together with friends. The creativity of the dishes is outstanding: the Spring Bean salad was fresh, and brought together flavors and textures in surprising ways; the halibut with a fine potato crust on a bed of risotto and beet puree was about the best halibut I have had, and the hangar steak had my colleague's rapt attention. (Or was it my fascinating conversational skills?) The service was good and friendly.
As a BYO, bring something good that will go with a variety of dishes. A 10 year old Bordeaux was superb with these flavorful but subtle choices. There is a State Store within a block if you didn't come prepared."
Dined on 5/20/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"I have never had a bad meal at Mayston. Their menu is innovative, seasonal, and just flat out delicious. Also, I do not eat meat and they are very obliging when it comes to making a meal vegetarian for me. The charred asparagus salad with soft cooked egg was to die for and they removed the guanciale just for me :)"
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, great for lunch
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"Table had chef's tasting menu - inventive series of courses on theme of "duos" (peanut butter and jelly; salt and pepper, etc). Absolutely delightful! The time until first course and between courses was just a wee too long, but service otherwise was professional and unobtrusive. Remember BYOB - state store nearby has very limited selection. I was confused by on-line listing of Moore Bro. suggested wine pairing for tasting menu - I thought the wines would be available for purchase (as a Moore Bro transaction) at the restaurant. Sadly, I was incorrect. Fortunately we brought one bottle with us, but had to go to the local state store for a second..."
Dined on 5/16/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"Our overall impression of Matyson was extremely positive! We liked the creativity and freshness of all the ingredients. We both enjoyed the Blue Moon baby mixed lettuce appetizer with blackberries, almonds, ricotta & lavender honey. My friend also really enjoyed the scallop crudo with kiwi, cashew and basil. I thought the striped bass with artichoke, chorizo, white beans and almond pistou was outstanding! And the desserts were special--the freshly-prepared sherbet and the banana bread pudding were delicious!!! The only issue for us was that with a full house the noise level was too high."
Dined on 5/10/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, late-night find, neighborhood gem
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"Dimly lit, quiet little byob with great food. Dined on the early side of a Monday and was surprised to see how quickly it filled. Perfectly sized menu offered nice selection for different preferences, oysters and fish were prepared in appealing ways. Surprisingly unusual mix of food temperatures on plates, hot selection sitting atop room temperature to cool accompaniments, asked waiter if that was kitchen's intentions. Service was attentive but not intrusive. Would definitely go again but it seems hard to get a table oftentimes...a very good sign."
Dined on 5/13/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"Took mom out for mother's day. This is one of my favorite restaurants on a very short list. Usually it is spectacular. This time it was very good. I cannot help it if they set the bar so high. Service was a little sluggish. I still rated it very good on an off night. Highlight was a strawberry-rhubarb pastry with fresh strawberry ice cream which was only served because they ran out of mascarpone cheesecake. This is still a first rate dining experience and I would recommend it to anyone. Actually, it is appealing to discover that this place is slightly imperfect. Was beginning to think they were other worldly."
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"We were given a gift certificate for Matyson by a friend who visits there very frequently. The food was excellent! Service was good and I love the setting. Very intimate. Will definitely return!"
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, hot spot, special occasion
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"Had tickets for the Kimmel but were eager to revisit Matyson. Parking and distance were issues but dinner was well worth the inconvenience. The menu is created with whimsy and thoughtfulness. This is not your "run of the mill" preparation. Asparagus fettuccine. Yum! Veal 2 ways: roasted breast and sweetbreads. My husband raved. An old fashioned coconut cream pie shared by the two of us was lovingly devoured. Great dinner. We will return as it was worth the walk."
Dined on 5/09/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"I had excellent service at Matyson and the ingredients were all very fresh and could have made for a delicious meal. Unfortunately, the Potato Leek soup that I ordered had not a hint of potato in it. They did warn me that it was rich, but it was pretty much inedible. It tasted like melted butter with truffle oil, all things I absolutely love, but not when they're the only ingredients. I know that my companions enjoyed their meals moderately, with no complaints, but my entre was also inedible. They were kind enough to offer to replace it, attesting to the quality of the service, but I was not really interested in trying anything else.
Nice ambience, very nice staff, mediocre food."
Dined on 4/24/2013
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"without question - my favorite restaurant in the city. we go for the tasting menus but always stray and hit the menu too. weekly variety, themed, killer stuff...every single time"
Dined on 4/18/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, neighborhood gem, hot spot, special occasion
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"I had a business lunch here today. The last time I was at Matyson was 4 years ago. The food has been consistently good, very reliable. I keep forgetting how it can get so loud the during lunch. The coconut cream pie was delicious. I think Barbuzzo has better, way better Arancini than Matyson. But, it's still good."
Dined on 5/08/2013
Special Features: great for lunch
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"I tell everyone that Matyson is consistently the best BYOB in Philadelphia, and this meal (Lancaster County Chicken-inspired) only reinforced that belief. Another terrific tasting menu, each a great course (chilled avocado soup; the salad with frisée and crispy chicken liver; the roasted chicken; and strawberry ice cream cake). And perfect combination of textures (silk-smooth soup, crisp chicken liver, delectable roasted chicken)."
Dined on 5/05/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"The first time I visited was for my birthday with a group of friends and we all LOVED it! I went back for brunch and was not disappointed. Great BYOB!!!!"
Dined on 5/05/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, special occasion
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"Four of us went for the Cinco de Mayo tasting menu, and it was absolutely great.
The tortilla crusted halibut and Carne Asada especially stood out. This restaurant continues to impress with its creativity and consistency, and as always the service was terrific."
Dined on 5/02/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
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"We had been to Madyson several times, and the food was always outstanding. This time, it was OK, but given our previous visits, we were expecting more. The presentations were beautiful, but the tastes were somewhat bland. Given the plethara of excellent restaurants in the area, we probably will not be back."
Dined on 5/04/2013
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"Came for an early Saturday dinner before another event in Center City. The food absolutely lived up to the high ratings. My wife drinks, I don't, so we like byo's. The mussel special appetizer, rock octopus--which was extremely tender- a rarity in America, and the veal breast and hamachi entrees were all suberbly done. We especially liked the broths for both the mussels and the hamachi. Service was delightful and we would highly recommend for a married couple date night."
Dined on 04/27/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem
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"We were traveling from New York to Philly for an epicurean weekend, and Matyson was one of our stops. We had researched restaurants on Chowhound, and Matyson came highly recommended. We were not dissapointed. From the moment we walked in the door, to the time we left, the service was impeccable. My husband had the halibut, which was delightful, and I had the special, a Hawaiian fish that was outstanding. For our appetizer we had the mussels on the special menu, the sauce was to die for! If you're in Philadelphia, do stop in, it's well worth it, make sure you have a reservation, they do go quickly."
Dined on 04/27/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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"We went here for our 17th wedding anniversary. I noted that on the Open Table reservation. Prior to eating, we dropped off champagne and red wine. The champagne was in a soft cooler. When we arrived back at the restaurant, they had the wine on the table, the champagne chilling and the cooler next to our table! Very nice touch. Also, we were greeted by our server with a "Happy Anniversary"! My appetizer of asparagus and pasta was out of this world. My husband's foie gras was delicious and worked wonderfully with the banana bread it was served on. Our dessert was delivered with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate on the plate, what a nice touch... details like this would keep me coming back! And also to try the tasting menu!"
Dined on 04/26/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"Overall a very nice restaurant. Food quality & preparation was very good, although portions were on the petite size for the price. Service was excellent. The room is small & unfortuantely can be a bit noisy."
Dined on 04/27/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"A very good experience. The food was excellent, service commendable and the price was fair. Noise level is somewhat high nevertheless our party of four was able to carry on a conversation. I will look forward to another visit soon and will recommend Matyson to my friends."
Dined on 04/26/2013
2010
Special Features: neighborhood gem
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"Matyson lives up to its stellar reputation. What a great prix fixe menu on Sundays. Great place to take guests who don't know Matyson or out-of-town guests."
Dined on 04/21/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem
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"As a San Franciscan, and foodie, I highly recommend Matyson. They are incredibly accommodating and friendly, and the food preparation and thought behind each dish is evident with each bite. I truly appreciated the rock octopus dish, and never had a duck entree prepared so intricately and delicious. This dinner was a surprise for my brother (who's birthday it was) and the restaurant went out of their way to make it special. Absolutely not to be missed for those looking for fine dining in Philly, and certainly appropriate for special occasions. Bravo!"
Dined on 04/19/2013
2001
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion
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