Fond

Great anniversary dinner. The service was fantastic. Our server was very pleasant and even wrote «happy anniversary» in chocolate on our dessert plates. Will definitely go back!

Immediately one of our favourite byobs in the city. Situated on the revitalized passyunk avenue of little, magnetic eateries, Caring offers everything a byob should. The setting is simple yet fashionable. The service is quick. The food is astonishing. Highly recommend the lobster risotto in hazelnut sauce, the broiled Spanish octopus, and the skate. Will definitely be back.

We had dinner at Fond on a very rainy night last Saturday. The service and food were excellent. Having said that, the price for dinner was $ 175, which included tip. Okay, we had 3 courses plus dessert so this place is not cheap. There are about 20+ tables and it is difficult to get one. We ate at the bar and had great conversation with a couple of locals who gave us recommendations on other restaurants in the area. This place is relaxed and fun and friendly.
Highly recommended.

Excellent food and quality. Some of my favorites were the foie gras and oyster appetizer. Service is fantastic. Would definitely come back again!

Great meal, service, attention. And, the best ever deserts. I mean, the best. Meal was good…

(East Passyunk Restaurant Week Review)
So we get into Fond, and I immediately know we may have a problem. It was so small, and the bar itself took up more than half the place — with only one bartender and maybe 12 seats! I’m pretty sure they squeezed two or three extra two-​seater tables in the middle of the room for dining. One, of course, we were seated at.
We did order the prix fixe menu, but also two a la carte menu items, because there was something that caught my eye…
First Courses:
Mine: Wild Boar Pâté — This was delish. It was definitely gamey, but very light. To me, boar only shares a small similarity to farm pigs (pork, yes I know, but wild), and there was a very big difference. The biggest? I’d order this over pork belly or pork cheeks. They gave us pretty big sized portions — who am I kidding? They gave ME pretty big sized portions. The slices fit perfectly on the toasts, and were so simple to eat. The toast was toasted enough with a soft buttery flavor, but soft enough to where biting didn’t cause a crumb hurricane.
His: Parsnip and Celery Soup with pork belly. He couldn’t stop giggling at the presentation of this soup. Part of the contemporary scene, I’m guessing, but he was overcome with giggles at the pretentiousness of the plate itself. In any case, the soup was okay. It wasn’t hot like he expected — it was almost lukewarm, perhaps only because of the just seared pork belly on the bottom heated the rest of the soup. Meh.
Second Course:
Me: Grilled Duck Hearts — This is quite possibly the reason I am writing this review, and what caught my eye. This is a food I have never eaten before, and was so excited to order it. They arrived, small and skewered (Mr. V said still beating), with Tahini yogurt for dipping. I got some awkward glances my way for ordering this. But I was in the zone, and when I’m excited, no one stops me. I was beside myself — they were full of flavor — very¸ very gamey, and hearty (ha, ha, ha). Mr. V only had one, chalking it up to texture and a sudden remembering of what he was actually eating. I ate each one slowly and with intention — they were the best thing I’ve had in a very long time. Savory, slightly chewy, and robust.
Third Courses:
Him: Beef Short Ribs — He was expecting this to be small and tough — he’s hard to please and has low (high?) expectations. They didn’t disappoint — he actually stopped eating and looked down at his food, not sure if he was… sure…he was eating what he ordered. They were fall off the bone tender, full of flavor and slightly spicy. The potatoes did a good job to balance the meaty texture with the cool starchiness that they have. He’ll eat anything and usually all of it, regardless of whether he really enjoys it, but when he finished all his ribs and looked around as if they were bringing a second plate, I knew he was disappointed it wasn’t a bigger portion.
Me: Skate Wing — I ordered a 2^nd dish of something I had never had. It was even triangular in shape! They didn’t try to hide the fact that it was the wing for a sea creature. Though, as flaky and soft as it was, it could’ve fooled me for rainbow trout (fun fact — single favorite dish ever). It was very light and buttery in flavor, so the lemon risotto was sometimes overpowering the soft texture of the skate. The risotto was *slightly* overcooked, which made it *slightly* mushy.
Once the rest of the patrons quietly started to disappear, it became so much more enjoyable. It was just too awkward to sit at a small table for dinner in the middle of the room. I don’t mind crowds — in fact, they energize me a lot of the time — and crowded restaurants are a good thing, but this was too much. They added tables where there was clearly no room, as the wait staff had to lift things over my shoulders with my help to get plates out of the way. I shudder to think the disaster of something spilled — there would be crying and rage over that spilled milk.
That being said, I’d like to see what Fond would be like on a non restaurant week — the dishes I was looking forward to were really good, and I think this place would be so much better without the crowds. I’d like to give it another shot.

Wow! What an incredible dinner. Went here for East Passayunk Restaurant week with my boyfriend. Our prix fixe menu included 3 courses for $ 35 dollars each. I give that menu five stars, I can’t imagine how amazing their regular a la carte menu is!
They treated us to great service even though we weren’t ordering off the a la carte menu. We had at least three different people checking in on us throughout the night (not in an annoying way) making sure everything was going well.
I have celiac disease and called ahead to ask if the menu can be accommodated for gluten free dining. They were more than welcoming and even offered me alternatives, like swapping out sauces for my second course.
The waitress and the entire staff were knowledgeable about my restrictions. A majority of the menu was already gluten free. I felt really comfortable!
Here’s what I ate:
–First course: Arugula salad with raisins and chickpeas
–Second course: Beef short ribs with herb roasted potatoes, melted onions, spinach, and lobster sauce (the lobster sauce was a modification of the Bordelaise sauce)
–Third course: Pineapple crème brûlée (without the shortbread)
I’d love to return!

I went here for restaurant week and it was delicious. The restaurant is small and intimate (the people next to us were less than a foot away), but the service was terrific and the food even better. All three courses were delicious, even the desert. They had drink specials for restaurant week which was great. Would definitely recommend and go back.

We dined here for New year’s and they had a pre-​fix menu with a few supplemental additions. We wanted to split the wine pairing since we did not each want to drink that much but that was not allowed per our waiter. We’ve been to other restaurants where that was allowed so we were a little surprised. So we each got a glass instead. They start you off with a butternut squash soup with thai flavors (green curry and coconut) — it was so good!
I had the foie gras which was seared perfectly as my 2^nd course. It was paired with an asian pear tart and the flavors were amazing. My husband had the tuna tartar — nothing too outstanding here.
I had the pork belly as my entrée and my husband had the filet — both dishes were fantastic. The skin of the pork belly was the best thing ever! So crispy and not at all greasy. I honestly forgot what we had for dessert that night.
We were seated by the door, which was very uncomfortable because it was so cold every time people would enter in and out. Our waiter was also the most pretentious person I’ve ever been served by. He was just very arrogant and not outright rude but very condescending. When I ordered the foie, he made it a point to say, that’s an additional 7 $ — do you still want that? Obviously, since it was noted on the menu and I can see that. There was just no pleasantry with him either. It was a very odd experience. The food was great but there was tons of great places around east passyunk now and with service like that, I can go elsewhere.

If I had to think of one word for Fond, it would be inviting, and I think this describes both the food and the restaurant itself. The atmosphere is warm, and though a little tightly packed, is a great place to enjoy a wonderful dinner. It truly fits with the Passayunk, neighborhood style, and though always on the list of best restaurants in town, has no uppity feeling about it whatsoever.
I could have picked anything off of the menu and been happy. Everything looks amazing, and though they have some stranger things (grilled duck hearts) everything is pretty approachable and I’d almost call it comfort food. We did get the duck hearts, along with the pork rillettes to start and both were fantastic. The pork was cooked so perfectly with that ideal crispy skin and truffle aioli that I could drink a gallon of. I was a bit nervous to try the duck hearts but wow they were so tender, the waitress told us they’re marinated in greek yogurt, and are insanely tasty. We had the skate and the pork belly for mains and again both were delicious. The skate was cooked to perfection, again with the perfect crisp to the skin. We found the pork belly was pretty much just a larger portion of the app, not that we were complaining, but we probably would have changed it up a bit if we had really thought about it.
Wine list is a nice size, and the cocktails were delicious and strong as well. It is also BYOB on certain nights. Service was friendly and impeccable, and the chef did his rounds at one point, super friendly, and such a nice touch!

Oh my goodness. This is absolutely one of the best places I have been in Philadelphia. My dining partner and I had a variety of different appetizers and entrees. Although they were quite rich, we were so sad when our food was gone! Afterwards, we had a small get together with our friends and both of us could not stop raving about the restaurant. It’s great — definitely go!

Had such a great experience at Fond. Similar to most of the restaurants on E. Passyunk, Fond is a quaint, tiny restaurant. They offer outside seating, some high tops, bar seating and no more than 10 regular dining tables.
The service was fantastic from the moment we walked in the door. We started with cocktails — the Lemon Sprig was delicious and highly recommend if you’re a fan of a lemon drop martini.
Before our appetizers, they brought out a complimentary mushroom soup served hot in a shooter and crusty sourdough bread. We then had the tuna from the cold appetizer section and escargot from the hot appetizers. The tuna absolutely melted in your mouth. The escargot didn’t have a ton of flavor– wishing I went for the lobster risotto!
For an entrée, I had the special which was shrimp served with a Rosemary Brie bread pudding and broccoli rabe and yes, it was as magical as it sounds. My parents had the swordfish and the scallops. I tried both of their entrees and they were delicious (I had a little bit of order envy with the swordfish).
We rounded out the meal with a lackluster dessert. We tried the pear tart with caramel ice cream. I had a bite and no desire to finish the rest, which I’ll admit is unusual for me. Wishing I would have tried one of the chocolate options. Good thing I loved this place so much and know I’ll be back!

East Passyunk Avenue is one of the greatest food streets in the country. It has gotten a lot of recognition in the last few years because of not only the number of restaurants on the street, but the number of good quality restaurants on that street. Fond is one of those good restaurants. A lot of people talk about Fond as being one of those crop of resaurants that really showcases how good the Philly restaurant scene is, and although I didnt think it lived up to that hype, I did feel that it was a very good restaurant and we had a very good meal.
We were seated at the table right in the front window of the restaurant, which was great for the view, but tight for the waitress and food runners to bring stuff to us all night. I felt bad for them. The cocktail menu looked fantastic, my fiancé and I are big cocktail people, we ordered a couple to start, the Mountain Rose for me and the Blushing Rosemary for my lady. Unfortunately, the taste of the cocktails didnt live up to their descriptions. They sounded so good, but the taste just wasnt there. There were definitely some good ingredients in the drinks, but they didnt come together to form a cohesive whole. The same was true of the New Fashioned and the Southern we ordered for our second round. Just wasnt up to snuff.
One of my friends raved about the Chicken Liver Mousse, so we had to give it a try. We also ordered the tuna crudo, the arctic char and the wild boar tenderloin special for the evening. Before we started getting the food we ordered, we got a little gift from the kitchen. A shooter filled with soup, a tasty little treat. The mushroom flavor was deep and the soup was piping hot. It was a really nice start to the meal. The amuse bouche is a lost art form in restaurants today. There just arent enough places that do it anymore and its sad because it really goes a long way.
Unfortunately for me and my fiancé, the chicken liver was a complete letdown. First, the size of the portion for two people was insanely large. I love liver as much as the next guy, but this was too much for even me. Also, the liver to bread ratio was not good. There needed to be much more bread. The mouse had clearly been refrigerated prior, and although that may be necessary, it definitely needed to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving to make it easier to spread. Lastly, the flavor simply wasnt great. It had way too much of that metallic taste to it. It wasnt a great start.
However, thats the last negative thing I have to say about Fond. For as busy as they were, the service was pretty good. The tuna crudo was excellent. I am a sucker for all things raw tuna, and this was no exception. It was beautifully paired with the hearts of palm, chiles, cilantro yogurt and pineapple. I think I love it so much because it hits all flavor profiles. Sweet, salty, spicy, creamy, just incredible depth of flavor. The arctic char, with its crispy crackly skin while a touch dry, was a delicious dish. The delicate fish paired well with the gnocchi mushrooms and sauce underneath of it. My wild boar loin was outstanding. It was cooked perfectly medium rare, served over a bed of black beans and charred onion and had a delicious jus served with it. For dessert, a beautiful rhubarb crème brûlée was a little sloppily plated, and although the rhubarb flavor wasnt as in my face as I wanted it to be, it was one of the most delicious crème brulees I have ever had. I loved the little meringue they sent us with our dessert was well with their compliments, another beautiful touch.
Next time, we will definitely stick with the wine list, we wont order the chicken liver mousse, and all will be right with the world. I definitely want to go back to try the tasting menus, and this is just a fun and beautiful spot to be. Its definitely worth checking out.

To echo the words of other reviewers, this was a bear perfect dining experience. Outdoor seating was the only option available because the restaurant was packed. Plot twist, it was supposed to thunderstorm that night. We made it through almost the entire meal (halfway through dessert) when the rain really did start pouring and we quickly were drenched. Not only did they try to get us inside-​unfortunately had no room-​but the servers kept running out with umbrellas for us and helped in any way they could. The servers who were helping us all night deserve so much credit (and maybe a raise ;)) as they went above and beyond their job, whether in sunshine or in rain, to make this night nearly perfect.
As a picky eater, I usually eat the main dish but leave strange vegetables and sides untouched. Not here. I cleaned my plate because I couldn’t get enough of the flavor, even though I’m not the biggest fan of farro or mushrooms. They were so good. I could easily expand my palate if everything tasted as good as it did here. All the plates were delicious. The skate wing (similar to a sting ray), the salmon, the lamb, the hanger steak– all wonderful. Truly an amazing meal from start to finish.

Solid food, drinks, and service at Fond. The restaurant is located in the chic neighborhood of Passyunk.
Recommended dishes:
— Seared foie gras: Perfect sear on perfectly seasoned foie gras. Rhubarb, strawberries, and the cream cheese went very well. We used our table bread to spread the foie gras on — yummy!
— Lobster and strawberry salad: Special of the evening and well worth the price. Not much greens but that’s okay! Sweetness of the lobster meat and the strawberries paired well.
— Pork belly: Who knew the sweet potato would pair so well with pork belly. My husband liked the dish better than I did. Pork belly was very crispy on the outside but a little dry for me.
The skate wing was moist and tender. Well seasoned. Risotto was rich and creamy. Would have liked a bit of contrast in terms of texture — the dish needs a little crunch.
The cocktails were delish! Try them.

To be honest, this was a near perfect dining experience. My family came here to celebrate my sister’s and her husband’s birthdays (which are a week apart… cuteness overload).
Anyway, we were a party of six and were sat in a back room that was adjacent to the kitchen. Very cool to see the chefs at work. The atmosphere was very farmhouse chic. My dad and I were scheming on how we could take the table home with us. Above the table hung a wooden chandelier with air plants.
The service was impeccable. Our server was that perfect balance of friendly and knowledgeable without saying a novel about the menu and hovering. The corking fee is reasonable so we brought our own, which was promptly opened and placed on ice. However we did all start with a cocktail… I can’t recall what it was called by mine was bubbly and pomegranate (delish).
The food was spectacular! I imagine the menu changes but I had a scallop dish for the appetizer and skate for an entrée. My mom had chicken and said it was the best chicken she has ever had. Desserts were also wonderful. It was the kind of meal where your stomach is saying «please stop, I’m full!» but your brain and taste buds are saying «more please!».
I hope this place is here to stay for a long while!

It’s a Friday afternoon on E. Passyunk Ave, and parking is a doozy! After circling the area for what seemed to be forever, I finally met my friend at Stateside; a really cozy bar on the corner of Passyunk Ave & Cross St. I ordered a beer but we really wanted to settle into some Bourbon but since I was standing in a tight place, I was not going to do that comfortably so we scoped out a few more places and ended up at Fond.
Fond is not a huge venue but it does provide a little more space. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate and I probably should have been there with my wife instead of my friend, but they had good Whisky so we decided to post up here. Just looking to have a drink, or two, we managed to snatch up two seats at the bar. While enjoying our healthy pours of Whisky from Kristian, our bartender we soon became intrigued by some of the items on the menu. Not wanting to drink on an empty stomach we ordered two appetizers.
The Tuna Crudo was interesting, tuna on a bed cilantro yogurt with hearts of palm, Mexican chilies, and pineapple. It was quite similar to a ceviche. We also decided on the Wild Boar Pâté served with Dijon mustard and toasted bread. In addition to our apps, we were provided an amuse –bouche of mushroom soup. I am not a fan of mushrooms in general but that sample of soup was pretty tasty.
The food was good but the best part of the evening was sitting at the bar sipping on Whistle Pig Whisky. Our Bartender, Kristian, was one of the friendliest individuals. While drinking our Whisky, my friend and I had a conversation about how drinks like Manhattans, and Old Fashions are weak and watered down when mixed with ice-​cubes. Kristian informed my friend that if he thought manhattans are weak drinks, he never had a real manhattan. Ready to prove my friend wrong, and that it’s all about the bartender, he whipped up two of the meanest drinks. If you are seeking a place with great drinks, Fond definitely should be on your list of must visits. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Old fashions, and Manhattans here are not some of the best in Philadelphia.

Fond succeeds at every level. Located in the really cool neighborhood of East Passyunk, with decent street parking nearby, Fond served up a memorable meal for this demanding and epicurean diner. Our server Bekka took great care of us.
Let me state right off that the foie gras preperation was the best I’ve ever had, and like a Jedi Master i am skilled in the arts of foie gras. A generous serving that was scored and seared perfectly, it came with a delightful blend of pear and lemon crème cheese. If you are a fan, get this.
My entrée was a very good hangar steak, prepared medium rare, served with farro and gorgonzola. You will be hard pressed to find a better hangar steak entrée anywhere. In fact, good luck finding it at the grocery store, as I think hangar steak has been mischievously spirited away by unscrupulous butchers since time immemorial.
The meal ended with a delicious dark chocolate tart served with espresso marscapone, and this dish was a perfect finish of a foodie’s dream come true.
Do note that some nights are BYOB, and others are full bar. We dined on a Thursday night and brought our own Bourdeaux and a very nice Petite Sirah. Finally, I thought the price of $ 275 for a party of four, each served three courses, was a good value. Be sure to call ahead for reservations.

As luck would have it,
released some last minute reservations at Fond and I was able to snag a table at Fond during restaurant week. I got even luckier when my husband and I were able to easily find street parking that evening.
We both really enjoyed our meals, but weren’t enamored. I was really hoping for an awe inspiring experience based on Fond’s #17 ranking in the 2015 top restaurants of Philly as ranked by Philadelphia Magazine. Everything was great, but my socks just weren’t knocked off.
The service was pretty much on point the entire time. The servers, host and management worked as a team. While we had one primary server, everyone on staff made sure we were being taken care of at any given time.
Jumping to the end of the meal, we had an issue with the bill. According to the end of the meal, we noticed that we were charged $ 7 a piece versus $ 5 a piece for the Best in Show cocktail. We pointed this out to our server and she said she’d look into it. She came back and said that they actually cost $ 7. We still had the cocktail menu at our table and were able to quickly point out that $ 5 was printed on the menu. At that point she adjusted our bill. While this wasn’t a huge amount of money, it was off-​putting that we had to defend the piece of paper in front of us.
The restaurant is very tiny. Some may say cozy, others may say cramped. I thought the staff did a great job of politely navigating their way around our corner table. The ambiance of the restaurant was warm and comforting. The décor was simple but inviting. The music was fun and seemed like a nice adult contemporary playlist. With all that being said, the tables were very close together and it was impossible not to hear your neighbor’s conversation. I wish I hadn’t heard our table neighbors go on and on about how easily fires start in high-​rise buildings. Not the most settling of dinner talk, but it’s the luck of the draw when you choose to eat in a restaurant.
So for the meal, my husband and I both ordered the butternut squash soup to start. He doesn’t eat seafood, but they were easily able to accommodate his request to leave out the crab meat. The soup was good but not the best butternut squash soup I’ve ever had. I’d prefer it to be a bit creamier and definitely warmer. The coconut was a nice touch I do have to say.
For our main courses, we decided to share the pork belly and the braised beef short ribs. Both dishes were delicious, and I’d be lying if I said we didn’t clean our plates. I think I liked the pork belly a little better. In addition to the pork belly, the dish consisted of Okinawan sweet potatoes, escarole and Dijon jus. The sweet potatoes and pork belly were a great flavor pairing. The short ribs were tender and the Brussels sprouts also made for a great flavor pairing. However, this was not the best, most tender or best flavored short ribs dish I’ve ever had. Both entrees were great, however I just wasn’t blown away.
For our desserts, my husband and I decided to try the Malted Milk Chocolate Ice Cream and the Cranberry Lemon Cake. At that point, I was fairly full so happy that the portions weren’t the largest. These were completely contrasting desserts and it was nice to try a little of both. I really can’t even compare them as I enjoyed them both for their different components.
As I previously mentioned, we had the Best in Show cocktails. It was a delightful little cocktail served in a champagne flute and consisted of Reyka vodka, grapefruit and sparklingly wine. It went down very easily but had a nice little kick of liquor in it.
We had a great time and a great meal at Fond, but just not the 5 star experience and meal we had been hoping for.

Wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful. This place is a must try. Fond, perfectly situated on the corner of 11^th and Tasker is a little gem serving up some of the most delicate, flavorful dishes in Philadelphia. The restaurant is very small and seating is tight but the ambiance is quaint and cozy.
Beginnings:
Olive or sourdough bread for the table accompanied by salted butter which was fantastic.
Later came a warm mushroom soup amuse bouche– creamy, warm, and perfect for a cold night in January.
Appetizers:
Two appetizers to start, the lobster risotto — a MUST TRY and the chicken liver mousse. The lobster risotto was so delicate. The risotto was cooked perfectly and there was ample lobster to go around. One of my favorites of the evening. The chicken liver mousse had two big portions of mousse accompanied by toasted sourdough bread. Wow.
I told our server, I would easily be able to call it a 5 star night after the appetizers alone. P. S– While we are on the topic of servers, our server was Tory and he was helpful, attentive and just what the night called for. Also — 5 stars.
Entrée:
I was torn between the artic char and the pork belly. Tory suggested the pork belly and it did not disappoint. Holy moly. The pork was cooked to perfection. It delivered a crispy outside and tender, melt in your mouth center. It was served with some of the best sweet potatoes I’ve ever had (Okinawa sweet potatoes), escarole and Dijon jus. Portions were perfect. I also tried the short rib which was out of this world. (Note: both of these entrees are on their newly released restaurant week menu so if you’re looking for a top notch meal on the cheap and have been meaning to check out Fond– stop reading this and get your reservation on the books!)
Dessert:
«We have a dessert special this evening… salted caramel cheesecake with our chocolate chip crust and our homemade vanilla bean whip cream» Excuse me??? YES. YES, I will have that.
There was a bite left and I’m almost positive I heard the Mortal Kombat voice whisper «FINISH HIM” – you always listen to the Mortal Kombat voice.
Fond is delectable.