Bolo Reviews

Thank goodness for Philadelphia's restaurant week. Had I not been looking for someplace special to celebrate my partner's birthday, this inconspicuous gem would never have been on my radar. The first thing that impressed me was simply how very nice everyone connected with Bolo was (from the considerate hostess who reserved a table downstairs and close to the door because I had left a phone message we might be slightly late due to a sore leg, to the very gracious and helpful waitress and finally to the chef who stopped by to briefly chat with us". We were not particular familiar with the cuisines of Puerto Ricco ,The Carribean and nearby countries and cultures so the creative melding of these flavors resulted in an incredibly delicious adventure for us. My first course, Shimp Cebiche was scrumptious with it's combination of ingredients I never would have thought to put together. My partner equally loved the Pincho Pescado but wished the portion had not been that small. I was blown away by the salmon once again creatively prepared with ingredients I never would have thought to combine....it was that good! He was delighted with his tender short ribs. And finally desert. I had the flan. My partner had the tembleque. I know I am using a lot of superlatives but Wow! Just Wow! We left very satisfied.

Happy Hour (5-7pm) is a great time to sample the drinks and Latin food at Bolo. The Happy Hour red is La Linda, a fine Malbec and a generous pour. The wait staff is friendly and accommodating. Try the maduros plantains and the Cuban sandwich in case you decide to have more than the bar bites. We've not had dinner (upstairs), but our experience on several visits at Happy Hour have been a lot of fun, with great Puerto Rican food!

We came here after work for Center City Sips and we’re not disappointed. I got the featured cocktail and was very satisfied with it and my friends were happy with the beers and apps.

I was genuinely disappointed with both the food and the service. The bartender was obnoxious, condescending, and visibly annoyed when I asked just two questions about the menu. After my order arrived, he never checked on me and completely ignored me for the rest of my visit. I ordered the Cuban dumplings with black beans — easily the worst dish I've had in a long time. What I received were three tiny triangle-shaped dumplings drowning in what tasted like half a bottle of soy sauce, topped with two crushed peanuts. It was a bizarre and unpleasant combination, and at $18, it felt like a complete rip-off. Philadelphia has so many great dining options — Wilder and Village Whiskey next door are perfect examples. I had high hopes for Cuban cuisine, especially since I’ve enjoyed it often in Miami, but this experience turned me off entirely. The soy sauce pairing made no sense and the portion size was for 3 years old child. The only redeeming quality was the decor, which is stylish and inviting — but unfortunately, ambiance alone doesn’t make up for a terrible meal and poor service.

This place is amazing and delicious. Modern ecletic Latin food. delicious with superb service. easy five star

We came here on a Sunday evening for an early dinner. The hostess that greeted us was very nice and accommodating. We sat upstairs. My first impression was that the glass partition separating the table from the stairwell should be cleaned more often because it was filthy. Our server, Caitlin, was initially very cordial and informative. As the dinner progressed and tables filled up she took a lot of time between visits. We had wonderful cocktails to start. My husband had a Manhattan and I had a Rum Punch. They were both delicious. As for food, the best was the Miatake mushroom and corn gnocchi dish. Absolutely wonderful. Lots of food and flavor. We also had the scallop skewer. It didn’t look like scallops, but it was very good. The lamb skewer was good too. The skewers were very small however. We ordered the cod fritter with crab salad. I wouldn’t recommend it. It was a bit on the oily side and had very shredded crab which didn’t taste much like crab. It was way too overpriced. For desert we had the coconut cake with diced pineapple and vanilla ice cream. It was good and splittable. We won’t rush to come back here.

Superb experience at Bolo. The four of us had the Chef’s tasting menu for $65.00 pp. It was well worth it. Every dish was beautifully presented, abundant and delicious. The service was impeccable and the chef came out to ask how we enjoyed the food. We will be back and will recommend.

This is my second visit to the quaint little restaurant on Sansom Street in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. I love this place. The seafood is fresh, the service is charming and friendly and the taste is unique. Truly a treat. It is quickly becoming my favorite luxury lite bite place

We visited Bolo as a party of eight hungry people a few days ago. Here is what we learned. 1. There is no valet parking. This is OK as there is plenty of street parking if you have a bit of patience. You’ll also find a garage a few doors further down on Sansom Street, where it’ll cost you $20 to park. Pretty reasonable for downtown Philly. 2. The atmosphere is lively and noisy. Seems a great place to get together for a date or after-work drinks. 3. The drinks are exceptional. Most are rum-based and feature generous pours. 4. Sadly, the food is distinctly average. The menu is mostly small plates tapas style – divided into Ceviche, Cuchifritos (Fried), Piscolabis (Snacks/Salads), Verduras (veggies), Pinchos (skewers) and then Platillos (Main Dishes). 5. Each item is priced individually, with an option for an $85 tasting menu. Everyone at the table has to agree to that, although they will tailor it based on allergies and food preferences. We elected to order individually. 6. We ended up ordering 14 items for the table, and then each couple shared an entrée. 7. Hits were the Tuna Ceviche, Mixta Salad, and Manchego Croquetas. 8. Misses were ALL of the skewers – the lamb, in particular, was tough and overcooked. The lamb empanadas weren’t well seasoned and had too much dough and not enough filling. 9. The main dishes, notably the Red Snapper and Vaca Frita (Braised Beef) were OK. 10. Desert- coconut cake and candied papaya – were just ho-hum. Nothing special. Our bill came to about $150 per couple for the food, plus a drink each – plus a tip on top, coming to over $180. Although the quantity of food and service was good, the quality of food balanced against price gives 3 stars. I wouldn’t go rushing back here.

Had dinner at Bolo for restaurant week. Everything was delicious. The staff was friendly and gave wonderful recommendations. The prices were reasonable and the restaurant atmosphere is a total vibe