Little Water

I stumbled upon this place while searching for great oysters and it has quickly become my favorite find in the city. I have visited three times now, once at the raw bar and twice at the main bar, and the experience is consistent across the board. While the food is delicious and the oysters are truly some of the best I have ever had, the service is what actually sets this place apart. Everyone you encounter is attentive, warm, and welcoming from the moment you walk in. I especially want to highlight the bartender who looked after me during my solo visit and again when I returned with my sister. Even without knowing his name, his hospitality made a massive impression. He is knowledgeable, generous with his time, and makes you feel like a guest of the house rather than just a customer. This is the kind of place you want to keep to yourself but cannot help telling everyone about. I will be back, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great meal with even better service.

This is a great restaurant! Service, drinks and food are all top notch. The menu has something for everyone despite being a seafood restaurant. I tried dishes I didn’t know I’d like which is my favorite part about places like this. My one friend is gluten free so they did an amazing job of accommodating. Trust the menu, enjoy!

Little Water is a true delight from the moment you walk into the space. No detail is overlooked, it feels upscale without a single whiff of stuffiness. The staff are friendly, attentive, and incredibly reassuring when it comes to managing allergies. I dined here twice during my trip home this week, and both meals absolutely blew my socks off. 🥰 Standout Celiac-Safe Dishes: • Hamachi collar (Wow.) • The Caesar-like salad • Maratelli rice • The Raw Bar, which I had the fortune of enjoying almost in its entirety (see photo!) I haven't been imbibing lately, but the Golden Hour NA drink left me wanting for absolutely nothing. Truly one of the best meals of my life, and easily the best in recent memory.

Really lovely spot with good food and drinks. We loved the sourdough bread with anchovies and tomato butter, oysters with Alabama white sauce, strachiatella and Caesar salad. Everything had great flavors and textures. The smoked fish tartine and halibut were a bit disappointing, we found them dry and underseasoned. We finished our meal with the delicious frozen key lime pie!

Everything we ordered was exceptional. The sourdough with honey butter and Henlopen sea salt was a perfect start, and the marinated white anchovies, Caesar-like salad, hash brown with peekytoe crab/celeriac/uni, and soft shell crab special were all outstanding. Finished with the frozen key lime tart for dessert, which was equally fantastic. Beyond the food, every dish coming out of the kitchen looked incredible. Welcoming staff, inviting decor, and a really great ambiance made it feel like a special night out. Not surprised to see their 2025 Michelin Guide plaque hanging on the wall. Definitely worth visiting for a memorable dinner.

Enjoyed a unique and wonderful dinner. The service here is exceptional, they really take time to make your meal an experience. Everything we ate was terrific, among my favorites were the Caesar Salad and Hashed Brown w/crab.

Incredible birthday experience and we will be back for more. Not only was the food on par but the restaurant had signed a birthday card for me. Service went ABOVE & beyond. Shoutout to Malik! We loved the entire menu, 10/10. Loved the elevated LA vibe this place offers.

Review of Little Water Little Water is a culinary gem that truly deserves a James Beard Award. The food was nothing short of sensational, with every dish exceeding expectations. The Swordfish Milanese stands out as the single best dish I’ve eaten in Philadelphia – perfectly cooked, flavorful, and utterly unforgettable. It’s a dish that sets a new standard for dining in the city. And let’s not overlook the hash browns – a simple dish elevated to perfection. Crispy, golden, and full of flavor, it’s easily a 10/10. I was’t impressed with the Berkshire Ham. Felt tough to chew. Flavor profile was good. This is the only dish that didn’t hit the mark. Little Water is a must-visit for anyone passionate about great food. This spot is setting the bar for Philadelphia’s dining scene.

Should be called “Little Interest” in coming back. They act like they are Michelin rated, but food is average and our waiter had an attitude. Seemed aggravated with my gluten allergy. Avoid snow crab app and cod entre more like an appetizer with an entre price, but was okay. The smoked fish pate was exceptional. Recommendation - go across the street to D’Angelo’s - better seafood, better service and better prices.

My husband and I came for dinner this past Saturday evening. We ordered the Grand Plateau, Cornbread, Hashbrown, and Whole Fried Snapper. The Grand Plateau was fresh and plentiful, but some of the selections were better than the others. The lobster, shrimp cocktail, and scallops stood out among the rest, and the mussels and snow crab claws left more to be desired. The Cornbread was a showstopper - flaky and crisp, yet moist. The escargot topping was perfection. The hashbrown was good, not great. The hasbrown itself was sort of just a block of potato - could've been hotter and could've been crispier on the outside. Last but certainly not least, the fried snapper... this was exceptional. The carmelized fish sauce veggies beneath it were cooked perfectly and the fish itself was fresh, crispy, and a very generous portion. We definitely did not need all of that food - probably coul've done with one less small plate, or a small raw dish instead of the Grand Plateau - but we were celebrating so why not? Will we be back? I say yes, my husband says no. For the price we paid, we'd like to try some other restaurants in the city. But if you're asking whether you should go, you absolutely should!