a.kitchen + a.bar Philadelphia Review

A recent happy hour/dinner that I cannot stop thinking about came from the lovely a.kitchen in Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. a.kitchen is a contemporary American restaurant located steps away from Rittenhouse Square. Their bar, a.bar, is also known to offer some delicious cocktails which I can attest to.

Upon arriving, you are greeted by dim lighting and gorgeous interior design. On warmer days, it can be so refreshing to sit outdoors and see people pass by. We began with happy hour at the bar.

Happy Hour

Happy hour begins from 4 p.m. through 6 p.m. daily with a variety of offerings including oysters, burrata and a raw bar tasting. Start off with a cheese board with three delectable cheeses and pairings before diving into the main event. These boards pair well with their rotating selection of wine. Some that are so unique with stories worth learning. On this particular visit we were able to sample three cheeses: a brie, a blue and a manchego variety. I also ordered a glass of an Austrian white blend wine, named Flora, that had a slight effervescence to it. It was reminiscent of a Riesling with some tart and sweet lemony notes.

Dinner

For our main course, we ordered some mussels in a traditional wine sauce. This was served with some fresh baked bread and was absolutely delectable. Every morsel was buttery and savory. We were sure to soak up every drop with our bread. It was fresh, light and delightful. In addition, we also tried a chickpea dish that was served with Swiss chard and fennel. This dish had a beautiful blend of acidity from the fennel that blended with the nuttiness of the chickpeas.

Cocktails at a.bar

To finish off the evening, we ordered some cocktails that featured bourbon and tequila. Our bartender was very intuitive and keen to our tastes. We asked him to surprise us based on answering a couple criteria questions, such as what liquor we prefer. The first cocktail was a classic take on bourbon, lemon and aperol. It was citrusy and refreshing. Extremely smooth and palatable. The second cocktail was a margarita with some spice. Citrusy, once again, but with a kick. I absolutely loved both cocktails and highly recommend checking a.bar out in addition to a.kitchen.

I hope you enjoyed my review of a.kitchen and that you find yourself there for your next happy hour or dinner. It’s a perfect spot for happy hour with friends or a cute date night with your special someone!

xo,

Christine Celine