a.kitchen + bar is a French-inspired American restaurant and wine bar located in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square, operated by High Street Hospitality Group. It is known for its seasonal small plates and an award-winning natural wine program. The adjacent a.bar allows guests to order from the a.kitchen menu.
Customer Perception
Customers generally praise a.kitchen + bar for its innovative French-inspired small plates and its extensive, award-winning natural wine selection. The ambiance is often described as sophisticated yet welcoming, making it a popular spot for dinner and drinks.
Additional Details
The restaurant is part of the AKA Rittenhouse Square hotel.
Dinner is served nightly, and the restaurant also offers brunch on weekends. Given its popularity, reservations are recommended, especially on weekend evenings.
A small American bistro near Rittenhouse square, a.kitchen+bar was a great option for lunch in the city.
The menu consists of smallish (not as small as you would think) appetizers, entrees and sandwiches plates, all well thought and prepared. We ordered a lightly grilled tuna with green tomato gazpacho and fried green tomatoes, the omelette and the ricotta gnuddi and it was all delicious.
A great natural wine and craft beer selection complements the menu’
Chicken liver toast: 95/100
Nostalgic bird liver taste, sweet and sour is excellently balanced!
Stone fruit + Tomato salad: 82/100
Green papaya is hard to made tasty; salt can’t really suppress its sourness and make it too pungent. Shrimp slice is fantastic, supplemented by a touch of nutty flavor.
Berkshire pork chop: 60/100
Pork is WAY too salty, especially the outer slices. The middle slices are acceptable. The texture is tender.
4
Came here for dinner for the first time today. Our server was amazing really friendly and attentive. During the entire meal we had multiple servers serving us but the main one came by to check on us quite often to make sure everything was fine. All the food was really flavourful and we enjoyed every dishes. Since during my reservation I indicated it was my birthday so they brought out a lit candle on a plate. I’m Chinese so based on our culture it’s not lucky to put a lit candle on a plate because that’s when we pay our respects to our deceased ancestors we would light candles and place them on a small plate and incense. So just a thought perhaps put the lit candle on the dessert or throw a couple pieces of fruits onto the plate with a lit candle. Overall it was a great meal and I would definitely come back.
5
A. Kitchen stands out for what matters most: exceptional food and a thoughtfully curated wine program.
Every dish we tried was beautifully executed, with high-quality ingredients and great balance.
The wine program deserves special mention. The selection was exceptional, with a thoughtfully curated list that offered everything from classic producers to more unique and lesser-known bottles.
Exploring the list felt both educational and enjoyable rather than overwhelming.
Whether you’re a serious wine enthusiast looking to discover something new or simply hoping to enjoy a great bottle with dinner, you’re in very capable hands.
Thank you to the team for helping us celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday and making the evening feel memorable!
5
Food: incredible food, chiefs were extremely talented and kind. Smoked garlic gnocchi and the bluefin was top notch. Unlike anything we’ve had.
Service: Good service. Sitting at the chefs bar, it was a very nice touch that the chefs would ask how our evening and meals were, especially with very little break time they have preparing food!
Atmosphere: We were celebrating an anniversary and chose to sit at the chefs bar. A very cool experience seeing the chefs cook and prepare everyone’s food in the restaurant. Would recommend these seats every day. Be mindful the kitchen is hot and the residual heat does make it was nicely to the bar, would recommend dressing light.
(Reservation for 2, Tuesday May 26th)
