a.bar — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Visiting from NY, came here at the strong suggestion of a friend (a local) and left sorely disappointed. I’m writing this in November 2020, so pretty cold out. My friend and I arrived ~8p the evening and inquired about a table. The “a.bar” end of the entire “a.kitchen + a.bar” outdoor set up was noticeably empty, with only 1 other party there when we arrived, but they said they were open/ready and to grab a seat. At the time we arrived, they seemed to be trying to figure out 1 of the heating lamps. The area in which they fidgeted with it (and got it to work) was by an empty table, so my friend and I said “Great! we’ll sit here”, since there was now a working lamp by an empty table. The waiter (accompanied by who we initially thought was another employee but then realized was a patron of the aforementioned other party) immediately notified us that we were mistaken, and that this heating lamp was to be added(?) to the 2 existing lamps surrounding the 1st party sitting there. Now, I understand customer service and all, and sure—by all means cater to one party if that’s all you’ve got at the time, but my friend & I showed up as a second party and should’ve been afforded a relatively equal opportunity at warmth on the basis of being paying customers. I felt it was an absolutely grotesque lapse in service to have, in an uncrowded seating area, 1 party freezing while trying to enjoy drinks and appetizers while another party has 3 heating lamps surrounding them. Not to mention we moved our table from its initial location to better align with the positioning of the lamps near the 1st party in order to get some heat by proximity, while patrons of the other party routinely moved the lamps closer to themselves as the night got colder. Otherwise, our server was a gem and my friend said the drink he had was great so the 2 stars come from there, but man did this ruin our experience at a.bar and caused us to leave prematurely. IMO, in the situation we’re all in right now, it’s the restaurants responsibility to ensure all patrons have reasonably equal access to a comfortable outdoor dining environment, especially where heating is concerned. This experience was incredibly...

I've been coming here for years because it holds a unique spot in the realm of Philadelphia. This bar is filled with the who's who of cocktail prep, with alumnus from the Union League, La Bec Fin, Hop Sing, the list goes on...

I tend to forget it's a hotel bar because it doesn't act like your typical one. The kitchen was voted recently as one of the top 100 Best Wine Lists in the nation for good reason. Every first Wednesday of the month these select wines are half off to take home. But, for the real reason I'm here...

Very rarely does one indulge in a Rye appertif that pairs so well with a burger and a late afternoon. Recently I tried their Questing Beast, and it will surely leave you requesting seconds. Sadly, there is but one down-side, and that is that burger I mentioned earlier.

The old burger, a Pat LaFrieda specialty blend, marinated in Amish bacon jam, topped with crispy Amish bacon, artisanal Swiss, and capped with pickles, and a rustic bun was probably the best in the city since 500 Degrees closed. However, the new burger is a disgrace to the name... How dare you place American cheese on a brioche bun with dijonaisse! That's a travesty, and one I'm not willing to pay the same price for. The previous burger was well worth the price tag with its unique ingredients you could not buy. This new monstrosity discredits all the work that built this establishment into a.bar, not any other bar. Eli Collins has some work to do behind the...

Myself and my friend stopped in for an espresso martini since we were told they’re the best in the area. When we walked in I walked over to the bartender to order. I was brushed off by the bartender and was told “the server will get your order” and he walked off. He barely made eye contact with me and his tone almost caused me to walk back out. It was pretty rude. I also preferred to sit at the bar. Our server seated us at a table in the back. Took our order and came back with our drinks. The martini was absolutely amazing. But the service lacked. As our drinks were getting low, no one came over to ask if we’d like another. I asked another bartender about dessert and was met with the same bothersome brush off. After wrapping up with our drinks we waited hoping someone would over to see if we needed anything or at least the check. No one did so I asked for it. The martini was perfect and the least expensive out of the places I’ve been to in Philadelphia but the service will keep me...