Tria Cafe Rittenhouse
Wine bar · Rittenhouse ·
Wine, cheese & beer selection with varied small-plates menu
Wine, cheese & beer selection with varied small-plates menu
"Dive into a deep exploration of local and imported cheese at one of Tria’s two locations in the city. Its menu offers varied cheese board options, including one regularly curated by Philly’s famed cheesemonger Madame Fromage, as well as others made with award-winning Pennsylvania options or those imported from France or Spain." - George Banks-Weston
"Tria has been around since the early aughts, with locations in Rittenhouse and Washington Square. The wine list works for everyone from somm-level drinkers to those more than comfortable with boxed wine. The by-the-glass menu has different tasting notes that can lead you to something you like—maybe something zippy to go with your bruschetta and the date you're not sure you like yet. " - alison kessler
"With locations in Center City and Washington Square West, Tria is one of the city’s most popular spots for small plates and wine. The menu offers variations of charcuterie boards and cheeses and features small plates such as truffle egg toast, warm gorgonzola-stuffed figs, and goat cheese with basil pesto bruschetta." - George Banks-Weston
"Wine bars aren’t always relaxing places to hang out. Some serve $32 charcuterie platters featuring off-putting tinned fish, and some of them have “experts” who shame you for not knowing a grape’s age, country of origin, and star sign. Tria is not one of those wine bars. The laidback spot offers a huge selection of both obscure and everyday options at all price points, along with beer, cider, and cheeses of every ilk. photo credit: Gab Bonghi The Rittenhouse location has been around since 2004, so chances are you’ve been here before (the second location is in Washington Square). The narrow space has a long wooden bar, a few high tops ideal for a casual date, and a soundtrack featuring everything from Blondie to Lana Del Rey. There’s some booth seating, too, so you can just as easily hang out for a couple hours with friends and cheese boards as you can solo with a sandwich. photo credit: Gab Bonghi Perhaps the best thing about Tria—besides the always welcoming, no-pressure attitude from the servers—is that it works even if you have no interest in wine. The food menu, made up of everything from snacky plates of bruschetta and olives to melty sandwiches and meaty salads, are worth a visit on their own. The beer and cider menu, though constantly changing, always has brews from around the globe, and they have a couple of solid non-alcholic options as well. If you are in fact here for the wine, you’ll be in good hands. The menu breaks down its whites, reds, and rosés into categories like lighthearted, zippy, and funky. But have no fear—if “deeply concentrated and massively structured” means absolutely nothing to you, a server is always happy to help you find what you’re looking for. The list changes frequently, but there are lots of options in the $11 range, and Happy Hour is a good time to come (4-6pm, Sunday-Thursday), when they offer $9 wines and charcuterie boards. photo credit: Gab Bonghi We’re glad Tria’s stuck around so long. It’s approachable and reliable for almost any occasion—whether you’re an amateur sommelier or more familiar with wine that comes in a box. Creamy herbed ricotta with pistachios and a drizzle of honey.photo credit: Gab Bonghi Asparagus artichoke salad with tomato vinaigrette.photo credit: Gab Bonghi Mozzarella and prosciutto sandwich with pesto.photo credit: Gab Bonghi Charcuterie board.photo credit: Gab Bonghi Pause Unmute" - Alison B. Kessler
"When I examined this small Philadelphia wine-bar group that opened at 18th and Sansom streets in 2004 as a casual wine bar with fine-dining-level service, I found a sharp contrast between its public, progressive brand—promoting women wine producers, donating to social-justice charities, and advertising a 19-point “Tria Promise” with a $15 minimum wage, retirement plan, and mental-health reimbursements—and repeated staff accounts of a toxic workplace under co-owner Jon Myerow. Multiple former employees described a pattern of angry outbursts and exacting managerial demands (yelling over minor infractions, calling staff on days off about Yelp reviews), chilling workplace expectations around appearance enforced in a prescriptive staff handbook, and numerous instances of sexualized comments, boundary-crossing advances, and at least one alleged nonconsensual touch; Rayne Betts, who became restaurant manager in October 2018, says Myerow yelled at her in front of guests and staff, made comments such as “I don’t have to apologize for anything. I’m not Brett Kavanaugh,” and left her so frightened she hid locked in a bathroom, leading to his temporary removal from day-to-day operations (though he resurfaced later and Betts resigned in mid-2019). While some current and former employees spoke positively and the company provided redacted letters describing good experiences, I found that 27 of 37 people I spoke with reported negative experiences, staff documentation corroborated many accounts, and reforms (updated harassment-reporting procedures and a DEIP committee) were later added as the company adjusted its policies." - Dayna Evans
