Over the weekend I was able to try out a new restaurant in Philadelphia’s Washington West neighborhood! They also have a Rittenhouse location, but I haven’t visited that one yet. Tria is a wine bar with a seasonal sandwich menu with some fancy appetizer options. I’m going to breakdown the experience into four different categories and then wrap up with my decision if I would go back again.

Vibes

The best I can explain the aesthetic of Tria is mood lighting, neutral wood tones with a modern comfortable industrial look. Nothing you have to dress up super fancy for, I wore a black maxi skirt with a blue blouse and kitten heels. I saw some people in office clothes and athletic wear, to be fair I also want on a Friday night so I’m not sure how weekends look. They have both indoor and outdoor seating but be wary the outside didn’t look to have any heaters at the table so bring a jacket. We were tucked into a corner up the stairs at the far end of the restaurant (which isn’t super big). Something that I really liked about the placement of tables is no one is eating and talking over each other. We had some pretty ample room from the people next to us. It was honestly a relaxing way to spend a Friday night after a long day.

Food & Drink

Tria is called a wine bar, so what a more appropriate drink to order than a glass of wine! I don’t know how often they rotate wines but I ordered the bold Shiraz, Farm to Table, Fowles, ’21, which is described on the menu as “Victoria, Australia Plush and full; black currants, berries and plum with baking spices to finish.” Which I highly recommend it you’re looking for a wine that’s closer to dry on the wine spectrum.

So I tragically did not get a picture of our appetizer but we had ordered the Burrata with Tomato Conserva, Focaccia, Aged Balsamic and Basil. Which was absolutely delicious, not super filling, and the perfect size for two to split. The focaccia was wonderfully seasoned, toasted, and cut into the perfect shape to pick up and dip. You don’t get a bread basket at the table so this was a nice space holder for those dinner bread cravings.

For our main courses, my friend had ordered the Braised short rib sandwich which was toped with a soft cheese, shallot marmalade, and horseradish. I had gotten the Grilled Cheese Sandwich with tomato soup and both dinners came with their own side salad. While this may be an item that you find on the kids menu, it does a wonderful job satisfying those adult taste buds and making you feel cozy on the inside. The sandwich included Fontina, Brie, and Gruyère between two perfectly toasted pieces of rye bread, giving you that satisfying crunchy outside and warm cheesy inside. For those who are concerned (me, I’m those) the cheese pull is phenomenal! It’s not chasing after you as you try to put the sandwich back on the plate, it’s just melted enough to watch as you take your bite and pull away from the sandwich for it to break.

Service

I’ve never had a lot of problems at Philly restaurants with service, and Tria is no exception. Everyone was super kind and attentive, not checking in super often but almost coming in at the perfect moments? Like if we needed water or after actually getting the chance to eat and enjoy our food then they would come check on us. Most important (to me personally) the servers are loud and clear which is always super appreciated especially in a lovely lively environment! My hearing is definitely not the sharpest, but I always feel bad having to ask the servers to repeat themselves. I was also really obsessed with the outfits they had on, it was anything to crazy but they also weren’t wearing fancy matchy matchy black button downs with black pants. It felt easier to talk and interact with the servers, they felt a lot more personable which really heightens the dining experience in my opinion.

Reservations

Another important factor in trying a new restaurant is the ability to make a reservation, Open Table is always my preferred way since I get emails for confirmations and reminders which is efficient for my hectic life. Again, Tria is no exception and I was able to make next day reservations at the exact time I wanted in a matter of seconds. My friend had showed up before me and was able to get out table and sometimes restaurants will want the whole party together before they sit you down so I was very happy that I was able to just walk in and get settled at our table.

In conclusion…

I’m going back ten times over! They have so many options on how you want to experience the restaurant with cheese and wine tastings and their seasonal menu will make each visit a new experience. If you’re every in center city, stop by Tria to get a good hearty meal with your endless options of wines.

Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful day!