Best Open Kitchen Restaurants in University City

From the moment we walked in and they held the door open for us to quickly being greeted and sat at our reserved table it was wonderful. The appetizers were tasty. We had the Estia chips, octopus, and the beets. Our meals were served hot and in a timely fashion. We had the lamb chops, the sea bass, and the chicken dish. Everything was done well and they gave us the necessary attention without being overbearing. All of the food was tasty and no need to add anything to enhance the flavors. It is fine dining and the price reflects that but it is worth the splurge.

Having been to the previous Roxanne 3 times, I had high hopes for the new incarnation and was not disappointed. A la carte dining for chef Alex's food feels like a cheat code, this is nearly a perfect restaurant already - burger was crazy, dip homemade tater tots in panna cotta like the dankest version of dipping your fries in the frosty ever conceived. Service was great, space is so so nice and BIG compared to the former space. My only ding is that the wine list is only PA wines? Im not sure if thats a philosophical thing or a legal thing but if this place had a beverage program as good as its food program it would be a 20/10. Regardless, I will be back many times

I have always leaned towards spice because of where I grew up and the culinary influences so River Twice was a revelation. The clean crisp flavors and the use of culinary techniques to enhance the dishes was something I have never experienced before. It was an emotional experience. The use of dehydrated mushrooms to enhance the tuna and then combining it with kumquats 🤯🤯🤯. My daughter and I are on a culinary journey, exposing ourselves to new flavors and and we have been trying some really awesome food but this is the first place we immediately wanted to return.

Never had dinner here, so I decided to try it with brunch. Didn't disappoint. Parsnip soup is flavorful and rich and warms me up just right. I ordered the mushroom benedict with a side of sausage links. My partner picked the happy valley beef cheeks with pasta. I love the flavors and portions of our order. Service is attentive. I look forward to the culinary adventure here with my next dinner!

I didn’t know vegetables could taste so damn good. Seriously I am a big-time meat eater I was concerned that after this meal, I’d have to run to McDonald’s to get a hamburger. But in actuality, it was absolutely delicious and completely filled me up.