The heirloom corn grits with crab fat sofrito & mother rucker burger were made to profección. Our server who I believe said her name was “(mi-ahh)” was also a vibe-genuine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark S Smith
First time at River Twice.Met up with some favorite friends from my American Water days. Interesting approach to a menu. There was a $75 fixed tasting menu and then a set of optional extras. I went with the soft shell crab special and everyone else did the burger (since we specifically came on burger Monday). This is a cozy small restaurant in the heart of Philly. We were seated at the counter and were able to watch the food prep. Pretty cool. Service was excellent. Food was outstanding.Plenty of food to satisfy your hunger in the tasting menu alone, but I am glad we added the extras. The starter was raw Maine scallops in a crème sauce.Unbelievably good! This was followed by the NJ sushi rice with smoked steelhead.Well made, filling, and slightlyunremarkable. The mackerel, steamed cabbage and sweet potato made up for it with a perfect bite of these three ingredients! My soft shell crab was very unusual, in a good way, with an interesting creamy sauce and pickled onions. The burger was outstanding!! Lots of nuanced flavors going on. Finally, the winter citrus creamsicle was fun, creative, light, and the perfect ending to a super cool dining experience. Highly recommend River Twice for the adventurous eater!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fluke
Jessica Humphries
Overall I enjoyed my experience at River Twice. Service and atmosphere were great. There were some amazing dishes (raw scallop first course and the oysters) but the rest of the food, while well-executed, did not wow me. For the price, I was expecting more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Khalid Nisar
I usually do not frequent Philadelphia but just so happened to be in the area with my wife and therefore I wanted to try something new for dinner. When I was searching for restaurants I came across River Twice, which was described as a seafood tasting menu utilizing French and Japanese techniques, I was sold! I did have trouble finding a reservation, however I luckily found a same-day 9:30 slot open on a Saturday night so I quickly grabbed it.As we entered I noticed the restaurant was a small intimate space, which has a counter over seeing the kitchen. As someone who likes to cook myself, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had two seats available at the counter. Once we settled in I took a look at the menu and immediately decided to get a few items to add onto their tasting menu. We opted for the bread course and the ultra-decadent bluefin tuna topped with Uni on Chawanmushi toast.The bread course which came first was a solid hit. They get high quality sourdough bread from a local bakery, which was impeccably paired with Strachiatella cheese and an amazing Tomato Olive tapenade. Our next course was a refreshing bay scallop crudo paired with watercress puree. If I do have a critique on this course I would possible suggest a little more herbal flavoring, as the dill sprigs which came with the course were muted. Then came our optional course of Bluefin tuna toast. As expected you can't really go wrong when using such amazing ingredients, and while it cost $32, it was not exorbitant considering the quality of ingredients being used. The next course, sushi rice, was the highlight of the night for me. A bed of sushi rice, flavored with black vinegar and slightly crisped in a cast iron skillet is topped with a rich potato hollandaise, a piece of cured and smoky eel and then the chef topped it with Perigord Truffle. This dish was amazingly balanced as it had richness from the hollandaise, earthiness from the truffle, a salty component from the eel and the vinegar in the rice helped cut through everything. This was a Michelin star quality dish. We finished the savory courses with Halibut, on top of carrots and celeriac, in a sauce made with clam broth. This was a good course which was highlighted by the flavorful vegetables. The dessert course was a play on a creamsicle which has very nice textures and citrus flavors. They definitely captured the nostalgia of eating a creamsicle.All in all it was a pleasant experience and I would recommend River Twice to anyone who enjoys seafood. While I do realize that $75 a person is not cheap and one might require a few extra courses, this is reasonable considering the high costs of good quality ultra-fresh seafood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Natalie Caldwell
I hemmed and hawed about what to rate River Twice, a place that had been on my list for ages and one I had heard such accolades about. I ended with 3-stars, and here’s why:- Food: it was good, don’t get me wrong. But it wasn’t anything extra or special. It was good, but exactly what you would expect.- Service: everyone was lovely. Just nothing special or extra but everyone was very kind and helpful.- Wine pairing: everyone has their own thoughts and preferences. However, I will say the pairing was a total miss. They didn’t work with the food (or there was a much better option that should have been selected) and they weren’t really special. The staff seemed to need more of an education on the wines as well when asking for more detail.- Cost: this was a big one. Our meal was not worth the $350 price tag. Honestly I was shocked and really bummed. I expected so much from the meal, and it just didn’t hit the mark for that cost.TBD if we’ll be back, but perhaps. We’ll see.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
John DePasquale
I can't wait to go back here! The whole vibe is chill , but upscale foods. My wife was raving about their dirty martini! So much thought into each dish and everything was amazing. I can't really put into words how great this experience was. We were there on steakhouse night and we were blown away! 10/10 ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marc Toglia
Randy Rucker easily gets my vote for the next Philly James Beard recipient for 2024. His inspired seafood is pure poetry on a plate. great mix of interesting flavors. The 4 course menu is a great place to start, but foodies should be prepared to add a few of the extras for the full dining experience. On this visit, the raw scallops in a buttermilk sauce was one of the unexpected stars. As a bonus, River Twice has a "bring a bottle, if you buy a bottle policy" which is amongst the best BYO deals in this neighborhood
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Doaa Fahmy
We tried the tasting menu and it was amazing. The food was fresh and the quality was just right. The team are super attentive and friendly. The chef came out to say hello.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Evan Ph
Nice waitress and a cute small space, The bluefin tuna $26 portion was tiny and very bland and under seasoned. The burger was very good with solid bun to meat ratio, but dry as the sauce/condiment element was tiny if there at all. Menu a bit disjointed without specified starters. Won't rush to comeback.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Warren Bedoya
Biting into the Mother Rucker is an experience! I feel my soul leave my body and transcend into Nirvana. I want this burger to be the last thing I taste in this mortal plane! Now usually I consume food like I'm going against Joey Chestnut, but I actually chew, pause and savor every last bite. I don't know what dark pact they made because no burger should actually be this good. I eat half when it arrives and save half for last, it's truly amazing how much better a burger can be than any beautifully prepared, expertly crafted fine foods.
River Twice Restaurant not only delighted my taste buds with the exquisite Mother Rucker burger and the scallop XO on chawanmushi toast but also provided a sensory feast with its fantastic playlist. A harmonious blend of taste and tunes, River Twice is a sanctuary for food and soul alike. An escape from the prison of ordinary dining into the ocean of love that River Twice Restaurant effortlessly delivers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Bomze
Unpretentious and friendly vibe and service. Nice linen, fun cutlery drawer. Good taste in music. Went for the a la carte burger (beefy, simple, perfect) and chicory salad (cheesy, garlicky.. also perfect) cus it was an option, but plan to go back for the traditional tasting menu asap.. so much on that menu sounded outrageous.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anthony Baker
Should change to the name to River Once…because I doubt I’d go back a second time. $250 for a glass of wine and a four course dinner for two people is not a bad price but the food lacked flavor and was pretty blah menu overall.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Anna Jordan
This place is incredible. We had white truffle on our cornbread. There was a drawer for silverware so you could grab anything you wanted at any time. The service was fabulous and the food was great—highly recommend!
Andy Gersick
River Twice is on all the lists but still, actually, underrated. We came for the “chef’s counter” prix fixe and every dish was special. Surprising, really beautifully composed dishes. Probably the best seafood-centered meal we’ve had in Philly. Clean and decadent at the same time. We had to ask for a few extra slices of bread to sop up every bit of lick-the-plate-delicious sauces. The picture is of an off-menu swordfish belly preparation that the chef very kindly let us sample when he saw me watching him put it together. We will definitely be back. A great date-night indulgence, absolutely worth it.
The heirloom corn grits with crab fat sofrito & mother rucker burger were made to profección. Our server who I believe said her name was “(mi-ahh)” was also a vibe-genuine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time at River Twice.Met up with some favorite friends from my American Water days. Interesting approach to a menu. There was a $75 fixed tasting menu and then a set of optional extras. I went with the soft shell crab special and everyone else did the burger (since we specifically came on burger Monday). This is a cozy small restaurant in the heart of Philly. We were seated at the counter and were able to watch the food prep. Pretty cool. Service was excellent. Food was outstanding.Plenty of food to satisfy your hunger in the tasting menu alone, but I am glad we added the extras. The starter was raw Maine scallops in a crème sauce.Unbelievably good! This was followed by the NJ sushi rice with smoked steelhead.Well made, filling, and slightlyunremarkable. The mackerel, steamed cabbage and sweet potato made up for it with a perfect bite of these three ingredients! My soft shell crab was very unusual, in a good way, with an interesting creamy sauce and pickled onions. The burger was outstanding!! Lots of nuanced flavors going on. Finally, the winter citrus creamsicle was fun, creative, light, and the perfect ending to a super cool dining experience. Highly recommend River Twice for the adventurous eater!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fluke
Overall I enjoyed my experience at River Twice. Service and atmosphere were great. There were some amazing dishes (raw scallop first course and the oysters) but the rest of the food, while well-executed, did not wow me. For the price, I was expecting more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
I usually do not frequent Philadelphia but just so happened to be in the area with my wife and therefore I wanted to try something new for dinner. When I was searching for restaurants I came across River Twice, which was described as a seafood tasting menu utilizing French and Japanese techniques, I was sold! I did have trouble finding a reservation, however I luckily found a same-day 9:30 slot open on a Saturday night so I quickly grabbed it.As we entered I noticed the restaurant was a small intimate space, which has a counter over seeing the kitchen. As someone who likes to cook myself, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had two seats available at the counter. Once we settled in I took a look at the menu and immediately decided to get a few items to add onto their tasting menu. We opted for the bread course and the ultra-decadent bluefin tuna topped with Uni on Chawanmushi toast.The bread course which came first was a solid hit. They get high quality sourdough bread from a local bakery, which was impeccably paired with Strachiatella cheese and an amazing Tomato Olive tapenade. Our next course was a refreshing bay scallop crudo paired with watercress puree. If I do have a critique on this course I would possible suggest a little more herbal flavoring, as the dill sprigs which came with the course were muted. Then came our optional course of Bluefin tuna toast. As expected you can't really go wrong when using such amazing ingredients, and while it cost $32, it was not exorbitant considering the quality of ingredients being used. The next course, sushi rice, was the highlight of the night for me. A bed of sushi rice, flavored with black vinegar and slightly crisped in a cast iron skillet is topped with a rich potato hollandaise, a piece of cured and smoky eel and then the chef topped it with Perigord Truffle. This dish was amazingly balanced as it had richness from the hollandaise, earthiness from the truffle, a salty component from the eel and the vinegar in the rice helped cut through everything. This was a Michelin star quality dish. We finished the savory courses with Halibut, on top of carrots and celeriac, in a sauce made with clam broth. This was a good course which was highlighted by the flavorful vegetables. The dessert course was a play on a creamsicle which has very nice textures and citrus flavors. They definitely captured the nostalgia of eating a creamsicle.All in all it was a pleasant experience and I would recommend River Twice to anyone who enjoys seafood. While I do realize that $75 a person is not cheap and one might require a few extra courses, this is reasonable considering the high costs of good quality ultra-fresh seafood.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I hemmed and hawed about what to rate River Twice, a place that had been on my list for ages and one I had heard such accolades about. I ended with 3-stars, and here’s why:- Food: it was good, don’t get me wrong. But it wasn’t anything extra or special. It was good, but exactly what you would expect.- Service: everyone was lovely. Just nothing special or extra but everyone was very kind and helpful.- Wine pairing: everyone has their own thoughts and preferences. However, I will say the pairing was a total miss. They didn’t work with the food (or there was a much better option that should have been selected) and they weren’t really special. The staff seemed to need more of an education on the wines as well when asking for more detail.- Cost: this was a big one. Our meal was not worth the $350 price tag. Honestly I was shocked and really bummed. I expected so much from the meal, and it just didn’t hit the mark for that cost.TBD if we’ll be back, but perhaps. We’ll see.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
I can't wait to go back here! The whole vibe is chill , but upscale foods. My wife was raving about their dirty martini! So much thought into each dish and everything was amazing. I can't really put into words how great this experience was. We were there on steakhouse night and we were blown away! 10/10 ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Randy Rucker easily gets my vote for the next Philly James Beard recipient for 2024. His inspired seafood is pure poetry on a plate. great mix of interesting flavors. The 4 course menu is a great place to start, but foodies should be prepared to add a few of the extras for the full dining experience. On this visit, the raw scallops in a buttermilk sauce was one of the unexpected stars. As a bonus, River Twice has a "bring a bottle, if you buy a bottle policy" which is amongst the best BYO deals in this neighborhood
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We tried the tasting menu and it was amazing. The food was fresh and the quality was just right. The team are super attentive and friendly. The chef came out to say hello.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nice waitress and a cute small space, The bluefin tuna $26 portion was tiny and very bland and under seasoned. The burger was very good with solid bun to meat ratio, but dry as the sauce/condiment element was tiny if there at all. Menu a bit disjointed without specified starters. Won't rush to comeback.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Biting into the Mother Rucker is an experience! I feel my soul leave my body and transcend into Nirvana. I want this burger to be the last thing I taste in this mortal plane! Now usually I consume food like I'm going against Joey Chestnut, but I actually chew, pause and savor every last bite. I don't know what dark pact they made because no burger should actually be this good. I eat half when it arrives and save half for last, it's truly amazing how much better a burger can be than any beautifully prepared, expertly crafted fine foods.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
River Twice Restaurant not only delighted my taste buds with the exquisite Mother Rucker burger and the scallop XO on chawanmushi toast but also provided a sensory feast with its fantastic playlist. A harmonious blend of taste and tunes, River Twice is a sanctuary for food and soul alike. An escape from the prison of ordinary dining into the ocean of love that River Twice Restaurant effortlessly delivers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Unpretentious and friendly vibe and service. Nice linen, fun cutlery drawer. Good taste in music. Went for the a la carte burger (beefy, simple, perfect) and chicory salad (cheesy, garlicky.. also perfect) cus it was an option, but plan to go back for the traditional tasting menu asap.. so much on that menu sounded outrageous.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Should change to the name to River Once…because I doubt I’d go back a second time. $250 for a glass of wine and a four course dinner for two people is not a bad price but the food lacked flavor and was pretty blah menu overall.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
This place is incredible. We had white truffle on our cornbread. There was a drawer for silverware so you could grab anything you wanted at any time. The service was fabulous and the food was great—highly recommend!
River Twice is on all the lists but still, actually, underrated. We came for the “chef’s counter” prix fixe and every dish was special. Surprising, really beautifully composed dishes. Probably the best seafood-centered meal we’ve had in Philly. Clean and decadent at the same time. We had to ask for a few extra slices of bread to sop up every bit of lick-the-plate-delicious sauces. The picture is of an off-menu swordfish belly preparation that the chef very kindly let us sample when he saw me watching him put it together. We will definitely be back. A great date-night indulgence, absolutely worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5