The Treemont

I’ve been enough times to review treemont on drinks but not having had a low key HH there last night with the fab Shauna G I now think this place is way underrated.
Starters: happy hour is every day except Saturday (winning)
Our bartender was pretty quiet but honored our Unilocal check ins with out any attitude. He allowed us to split the theatre prefix menu. I am a little sad we didn’t get any popcorn (comes as a compliment to HH) or bread and dipping oil but the starter and dessert were winners and though I didn’t love the entrée it was plates beautifully.
We started with the chickpea fritters followed by the sea bream and a chocolate dessert. The addition of the potatoes with garlic aioli was the perfect amount if food for 2 to share .
The HH cocktail was bourbon based and had a slight sour finished I didn’t hate it but I switched back to wine. I believe they rotate the drink so this could change for future HH’s.
I will most certainly be back it’s a great space for a laid back dinner with friends.

Absolutely delightful dinner! My Mom and I enjoyed the carrot gazpacho and chick pea fritters to start the evening off, then followed it up with the short ribs and lamb shoulder, both of which were out of this world! And did I mention the chargrilled beets? I can’t even begin to say how amazing those were!
The service was excellent, even bringing some club soda after an unfortunate dribble.
This is my second time at The Treemont and it was just as good as the first!

This year we decided to switch things up on Valentine’s Day. Rather than start months in advance and deal with crowds on the actual day, we went out a day earlier. Treemont was our chosen destination and we were very happy with the food and the restaurant itself.
To begin, the space is very cool and when you walk in, it looks like the dining area isn’t quite large. Enter the loft above the main dining area which houses probably about 15 more tables. I think the first floor is dedicated to a small bar and the kitchen. It’s not a concept I’ve seen frequently but I liked the feel of the place.
We started with the kale salad and the lobster agnolotti. I got to taste both dishes since I have no dietary restrictions and I was impressed with how each was executed. The salad had two kale textures in it, raw leaves and crispy leaves. Maybe they toss kale chips in with it? Either way, that textural element took the salad up a few points in my book. I believe it was paired with a lemon dressing for my wife and it had to be preserved lemon or meyer because it was lighter and sweeter than most lemon we buy. The agnolotti which were filled with lobster and scallop were also extremely well presented. They were draped in a brown butter sauce and they fell apart easily with a fork while still keeping their texture enough to be eaten.
My entrée was the short rib, anson mills grits and heirloom carrots. The short rib was butchered to be a nearly perfect cube, set in an elliptical plate with perfectly roasted carrots surrounding it and a delightful sauce. This dish was rich, comforting and everything that I wanted for my meal. I had a bite of my wife’s salmon which had an excellent crust on it with an interior that was soft and just melted when eaten.
While I found our waiter to be a bit dry, he did execute our service quite well. He was frequently at our table refilling water and brought our drinks promptly. Also, he accurately conveyed my wife’s allergies to the kitchen and made sure she was aware of her dining options on the menu.
I think the Treemont is a wonderful addition to our well established dining scene and helped us celebrate (albeit a bit early) our first V-​Day as a married couple.

Wanted to try this place after I had good experience at Blackfish. Food was decent and ambiance was cozy as well. I had chicken liver pâté and short rib. Chicken liver pâté is one of my favorite dishes so I usually get it whenever I see them on the menu. Sadly it was just average. Not bad but not good either. Liked their creamy texture but was lack on flavor, they gave you a lot of brioche though. Beef short rib dish was pretty good but was little too sweet in my opinion. For me, 4 or 5 star on Unilocal means I would like to go back. This place more like 3.5 star or above but just not a 4 star…

Food: 4
Service /​Hospitality: 5
Atmosphere: 4
I first came here when the place first opened (which was super exciting because I’m a long time fan of Blackfish). While the food then was amazing, I had a less than perfect experience. The restaurant was exceedingly gracious and called to say the next meal would be on them.
I came back for restaurant week, certainly not expecting them to remember something that happened 9 months ago. After sitting down, they said the meal was on them. I am incredibly impressed. A restaurant that cares that much about a single review written 9 months ago, and follows through on their word is one I respect and will develop loyalty to.
The food is pretty good — I had the ricotta gnudi and braised short rib. Certainly no complaints, although I admit not particularly memorable (and why I give them a 4). Actually, last time I was here, I enjoyed the food more.
Overall it was a great experience, and I’m sure I will be back!

My friends and I came here for restaurant week. I ordered the Ricotta Gnudi, Amish Chicken, and Sour Cream Pannacotta.
The Gnudi was DELICIOUS. I was debating over this and the chick pea fritters, and while the chick pea fritters were good, I’m so glad I chose the gnudi. The chicken dish was good as well but nothing «special». The chicken was cooked well. The added pumpernickel was good. But just felt like an average chicken dish. The sour cream pannacotta was good. My friend did rave about the chocolate cake option.
Overall, not bad. not great.

We went to Treemont back in mid December. I was looking for a potential «gift» to give to my parents for Christmas. I knew this place was relatively new so I thought we would give it a try.
The food was pretty good, although I can’t really remember what we had. I will say that the celery root soup was awesome. They had some decent cocktails too. The atmosphere was a little loud. We were in a party of four and had a hard time hearing each other.
I am not dying to go back, but it was an overall good experience. I did not end up sending my parents.

The Treemont
231 S 15^th St Philadelphia, PA 19 102 | (267) 687‑2237 |
Relatively new on the Philadelphia restaurant scene, this modern American cuisine restaurant opened just after April 2014, and is the 6^th business enterprise of Chef Chip Roman, a Philadelphia native and owner of the Roman Restaurant Group. His business ventures include:
Blackfish, opened in 2006, holds 3 Bells from the Philadelphia Inquirer and earned the number one spot in Philadelphia magazine’s 2011 «50 Best Restaurants» issue.
Mica, opened in March of 2011, also holds 3 Bells from the Philadelphia Inquirer and was named by GQ magazine as one of the «10 Best Restaurants 2012».
Ela, opened in November of 2011 as a partnership with Chef Jason Cichonski and also received a glowing 3 Bells from the Inquirer’s Craig LaBan.
Tradestone Confections, a line of artisan chocolates and confections available online, as well as
Tradestone Café, offering coffee, breakfast, soups, salads and sandwiches, alongside the gourmet chocolate line.
Possibly one of the finest modern American restaurants in the city, the location is how shall we say VERY poor. Wedged in-​between a group of bars including Tavern on Broad, The Good Dog, Fado Irish Pub, Fox and Hound and the neighborhood Applebee’s, Chip Roman’s Center City debut sits amidst a pub crawling crowd. Not to mention the huge Cheesecake Factory (the Walmart of eateries) moved in just up the street. So, will people put down their beers, cheesecakes, and $ 9.99 all you can eat appetizers and stay sober just long enough to enjoy the greatness of this exquisite restaurant; we shall soon see. I hope the answer is a resounding yes.
As soon as I walked in the door the bar area stood out. Wow. Nicely lit and perfectly organized I knew I’d be in luck for some delicious, refreshing cocktails this evening.
The meal commenced with a delightful amuse bouche. Buckwheat muffin with agave nectar served with a chipotle butter.
Aptly named, the Final Problem, made of Rum, House Ginger, Lime Cordial, Soda, this devilishly tasty summer cocktail certainly could create quite a few problems after a few of them, as how shall we put it delicately, the final problem was solved as it swiftly slid down my gullet.
To wet the palate, we started with spiced almonds and marinated olives. The almonds were not very spicy but had a nice kick to them along with some sweetness which was difficult to discern the origins. The olives were pitted (thank you), and were an apt accompaniment.
Foie Gras Terrine|Seabuckthorn|Macadamia|Brioche|Rhubarb…$ 17. Things got rolling as soon as the foie gras came out. Absolutely delicious. My one critique is the terrine could have been served slightly warmer. It clumped as I spread it onto my rich and tender brioche. In my opinion, it should have spread more smoothly like a room-​temperature butter. Seeing as terrines are normally served at or just slightly below room temperature, I thought it should have been warmer. The small orange seabuckthorn herbs were very tasty and the rhubarb added sweetness. Macadamia nuts were good, I might have chosen a sweeter nut – maybe a candied almond or cashew, but that is just artistic difference. Overall, a 4.5÷5 star dish with half a star off due to temperature.
Berkshire Pork Loin|Endive|Artichoke|Honeycomb…$ 24. I loved the fact this was served with real honeycomb. That MADE the dish. Don’t ever take the honeycomb away. Your loyal customers will clamor until it is re-​added to the menu. The sweet brown pork jus mixed well with the honeycomb and gave the already tender pork the juiciness it needed. Well presented, and well plated, A+ for presentation.
Amish Chicken|Pumpernickel|Fingerling Potatoes|Asparagus|English Peas …$ 22. The pea purée was probably the best part of this chicken dish. The chicken was tender and well cooked and the pumpernickel certainly added flavor. Fingerling potatoes were adequate. Could have been served with a bit more asparagus in my opinion. The chicken jus that was poured on top finished the dish well.
Sour cream pannacotta, pine nut brittle, passionfruit gel, olive oil powder. Fantastic. Whipped, light and fluffy with the immense richness of the passion fruit and sweetness of the pine nut brittle, this dessert will leave you wanting more, more, more. ⁵⁄₅ stars.
Of Note:
A pristine restroom facility.
Spacious upstairs seating area with views of the street below.
Small al fresco dining area just outside the entrance with room for a few tables.

I’m bucking the trend here. And maybe, just maybe I expect more from Chip Roman than I’ve been getting lately with Blackfish falling in my opinion also. It seems like he phoned it in at The Treemont, or at least when I was there.
For an appetizer, the six-​hour cured Cobia, had wonderful texture. However the red beet vinaigrette was more like beet sauce, there was no zip nor any bite to it. What a waste of a terrifically prepared fish to just go naked tasting on the pallet.
The crispy skin on the Dorade (entrée), how I love crispy skin, was the highlight of the dish. The wheat-​berries were cooked well, but little flavor. The fish cooked perfect, but other than the 2 caper-​berries and 2 charred baby onions holding it’s own, the flavor wasn’t anywhere near above average like I expected. I wasn’t expecting «bursting» but at least «interesting».
A side of grilled cauliflower was oh so boring and tasteless. The color and presentation was excellent though.
Well, everything was presented well as is Chef Roman’s forte.
I did not want to disappoint myself further by ordering dessert.
Service from Jameson behind the bar was excellent throughout the entire dinner, and his expert help and politeness was appreciated.

I’ve now dined at Treemont twice and cannot WAIT to go back.
I’ll start with my favorite items: Brussel Sprouts, sour cream pannecotta, apple wood smoked salmon (blew my mind), lobster ravioli, pork loin…
I just listed everything I ate because they were all that good! The chickpea fritters (appetizer) were yummy. Additionally, they’re gluten free although they’re fried. They come with a really good dipping sauce!
Beautiful food presentation, accommodating and sweet staff, awesome beer list, and wine list. Glasses ($ 9 – 14) and bottles (wide range).
The ambiance is very nice. Upstairs can accommodate a large party, but there are also cozy spots for a romantic date. I really appreciate that their tables aren’t too close together so you don’t feel like you may as well dine with the table next you!
I plan on coming back, and definitely plan on trying their brunch menu.

I have only been here for happy hour, but it was a nice place with friendly service. Generous pours of wine for $ 5, a bourbon cocktail for $ 5, and I think a beer special or two also. They even gave us free bread since our friend raved about how good it was. I’d definitely like to find my way back here soon.

With some colleagues in town from Unilocal’s San Francisco and New York offices, I knew I wanted to impress with my dinner selection. I rolled the dice with The Treemont, since I had never been, and it worked in my favor!
We started at the bar with wine and cocktails. The complimentary popcorn is delicious! I could have happily munched on that all night long. But, we headed upstairs to our table and began our feast. To start, chickpea fritters, charred squid and squid ink gnudi. The fritters were light and fun, the squid worked really well with everything else on the plate, but the gnudi with brown butter and raisins were off. the. hook. I wouldn’t think twice about ordering that dish again. And not sharing.
My dining companions seemed very happy with their fluke entrees. I went with the strip steak and was surprised to receive two large hunks of beef instead of, well, sliced strips of steak. I would have preferred the latter. I really liked the barley and mushrooms on the plate, and the red wine sauce was nice. I thought this dish went well with the lemony crushed potatoes.
While I didn’t partake in the desserts, they went over well with our group. I’m interested to see the next version of the menu and I’d definitely like to return.

A last minute Saturday night decision led to The Treemont. We were deciding between The Treemont and Abe Fisher, and I’m glad we chose this restaurant (even though I was secretly hoping for the latter).
The food was great. The salad, gnudi, and fluke entrée were all really well done. Seriously, at its price point ($ 22 – 28 for entrees), it’s better than a lot of Philly’s heavy hitters in my opinion, including Vernick, Wedge, The Dandelion, A. Kitchen, Pumpkin, etc. Sure, you can’t compare different cooking techniques amongst these restaurants, but based on pure complexity and taste of the food, this place comes at or near the top.
Service was a little odd. It was weird to be told that all seats that night were reserved, then ushered to a counter top, and midway through the meal, still have half the seats around you be unoccupied. And our waiter, though competent, seemed a little ditsy and inattentive at times. But I’ll take these minor issues any day if the food always tastes as good as it was.

The first thing I noticed about The Treemont was its chic interior, like something out of an Upper East Side restaurant in New York. My friend Chris W and I had drinks at the bar in the past, so we felt it was time to dine at this remarkable place. Chef Chip Roman had cut his teeth in such fine dining establishments as Blackfish, Mica, and Ela. His newest residency has dishes displaying elements from all of them. My dorade, two tender filets that reminded me of sea bass, was tender, flaky, and oh so juicy. The combination of veggie crunch, quinoa chew, foam bubbles, and cream with the dorade was a wonderful titillation of the senses. Chris’ pork loin was brilliant comfort food made to look elegant. Chef Roman definitely channeled Chef Daniel Stern with that dish. The cavatelli with lamb ragu was another winner with tender slow-​cooked lamb enhancing the flavors of a delicious pasta dish.

I had a phenomenal experience at the Treemont. I happened upon this spot during Restaurant Week. It had fairly good reviews and was available at the time I was hoping to have dinner. What a good choice!
Its easily accessible in Rittenhouse Square, and is a quaint little spot with open air windows. The staff were attentive but not overbearing. The drinks were delish. Not cheap, but delish. Lucky for me, after checking in on Unilocal,I got a free glass of the house wine. It wasn’t stellar, but it was free!
The food however was wonderful. It was like having a 3 – 4 course Top Chef Masters meal. The best item was the Ricotta Gnudi. Looking at it, you’ll have no idea what it is. But at first bite — you won’t care. Ultimately, I found out that its like an inside out ravioli, minus the pasta. Its was delectable!
The dessert course left something to be desired, but it really didn’t matte, r because I was so happy from eating dinner!

I am glad I waited to write a review for Treemont… My 1^st experience there was less than stellar, mostly due to the service.
After my friend Unilocaled about our experience, Treemont reached out to offer a free dinner to make up for our bad experience and prove their greatness. Unbelievable, right? Not only did they exceed expectations with this offer alone, but the 2^nd go ’round was absolutely amazing.
From the service to the drinks to the food to the ambiance, Treemont is the best and a not-​to-​be-​missed philly hot spot. Special shout out to the manager and the waiter, who kept us full and happy. And the Gnudi. I’m still not sure what it was but it was heavenly.
Highly recommend all to go to Treemont!

After my last review of Treemont (mainly regarding the inferior service we received at this restaurant), the restaurant’s management contacted me to apologize for the bad service our party of four experienced there. They invited our entire party to come back and retry the Treemont experience.
It was AMAZING. From the beginning to the end — it was truly over the top. They greeted us with a bottle of champagne for a festive start to the evening.
This time we praised our server and kind of preferred him to sit and chat with us rather than wait on us. Our server was the most food knowledgeable person I have ever met, pleasant and very interesting person.
He knew the smallest, most specific details about the entire menu, and his recommendations were on point once he got to know our tastes and preferences.
We sat upstairs (I didn’t even know they have upstairs seating). It is a great space and the atmosphere is young, modern and really classy.
And the feast began…
Scallop Crudo — wow. It was so good and unique we wanted to order more, but more than 5 appts for 4 people is already a little bit too much
Chick Pea Fritters — because you have to have them
Ricotta Gnudi — if everyone is recommending them, there has to be a reason. They were so fluffy, the filling and sauce were really good and complemented the smooth texture.
Escargots à la Georges Perrier — the waiter recommended and he knows what’s what. It’s a must order.
Charred Squid — we needed to revisit this deliciousness.
And to the main courses — we already had the Amish chicken so we knew what are we getting, but we really enjoyed the tender, buttery like short rib for the fist time, who knew that grits can be so tasty?
The Scottish salmon with its green broth — I never tasted broth with sorrel leaves and it was a great introduction.
You cant, but CANT pass on dessert — we ordered 2 — the candy and cookies variety and the Sour cream pannacotta. I could have eaten just that (in much larger amount) for the entire meal. Yes it was that good.
We cant wait to go back and will gladly recommend to our friends. I know they will have a great time.

After reading yet another good review of the Treemont, we decided to check it out this past Friday night.
After walking in, I was pretty surprised that it wasn’t busier as I’ve heard great things but there was an entire upstairs that we didn’t get a chance to see so may be that’s where all the diners were hiding? I was also blown away by how pretty it was. All I could think was, «wow, this used to be a red mango»?
First we began with the scallop crudo and the 6 hour cured cobia. My gentleman adored the scallop as it was delicate, refreshing and still very scallopy. I liked it but it was not my fave. My fave was the 6 hour cured cobia which I’m pretty sure I could eat almost every day. Approachable, light but packed with flavor. Get this. Next we shared the chick pea fritters. These were tasty, crunchy on the outside and delicate on the inside but not our favorite so I can’t say we’d order them again.
Lastly, we split the lamb saddle which was fantastic. The lamb was so tender that we didn’t need a steak knife. I loved it with the fermented barley. It paired so well and felt like the perfect fall dish.
My only complaint is that our drinks took forever to get after ordering. I completely understand that they have quite a few ingredients but I’m pretty sure our first course shouldn’t arrive before our drinks that we ordered prior to the first course. Not the end of the world though and the drinks were tasty so that helped.
To sum it up, we’ll be back!

I am going to attempt to sum up the awesomeness that was experienced at dinner last night… great service, very accommodating to gluten free, and amazing food!
A group of 11 of us made a reservation and upon arriving we were promptly seated upstairs at 2 tables. The server wasted no time in coming around to all of us and taking our drink order and asking if we had any questions on the menu. The atmosphere is very inviting and the seats were very comfortable. The sound wasn’t overly loud even when the upstairs was completely full (that may be because we were pretty loud). There is plenty of space between the tables so you don’t feel like your sitting on top of the people next to you which I personally appreciate them not packing it in like a can of sardines.
Drinks~~We ordered a mix of beer, wine, and cocktails. They do carry Tito’s vodka for those gluten free. There was no complaint on any of the drinks ordered and we enjoyed a few rounds throughout dinner. Drinks came reasonably fast so guess the bartender was on their game to keep drinks working quickly. Drinks were well made and served perfectly to what I would expect.
Apps ~~Once we had our drinks the server came and took our order for apps. Our table got a nice variety including olives, spicy almonds, calamari, and sheep cheese. The server knew I was gluten free so he was so nice and let me know about everything that I ordered and if I could eat it. They brought bread for the table which was a homemade biscuit type loaf, everyone raved about these. They brought me a bowl of seasoned gluten free popcorn since I couldn’t eat the bread which was such a pleasant surprise!
Entrees~~There were plenty of dinner choices and I went with the lamb dish with potatoes instead of barley. It came out perfectly cooked to a slightly medium cook. The person across from me got the Amish Chicken and it looked simply amazing and he said it was delicious as well. We got the Kale, Beets, and Mushrooms as sides and all came out what looked to be buttered and all tasted fresh and were cooked perfectly. I would suggest that each side will serve about 2 people so get multiple if with a group like we were.
Dessert~~Once we all were done essentially licking our plates (and almost literally as the 2 guys with salmon asked for extra bread to sop up the sauce) we ordered desserts. I got the raspberry dessert since it was gluten free… it was like a custard on the bottom with a light fruit topping with fresh raspberries and little merengue type pieces on it. It was a perfect light summer dessert to finish off the meal. A couple guys got the rhubarb strawberry and mentioned they would prefer the rhubarb cooked a little more.

The Treemont is Chef Chip Roman’s 4^th fine dining restaurant in the Philly area (preceded by Blackfish, Mica, and Ela, all of which are standouts, and not to forget Tradestone Café)…
We went to the Friends & Family* opening on Sunday April 13^th, but it was identical to what will be the opening menu for the public tomorrow on Monday April 14^th. I’ll write up more details (see photos), but sufficed to say it was fantastic. Particularly like the Foie Gras, and the melt-​in-​your-​mouth veal tenderloin.
It is also one of the most attractive restaurants in Philly.
An interesting crowd was in attendance: Kevin Sbraga and his wife & kids, Drew Lazor, Jessie from Sbraga, Shola Olunloyo, Chip’s wife and her girlfriend had the window seat, some regulars like Jeremy and Shelley that I recognized from Blackfish/​Mica…
Note, in addition to the dining hours listed on this page, the bar is open 4:30PM-1:00AM, 7 days a week. Small bar, but the cocktails were excellent. They should do a good business being so close to the Academy of Music/​Kimmel Center.
More background information:
*This was a «Friends & Family» event, so everything was complementary, except the tip.