Double Knot, Philadelphia

Michael Schulson recently opened Double Knot next door to his successful Asian fusion restaurant, Sampan, on 13^th Street. This two-story establishment has a split personality, serving as a coffee bar upstairs and a Japanese izakaya in the basement.

A photo posted by Double Knot (@doubleknot_phl) on Jun 7, 2016 at 4:01pm PDT

Our early-evening reservation was not ready yet, so a friend and I decided to get a drink while we waited for the rest of our party. The upstairs was already crowded, which resulted in slow service and an incorrect bill for my friend, though I found my cappuccino with Bailey’s delicious. Double Knot serves Elixr coffee and even has a Modbar system for creating a variety of coffee drinks, including a cold-brewed, draft coffee.

With a party of six, we found the basement cramped for tables bigger than three or four. That being said, the dark walls and candles make Double Knot the perfect place for a date or even small groups, whether you’re sitting in the cozy dining room or at the sushi bar. The menu is made up of small plates, inspired by the izakayas of Japan, gastropubs specializing in drinks and bite-sized bar food. A waiter came around to explain how the menu worked and gave us several food and drink specials, one of which was a smoking whiskey where burning cinnamon and cloves infused the glass with a spicy flavor before the drink was poured in.

A photo posted by Double Knot (@doubleknot_phl) on Jun 9, 2016 at 1:42pm PDT

Like a true izakaya, the food is straightforward and barely has any description on the menu. Each person in our group ordered several small plates, mainly off the robatayaki grill; there was also an alternate menu for my vegan friend. My favorite dishes were the pork belly and Kobe beef, mainly because I found them simple and flavorful. There were also more unusual items on the menu like chicken heart and quail that I’ll definitely want to try the next time I visit.

Double Knot

120 S. 13^th St.

Philadelphia, Pa. 19107

215 631 3868