Tale of the Tape: R2L

Daniel Stern’s R2L opens to the public tomorrow on the 37th floor of Two Liberty Place.We’ve got the rundown on the panoramic views, menu and more.

The Space

• 37th Floor
• 500 feet above ground level
• Highest public restaurant in Philadelphia
• Accessible via single elevator on 16th Street side
• Views to the south, west and east
• Designed by CCS Architecture
• Art Deco design
• Zebra print booths
• Fork, knives and spoons sculpture breaks up the room
• Restaurant broken into following sections:
  • The Liberty Bar and Lounge: Bar menu and cocktails
  • The Dining Salon: Flights of food and drink
  • Three boardrooms and The Pinnacle Room provide private dining

The Food

• Defined as the cuisine of a cocktail party translated into a dining experience
• Some past favorites from Gayle and Rae make the menu
• The menu includes snacks ($6-12), soups ($6), salads ($6-9), entrees ($20-30)
• Highlights:
  • Cocktail Reubens, homemade corned beef and rye
  • Rabbit Nachos, jalapeno mousse, homemade tortilla chips
  • Surf and Turf, griddled half lobster and braised short ribs served with lobster sauce, beef jus, roasted potatoes and leeks
  • Veal Stew, veal meatloaf, sweetbreads, tongue, brisket, trotter and crisp dumpling, served with roasted potatoes, cippolini onions and finished with a rich veal reduction scented with horseradish
• Full Menu (PDF) starts February 2nd
• Restaurant Week Menu, served through January, 29th

The Drink

• Beverage Director Ryan Davis
• Champagne and Martini Trolley offers guests martinis and glasses of Champagne upon seating
• Wine locker service offers diners storage and access to limited varietals at special rates
• Wine by the glass ranges from $8 to $23
• Large piece of ice displayed behind the back bar, bartenders “harvest” the ice for different cocktails
• Cocktails ($10-12) feature:
  • Luxardo
  • Carpano Antica
  • Noilly Prat
  • Top-shelf gins and ryes
  • Exotic bitters
  • Shaken Sours
• Beer Highlights:
  • Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale
  • Samuel Smith Taddy Porter
  • Brooklyn Local One

R2L
Two Liberty Place, Philadelphia, PA
37th Floor
215-564-5337

More on R2L

R2L in Pictures [Meal Ticket]
Daniel Stern’s R2L Reaches for the Stars and Succeeds [Philly Chit Chat]
R2L Dining High in the Sky [Sips Bites and Sites]
A Look Inside R2L, Opening January 21 [Grub Street]